Yōsetsu (養拙) is an online resource for people in the English-speaking world to learn about and get Japanese and Chinese calligraphy.
It is a collaboration between Matsuura Ryūha-sensei (松浦龍坡先生) (link), a professional calligraphy teacher based in Saitama prefecture in Japan, and Matthew James (link), a UK-based student of Ryūha-sensei.
Yōsetsu (養拙) (pronounced “your set, Sue”) is a shortened form of yōsetsu bunsha (養拙文社), which is the name of Ryūha-sensei’s calligraphy classroom in Japan.
The character yō (養) means “to cultivate, to raise.” The character setsu (拙) means “bungling, clumsy, unskillful.” In the past, this character was also used to refer to oneself in a humble way. Put together, yōsetsu (養拙) means something like “to cultivate one’s unskillful self.”
This name was chosen by Ryūha-sensei’s teacher, Ushikubo Gojū-sensei (牛窪梧十先生), as a way of reminding Ryūha-sensei not to become too absorbed in his own skill and to let his original, unpolished self come through in his calligraphic works.
Although the lineage of Yōsetsu is principally Japanese, its members specialize in Chinese calligraphy. The main reason for this is that the preferred calligraphic styles of the members of Yōsetsu predate the introduction of a writing system to Japan, and such styles generally lend themselves better to writing in kanji (Chinese characters) only, without using any of the hiragana or katakana symbols that are unique to Japanese.
There are many different ideas about the study and practice of calligraphy. Some people believe that calligraphers should constantly innovate and push the boundaries of expression. This is a perfectly valid way of thinking. At Yōsetsu, however, we are more focused on preserving the traditions of Chinese and Japanese calligraphy. This means that we devote much of our time to studying classical pieces of calligraphy, and when we create original works, they are inspired by the things learned from such study.
Both the innovative and the traditional approaches are essential to the survival and development of this wonderful art form. We hope to encourage as many people as possible to get involved, either by learning more about calligraphy , by picking up a brush and trying to write, or by adding some calligraphy to the spaces where they spend their daily lives.
Please explore the various sections of this site at your leisure. We will endeavor to add new content on a regular basis, especially through our blog.
Questions or comments are always welcome, and you can get in contact with us here.