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Shodo
Shodo, or the practice of calligraphy, developed as an art form in the 7th century on the basis of the Chinese karayo calligraphic style. From this evolved the purely Japaniese style (wayo) and many other sub-styles, all of which must be mastered by the modern Japanese calligrapher. The oldest surviving examples of Japanese calligraphy are copies of Buddhist scriptures and poems.
Some of the most beautiful examples of Japanese calligraphy have been written in sosho script, notably the commentaries on picture scrolls such as the Genji Monogatari Emaki. In this case the calligraphy flows across a background of paper painted in colours and gold (karakami)