Happy New Year! Hope you had a wonderful start of the year so far. I’m offering the New Year’s tradition – Kakizome workshops both in-person and on online.

Kakizome (書き初め) is the term for the first calligraphy writing of the new year, which is traditionally performed on the second day of January in Japan. This event is also called 吉書 (kissho: good luck calligraphy), 初硯 (hatsu-suzuri: first ink well) and 試筆 (shi-hitsu: challenge writing). Traditionally, water called wakamizu (若水) is used to make the Sumi ink for Kakizome which must be the one taken from the well on the New Year’s day. It is believed to be pure and holy. Wishing for good luck for the year, we write Kakizome facing towards ehou (恵方), the fortunate direction for the year based on the local zodiac. People write auspicious kanji characters that symbolize one’s wishes for the New Year or short poetry, such as haiku or tanka.

Registrations for online Kakizome workshop are now open! I’d love to do this kakizome in the authentic way with you, so we’ll follow the tradition – you will make your own sumi ink with holy water called wakamizu taken on the day of the New Year. Sign up by January 11th with “Ink Stick Set” to receive the set in mail! Learn more from the links below.