AIRA Saturday Class students from various countries learned calligraphy in their last class of this year. (No.22-17)

Date and Time: Saturday, March 11, 2023  10:00 a.m. - 11:40a.m.

Venue: Abista Hall

Participants: 18 students and 6 family members, 14 Japanese volunteer teachers and a PR staff member of AIRA

AIRA Japanese Class 2022 started in May last year and today was the last day. Due to the pandemic the lessons were held online in the fiscal year 2021, and on-line and in-person lessons were held alternately in 2022.  This special class at the end of the year called “Otanoshimikai” (fun event) was held in person after four years.

Today’s event was facilitated by Mr. Mashiko, one of the teachers. Following the participants’ self-introduction, Ms. Eguchi, another teacher gave guidance on calligraphy.  She showed three Chinese characters that they were going to practice; 友(friend), 花(flower) and 幸(happiness), and explained how to use calligraphy tools and supplies such as brushes, hanshi-paper, paperweights, inkstones and ink.

 “Before writing, make sure to squeeze the extra ink on the brush into the inkstone,” said the teacher and the calligraphy class started.

On each student’s table examples written by Ms.Adachi, today’s calligraphy teacher as well as Japanese teacher, had already been set.  Some students practiced with their children.  The teachers walked around the tables and advised the students on holding the brush properly and showed basic strokes like uchikomi (first stroke), tome (stop), hane (turning-up) and harai (tapered).  They also assisted the students by supplementing paper and ink.  The students practiced writing the characters by copying the examples.   

For the students from non-kanji (Chinese characters) countries, the teachers had translated their names into kanji beforehand, and each student wrote their name in kanji on the paper.

After they finished writing, Ms. Adachi gave comment on their works.  Last of all they had pictures taken holding their “calligraphy”.

Many of them experienced writing with a brush for the first time.  One student said, “It was interesting.  I want to buy calligraphy materials.”

Another student from China said, “I hadn’t written calligraphy since my childhood.  I enjoyed it.”  He also wrote other characters like 鶴 and 聡.

At the end of the class the students were informed that the first Saturday class of the next year will be held in person on May 13.

Japan eased the mask-wearing guideline on March 13 and COVID-19 restrictions have been loosening. 

AIRA Japanese Language Class is going back to normal.

(Translated by Chizu Yamaguchi)

[English messages from students]

*I really appreciate your calligraphy class. It was amazing to learn how old Japanese people wrote with the brush. I enjoyed it a lot.  Thank you very much for giving this great opportunity to learn.

*I really enjoyed today’s calligraphy lesson! It evoked my interest in learning Kanji.