Shodo Master – English / Korean edition

Shodo Master is a bi-lingual English and Korean biographical book about a great Shodo master, Tomoro Ouchida, and his remarkable calligraphic art. It includes his life story and his teaching methodology. It also includes a number of samples of his books with a detailed explanation of his writings. These hand-written calligraphy Shodo books include the origins of the Japanese hiragana alphabet. One particular delight is his calligraphy of the famous Chinese classic One Thousand Character Poem in all of the five basic calligraphy styles with two-page spreads showing each. This famous poem along with all the works in the book is expertly translated into English and Japanese. One section is dedicated to a diverse selection of his calligraphy on scrolls using text from both Chinese and Japanese literature, all with translated detailed background notes. Another section shows Mr. Ouchida’s magnificent writings of multi-thousand character Tao and Buddhist sutras. Other sections include samples of traditional Japanese New Year’s cards and traditional Japanese letters. While the author tells his own Shodo story, this book is a tribute to a relatively unknown great Shodo Master.