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きずな (Bonds) in regular script (kaisho), Japanese calligraphy model sheet

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Bonds

kizuna3 characters12 strokes

きずな (kizuna) means the strong bonds between people, such as family and friends, ties so close that they cannot be cut.

Free practice sheet

Regular script · PDF, 2 pages (model + tracing) · 157 KB

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Meaning

What means

The Japanese word for bonds, written in hiragana and read kizuna.

Kizuna is the strong connection between people, such as family members or friends. It describes ties so close that nothing can cut them.

Here the word is written in hiragana, the rounded Japanese script, instead of the kanji 絆. This gives it a soft, gentle look.

When people write it in Japan. People choose kizuna for pieces about family and friends, shared memories, or a team that worked hard together. It suits any work about what connects us to others.

Hiragana4 strokes
Hiragana4 strokes
Hiragana4 strokes

Written in kana, the Japanese syllables children learn first.

How to write it

Brush tips for

Three things to watch

  1. In き, slant both horizontal strokes up to the right at the same angle. Bring the slanted stroke down to the lower right, cutting through both of them.
  2. In ず, make a small loop partway down the vertical stroke, then sweep long down to the left. Place the two voicing marks (dakuten) at the upper right of the horizontal stroke.
  3. In な, end the lower right stroke with a small loop at the bottom, then sweep off to the right. Keep the horizontal stroke at the upper left fairly short.

Stroke order

Follow the vermilion stroke, frame by frame.

Stroke order data: KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.

How to practice

Trace first, then copy

  1. PrintPrint both pages at actual size, on US Letter or A4. Page 1 is the model. Page 2 is the tracing sheet.
  2. TraceTrace the outlines with a brush pen. Or lay thin hanshi paper over the page and trace with brush and ink.
  3. CopySet the model beside your paper and copy it stroke by stroke. Look at the model more than at your own paper.

Free for personal practice and classroom use. Please do not sell or re-post the files. Share a link to this page instead.

Ready to write ?Model + tracing sheet · US Letter or A4 · free
Cover of Japanese Calligraphy for Beginners by Sanayuki Morita

While the sets are on their way

The book is out now.

Japanese Calligraphy for Beginners takes you from holding the brush to writing whole words, step by step, in English. Every model inside was brushed by our teachers.

Starter Set, $72.99 with the book, brush, ink and paper: coming soon.

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