showing kaisho on the left
and gyousho on the right.
| sci.lang.japan FAQ / 1. Writing / 1.3. Other questions on writing / 1.3.9. What are the different styles of Japanese lettering? |
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Handwritten Japanese characters, showing kaisho on the left and gyousho on the right. |
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Kaishotai (楷書体) is the most traditional square style of characters. Horizontal lines slanting upwards going from left to right. The kai in kaisho means "regular". This is the type of handwriting taught to Japanese schoolchildren at elementary school. See also 1.3.5. How is Japanese writing taught to Japanese children?
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Gyoushotai (行書体), so-called "semi-cursive", is a flowing style of writing.
Sousho (草書) is an even more flowing style than gyousho , with each character often expressed by a single curving brushstroke. This style was the basis for the origin of hiragana. See 1.1.1. How did katakana and hiragana originate? Characters written in this style may be impossible to read without special training.
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