atelierkakko Yesterday, two students from a French design department visited our classroom for a calligraphy exchange session with the children.
In the next room, our monthly small-brush class happened to be in progress, so they were able to observe part of that lesson as well. This allowed them to experience several different forms of Japanese calligraphy. One of the students in the small-brush class—who is accustomed to wearing traditional clothing—joined the session dressed in kimono especially for the occasion. Watching her write delicate kana characters must have offered a vivid sense of Japanese culture.
Although the session lasted only 90 minutes, the program was packed with activities. It may have been difficult to fully immerse themselves in the deep world of calligraphy, but we made sure to include plenty of hands-on time: practicing brush techniques and actually writing. Through this, I hope they were able to experience the New Year tradition of kakizome and understand that calligraphy remains an important part of our lives even today.
I also hope they enjoyed seeing how each child’s writing expresses their feelings and individuality. We were very fortunate to receive support from several of our own students—including one from France—who helped with interpretation and photography. Their help was truly invaluable. Thank you so much.
This event, created through everyone’s cooperation, became a wonderful opportunity to expand the possibilities of our classroom activities.
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