Kawajiri town of Hiroshima. If you are a calligrapher, you most likely are familiar with the name. This is a location renowned for high-quality brushes or ”fude” used for calligraphy.
The Kawajiri Fude is made by being immersed in water after being bundled up, then laid out thinly and folded, which is called ”nerimaze” to adjust the shape. By going through these steps, the brush will be uniform without any unevenness. It calls for high technique, requiring at least a decade to master.
Yoshiyuki Hata is a 3-generation ”fude” craftsman. Under his care, he started specializing in the highest-quality lamb hair for the creation of his brushes. Calligraphers place their orders to Hata to customize their ”fude” seeking their one and only.
The Order-made Fude for the Calligraphers
Calligraphers place orders attaching their works with detailed explanation and their images of the desired types of strokes they wish to write. Yoshiyuki Hata replies to these detailed demands with his creation. Since he fulfills each calligrapher’s requests, the ”fude” are all different in material, size, length, and softness.
When he first started, it was difficult to respond to somewhat abstract demands, and there were several occasion where he had to remake them. However, now that he has accumulated knowhow and experience, he is now able to impress the calligraphers with his creation. Kawajiri Fude craftsmen were the very first to be designated National Craftsmen.
”To Convey the Splendor of Brushes”
When he first started, it was difficult to respond to somewhat abstract demands, and there were several occasion where he had to remake them. However, now that he has accumulated knowhow and experience, he is now able to impress the calligraphers with his creation. Kawajiri Fude craftsmen were the very first to be designated National Craftsmen.
Yoshiyuki is also the Chief Director for the Kawajiri Fude Operation Cooperative. ”Wanting to convey the splendor of brushes” he teaches children how to make ”fude”, and holds New Year’s writing exhibitions and is passionate about promoting Kawajiri Fude.
Nakata was fortunate to have been granted a special lesson on how to make brushes, going through the processes step by step at Yoshiyuki’s studio.
The luxury of writing with a brush you have made yourself. When you hold the brush and dip it in ink, you naturally feel your back become straight and feel sharp. Currently in our society, we have less opportunity to write with ”fude”, but recognizing and realizing Japanese traditional culture, it helps us become fulfilled and enriched.
