Calligraphy heading for UNESCO Intangible Heritage status — 5ch: ‘The real question is whether it even survives in China, the birthplace’

The story

On November 5, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs announced that a UNESCO evaluation body has recommended inscribing “shodo” (Japanese calligraphy) — handwritten text created with brush and ink — on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Following review at an intergovernmental committee meeting to be held in Xiamen, China, a formal decision is expected in early December; if approved, it would be Japan’s 24th such inscription, following “traditional sake brewing” in 2024. On 5ch, discussion centered on the fact that China’s “shofa” calligraphy was already registered separately back in 2009, and on just how much calligraphic culture actually remains in China, often regarded as the art’s birthplace.</parameter>

<parameter name="analysis">UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage system isn’t a mechanism for certifying exclusive origin — it registers customs handed down in each region individually, and posters on the thread pointed out that China’s “shofa” was already registered separately from Japan’s “shodo” back in 2009. That’s why reactions along the lines of “China’s the real deal and Japan is stealing it” don’t quite line up with how the system actually works. At the same time, it’s also true that old rubbings and famous calligraphic works have been handed down and preserved in Japan for centuries, so a culture’s birthplace and the depth of its continued practice don’t necessarily coincide. The thread’s disagreement mixed two separate axes: where the origin lies, and how much of the culture actually survives in each country today.</parameter>

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A UNESCO evaluation body has recommended inscribing “shodo” — handwritten text expression using brush and ink, regarded as a Japanese social custom — on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs announced this on the 5th. It will be reviewed at the UNESCO intergovernmental committee opening on the 30th in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, with a formal decision in line with the recommendation expected in early December. If confirmed, it would be Japan’s 24th inscription, the first since “traditional sake brewing” in 2024.

With smartphones and other digital devices now widespread and concerns growing over fewer opportunities to engage with handwriting, expectations are rising that this will help renew appreciation for handwriting’s charm and calligraphic culture.

Shodo uses brushes, ink, and inkstones to hand-write kanji and kana with traditional brush techniques. It also includes seal-carving, in which characters are engraved into stone. Cherished in everyday situations — from letters and New Year’s first calligraphy to name-writing at weddings and funerals — it is considered “a social custom deeply rooted in Japanese daily life.”

Source: 47news.jp / Original article here

What people said

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Japan’s calligraphy heading for UNESCO Intangible Heritage status — handwritten expression using brush and ink.”