Issue 51 | 5 Minutes with Calligrapher Yoko Arano

Meet the legendary 90-year-old calligrapher and calligraphy teacher, Yoko Arano, from Kutchan, Hokkaido. Arano-sensei embarked on her calligraphy journey over 80 years ago as a child. In this interview, Arano-sensei gives us a glimpse into her life, her inspirations and her remarkable journey that reached a pinnacle with a solo exhibition in Hirafu and the sale of her first piece of work at the age of 85.

Can you share a bit about your background and how you first became interested in calligraphy?

Yoko Arano (YA): I was born in 1933 in Kitami City, Hokkaido. When I was 4 years old, my father went to war. He died in 1939 when I was 6. In 1940, my mother enrolled in a nursing school in Sapporo, and the same year, I started Junior High School in Sapporo. My mother graduated with a national nursing certification in 1941 and worked as a nurse in Sapporo.

My mother suggested that I attend calligraphy classes as she thought a professional calligraphy qualification would enable me to get a good job in the future. It was in the autumn of 1940 that I first started calligraphy lessons. During the war, I was not able to continue calligraphy lessons, so I practised on my own. When I was 17, I met some friends who were also practising calligraphy and we started doing calligraphy together.

When did you move to Kutchan?

YA: We moved from Otaru to Kutchan in 1957, where I met music teacher Tamotsu Arano. We got married when I was 23. 

What was life like back then?

YA: I had a busy life – I had to walk 3 km to and from a place where I was doing some work daily, in between taking care of the family, sewing, cooking and doing housework. I was also taking Kado (the art of flower arrangement) and Sado (the art of tea ceremony) lessons in the evenings.

What do you consider to be the pivotal point in your calligraphy journey?

YA: I took up calligraphy again in 1961 after my two sons were born (1958 and 1959). I formed a calligraphy group with two other women so that we could come together and practice. 

In 1962, we decided to enter the Hokkaido Calligraphy Exhibition. It was our first entry and all three of us ended up winning prizes. Thereafter, I decided to take calligraphy a little more seriously. Every Monday, after some housework, I would practice from 9:00 – 12:00 with the group. We have been participating in the exhibition every year for the past 62 years. Every year, we would send in our works for the selection process for the exhibition, though my work was not selected a couple of times.

When did you start teaching calligraphy?

YA: I started a calligraphy school in 1970 and taught kids calligraphy. I had about 30 students, each paid 200 yen. I made about 6,000 yen each month. I’ve been teaching for about 53 years now, my classes continue to this day. Some of the kids I taught before are now over 50–60 years old. 

Who was your greatest inspiration in calligraphy?

YA: I have been inspired by many of my teachers, thugh they weren’t calligraphy teachers. I had a lot of respect for them. I was inspired by their strength and their personalities. I had an uncle (my mother’s brother) who did calligraphy. His style was so free, and it left a deep impression on me. I still remember his work very clearly. His work was at such a high level that I am constantly humbled and inspired at the same time.

How did you develop your style of calligraphy?

YA: During the war, there was a lot of propaganda and there was no freedom. I wanted to express freedom in my calligraphy. It was the struggle that also gave me power. 

What is most important in calligraphy?

YA: To embrace the moment – every day is a new day, a new feeling, a new expression, each piece of calligraphy is new. I write according to how I feel that day. The size of the calligraphy does not matter. 

How do you capture the essence of ‘kanji’ in your calligraphy (traditional Japanese characters adapted from the Chinese script)?

YA: I would usually focus on the space of the paper, imagine and feel the meaning of the ‘kanji’, gather strength, exhale, and allow the calligraphy to flow. It’s a little like how a samurai strikes in a single stroke. In that space, I have no thought, there is no separation, and everything becomes one at that very moment.  

What was your first professional calligraphy piece that you did?

YA: My first job was a calligraphic script for a signboard for Kounji Temple in Kutchan. I had never really thought about selling my art, though I had done some commissioned work. I used to give my pieces away or exchange/barter them with what they could give.

Tell us about your first solo exhibition in Hirafu.

YA: I met Kiyoe Hosokawa in 2017, and I had my first solo exhibition in June that year at Kiyoe Gallery (at AYA Niseko back then). It was my first time exhibiting to an international audience. It was also then that I officially sold my first piece of work. I was 85 years old. 

What’s most important in life for you?

YA: The most important thing for me is food – I love to cook and share the food I make with others. Calligraphy only comes second.

What’s next for you?

YA: I love calligraphy, and I just want to keep on writing. When I was in my 20s, I decided that I wanted to be true to myself and continue to pursue calligraphy. I hope to continue doing calligraphy until the end of my life. I am now in my 90s, and I am still able to write with a big calligraphy brush. I am very happy.