People of Astrakhan Learn Fundamentals of Japanese Calligraphy at ASU

A course of Japanese language and culture has been over at the Unit of Russian-Asian Cooperation of Astrakhan State University. It was intended for students of Astrakhan’s universities and secondary schools. Over a year, they have been mastering the language of the Land of the Rising Sun, as well as specifics of Oriental mentality.

Ms. Irina Bocharnikova, Acting Director of the Unit, addressed the trainees at the final class. She told that the courses were taught not only teach Japanese, but also to make the trainees take a different look at the world, distract from its conventional perception, and discover something new for themselves. “The Japanese language is an art”,’ she said, “It’s important that your awareness of this art helped you discover, develop, and go forth”.

The course organizers tried to make the final class bright and memorable for their trainees. Its theme was calligraphy, the beau art of Japan. The instructor, Alina Fedorovich, an ex-student of our University, told that traditionally hieroglyphs have been of great importance for the Japanese people, who decorated their houses, palaces, and temples with them. In Japanese, the word “calligraphy” literally means “way of writing”. This sophisticated art considers with any detail: how the calligrapher is sitting at the table, how he/she is holding his/her brush, etc. People of Japan paid a lot of attention to both the result and the very process of creating a masterpiece. Painting immaculate hieroglyphs with a special brush, they calm down their minds and distract from everyday cares.

Now people of Astrakhan tried this creative technique of mediation. Supervised by their instructor, they were drawing smooth lines on thinnest rice paper; each of those lines was drawn in its unique way and had its unique features.

As a result, the hieroglyph “summer”, just as the summer season, emerged in its beauty. At the end, the trainees enjoyed their tea and received their certificates of proficiency in Japanese.