Product Description

Japanese Calligraphy is a lovely art and requires years of practice and dedication to master. English texts on the subject attempt to teach the basics, but they lack the movement required to teach proper technique and proper form. This is why we have selected to use multimedia lessons on CD-ROM which contains not only detailed explanations, samples, and frame by frame analysis, but also videos showing correct technique and audio giving proper pronunciation.

Takase Shodokai Learn Japanese Calligraphy Lessons 1 – 6 provides detailed instruction on the tools of Japanese Calligraphy and on the basic strokes and lines of the Kaisho (Block) script.

Kaisho is the most commonly seen script today and is characterized as being bold and powerful with precise and crisp lines. There are eight fundamental strokes and nine fundamental lines used in the Kaisho script and each are covered in detail in these first six lessons.

Knowledge of Japanese is not required.

Requires Microsoft Windows (tm)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89842 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-01
• Binding: CD-ROM
• 110 pages

From the Publisher
The Takase Shodokai Learn Japanese Calligraphy Series provides the in-depth instruction needed to master Japanese Calligraphy. Starting with tool selection and proper usage, Takase Sensei guides the student through the fundamentals of Japanese Calligraphy using a combination of text, sample works, audio, video and frame-by-frame analysis.

By using this multi-media approach, Takase Sensei is able to teach Japanese Calligraphy in a way that is not possible with books alone. Being able to see the rhythm of the brush along with proper hand position and posture is essential to learning good technique and each CD-ROM contains over thirty videos and hundreds of photos.

Each lesson introduces one or more characters along with the usage, pronunciation and a word list. The calligraphic aspects of the character are shown in detail including a printable sample and an annotated version showing the stroke order and proper brush movement.

A video showing Takase Sensei brushing the character is presented. This video demonstrates proper brush movement, hand position, and technique. Following the video, every aspect of brushing the character is discussed in a frame by frame analysis of the video.

Sample student works are also presented along with a detailed critique and corrections by Takase Sensei. The problems and corrections presented are those most commonly made and will help the student identify and fix similar problems. This gives the student an opportunity to see what is considered wrong, why it is wrong, and how the fault can be corrected.

About the Author
Eri Takase is a master calligrapher and is ranked as such in Japan's most prestigious calligraphic society, the Bokuteki-kai. She has won several national competitions and her works have been displayed in the Osaka Museum of Arts.

Ms. Takase has been teaching Japanese Calligraphy for more than fifteen years. For the past five years Ms. Takase has been teaching Japanese Calligraphy in the United States to non-Japanese students and this series is the result of this experience.

Currently Ms. Takase works and teaches in Clearwater, Florida.

Customer Reviews

I was surprised!
I was surprised!
`Learn Japanese Calligraphy' with Master Eri Takase is incredible!

I have been interested in Japanese Calligraphy for years. I've purchased many popular books on the subject but was ready to give up in total frustration, not only because of the impossibility of trying to learn calligraphy strokes from a book but also because of the level of the Japanese language required. I was surprised and delighted to find in Takase Sensei's course strokes demonstrated, through videos, in minute detail, dynamically and almost exaggerated, and then frame by frame explanations and samples. There is no way to obtain this level of detail, and it is absolutely essential in calligraphy, from a book. Now I can actually see how it is suppose to be done..

The videos showing students doing some of the characters, with Takase Sensei making corrections and suggestions, really helps me see and correct my own mistakes and bad habits. It is almost like having my own private instructor, available any time, day or night, there for me whenever I have time to study my calligraphy.

Knowledge of Japanese isn't required but for those, like me, that are serious about learning the language too, I can improve my language skills as I learn Japanese Calligraphy. The translations given on the CD and the proper pronunciation of all terms are valuable learning tools.

I do have to admit that I initially had trouble getting the video to play right but solved the problem after visiting the Shodokai forum. I found I needed to install version 7 of the Windows Media Player. Now it works like a charm.

Another reviewer said that this is a valuable resource for the serious student and I whole-heartedly agree. The title of this course is a bit misleading in one respect. It is also a useful resource for those studying Chinese Calligraphy.

Buy Vol.1 - reconsider for Vol.2
As the other reviewers emphasize, the videos are an instructive way to show how to do it. The very detailed treatment of both the professional and the beginner examples well guide one to recognize typical mistakes. I can strongly recommend one to buy the first volume of the set.

However, the next (and most probably the rest) of this presently four-volume set do not contribute that much. Six new characters per CD left me missing much more samples and model characters. And business is business - the CDs are almost empty and would well fit in a single disc.

Finally All The Details!
I have bought all the books but have been frustrated and finally here are all the details. The lessons start with a detailed discussion of the tools, what to buy and what to look for. Then video and explanations are given on posture, how to grind the ink and how to properly hold the brush. Finally each character is covered in great detail with very good quality video of Takase Sensei drawing the character. Then a step by step, point by point analysis of what is happening in the video is given. And what I really like are the student samples and corrections including actual size images of the corrections.

Takase Sensei does not cover a large number of characters in this first CD-ROM and instead covers important characters in great detail. This course has it all and I am looking forward to the next CD-ROM.

If you are seriously interested in learning Japanese/Chinese Calligraphy then this is the course for you.