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,

Handwritten and brush styles, such as kaisho , gyousho , and sousho . These originate from China. See 1.3.9.3. Handwritten styles for more about these.
Printed styles, such as Minchou or Goshikku . See 1.3.9.2. Printed styles for more about these.

A variant of traditional Chinese forms is 1.3.9.4. Edomoji (江戸文字), Japanese calligraphic forms created during the Edo period (see 12.6.1. Complete list of Japanese eras).