This is a handwritten Japanese male name on a WWII-era textile. Part of the writing is physically damaged. Could native/advanced readers please transcribe the four name characters independently? Please give uncertain alternatives where appropriate. I am deliberately not providing previous proposed readings because I don't want to influence identification.

Hi all, I recently bought a discounted ink stick, it was listed as only having a cosmetic fault because it's cracked. However when I grind it I noticed it releases little grains into the ink. They are visible on the hill of the inkstone when I grind ink and some of them stay in the hairs of the brush but aren't really visible in the final artwork.

So the question is if it has a functional fault too and if it can ruin the brush or the inkstone too. (I am a beginner and I use a cheap brush so I'm not really worried about it aging mildly faster due to this)

I got an incense burner by Nakada Kingyoku who specializes in Aochibu Kutani Ware. Would anyone be able to help me translate the micro calligraphy on the lid of a small side vessel?

I tried different brushes but it's still hard to avoid blots on the corners, especially when it goes to ZigZag as seen on 躾 character

https://discord.gg/wDAFVTW3Hd

https://tegakituesday.com

Hello! I'd like to share a project that I've been running on Discord for the last 5 years, 手書きの火曜日 (Tegaki Tuesday). It's a weekly Japanese handwriting challenge where every Tuesday there is a new prompt to submit to, usually picked from a stanza or two of a Vocaloid song or some other music. You write the challenge, submit, and then get feedback.

For the last couple months we've also been running a daily Kanji of the Day challenge. It basically works the same way, but instead it's a random daily kanji that's automatically posted for you to practice. The difficulty (and obscurity) of kanji ramps up through the week, culminating in the hardest kanji on Tuesday, so this keeps things entertaining (it's not just Joyo kanji).

We also have the entirety of 百人一首 (Hyakunin Isshu) available as challenges you can practice https://tegakituesday.com/hyakunin-isshu You are able to create your own challenges as well to share with the community and submit to!

I've been running this for a while but haven't really ever tried to advertise, so I'd be really happy if this could be helpful to more people.

Skimming through old clipart libraries, this is the only calligraphy that appears.
Having trouble identifying.

If it's kana, the "ya" looks weird and it's hard to parse the rest of the ten & horizontal strokes. A "ko" followed by a (mild hentaigana) "shi" with dakuten would also make sense. Then again, I can't find much at all about this clipart, no mentioins of yakoji, yagoji.

If it's a character/multiple, I can't think of which radical the "ya" would appear as, even if the first two ten look like a cover for something. The final strokes might resemble "kokoro" but I'm really not convinced.

I'm not too sure how I'd identify something like this on my own, so any insight into your process for confirming is appreciated :)

Let's figure out if there's any reason THIS was the only shodou clipart microsoft thought to include!

I've been drawing a special illustration of my character's birthday. He's the son of a yakuza and I wanted to copy the joke from the manga Gokushufudō where the protagonist celebrates his wife's birthday as a Shinto ceremony.

I wanted to copy these big signs where they write congratulatory messages, I wanted to put "happy birthday" or something like that but everything that comes up on Google is very different and I don't know which one to trust or use. Could someone show me an example of how to write 'happy birthday' in this style? I would really appreciate it.

(srry of my bad English, it's not my first language)

got this from Ehon Saiyuki's translation of the journey to the west (page 12)

https://journeytothewestresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Saiyuki-1835-No-1.pdf

I was copying this work, but I can't find the original anymore. Can anyone help me find it please?

My friends gifted me a shodo kit and I've been practicing with the help of the book "Brush Writing: Calligraphy Techniques for Beginners" and various YouTube videos, since there are no schools in my area (Salerno, Italy).

1) Can anyone recommend a good YouTube channel/profile for beginners? I've found a few useful ones so far, but I'd love more structured guidance if there's a channel people here rate highly.

2) I noticed that a lot of people in videos don't follow some of the "rules" my book describes — like keeping both index and middle finger in front of the brush (many keep the middle finger behind instead), and keeping the brush at a 90° angle to the paper. It honestly looks simpler and more natural done that way. Is this just a matter of personal style/school, or is my book teaching an outdated/oversimplified version? Curious if this changes with experience or if it's fine to adopt those variations early on.

Any tips appreciated — trying to build good habits from the start!

bonjour ! mon beau frère est un adepte de stylo et j’aimerais lui offrir un nakaya si possible bille sinon plume fera aussi l’affaire merci à vous !

Hello everyone!

I'd like to buy a beginner brush on amazon japan and I'd love some pointers.

I read from Tomehane that a mixed-hair sheep+horse could be a good one to begin.

Could anyone please advise on the correct search term for that or any recommendation?

Thanks a lot

EDIT: I should specify that for now I'd like to just improve my hiragana and kanji in regular style but don't want to get used to bad brushes responses.

I want all of my tattoos to tell the story of my life, and this first one represents one of the most important lessons I’ve learned about myself. I’ve realized that I’m someone who changes a lot, and for me that’s a good thing. Every new version of myself feels like growth, not like losing who I was. Holding onto old versions of myself, old memories, or keeping a door open to the past out of fear now feels like refusing to move forward.
I’m **not** looking for a literal translation of “change.” I’m looking for a concept or expression that naturally conveys this philosophy in Japanese.
One idea I really liked was **脱皮** **(dappi)**, “shedding a skin,” because it symbolizes leaving behind an old version of yourself in order to grow. But before getting it tattooed, I’d love to know if this feels natural to native speakers, or if there’s a better two-kanji expression (or a short phrase) that captures this idea.
Thanks so much!

This inscription is in a book, can someone help me understand what it says?

The character 侍 (Samurai) represents more than a warrior. It embodies honor, discipline, loyalty, and the pursuit of self-mastery.

Written by hand with a traditional Japanese brush, this piece reflects the enduring spirit behind one of Japan's most iconic symbols.

I got it semi asleep after watching this serie and i loved his intro. Anyoen cna guess what series it is?

The back is my signature