Japanese Culture and a Joyful Heart: Souun's First Encounter With Calligraphy

Souun Takeda: Calligrapher and Contemporary Artist

Souun Takeda, a Japanese calligrapher and contemporary artist who hails from Kumamoto Prefecture, was born in 1975. After working at a Japanese company, he started his career as a calligrapher in 2001 and has produced various title cards for TV programs and movies. Currently, he holds calligraphy workshops and exhibitions all over the world.

In this essay series titled "Japanese Culture and a Joyful Heart," Souun will talk about the essence of Japanese culture through calligraphy.

My First Encounter with Calligraphy

Hello, my name is Souun Takeda, and I'm a calligrapher. First, let me tell you a bit about myself.

My mother taught a calligraphy class, so I started learning at the age of three, using brushes and India ink. Most people start calligraphy at the age of nine, in elementary school, so I was fortunate to have started at such an early age.

My mother is a cheerful person, but also very meticulous as a calligraphy instructor. Even a character of only three strokes would be closely examined with regard to position, balance, and composition! When I entered elementary school, my handwriting was well-developed thanks to her instruction.

I remember that my first school teacher also wrote beautifully. While my mother's handwriting was like a fashion model who posed stylishly, the teacher's handwriting was more relaxed in comparison. I was fascinated with her writing, and started copying it.

The author with his younger brother, in elementary school.

I realized that each of my friends' handwriting was different. Enchanted by their cute styles, I went around classes to collect handwritten notes. By the time I grew up, I discovered that there was a link between a person's handwriting and personality. The written letters represented that person.

So, when I started working for a company at the age of 22, I theorized that if my handwriting was attractive, that would reflect on my personality. I hadn't practiced calligraphy for a while due to my studies, but I started working on it again while living in the company dormitory.

Calligraphy papers were littered all over the floor of my small room as I tried to perfect my handwriting. When writing a memo to my colleague, I suddenly decided to use my calligraphy tools, and brought them to the office.

My boss and colleagues weren't so thrilled, but a few people in the company became interested in what I was doing with my traditional brush and India ink and asked me to write their names, or even business letters for their clients.

I was happy to be of service to my peers, and kept on writing with my brush, feeling the time spent on practicing calligraphy was worthwhile. And one day, I received a proposition that would change my life.

I'll tell you all about it in my next essay!

Editor's Note

This work features the word 書道 (shodo), which means "the way of writing" or calligraphy, with the signature 双雲 (Souun). It's easy to see through this work that the art of calligraphy crosses the boundaries between writing and painting.