Iaido Scroll-Hayashizaka Iai Dai Myo Jin

This beautiful scroll is for an Iaido practitioner in the Western US.

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 

I am so honored to be given this artwork to make into a scroll. The Calligraphy was given to this Martial Artist as a gift for the extensive research and direct lineage to this sword school in Japan, Muso Jikiken Eishin Ryu. This Iaido style traces its lineage back 22 generations to the founder Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu.


It is written in the Kaisho style, and reads Hayashizaki Iai Dai Myo Jin. The owner of the artwork confirmed to me that it would translate The Great Patron Deity of Iaido. Similar to Tenshin Katoryu it is said that this sword style was presented to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu after praying for 100 days before the deity of the shrine, Kuma no Meijin.

The simple Maru Hyougu style of design with the brown silk and honeycomb pattern interlaced with flowers really seems to present the writing in an excellent light, and support the heavenly inspiration of the sword style bestowal by Kuma no Meijin. The scroll is accented with an Ebony Wood Jikusaki and gold with white arrow pattern kakehimo. The Ichimonji selected was a light brown to help transition the view between the artwork and the cloth. I was very pleased with the end result of the scroll and hope this will bless the new dojo in the future. Dimensions as follows:

 Name in Kanji Name in English Sizes (Bun)  (Centimeters) (Inches)

天 Ten 126 381.78 15.03

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 12 36.36 1.43

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 112 339.36 13.36

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 430 1302.9 51.30

柱 Pillars 21.5 65.145 2.56

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 9 27.27 1.07

地 Chi 85 257.55 10.14

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 155 469.65 18.49

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 662 2005.86 78.97

Aikido Wall Scroll with Picture of Morihei Ueshiba

Customers ask me to do new things which challenge the norm. This customer asked for an Aikidou scroll to which he could attach a picture of Osensei, of Aikidou, Morihei Ueshiba. This is not a traditional presentation of a kakemono, but it is still beautiful, and hope it provides the desired end result. This scroll is about 3.5 feet in length and 1 foot wide. The picture is a 4" x 6" print.

The Aikidou is written by hand by Ryugyoku. The inkan still needs to be affixed.

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

Ichigo Ichie - Carpe Diem

This is a Commissioned Scroll and Already Sold

The following description of this phrase is translated from Japanese and paraphrased from the book Tango Kogo Jiten published by the Japan Calligraphy Society. Ichigo Ichie is a term associated with tea ceremony, and is said to prepare the heart in meditation for an upcoming tea ceremony (Chaseki). The meaning of this phrase is "During one's life, there is only one chance to meet with another." Even though you may meet tomorrow, it is important to understand the limits of the here and now, because everyone changes from one day to the next. In other words, the moments to moments of our lives are dynamically changing and impacted by our associations.

Before the Edo period, the famous Tea Master Sen No Soutan was to meet with an official, Seigan Washou, of the Daitoku Temple. Because Washou did not come at the appointed time of the meeting, Soutan left a note saying that he would come and visit on the following day. After Washou came and saw the note, he wrote a dispatch of his own and sent a servant to deliver the following to Soutan, "My conscience has felt the negligence of my duty to you, so I feel that I can not meet with you tomorrow."

Soutan, upon receiving this message felt his own guilt on not waiting to meet Washou and hence returned the messenger to his Master in the temple with a song of apology. This story helps us all to remember that we should treasure each day in the here and now.

This beautiful scroll utilizes a dark purple cloth with multicolored cherry blossoms. The Ichimonji was selected because the deep gold color represents value, while the pattern in the ribbon does not compete with the flower pattern in the cloth. This customer also selected a beautiful Purple Kakehimo with gold flecks to complement the colors in the scroll.

If you would like a scroll designed for yourself, but do not quite know what you would like, send us an e-mail and we can design something as unique as you. sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com If you already know what you would like, visit our shop at http://www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com/