Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Aikido Wallscroll or Kakejiku

Didn't get what you wanted for Christmas? Post holiday sale for a scroll anywhere in the US for $45.00. (Includes shipping and taxes). The caveat, I will choose the cloth. Size is approximately 2 feet long by 10 inches wide....contact sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com for details.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Commissioned Aikidou Kakejiku or Wallscroll

This scroll was commissioned for an Aikidou trainer in the Southern US. It says in English, Through the virtue of humble training, understanding of Aiki is acquired naturally.
I had a difficult time obtaining the original Japanese saying, if there is an original quote accorded to Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikidou. So I received help on the translation from two sources, my wife and another gentleman. It reads in Japanese, 謙虚に鍛錬をつめば合気の悟りは自ずと得られる (Kenkyo ni tanren wo tsumeba, aiki no satori wa onozu to erareru.)
Just for informations sake, there were 4 iterations provided by Mr. Akamatsu.  Then my wife took the translations, and melded them into syllabic form that would work for calligraphy and the lines provided. It is written in the Gyousho, semi-cursive style by Ryugyoku Yamada.

The scroll was made by myself, it is a three step style scroll called sandan hyougu. The ichimonji is a a wave pattern with gold and silver. The chuumawashi, intermediate cloth is a burnt orange, with large ivy karakusa (arabesque) pattern. This cloth is a pure silk (Shouken) The Ten/Chi is a dried reed color shike silk. It is completed with a jikusaki that has a red lacquer, and machined edge, and the hanging string is a light green with gold (kinka).

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Keiko (Training) Scroll

This scroll is for a European martial artist. He brought to my attention a new Japanese word that I was wikipedia in Japanese.
unfamiliar with. 稽古 Keiko. It is a term for training. I was familiar with the lay terms for training such as 練習 Renshu, 実習 Jisshu and 訓練 Kunren. However, this is a term almost exclusively used for Martial Arts or bujutsu training. You can read about it at this link on

The scroll is Hanshi size with a black kireji. The red ichimonji was to help create a strong visual barrier between the writing and the cloth. It is written in the Gyousho (Semi-cursive) style by my wife Ryugyoku (Yoshimi Yamada Maples). It is finished with a Shitan (Rosewood) jikusaki and a Kon (navy) kakehimo or hanging string.

If you would like a custom scroll made as a gift for your dojo, school, or Japanese culture loving family member please email to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Dimensions of this scroll are as follows: