It will soon be blossom season in Japan! By far the most famous of Japanese blossoms are cherry blossoms, but they’re not the first spring flower to bloom. Plum blossom usually start appearing as early as mid-February. Although not as dramatic as the more-famous cherry blossoms, they are well-loved for their subtle beauty. The imageContinueContinue reading “梅 (umé) plum”
Category Archives: kanji
鬼 (oni) “Demon”
Sometimes translated as “demon”, “devil” or “ogre”, an oni is a traditional Japanese monster typically depicted as wearing a tiger pelt and carrying an iron club. They usually have red or blue skin and horns. They are popular characters in Japanese fairy tales and legends. In early February the annual bean-throwing festival is practiced toContinueContinue reading “鬼 (oni) “Demon””
前進 (zen-shin) “Keep moving forwards!”
A motivational message for the client to hang in their room, with the option of turning it into a tattoo design. This was my first calligraphy commission 😊
How many writing systems does the Japanese language use?
kanji (left side), hiragana (top right) and katakana (bottom right) When you begin learning Japanese, chances are you’ll find yourself coming up against not only one writing system, but multiple. The text below is taken from Wikipedia’s entry on kanji. I’ve coloured each of the writing systems in a different colour: また、英語圏やフランス語圏で「Kanji」と言う場合は、日本の漢字、狭義では新字体を指す。 As you canContinueContinue reading “How many writing systems does the Japanese language use?”
Calligraphy by Vicky 