New Year’s is the biggest festival in Japan. As a time for new beginnings, it is often observed by doing activities “for the first time in the new year”.
The first calligraphy of the new year is called 書初め (kakizomé).
The kanji:
書 = writing (as in 書道 – Japanese calligraphy, or “the way of writing”)
初 = first time
The above image is a 書初め (kakizomé) work that I did a while back when I was living in Japan.
Like most 書初め (kakizomé) works, it contains a reference to nature and a hope for the coming year.
The kanji are:
春 = spring
日 = day (or sun)
鳥 = bird
還 = return
飛 = fly
So a loose translation is “In spring days, birds fly back.” The birds can refer to hope and good feeling, as well as a sign of spring.
Calligraphy by Vicky 