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Meet the artists of Kyoto

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woodblock, kyoto, japan The art of Japan

See the mystery behind Kyoto’s ancient crafts

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    Hiroko Harada, the calligrapher

    These six artists in Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto are the safeguards of the country’s artistic methods, preserving age-old crafts such as weaving and manga. Hiroko Harada teaches calligraphy at the Kampo Cultural Centre in Kyoto. Japan learnt the art of writing from China sometime between the 5th and 7th Centuries. There are 2,136 different kanji – complex, elegant Chinese characters with meanings like “dog”, “eternal” and “to be intoxicated” – that students have to learn by the end of high school, and thousands more for the truly dedicated. (Jonathan Gregson)

Hiroko Harada, the calligrapher

These six artists in Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto are the safeguards of the country’s artistic methods, preserving age-old crafts such as weaving and manga. Hiroko Harada teaches calligraphy at the Kampo Cultural Centre in Kyoto. Japan learnt the art of writing from China sometime between the 5th and 7th Centuries. There are 2,136 different kanji – complex, elegant Chinese characters with meanings like “dog”, “eternal” and “to be intoxicated” – that students have to learn by the end of high school, and thousands more for the truly dedicated. (Jonathan Gregson)

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