sci.lang.japan FAQ / 1. Writing / 1.3. Other questions on writing

1.3.9. What are the different styles of Japanese lettering?

Metal kanji for printing
Photo credit: Matt Smith
Used under a Creative Commons licence.
In the same way that there are various ways of writing English, both in handwriting and in type, Japanese has many different ways of being written.

There are two main styles of writing Chinese characters,

  1. Brush styles, such as kaisho, gyousho, and sousho.
  2. Printed styles, such as minchou, goshikku.

Ancient Chinese styles

Koukotsushotai (甲骨文字)

The oldest surviving Chinese characters were written on turtle shells and bones, and perhaps used for divination.

Kinbuntai (金文体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/kinbun.jpeg The second oldest type of Chinese characters were found engraved on bronze vessels, hence the name kin (metal) bun (word).

Google Images: "金文体"

Tenshotai (篆書体・てん書体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/tenshotai.jpg This style is still used for making seals (hanko, inkan) (see 9.8. How do the Japanese sign their names?). There are two variations, daitenshotai (大篆書体), created in the Zhou (Japanese shuu, 周) era, and shoutenshotai (小篆書体), created in the Song (Japanese Shin, 秦) era.

Web pages on tenshotai

Google Images: "篆書体"
Google Images: "てん書体"
Google Images: "大篆書体"
Google Images: "小篆書体"

Reisho (隷書体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/reishotai.jpg This style is square and simple in form. It is a simplified version of shoutenshotai. The rei (隷) in reisho means a minor official, hence this style is sometimes called "clerk style" in English.

Google Images: "隷書体"

Koreishotai (古隷書体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/koreishotai.jpg This is a name for an older version of the reisho style.

Google Images: "古隷書体"

Printed styles

Minchoutai (明朝体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/minchoutai.jpg This is the classic printed style. Minchou means "Ming dynasty". This type style is characterized by

This style is called soutai (宋体) in China.

Other web resources

Google Images: "明朝体"

Shimbunshotai (新聞書体)

This style of writing, used for newspapers is a variant of Minchou font designed for readability at small scales.

Goshikkutai (ゴシック体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/goshikku.jpg Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/ksgoshikkutai.jpg This style is similar to sans-serif type in English. The name goshikku is derived from English "gothic", but it has very little in common with "gothic" type in English. In the past, the word "gothic" was used to describe sans-serif typefaces. This meaning, "sans serif", has been preserved in the Japanese usage.

Google Images: "ゴシック体"

Marugoshikkutai (丸ゴシック体)

A development of the goshikku typeface with rounded corners (Japanese maru (丸) means "round") on the kanji. This typeface is used on road signs.

Google Images: "丸ゴシック体"

Kyoukashotai (教科書体)

This style was created in the Meiji era for use in primary school textbooks. It resembles hand-written characters. It is a variant of the kaisho style made easier to read. It is often used in primary school textbooks. This style is also used in the "Genki" textbook series for learning Japanese.

Other web resources on kyoukashotai

Google Images: "教科書体"

Souchoutai (宋朝体)

Google Images: "宋朝体"

This style, originally created for use in woodblock printing, closely resembles the kaisho style.

Kointai (古印体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/kointai.jpg This style is used in rakkan (落款) or seals. It was invented in Japan in the Heian or Nara eras.

Google Images: "古印体"

Brush styles

mouhitsushotai (毛筆書体)

Kaishotai (楷書体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/kaishotai.jpg The most traditional square style of characters, with horizontal lines slanting upwards going from left to right. The kai in kaisho means "regular".

Google Images: "楷書体"

Gyoushotai (行書体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/gyoushotai.jpg A "cursive", flowing style of writing using a brush.

Google Images: "行書体"

Shingyoushotai (新行書体)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/shingyoushotai.jpg This is a more modern version of the gyoushotai font.

Sousho (草書)

This is an even more flowing style than gyoushotai. 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.

Web resources on soutai

Google Images: "草書"
Contains more on the history of soutai

kaigyousoushotai (楷行草書体)

The three styles kaisho, gyousho, and sousho are the bases of calligraphy (shodou (書道) or just sho (書)) and they are often referred to together using the term kaigyousho.

kyousou (狂草)

Google Images: "狂草"

Edomoji (江戸文字)

A chouchin
Photo credit: Stardog Champion (real name unknown)
Used under a Creative Commons licence

This general term covers many Japanese lettering styles which were invented mostly for advertising purposes in the Edo period. For example,

Kanteiryuu (勘亭流)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/kanteiryuu.jpg This style is strongly associated with arts like kabuki and rakugo.

Google Images: "勘亭流"

Yosemoji (寄席文字)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/yosemoji.jpg The name yosemoji literally means "letters to draw in customers".

Google Images: "寄席文字"

Kagomoji (篭文字)

This name literally means "cage letters". The font is thick and square in shape.

Google Images: "篭文字"

Higemoji (髭文字)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/higemoji.jpg These characters have little "whiskers" on them.

Google Images: "髭文字"

Sumou moji (相撲文字)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/sumoumoji.jpg This style is the one used for sumo wrestling posters.

Google Images: "相撲文字"

Chouchin moji (提灯文字)

These characters are the ones used on chouchin, hanging paper lanterns, such as the ones you might see outside a yakitori stand in Japan.

Google Images: "提灯文字"

Kakuji (角字)

This very heavy, rectangular style is used for making seals.

Google Images: "角字"

Other Japanese font styles

POPshotai (ポップ書体)

Example of POP typeface
This style of characters is often used for shop signs. It is meant to replicate the look of characters drawn with a felt-tip pen. Shop assistants may also take courses on how to write characters in this style.

Google Images: "ポップ書体"

Shoujomoji (少女文字)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/shoujomoji.jpg Shoujomoji literally means "young girl letters", and the style is a copy of a feminine style of writing.

Google Images: "少女文字"

Mingeimoji (民芸文字)

Image: http://www.sljfaq.org/../images/kanji-fonts/mingeimoji.jpg

Google Images: "民芸文字"

eishotai (映書体) ・sukuriin moji (スクリーン文字) ・shinema shotai (シネマ書体) ・eiga moji (映画文字)

This is the style of writing used for movie subtitles. The letters are actually written by hand directly onto the 35 mm film by specially trained people called "title writers". The actual characters are less than one millimetre in size, and the special look of this style, and its heavy use of abbreviated kanji forms, are due to the restrictions imposed by space.

Google Images: "映書体"
Google Images: "スクリーン文字"
Google Images: "シネマ書体"
Google Images: "映画文字"

Thanks to Jeff Schrepfer, Kouji Ueshiba, seto-san for help with this entry.


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