edo-peoples-passion-about-ancient-calligraphy

──Writing the Past as a Way of Living the Present

Introduction──Why Were They So Drawn to “Old Handwriting”?

People of the Edo period were remarkably enthusiastic about kohitsu—ancient fragments of calligraphy.
They sought them out, discussed them, authenticated them, and collected them with great devotion.

This was neither a simple antiquarian hobby nor mere nostalgia.
Why were they so deeply captivated by fragments written centuries earlier, often with uncertain authorship?

The answer lies in the distinctive ways knowledge and sensibility were shaped in the Edo period.

Ancient Calligraphy Was Not a “Relic of the Past”

From a modern perspective, ancient calligraphy is often treated as a historical document or cultural artifact.
In the Edo period, however, kohitsu functioned as a living cultural resource.

It was:

• something to learn from
• something to discuss
• something to compare and savor

Ancient calligraphy served as a mirror through which people refined their own sensibilities in the present.

Why Was Heian Calligraphy Especially Revered?

What fascinated Edo people most was kana calligraphy from the Heian period.
This was not simply because it was old.

Heian calligraphy embodied:

• a turning point from Chinese-character-centered culture to Japanese vernacular expression
• emotional expression closely tied to waka poetry
• traces of private, non-official language

For Edo intellectuals and townspeople alike, these works represented an idealized form of refined Japanese expression.

Because They Were Cut, They Could Be Drawn Closer

The emergence of kohitsu-gire—cut fragments of calligraphy—further fueled this enthusiasm.

Masterpieces that only a few could access in scrolls or bound volumes were:

• cut
• mounted
• reassembled into tekagami (albums of calligraphy samples)

This process brought them within reach of many more eyes and hands.
For Edo people, this was not destruction, but a technique of cultural transmission.

Viewing Ancient Calligraphy as a Form of Cultivation

In the Edo period, the ability to speak knowledgeably about ancient calligraphy was an essential form of cultural literacy.

People discussed:

• which lineage a work belonged to
• its rank or status
• where its aesthetic highlights lay

This was not mere display of knowledge, but proof of one’s cultivated eye.
Ancient calligraphy functioned as a touchstone for judging character and sensibility.

The Pleasure of Interpretation Born from Connoisseurship

The development of calligraphy viewing (kohitsu-mi) and authentication culture further intensified the passion for ancient works.

Crucially, authentication was not about identifying a single “correct” answer.
It was about proposing interpretations:

• how to position a work culturally
• which lineage to read it within
• which other works to place alongside it

Thus, ancient calligraphy was something to be spoken about as much as something to be seen.

Edo People Did Not Feel Ashamed of Copying

Modern culture often privileges originality above all else.
For Edo people, however, copying did not diminish value.

• model-books (hōjō)
• practice through imitation (rinsho)
• calligraphy albums (tekagami)

All were techniques for bringing masterpieces into the present.
To study, copy, and physically internalize ancient calligraphy was not to possess the past, but to enter into dialogue with it.

The Essence of the Obsession──Re-living the Past

Edo people were not fascinated with ancient calligraphy because it represented “the past itself.”

What they found there were:

• time they themselves had lost
• idealized forms of language
• alternative value systems that illuminated the present

Ancient calligraphy was not a means of escaping into the past, but a device for living more deeply in the present.

Conclusion──Why Does Ancient Calligraphy Still Speak to Us?

The Edo passion for ancient calligraphy was not a passing trend.
It was an attitude that sought to shoulder cultural time through:

• reading calligraphy
• viewing calligraphy
• speaking about calligraphy

That is why ancient calligraphy continues to question us today:
What do you read from this handwriting?

The fervor of Edo people hands that question to the modern world.