Scroll or Kakejiku with Enso Circle & Taoist Phrase

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

贈呈は初まりと終わり。


人格の道。

五息により幕を除去し、光空の門に導かれる。

Reading in Romanized Japanese:

Zoutei wa Hajimari to Owari.

Jinkaku no Michi.

Goiki ni Yori Maku wo Jokyo shi,

Hikari Sora no Mon ni

Michibikareru.

According to the customer, this is a Taoist phrase used in their karate dojo training. Thankfully the customer guided me to some correct words. The translation took much guidance from the customer because I was using particles that were not necessary at times and I used the word Present as in tense or now, but the word was actually to mean gift or a thing presented to someone else.

What I liked about this scroll  or Kakejiku is Yoshimi’s ability to balance everything in the writing, which included the writing of Enso in the top left corner (facing away from the scroll), the Large Enso Circle, with the signature to the right and then the writing in a Gyousho, semi-cursive style. This was more writing than we have usually put on a scroll, and the phrase underneath was written with a Hosofude, or thin brush. It is our ideal to provide what the customer wants within reason.

The Katana and Wakizashi are more appropriate for this display as the Dojo from the Great Lakes Region of the US, trains in the sword arts. He gave me a beautiful essay and write up on some of the philosophies they used, but being a laic in regards to martial arts, I honestly only understood about 65% of the essay. But what new things I did learn were very enlightening, particularly the new sword vocabulary in Japanese.
The customer chose a wine color cloth, and it is complemented the Enso circle along with a beautiful high gloss black lacquer wood jikusaki that has a gold band around the outer edge. The scroll includes a Gold Kakehimo with a white arrow pattern in it giving it a distinct look. The deep gold Ichimonji seems to help provide a good contrast between the work and the Kireji. The scroll is in the Maru Hyougu style with the following Dimensions in the traditional Japanese measurement of 分 Bun.
天  Ten                                   111
上一文字 Ue Ichimonji           12.5
紙本幅 Shihon Habasa          109
紙本長 Shihon Nagasa          210
柱 Hashira                               17
下一文字 Shita Ichimonji          9
地 Chi                                     70
掛け軸幅さ Scroll Width       143
掛け軸長さ Scroll Length      417.5
If you have interest in designing a scroll, order online at http://www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com/ or e-mail me and ask me for a free scroll design workbook at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

Two Martial Arts Dojo Scrolls

琉球本拳法



沖縄白鶴拳法

This customer sent an order directly online via my shopping site at http://ww.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com/  I think these turned out beautifully for him.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

The first scroll on the left (if facing away from the scrolls) reads Ryukyu Hon Kenpo, which means the True Kenpo of the Ryukyu islands. The scroll on the right reads Okinawa Shirodzuru Kenpo. This could be translated as Okinawan White Crane Kenpo.

The scrolls are written in the Sousho or full cursive style which provides a very beautiful flowing ideal to the work. I must respect Yoshimi for being able to take one phrase that contains 5 characters and one phrase that contains 6 characters and write them very symmetrically on the same size of paper. I used a red-orange Ichimonji to provide the imagery of a sunset on the backdrop of a green Okinawan island set in the Pacific.

The katana and wakizashi may not be the most authentic accent to put in a display with scrolls conveying an Okinawan theme. A better weapon choice may have been an Eiku, Tonfa or Nunchaku, but we must make do with what we have. I thank Sylvan and Hiromi Pickett for allowing me to borrow these for this display picture.

This is the basic Maru Hyougu style and dimensions in the traditional Bun分 measurement set forth with other dimensions as approximations.

• 天　Ten                          　 83
• 上一文字 Ue Ichimonji   14
• 紙本幅 Shihon Habasa    50
• 紙本長 Shihon Nagasa  226
• 柱 Hashira                       12.5
• 下一文字 Shita Ichimonji  9
• 地 Chi                             　　42
• 掛け軸幅さ　Total Scroll Width            75
• 掛け軸長さ　Total Scroll Length         377

意気衝天 Ikishouten (High Spirits)

This scroll is for sale. Although there were quite a few problems, and still some slight "Uki" in the scroll, it turned out all right. It was written by my wife, Ryugyoku, and the inkan or chop will be applied soon.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com


The meaning of the phrase ikishouten is listed in one online dictionary as High Spirits. I think it is better to look at it as having such conviction that it feels like being lifted into Heaven.

The first thing to be aware, is this is not a true Fukuro Hyougu style scroll. A true Fukuro Hyougu scroll does not have an Ichimoji section on the scroll. I wanted to do something a little different. I think the black suji provides a subtle transition between the cloths. I hope you feel the same.










Here are the Dimensions leading with the traditional　分 Bun measurement.　筋 suji were all done in 1 bun measurements.


Ten 天　　　　　　　　　　　149　（98＆51)
Ue Ichimonji　　　　　　上一文字　　　　　　　　　8
Artwork Width　　　　　紙本の幅さ　　　　　　　　77
Artwork Length　　　　　紙本の長さ　　　　　　　106
Hashira　　　　　　　　柱　　　　　　　　　　　　23
Shita Ichimonji　　　　　下一文字　　　　　　　　　4
Chi　　　　　　　　　　地　　　　　　　　　　　　80　（25＆55)
Total Scroll Length　　　掛け軸長さ　　　　　　　　347
Total Scroll Width　　　　掛け軸幅さ　　　　　　　　123