Learn the art of Japanese Calligraphy “Shodo” from a black belt calligraphy master in the center of Nagoya.
*No knowledge of Japanese writing or calligraphy required
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
We are not currently operating this tour.
We hope to offer it again in the future, so please check back for updates.
1 person 6000 yen/person
2 people 5000 yen/person
3-6 people 4000 yen/person
7-12 people 3000 yen/person
Private Experience
Central Nagoya (location might differ)
Central Nagoya (same as meeting location)
10:00 (2 hours)
14:30 (2 hours)
English, Japanese
English: Conversational ★★☆☆☆
Japanese: Native ★★★★★
Calligraphy, or “Shodo” in Japanese, is the way of writing with natural black carbon ink and brush, and it was especially used in Asian countries that used Chinese characters.
Nowadays a brush is seldom used as a form of communication anymore but important writings in Japan will be done by a calligraphy master, such as the scrolls you can find at a tea room or temple, or the Goshuin stamps that can be collected at shrines and temples.
During this experience, you will get an introduction to the art of Shodo, which literally means the Way of Writing. Learn how to hold a brush, how to set it on paper, and how to draw it across to produce a skillfully painted Kanji character. It might be unfamiliar and difficult at first but you will be surprised at your progress during this lesson thanks to the instructions of your calligraphy teacher.
Finish the class by creating your masterpiece, all complete with your name in Japanese and a red name seal, for you to take home as a souvenir.
Houko Sensei will welcome you to his studio or a rental space in central Nagoya.
Start your experience with a presentation about different writing systems, implements, and styles.
Learn the names and uses of the calligraphy tools and gain an understanding of the workshop ahead.
Time for some tea and sweets, and a chance to ask questions about calligraphy and Japan.
Write the same Kanji character repeatedly on paper to get a feel for the brush, strokes, and different techniques.
Write your calligraphy masterpiece on a cardboard card, add your name in Japanese, and your name seal. Finished! This will make a great souvenir to take home with you.
I opened my calligraphy studio 4 years ago and have been teaching three foreign residents since then. They all got a black belt of Shodo. And I am very proud of their achievements.
I love to share Shodo with travelers from all over the world.
Officer of Kensin-shodo-kai (one of the biggest Syodo organizations)
Teaching license of Shodo
8-degree black belt (highest rank)
Kensin-shodo-kai exhibition Excellent (2022, 2021)
Yomiuri Shodo exhibition Selected (2021) ( one of the biggest exhibitions in Japan)
Kanazawa Shodo exhibition Gold (2021), Silver (2022)
Everything about this experience was simply wonderful. My wife and I truly felt welcomed by Houko and his wife into their home and amazing studio. In spite of my lack of art skills I really enjoyed learning how to create the kanji character for “wind” as well as our own names in katakana. Truly a memory that my wife and I will treasure along with the great memento of our work.
Can’t recommend this experience enough. It was fascinating to learn about the art of calligraphy and Japanese writing. It was really fun learning how to use a calligraphy brush and finally create our own version of a Japanese character – apologies for all the paper used whilst we were practicing – but the final result was worth it. By far the best part of the whole trip was Houko and his wife who were amazing hosts – collecting us from a local station, welcoming us to their home and treating us so well with tea, sweets and general kindness, showing us how to write with endless patience with our efforts. It was definitely one of the highlights of our time in Japan and only wish we had done something similar on a previous visit – anyone visiting Nagoya really must do this experience.
We had an incredible , wonderful time with Mr. Washiyama and his lovely wife.
They both did their best to make sure that the experience is delightful and unforgettable.
Mr. Washiyama was very professional and well prepared.
We also enjoyed the warm hospitality.
We appreciate the fact that he spoke English well.
We will definitely recommend this class to others.
Thank you Nagoya Is Not Boring! I was struggling to find a bookable activity as a solo traveller since many places want a minimum of 2. NINB recommended the calligraphy experience and it was amazing! Sensei and his wife picked me up from the train station and took me to their studio. They were incredibly gracious and sensei was so patient with teaching me about the history and techniques of Japanese calligraphy. It was an excellent experience and I would highly recommend!
