The word calligraphy literally means "beautiful writing." It is an art form that can be found in most civilizations with a written script. Originally developed to stress the importance of culture, religion and philosophy, over time calligraphy in most languages has developed into a purely artistic expression.

In Japanese culture, kanji characters from the Japanese writing system are used in calligraphy. An Introduction to Japanese Kanji Calligraphy is an exploration of this Asian art form and examines how calligraphic poetry developed in Japan. Written by a Japanese shodo master, it is a wonderful introduction to the beautiful art of Japanese calligraphy.

Japanese Kanji Calligraphy includes:

• An introduction to Japanese calligraphy
• Background information on the modern Japanese language
• Hiragana and katakana charts
• An explanation of the tools of calligraphy
• A guide to correct calligraphy techniques
• Step-by-step calligraphy instructions
• An extensive kanji character library