Ogatsu ink stones with 600 years of history

Ogatsu ”suzuri” or inkstone, designated a National Traditional Artifact, is said to have its origin in the Muromachi period, some 600 years ago. According to an old document, the founder of Mutsu Sendai clan, Masamune Date, received an inkstone as an offering, and was very pleased with it. His son, the second lord of the clan、Tadamune Date, was so impressed by the beauty of the Ogatsu inkstone that he invited inkstone artisans to work for his court. He also designated the quarry that produced the Ogatsu stone as ”Otomeyama” to make Ogatsu inkstones exclusively.
The inkstone has fascinated many people ever since. The Ogatsu inkstones are carefully hand carved, one by one, by the artisans who have inherited the art of inkstone production to the present.

Stepping into the quarry

Upon arrival, we were taken to the Ogatsu stone quarry. An impressive place where the rugged cliffs reached high, but Takahashi of Ogatsu Inkstone Cooperative who took us there said, ”we are standing in a location that also used to be part of the mountain.” This meant that what was now a flat piece of land, actually used to be part of the mountain.
We previously visited a quarry in Yamanashi Prefecture, where they mined for stone to make Amahata inkstone, and the quarry there was like a cave. In the Ogatsu stone quarry, they don’t dig underground, but instead cut the stone which is exposed on the surface, a method called open-cast mining. That means the mountain’s surface is all Ogatsu stone. When the stone is shaved from the surface, the visually beautiful portion of the stone are used for inkstones, while the other parts which are easier to process are used for roofing or flooring materials.

Inkstones carved by artisans

Ogatsu inkstones, with 600 years of history, is known for inkstone production, and is said to have accounted for 90% of total Japanese inkstone production at one time. At the time, there were many artisans with many people taking part in the process through division of labor between miners, carvers and polishers. However, the town of Ogatsu, which is situated in a cove of Ojika Peninsula, was greatly damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and houses, workshops, and almost the entire lifeline was destroyed. Now, they have set up a cooperative office and a workshop in the temporary shopping district. Although complete division of labor is not yet possible, many people are participating in inkstone making.

During this visit, we had the privilege to observe the work of Ichio Endo, an inkstone artisan. He is a veteran with 50 years experience.
We were impressed by the way he used the chisel. Normally, you imagine that chiseling would be done with your hands. But it was not so in his case. He would place his shoulder against the butt end of the handle, and chisel the stone using the force of his whole body. This strength is necessary to carve the stone into the shape of inkstones. He follows with a more delicate chisel to flatten the surface. This is a very delicate process. Ink sticks cannot be ground smoothly if the surface is not flat.
This is not the end. The inkstone is polished further with sandpaper. ”Touch it”, said Endo, handing the inkstone to us. We were impressed by the smoothness, but ”it’s still too rough” he commented, using even finer sandpaper. ”Because the surface is very smooth, it takes more time to grind ink sticks than other inkstones, but the ink will have a beautiful luster” explained Endo. The stone from the mountain is shaped into inkstones by human hands, and a lot of time and effort goes into polishing them. The final product is almost like a work of art.

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Making Friends

Many are familiar with the calligrapher responsible for the title calligraphy for the NHK drama “Tairano Kiyomori”. It was written by a female calligrapher, Shoko Kanazawa, born in 1985. Shoko was born with Down’s Syndrome. Her mother Yasuko, also a calligrapher, opened a calligraphy school in hopes that it would help Shoko make friends. Shoko began calligraphy with her friends, learning from her mother. This was when Shoko was 5. She has continued ever since.
She held her first exhibition when she was 20, and she became widely known as the media introduced her beautiful energetic letters.

Writing for People’s Happiness

According to Yasuko, Shoko began writing large letters and performing in front of people after her first exhibition.
“She seems to become motivated in front of a large crowd, because her desire is to make people happy.” Nakata asked upon hearing this,
“Calligraphy requires a lot of concentration, which Shoko is good at?”
“Yes, She prays for a while before she actually starts writing. 1 or 2 full minutes when people are watching. She seems to be able to concentrate more when there are people.”
Yasuko continues, “Shoko has Down’s Syndrome, so she cannot choose which letters to write. That is something that she lacks as a calligrapher. Shoko does not understand the logic. I guess it’s more like she senses it. For example, I have never tried writing large letters. So, I have never taught her. But Shoko naturally knows how to balance the letters. There are many good calligraphers. But many write the ideal script, nothing derived from deep in their soul.”

Collaboration Between Shoko Kanazawa and Nakata

We ask Shoko to write the word, “飛翔” (taking flight) for us. She holds the big brush with both hands. The paper is about the size of 1 tatami mat. She dips the brush in calligraphy ink and places the brush on the paper. She starts writing in large bold strokes, completing the amazing letters.
“OK. So can you write soccer?” Shoko asked Nakata.
“That’s impossible. I can’t write soccer. I’ve never tried this before!” Nakata said, as he picked up the brush.
Shoko, Yasuko, and the staff all joined in as they chatted. “That’s unbalanced.” “Seems somewhat lonely.” “It looks fine.” “Oh yeah, sure! (Laughter) “It’s difficult.” “No, it’s not!” As the conversation continues many completed “飛翔” letters appear.
Yasuko told us, “When Shoko was born, I was told that she has no intelligence and that she would never learn to walk. It brought great sorrow, and I cried every day while I raised her. I regret having brought her up that way. Since we’ve been able to meet a lot of people through calligraphy, now I’ve come to a point where I’m almost thankful that Shoko was born with Down’s Syndrome. I believe we give hope to other children and mothers in the same situation.”

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Handwriting “Happy Birthday”

”I want to be able to hand write ”Happy Birthday” neatly.” Because we use text and email messages every day, there is a desire to hand write special messages to convey our true feelings. It makes you happy to be on the receiving end. I think everybody relates to this.
“That’s what people say who come to my class. Some want to learn how to write their names beautifully. I think that’s really wonderful. This is what I refer to as “script for use”. As people get used to writing, they begin to pursue the beauty in the curves and space, or “script as art”. When you reach this level, you become intrigued.”
Harue Yahagi told us. ”Script for use” is for practical use, like Nakata’s “Happy Birthday” message. Once you’re able to write beautiful letters, you start to understand the charm of the letters. “I want to write beautiful letters,” eventually becomes “I want to express more through writing”.

Teaching Calligraphy at Harvard University

After Yahagi graduated college, she studied Chinese characters under Teshima Yukei and Japanese kana characters under Machi Shunso. After being awarded at the Fine Arts Exhibition, she held her first solo exhibition in 1974. After this, she traveled around Japan, then around the globe, with her exhibition. Her soft gentle expressive calligraphy has attracted people around the world. For 3 years from 1989, she worked as an assistant professor at Harvard University in the Oriental Art History Department. Many of her students first came out of curiosity for oriental art, then start to become engrossed with calligraphy.
As Yahagi mentioned, many people probably want to improve their handwriting. So we asked what she wants students to learn first.
“First, I want them to learn the beauty of letters. It is visibly beautiful, whether it be written in kaisho-style or gyosho-style. I want them to see the gracefulness of the lines, shapes, and the space in between.” When actually practicing, it is most important to “write sentences”. It is important to become accustomed to writing, and then pouring your feeling and emotions into the letters.

Making it legible to express sensation

We ask Yahagi to write the word, ”笑” (laughter).
“If you write the letter ”笑” like a square, it won’t be interesting. Emphasizing one line will make a difference. So I do rough drafts first, and from there, I get ideas.” Ms Yahagi told us. However, it’s difficult for the untrained person to know how freely they can be with the shape of the letters.
Nakata asked, “Is there a rule?” Yahagi replied “The only rule is that it needs to be legible. They are letters, so you need to write it correctly to an extent. That is the only rule. You express yourself within this rule.” There is also a manual called the “Gotai Jirui” that explains about writing freehand in Japanese calligraphy.
Lastly, the all-too-familiar calligraphy lesson. The ”sensei” teaches Nakata how to write his name correctly ”中田英寿”.
“The rhythm is important.” Yahagi said, adding “Let’s add a bit of artistic taste.” With “Gotai Jirui” as reference, Nakata considers different ways to write ”英” and then selects one that he likes. There were 110 different ways to write ”寿”. Soon a one of a kind ”英寿” was completed.
“Very well done. You have great rhythm. And you are very open to advice. Aren’t you beginning to find this interesting?”
To this question, Nakata smiled on, looking at this calligraphy.

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Prospered under Temple Schools

The calligraphy brush or ”fude” was introduced to Japan around the year 600. The Oldest Chronicles of Japan notes ”The processing method for paper and ink was introduced.” It is thought that the ”fude” was introduced at the same time. Later on, cultural development of Buddhism and calligraphy stimulated the pursuit of better brushes.
Masafumi Kamei makes Edo fude, brushes that are known for creating beautiful finishing strokes. It originated in the middle of the Edo period when many temple schools were opened in Edo. This triggered its popularity. Traditional methods have been passed on since then, and Kamei continues the traditional brush making methods.

The brush that creates hope

The Edo ”fude” is completed by one artisan. Therefore it possible to create a brush to the exact needs of the client or the person using it. ”In order to create the perfect brush for the calligrapher, we cannot let our own preferences come into play. These days, we ask the calligrapher to take a photo to show us what needs to be adjusted. We can then create a ”fude” that matches the size, texture and other aspects that they want.” Kamei told us.
A prototype of the tip of the brush is made. Then different types of hair are combined to finish off the ”fude”. So they aren’t exaggerating when they say they make more than 1000 types of ”fude”. Hearing this, Nakata commented ”You sound like a ”fude” doctor.” Studying the photograph and asking what needs to be corrected. It’s as if the ”fude” is the prescription. ”Yes, I have a database of tens of thousands. It is up to us as artisans to perfect each one.”

Perfect tools derived from honed skills

Kamei handed Nakata a ”fude” made of wool. ”Oh, I understand. The excess hair needs to be trimmed. I’ve done this in Hiroshima. I know this is a difficult task…” Nakata commented. ”With Edo fude We don’t use hands, but we use tools.” Kamei told us. This method is called senshutsuzukuri, where the hair is combed with a metal comb to remove unnecessary bristles. Kamei uses a small knife instead of a comb. He gently strokes the bundle of hair and repeats this task, producing the tip of the brush, considered to be the most important part of the ”fude”.
Nakata also gave it a try, placing the tip of the ”fude” on his thigh. ”Take a look at this.” Kamei said pointing to his own thigh. The difference is the way they sit. Kamei’s thigh is flat, parallel to the floor. The brush ends don’t match up otherwise. ”It took me 3 years” he told us. The basic movements affect the final product.
Kamei says that for the artisan, their senses are everything. He also devotes himself to choosing the perfect material, giving minute care to every process. He uses a microscope to make sure the fibers of the brush touch the surface of the inkstone uniformly. His years of experience create the perfect ”fude”. Calligraphers then use the brushes for calligraphy. The artisan’s strong devotion to making Edo ”fude” was conveyed in his comments.

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Coming to the Shonan area

Souun Takeda is a well-known calligrapher for his various activities including appearances on TV. He has a studio and gives lessons in the Shonan area in Kanagawa Prefecture.
”You’re originally from Kumamoto. Why did you choose this area?” asked Nakata. ”To tell you the truth, I didn’t think I wanted to become a calligrapher. Takeda’s reply was surprising.
He studied calligraphy under his mother, Souyou Takeda, a calligrapher. One would get the impression that he was meant to be a calligrapher. But in reality, after graduating from the science department of an university, he worked in sales. He then decided to start on his own and found a large old house.
”I fell in love with the house because I could see a lot of work done by artisans. I immediately wrote a letter of resignation to my employer when I found the house,” Souun-san said as he looked back. He then started his activity as a calligrapher, teaching calligraphy and giving calligraphy performances on the streets.

To teach and to learn

Apart from carrying out creative activities as a calligrapher, he communicates with his students in his classes. He places emphasis on ”having fun” in his classes. He wants his students to be excited to learn calligraphy like sports or music. One would expect to start with the basics, moving on to advanced class, then finally on to original work when learning calligraphy. But in Souun-san’s classes, he teaches them all at the same time.
”It is difficult to determine whether a ’sho’ is good or bad. One can write very neatly or write with much originality. Calligraphy has a broad range and there is always room to study,” he commented. He would sometimes hold a ”bad writing” contest in his class. It is a contest of who can write the worst, literally. He would have his students challenge themselves to write without referring to the text.

Souun-san told us that he learns from teaching his students. ”For example, foreigners are impressed with the color of red ink. There are things you don’t notice when you are working by yourself,” and added that he wants to explore every possibility of calligraphy.

Enhancing his own writing

Nakata picked up a brush. He was going to practice writing his name ”Hidetoshi Nakata”. There are two important points. First is to study the calligraphy texts closely. People usually concentrate more on their hand movements and surprisingly do not study the text enough. You cannot concentrate on practice if you do not clearly envision the objective. That is why it is important to study the text as much as watching your hands.
The other point is to be conscious of your back. One tends to hold the brush too firmly, but just like in sports, it is not good to use too much strength. You should hold the brush lightly, so light that it might slip through your fingers, and be conscious of your posture. The pressure on paper should equal the weight of the brush.
After writing his name a few times, Nakata commented, ”I don’t like my writing.” ”That’s too bad,” Souun-san replied. Writing brings out the person’s character. ”The basics are important of course, but rather than copying the text, it is important to enhance your own writing.”

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What calligraphy conveys.

Shiro Saeki serves as a documentation specialist in the Imperial Household Agency, and is the Emperor’s ”yuhitsu”. That means, he hand-writes the words and letters of the Emperor and the Empress on their behalf. He has received many honors and awards, teaches at a college, and is at the forefront of the world of calligraphy.
Needless to say, his calligraphy works are splendid. However, he says that ”As long as the characters are the medium, I think anything can become works of calligraphy.” He showed me a piece of work that depicts the image of aurora, which the letters ”kyokkou” (aurora) are written in colorful paints. It is more like a painting than a work of calligraphy, being colored and some designs are drawn. Looking at the letters ”kyokkou” alone cannot convey such an expansion of images. It may seem unconventional, but this is also a work of calligraphy, said Saeki.

Alphabets in oriental calligraphy.

”I want the young people to know that calligraphy doesn’t have to be so formal.” From this idea, he writes the lyrics of pop songs, too.

”There are English words in the lyrics, aren’t there?”, asks Nakata. An obvious question. Saheki writes the alphabets in the style of oriental calligraphy, and vertically, too, but it does not seem odd at all.

”There is a letter ”inochi”, for example, but it looks like as if it is composed of letters A, O, P, you see.” Very convincing.

How to write good handwriting.

After seeing Saheki’s works, Nakata was given a lesson to write his name with a calligraphy brush. According to Saeki, writing Hidetoshi Nakata is not easy.
”Nakata doesn’t have many lines, but Hidetoshi has many lines, so it not easy to get a good balance.”
Saeki says the No. 1 secret of good handwriting is balance. If you write the letters one by one, you cannot have good balance, so it is important to look at the characters ”Hidetoshi Nakata” as a whole.
The second secret is to make the vertical lines thick and horizontal lines thin. Generally, ”kanji” has more horizontal lines than vertical, so to make a good balance, vertical lines should be thicker. Also, it looks better when the right half of the ”kanji” is written thicker than the left.
With this advice, Nakata wrote his name. He was satisfied with the result. Nakata, who has many opportunities to write his name, said, ”Now I can write my name with confidence.”

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The stone suitable for inkstone is only a layer of 40 centimeter thick in the quarry.

”First of all, I’d like you to take a look at the quarry for the inkstone.” Yataro Amemiya took us up along the Amehata River, and there was a cave, dug into a pitch black cliff. This was the quarry where slate to make ”Amehata inkstone” was mined.

”The really best stone is only this 40 centimeter thick layer,” explained Gyokusen Mochizuki, who has been in charge of the quarry for a long time. He has been digging into this layer of slate a little by little.

He drove the chisel into the rock and the sound of the hammer echoed in the cave. A piece of rock fell off. The clean cut surface had a slight luster. ”These neighboring rocks here, aren’t these good material?” asked Nakata. ”The stone that grinds ink well must evenly contain the particles of stone called ”hobo”. Such good stone is only this layer,” said Amemiya.

Spotlighting the Japanese art of stones.

After we were shown around the cave, Amemiya took us to his workshop and showed us his works. Generally, one would imagine inkstones to be square, as used for calligraphy, but there were many different forms, such as the ones with untamed shapes of natural stone, or the ones with designs along the rim, or the ones with shapes of plants and animals. The works were so interesting that one would never tire of looking at them. ”I never knew inkstones can take such beautiful forms.” Nakata was very impressed.

”In Japan, I think stone craft did not develop very much, including the craft of inkstone. For example, the cases for inkstone are studied very much, but the inkstone itself is not. But there are pieces of work which were clearly intended for artistic appreciation rather than practical use. I want people to appreciate the aesthetic side of inkstone, and I am making pieces with motifs of birds and trees for exhibition.” Among his works, there are very small pieces and pieces that look like sculpture rather than inkstone.

”What is a good inkstone?” asked Nakata, and Amemiya answered, ”An inkstone is a tool to meditate into one’s own soul.” ”As you grind the ink stick, you calm your mind. I think an inkstone is a tool to make time for meditation. So, I want to pursue a form of inkstone that has such beauty of form that it calms one’s mind just by looking at it.”

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The technique of “Yusen zumi”

Nara is famous for its ”sumi-ink”. It was introduced from Kokuri about the year 600 and has been refined and used since the Heian period. However, Nara ink drastically changed all this.
Originally the ”sumi-ink” that was imported was ”shoen zumi” which were made by burning pinewood, its soot used. In contrast to this, the ”yuen zumi” Nara ink was made by soot from rape seed and sesame seed oils. This technique was invented at Kofukuji during the Muromachi period. Compared to former ”shoen zumi”, the dark pitch of black, the glaze, and the texture while grinding the ink all improved drastically. Ever since, ”yuen zumi” has been highly appraised and used throughout the country.

Observing the traditional method

Long-established ”Kobaien” opened in 1577 and inherits this traditional ”yuen zumi” method to manufacture quality ”sumi-ink”. Nakata was given the opportunity to watch the ”saien” procedure, where soot was collected after burning vegetable oil in a vessel. The numerous lit vessels all lined up in the dark room was a spectacle that gave off a sense of eternity. Fire lit to create ink; the procedure being carried on for more than 400 years. This light will most likely continue well into the future.

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It takes 100 days to make “Sumi” Ink

It is said that the history of Suzukazumi goes back to the beginning of Heian Period. We met with Kido Ito who is a Traditional Artist making ”Sumi” Ink by hand which is a tradition that has been passed along.
Making ”Sumi” ink is a heavy duty work unlike what people would imagine. First of all you have to use the whole body to knead the glue that is made from leather and bone from deer and cow and spices to the main ingredient, soot.
Nakata holds one of the ”Sumi” ink that has just been kneaded.
”It feels like jelly”, says Nakata.
They put the jelly like thing into a wooden mold and after it is dried, it is then polished to get the glaze. It takes about 100 days to make one ”Sumi” ink.

There are many varieties to “Sumi” ink

It is interesting to know that there are many varieties of ”Sumi” ink. Nakata was surprised to know that and asked Ito, ”There are so many varieties of ”Sumi” ink”. Ito replies, ”we make about 300 different varieties in our place.”

That is of course due to the taste of different people. Some people prefer solid black while some prefer blurry ink. To respond to those needs, he made so many varieties to test.
When people think of ”Sumi” ink, they automatically imagine it to be black. However, are 300 different shades. Ito admired his father as his master and took over the 3rd generation Kido name. In fact he remains the only artist who can make Suzukazumi now. In order not to terminate the history of Suzukazumi that has been continuing for more than 1000 years, he is pouring his energy to train his successor as well as creating his own ”Sumi” ink.

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Inkstones loved calligraphers

Long time ago, travelers who visited Kumano on pilgrimage all brought back Nachi Blackstone as proof of their voyage. This stone is a mineral produced in Kamikawa, Kumano city. When polished, it is a shiny jet black, giving off a beautiful wet sheen which cannot be seen in other precious stones.
Currently, Nachi Blackstone is not only used for gardens, it is also sold in molded form such as ”go” pieces or ornaments called Nachi black hand-polished ”kogei”. The most famous of them all is the inkstone or ”suzuri”.
The high quality and hardness of the stone has the ideal ”grinding texture” that is sought by calligraphers.

The difference is obvious with the first experience

”Yamaguchi Kohodo” is a well established store which makes inkstones for the royal family. According to Koho Yamaguchi, the second generation president, stores which makes authentic products always allow customers to try it. Once they grind the inkstone, the difference is obvious, he told us.

Nakata tried grinding for himself, and also learned about the basics of making inkstones. He also made a key holder using Nachi Blackstone with his name ”Hidetoshi” as proof of his pilgrimage to Kumano, just like the people of the past.
Strangely, grinding the inkstone is calming, and the Nachi Blackstone inkstones made by Yamaguchi are all quite beautiful. Perhaps this is the opportunity to take up calligraphy, one of the basic skills that was practiced in the old days.

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