Category: Chinese Character & Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls

BUDDHA
HOTOKE Japanese Kanji Wall Scroll

					47¾" (121.5cm)
		26½" (67.2cm)

Buddha - Buddhism

Japanese Kanji / Chinese character / old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scroll

Close up view of the artwork mounted to this silk brocade wall scroll

This particular calligraphy is done in Kai-Gyosho (Running-Regular Script). This style features bold but flowing strokes. It's written on Buddha-Orange xuan paper, with gold flakes. This orange color is used almost exclusively for Buddhist-related Japanese and Chinese calligraphy.

This is the Kanji that is Romanized and pronounced "Hotoke" (Hoe Toe Kay) in Japanese. This Kanji represents The Buddha and Buddhism. This Kanji and concept originally came from China (after Buddhism came from India) where this character is Romanized and pronounced "Fo".

The form written on this scroll is the ancient Chinese form that is also used in Japan (usually for religious purposes). It is also common to write Hotoke in Japanese in the alternate form which looks like this:

The Kanji version written on this wall scroll will be readily-understood by both Chinese and most Japanese people (non-Buddhist Japanese people may not immediately recognize this more ancient form).

Want a Buddhism wall scroll completely customized to your desires?
Link: Options for custom Buddha and Buddhism Chinese / Japanese Kanji / Korean Hanja calligraphy are available here!

Chinese and Japanese Calligraphy is only practiced by those with a keen and agile hand. It is an art that dates back thousands of years. Great artists, writers, and poets of China and Japan are often admired for their calligraphy ability and style.

This piece was done by Master Calligrapher Michiko Imai of Nara, Japan.

To create this art, Master Imai used special calligraphy ink on Buddha-orange gold-flaked xuan paper (rice paper). The raw calligraphy was then taken to our mounting shop in Beijing where some of the best mounters in China laminated this to more sheets of xuan paper and mounted it as a beautiful silk brocade wall scroll.

Authentic Japanese Calligraphy by Japanese Master Calligrapher Michiko Imai

Japanese Master Calligrapher Michiko Imai.
Shown here crafting her artwork which follows
a 1600-year Japanese tradition.

(Imai, Michiko) was born and raised in Nara, Japan. She began her studies of Calligraphy at the age of four at Baikou Calligraphy School. When Michiko was 25 years old, she received a membership to the Tenshin Kai (calligraphy society) and her life as a calligrapher began. Michiko progressed to the next level, becoming a member of the Cho-ko Guild which is the most prestigious calligraphy society in Japan. During her apprenticeship, she taught calligraphy and studied the art of Japanese silk scroll making (hyougu) at Mizuno Hyougu-ten.

A sample of her
work in Gyosho
(Xingshu) style.

In 1998, Master Calligrapher Michiko Imai was awarded the highest rank in Japanese Calligraphy of Shihan. She currently holds a guild licence for teaching both calligraphy and instructing teachers to teach calligraphy.

Michiko Imai is among the few to have won multiple best of category awards in national competitions (Japan). Her work has been displayed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Osaka Municipal Museum Of Art, Nara City Museum Of Art and Kyoto Municipal Museum Of Art.

In Addition to being a calligrapher, she is also an "artisan artist" (Hyougushi). Ms. Imai now resides half of the year in Japan and the other in Boston.

It should be noted that Master Imai signs her artwork with the "art name" of (Beautiful Cliff/Mountain). So this is what you will see just before the red signature stamp on her calligraphy pieces.

Kana Sosho
painting combination
(like Chinese Xing-Caoshu).

Kana style Japanese calligraphy
(similar to Chinese "Running Caoshu").

Single-Kanji
Love
calligraphy
in Kai-Gyosho
(Xing-Kaishu)
style.

Completely handmade, yet affordable...

If you've shopped much for Japanese calligraphy, you know that it generally starts from $200 and up. In fact, I can show you a catalog full of Japanese calligraphy priced at $2000 and up (someone sent it to me, thinking that I'd like to blow $12,000 on a wall scroll).

So how can we offer authentic Japanese calligraphy for such a low price? The short answer is that I work with people who are more interested in the art than getting rich. Master Michiko Imai has given us a very special opportunity to offer her artwork at a price that most people can afford.
The second part of the equation is the fact that we are building all of our own wall scrolls by hand in our workshop in Beijing. You can see how we build these wall scrolls by visiting our How we build these Asian art wall scrolls page.
All of this means you get high-quality artwork with no "middle man markup".