"Shodo" Japanese calligraphy recommended for UNESCO heritage list

An intergovernmental committee of UNESCO will decide whether to add shodo to the list at a meeting in Xiamen, China, scheduled for Nov. 30 to Dec. 5.

If approved, shodo will become Japan's 24th intangible cultural heritage item on UNESCO's list. Japanese traditions already inscribed on the list include "kabuki" plays, "washoku" cuisine, "washi" handmade paper and traditional sake brewing.

The Japanese government applied for the addition of shodo to the UNESCO list in March 2024. However, because Japan already has a large number of items on the list, new nominations from the country are effectively examined only once every two years. The application was therefore not considered in 2025, prompting the government to resubmit it.

Japan is also seeking to have "kagura" ritual dances and "onsen bunka" hot spring culture inscribed on the UNESCO list.

According to Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, shodo involves expressing written characters through traditional techniques, using brushes, ink, inkstones and paper. It encompasses calligraphy in kanji, kana and mixed kanji-kana styles, as well as "tenkoku," or seal engraving.

While rooted in Chinese characters and calligraphic traditions introduced from China, shodo has evolved into a uniquely Japanese art form. It remains closely tied to everyday life and annual customs in Japan, including letter writing, writing names on commemorative documents for newborns, signing guest books at weddings and funerals, and "kakizome," the first calligraphy writing of the New Year.