Japan to Propose "Shodo" Calligraphy for UNESCO Cultural Heritage

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Cultural Affairs Council recommended Monday that the Japanese government seek inscription of "shodo" Japanese calligraphy on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

In response, the government will submit its proposal to the U.N. body by next March after officially adopting it at a meeting of relevant agencies, informed sources said.

UNESCO's intergovernmental committee is expected to decide whether to register shodo on the list around November 2026.

Shodo, which literally means "the way of writing," is the art of writing "kanji" ideographic and "kana" syllabary characters with such traditional tools as brushes, inksticks and ink slabs. After the arrival of kanji from China in ancient Japan, the "wayo" Japanese writing style emerged through absorption of Chinese writing styles and techniques, and led to the rise of the "waka" poetry culture and the development of the kana characters.

The panel concluded that shodo would be suitable to communicate the diversity and depth of Japanese culture to the world.

The council also picked six candidates as additions to the three already inscribed intangible heritage groups--"washi" traditional paper, "yama, hoko and yatai" float events, and techniques of traditional architectural artisan.

The intergovernmental committee is likely to discuss whether to adopt them at a meeting to be held around November next year, in which it also may make a decision on traditional Japanese sake brewing techniques the government has proposed for inscription, people familiar with the matter said.
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