紋切り（Monkiri)
Monkiri-asobi is a traditional game that has been enjoyed since the Edo period. It involves cutting out family crests, plant motifs and the like, and is an art form that can be enjoyed with just paper and scissors.
書道（Calligraphy, Sho-do)
Would you like to take a peek into the world of Japanese characters through calligraphy? Calligraphy unifies the mind and is connected to Zen.
Complete your work in an hour’s lesson!
Since we will be using ink, please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
(Things to be prepared in class)
・Calligraphy equipment set (ink, paper, brush)
・印 （Gain・Stamp)
・Colored paper or fan to take home as a souvenir
・You can take home the work you wrote in class.
You can experience authentic calligraphy without bringing anything.
STEP１
① Hold the brush vertically. Start by practicing drawing lines with good posture.
STEP2
②Practice Tome, Harai, and Hane
STEP3
③Use the results of your practice to try your hand at writing the kanji for “water”!
STEP4
④Look at the model and concentrate on writing. By practicing, you will gradually become better at writing.
STEP5
⑤Finally, try writing your own name. Japanese has three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Start by practicing katakana. Then hiragana. Finally, try kanji! Kanji is difficult, but you can learn to write it by practicing.
STEP6
①Monkiri-asobi is a traditional paper-cutting game that has been popular since the Edo period, in which players cut out patterns such as family crests.
STEP7
② First, fold the paper to make it easier to cut out the crest. Once you learn how to fold it in thirds, fifths, etc., you will be able to cut out various crests easily.
STEP8
③ Once you have made the folds, cut out the pattern to fit the paper. For simple patterns, just draw them according to the sample.
STEP9
④Cut carefully along the lines of the pattern. If you want to add a little variation, you can make original patterns by cutting into the places where there are no lines. Have fun experimenting with different designs.
