２００９年１月１６日

書体 - Japanese Writing Styles

Japanese calligraphy (書道 shodō, literally “the way of writing”) has been done for
centuries. The styles of writing currently in use include many of the traditional styles, as well as
some newer styles that have evolved as a result of combined influence from the Western world
and from traditional Japanese writing.
Today, most books are printed in a 明朝 (minchō)
typeface. Minchō typefaces are the Japanese counterpart of the
Western serif typefaces, like the one in which this text is
printed. They are easily identified by their thicker vertical
明朝
strokes and thinner horizontal strokes. Many strokes end with
little tips that resemble triangles or diamonds (see the ends of The Japanese word “明朝” (minchō)
set in a minchō typeface
the horizontal strokes that cross the vertical bar in the second
half of “minchō”), called 鱗 (uroko, literally “fish scales”).
Another popular choice for 角ゴシック
丸ゴシック modern Japanese printing that is
The Japanese word for square gothic
usually used for shorter texts and (kaku goshikku) in a square gothic
The Japanese word for a round gothic headlines is ゴシック (goshikku,
(maru goshikku) set in a round gothic
from English “gothic”), often simply called “gothic”. Japanese
gothic typefaces are modeled after Western sans-serif typefaces.
The date at the top-right of this paper is in a gothic typeface. The name originated from the use of
the word “gothic” in the name of some sans-serif typefaces (for example, Franklin Gothic and
Century Gothic). There are two kinds of gothic typeface, known as 角ゴシック (kaku goshikku,
“square gothic”). In this kind of gothic typeface, the strokes have plain, flat ends. The other kind
is 丸ゴシック (maru goshikku, “round gothic”). In this kind of gothic, the strokes have rounded
ends. The Japanese text that appears in the captions is set in a gothic typeface.
The other kinds of Japanese writing are traditional styles. One such style is 楷書 (kaisho,
“proper writing”). A heavy, or bold, kaisho typeface, is used for the Japanese title at the top of
this page. This style is often used in schoolbooks in Japan. It
can be used in places where minchō would normally be used

楷書
(such as in a newspaper or on a menu) to give the text a
different look. Kaisho text may be written by hand on a scroll
and hung on a wall as a decoration. Poems or words
appropriate to the season are often chosen to be written on
hanging scrolls. The Japanese text set inline with the text of this The Japanese word “楷書” (kaisho)
document, like the word “uroko” (earlier, in the minchō set in a kaisho typeface

section) is set in another kaisho typeface, to make it easy to

 ２００９年１月１６日

read. It also provides a slight amount of contrast that sets the Japanese words apart from the rest
of the text.
Another traditional style that is still used frequently is
called 勘亭流 (kanteiryū). Its name is derived from the
nickname of its inventor, Okazakiya Kanroku (whose
nickname was kantei). The style is calligraphic and powerful,
勘亭流
yet inviting. Invented in the Edo period, it was used mostly for
The Japanese word “勘亭流” 
advertising and for signs, and retains this use today, though it (kanteiryu) set in a kanteiyu typeface
appears less frequently.
One other style invented during the Edo period is
相撲文字 (sumōmoji, literally “characters for sumo”). This thick

相撲 and heavy style was originally used for writing sumo rankings and
programs. Today, it is not used as frequently, but still appears in

文字
advertisements and programs for sumo, as well as on signs when a
more traditional or powerful appearance is desired. Due to the
thickness of the strokes, many modern Japanese experience some
The Japanese word “相撲文字” difficulty in reading the characters, so they are mostly used at
(sumōmoji) in a sumōmoji typeface
large sizes for their appearance.
There is also a style that enjoys a moderate amount of usage today that has a handwritten
appearance, known as 行書 (gyōsho, roughly “semi-cursive writing”). It is often grouped
together with the fully cursive style, 草書 (sōsho, roughly “cursive writing”, often erroneously
translated as “grass writing” or “grass script”). Both styles can
be expected to vary in appearance, depending on the writer, as
the styles are not meant to look completely standard or 行書
草書
proper. The full cursive script is usually difficult to read for
people other than the writer in modern times, so it is mostly
used for effect. When speed and decent legibility are desired,
semi-cursive writing is used instead. Typefaces for printing The Japanese words “行書” and
“草書” (gyōsho and sōsho) in
text in these scripts via computer exist (as shown at right), but gyōsho and sōsho typefaces
some of the originality is lost, as any given character will
always look the same when printed using that typeface.