r/shodo

Japan has a unique rainy season called tsuyu. 🌧️

From June to July, gentle rain falls across much of the country, bringing life to rice fields, forests, and gardens. While many people think of rain as gloomy, in Japan it's also a season of quiet beauty and renewal.

This month I'm practicing the kanji 雨 ("Rain") in Japanese calligraphy.

If you'd like to learn not only how to write kanji, but also the culture, history, and meaning behind each character, I'd love to welcome you on my Patreon.

Join here: "patreon.com/Kouetsu" (https://reference-url-citation.invalid/0)

I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on this month's character!

Recently i been quite unsecure of how should i hold a brush,some say it should be 3 fingers so

This plaque is believed to have hung in a judo dojo. I was told it is Japanese cursive calligraphy (草書), but I don’t know its age or provenance.

I’m primarily looking for a transcription of the characters. If some of them are unclear, I’d much rather have “unknown” than guesses.

Questions:
- Can anyone read the inscription with confidence?
- Is it Japanese, Chinese, or something else?
- Does the smaller writing on the left appear to be a signature or dedication?
- Is this a known martial arts or judo phrase?

Thank you very much!