Apart from writing New Year¡¯s cards once a year, most adult Japanese rely on computers to help them write out complex Chinese characters (kanji), meaning many forget how to write them by hand. This has had a detrimental effect on the traditional craft of shodo (calligraphy), which, until recently, was steadily losing popularity among Japanese. But artists who¡¯ve been giving shodo a fashionable spin and popular dramas about the craft have led to a quiet revival.

, for instance, is a self-styled ¡°calligraphy space designer.¡± In addition to practicing traditional calligraphy, she creates modern calligraphy artworks live at fashionable parties, has decorated a , and her own collection of . Her work has appeared on TV and in various fashion magazines like Can Can. In December last year she released a for beginners who might want to take up the craft.

Live calligraphy painting is also practiced by artist , who uses a camera inside his brush during performances. This performance in Sapporo last year (above) shows him creating an artwork to a jazz soundtrack. He?doesn¡¯t?limit himself to using traditional washi paper but has used walls and even the interior of a tent as a canvas.

Calligraphy as performance art is an idea that reverberated in the 2010 movie ¡°¡± in which a high school calligraphy club shakes things up at the national Koshien competition. An NHK TV drama series titled ¡°,¡± an adaptation of a popular manga of the same name,?also came out last year and is thought to have inspired many young Japanese to take up the craft.

In a recent interview on , Fumiko Ota, the editor of shodo magazine ¡° (ink), said that people were attracted to shodo because it involved taking time to do something carefully, taking time out for themselves. The magazine is now celebrating its 35th?year with a special Jan./Feb. edition aimed at riding the wave of the shodo trend. The edition features tips for beginners as well as a special DVD featuring performances from the country¡¯s top calligraphy artists.