(calligraphy) since 1996. In 2019, he achieved the rank of shihan (Master Instructor) in Japanese calligraphy, and in both 2020 and 2021 he was awarded a national recognition in the art form. You can find examples of his work on Instagram, where he goes by . 1. What first drew you to shodō? I was completely fascinated by kanji characters. I was intrigued that the character for speak (言) resembled the way that we drew longitudinal sound waves in physics classes when I was at school. On a short day trip to Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly after I came to Japan, I found myself sitting in a temple garden in Kamakura staring at the name of the temple in kanji. I was fascinated by their symbolism and structure. Years later, in China, I witnessed calligraphers writing on the pavements with water, the characters evaporating moments later. I was hooked.