As part of a traditional Japanese New Year custom, participants will experience Kakizome—the practice of writing calligraphy to mark the beginning of the year.
In this workshop, you will learn to write the kanji character for “horse” (uma), the zodiac animal of 2026, using Japanese calligraphy (shodō).
Our instructor, Kuniharu Yoshida, will guide you step by step, beginning with the fundamentals: proper posture, how to hold the brush correctly, and basic stroke order. From there, he will introduce different styles of calligraphy, ranging from traditional and structured forms to more modern and expressive approaches.
By the end of the workshop, you will create your own original rendering of the kanji for “horse,” expressing your personal intention and creativity for the New Year!
*We will provide you with calligraphy tools and paper during the workshop.
Please note that calligraphy ink does not come off easily, so casual clothes are recommended.
*The number of participants is limited to 20 participants (18 years and older)
*No language or calligraphy experience is necessary.
About Instructor: Kuniharu Yoshida
Kuniharu Yoshida (KUNI) is a Japanese Calligrapher and Hip-hop dancer. He was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, into a family of generational Master Calligraphers, and is currently based in Los Angeles, CA. In 1990 at the age of six, he began to learn Japanese Calligraphy under Master Yoshiko Kawakita. After practicing traditional calligraphy for two decades, he began to experiment and collaborate with artists to combine sublime arts, merging traditional with contemporary. Respect between different cultures is the foundation of Kuniharu’s unique work, designed to intertwine not just art but also audiences. He finds art is a great way to increase understanding amongst people of various backgrounds while communicating one’s culture in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. Most notably, his works have been included in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum’s Ueno Art Exhibition with Japan Calligraphy Exhibition and he has done performances for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Netflix, and Sony Electronics. In recent years, Kuniharu has expanded his work into directorial and production work, where his short film First Street North won Best Documentary Short in the 2019 Asian Film Festival of Dallas. www.kuniharuyoshida.com
5700 Wilshire blvd, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90036
jflainfo@jpf.go.jp
323.761.7510
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