In short
- Join a Japanese tradition: write kakizome, the first writing of the year, in the first days of January.
- Keep writing new words from our free sheets, and let a teacher or a class look at your work when you can.
- Date your best sheet each session and keep it in a folder. Looking back is one of the great pleasures of shodo.
Try kakizome at New Year
Kakizome (書き初め), “the first writing of the year,” is one of Japan’s favorite New Year traditions. In early January, often on January 2, people write a word or phrase that expresses a wish or a goal for the coming year.
Schoolchildren write kakizome on long, narrow paper, and the works are often displayed at school. You can join the tradition by choosing a word such as 希望 (kibo, hope) or 挑戦 (chosen, challenge) and writing it carefully on the first days of the year. More in Kakizome: New Year calligraphy.
More words to write
Our free practice sheets have 81 words written by our teachers, each with a model page and a tracing page, ready to print on US Letter or A4.
Our Japanese site offers more than two hundred brush models. The pages are in Japanese, but the models can be printed and used as they are.
morita-group.com/shodo-otehon/
Find a class or a community
Learning with others, and having a teacher look at your work, can make a big difference. In the United States, places to look include Japanese American cultural centers, Japan-America societies, Japanese gardens and museums, and local continuing-education programs.
Some examples that listed shodo classes or workshops when we checked in October 2026:
- Japan Society (New York, NY): shodo courses in person and online.
- Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (Delray Beach, FL): beginner workshops for adults.
- Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) (Los Angeles, CA): shodo workshops.
- Japanese Culture Center (Chicago, IL): an online shodo class.
Schedules change, so check each organization’s website for current information. Online classes make it possible to learn from a teacher wherever you live.
Learning with a teacher
In Japan, shodo is traditionally learned from a teacher. The teacher writes a model, the student copies it, and the teacher corrects the student’s work in red. This simple cycle, repeated week after week, is at the heart of how our students learn.
Teachers correct with a vermilion red ink called shuboku (朱墨): a red line to show where a stroke should have gone, a circle around an ending that should have been a sweep instead of a stop, a small stroke written over the student’s to show the right angle. Good work gets a red circle, or a flower-like double circle. For students, the red marks are not criticism. They are a map. See How children learn calligraphy in Japan.
Four more ideas
Explore other styles
When kaisho feels steady, try gyosho, the running style, where strokes begin to flow into each other. Many people also enjoy writing a single bold character on a larger sheet, or practicing the enso, the Zen circle drawn in one breath. Kana calligraphy, with its delicate hiragana, is another beautiful world.
Display your work
A favorite sheet can be mounted and framed. Hanshi is thin and wrinkles when it dries, so many people have important pieces professionally mounted on backing paper, a process called urauchi (裏打ち).
For everyday display, simply place a flat, dry sheet in a picture frame. A simple frame with a wide white or cream mat suits calligraphy well.
A seal of your own
Finished works of shodo are often signed with a red seal stamp, called rakkan (落款), placed near the signature. A seal carved with your name in seal script is a lovely gift to yourself after months of practice.
In class, students simply sign their name, so you do not need a seal to begin.
Keep a practice journal
Write the date on the back of your best sheet each session, and keep the sheets in a folder. Looking back through them is one of the great pleasures of shodo.
You will see not only your characters changing, but also your patience, your eye, and your calm growing along with them.
Thank you for practicing with us. We hope the brush becomes a quiet friend in your life.
Questions
What is kakizome?
Kakizome (書き初め) is “the first writing of the year,” one of Japan’s favorite New Year traditions. In early January, often on January 2, people write a word or phrase that expresses a wish or a goal for the coming year.
How can I find a Japanese calligraphy class in the United States?
Look at Japanese American cultural centers, Japan-America societies, Japanese gardens and museums, and local continuing-education programs. Schedules change, so check each organization’s website. Online classes let you learn from a teacher wherever you live.
Do I need a seal to do Japanese calligraphy?
No. Finished works are often signed with a red seal stamp called rakkan, but in class, students simply sign their name. A seal carved with your name is a lovely gift to yourself after months of practice.
