新年2日目の午後、私は実家で「書き初め」の指導を行うため、午後3時から9時頃まで滞在しました。まず、姪と一緒に書き初め用紙を買いにショッピングモールへ。40枚ほど購入して実家へ向かったのですが、到着してみると、なんと姪の課題の用紙は例年よりも一回り小さいサイズだったのです！？ 結果的に、40枚も買った用紙は小5の甥が使うにはぴったりのサイズだったので、「これは来年分まで使えるね！」と笑い話に。でも、毎年書道にやる気のない甥が使い終わるかどうか…。
いつもなら床に新聞紙を広げて書道をしていたのですが、今回は空いているテーブルを作業台として利用することにしました。この方法、教える側としてもずいぶん楽です。
そんな中、書道に苦手意識を抱いていた甥が「やってみたい」と言い出しました！ これには驚きです。昨年も教えようとしましたが、やる気なしで、本人からのこの申し出はまさに予想外。ここはその気持ちを大切にしたい！ ということで、申し訳ないけれど、姪には他の部屋で自主練をお願いし、甥とじっくり向き合うことにしました。
甥の課題は「希望の朝」という4文字。まずは半紙を使って練習をスタート。最初は「二人羽織方式」で、一緒に筆を持ちながらお手本の注意点を説明しつつ、手を動かしていきました。嫌にならないように、わかりやすい言葉で誘導し、できたら大げさなくらいに褒める作戦です(笑)。すると甥も、自分が思ったよりも上手に書けていることに気づき、とても嬉しそうな表情を見せてくれました。
次のステップでは、一人で筆を持って書いてもらう練習です。このときも、「止め」や「払い」などの意識すべきポイントを丁寧に説明しながら、筆運びをサポートしました。徐々にではありますが、しっかりと「止め」や「払い」ができるようになり、苦手意識が薄れていくのが目に見えてわかりました。本当にミラクルです！ 甥自身も自信を持てたようで、笑顔が絶えませんでした。
2時間以上の集中の末、4文字すべての練習が終了。そして、いよいよ本番用の大きな紙に挑戦する時がきました。1文字ずつ丁寧に、ひと筆ひと筆しっかり運ぶように誘導しながら、4文字を書き上げることができました。完成した作品はとてもバランスがよく、甥自身も満足そう。ギャラリーのおじいちゃん、おばあちゃん、姪も「上手だね」と褒めてくれ、甥の顔は誇らしげでした。
最後には甥から「次の練習はいつやろうかな」との一言が！ 苦手だった書道に、少しずつ自信と興味を持ち始めた様子に、こちらも感動の瞬間でした。小さな成功体験をサポートできて本当によかったです！
夕食はおばあちゃんが用意してくれて、その後ようやく姪の番がやってきました。ところが、ここで問題発生。姪の課題用の用紙が小さいだけでなく、使おうとしていた筆がメンテナンス不足でカピカピになっていたのです。お湯で洗ってみたものの、筆先が割れてしまい、結局使い物にならず…。仕方なく、大きな筆を使って練習することになりました。明日、新しい筆を買う予定ですが、やっぱり普段からの手入れが大切ですね。(笑)
それでも、これまで毎年教えてきたこともあり、姪は最初から安定した字を書けていました。バランスや筆運びもなかなかのもの。ただ、次のレベルへ進むためには、やはり筆使いにメリハリをつけることが重要です。そんな課題を意識しながら、丁寧に練習を進めていきました。
私は、22時ごろに帰宅しましたが、明日もまた11時から書道を教えに実家へ向かう予定です！ 甥は今頃「書道をしている夢」を見ているかもしれませんね。(笑)
Drawing Hope with My Nephew: A New Year's Journey
January 2, 2025, 11:29 PM
On the afternoon of the second day of the new year, I spent time at my parents’ house teaching “kakizome” (New Year’s calligraphy) from 3:00 PM to around 9:00 PM. Before heading over, I took my niece to the shopping mall to buy calligraphy paper, purchasing about 40 sheets. However, when we arrived at the house, I realized that the size of the paper for my niece’s assignment was smaller than usual! In the end, the paper we bought turned out to be the perfect size for my fifth-grade nephew to use. We laughed it off, saying, “Well, this will last us until next year!” But honestly, I’m not sure if my nephew, who’s usually unmotivated when it comes to calligraphy, will actually use it all.
Normally, we’d spread newspapers on the floor for calligraphy practice, but this time we used a table as the workspace. This method was much easier for me as the instructor.
To my surprise, my nephew, who usually has a strong aversion to calligraphy, said, “I’d like to give it a try!” This was shocking, as last year he showed zero interest despite my efforts to teach him. His request was completely unexpected, and I knew I had to nurture that enthusiasm! So, I asked my niece to practice on her own in another room (apologies to her!) and decided to focus my full attention on my nephew.
His assignment was to write the four characters for "Hopeful Morning" (希望の朝). We started with practice on standard-sized calligraphy paper. At first, I guided him using a "two-person method," holding the brush with him while explaining the key points of the example strokes. To keep him engaged, I used simple and encouraging language, and I exaggerated my praise whenever he did well. (Yes, I fully embraced the over-the-top compliments strategy!) Gradually, he noticed that his writing was turning out better than he’d expected, and his face lit up with joy.
The next step was for him to write on his own. I carefully explained important techniques like “stopping” and “sweeping” the strokes and provided guidance on how to handle the brush. Little by little, he began to grasp the techniques, and his initial reluctance to practice started to fade. It was truly miraculous to see his progress! His growing confidence was evident in his ever-present smile.
After over two hours of focused practice, he completed all four characters and was ready to tackle the final challenge: writing on the large official paper. I carefully guided him through each character, stroke by stroke, ensuring he took his time and paid attention to detail. The final product turned out beautifully balanced, and my nephew was visibly proud of his work. Our family—grandpa, grandma, and his sister—praised him with, “That looks great!” His expression beamed with pride.
At the end of the session, my nephew said, “When should we practice again?” Hearing those words was a truly moving moment. He was beginning to gain both confidence and interest in something he had previously avoided. I felt so grateful to have been able to support this small but meaningful success.
Afterward, we enjoyed dinner prepared by grandma, and finally, it was my niece’s turn to practice. However, a problem arose. Not only was her calligraphy paper too small, but the brush she was planning to use was stiff and dried out from lack of care. Though we washed it with warm water, the bristles split and became unusable. As a result, we had no choice but to use a larger brush for practice. We plan to buy a new one tomorrow, but this was a reminder of how important it is to maintain tools properly. (Lesson learned, haha.)
Still, thanks to the years of practice she’s accumulated, my niece started off writing stable and well-balanced characters. Her brushstrokes and character composition were solid. However, to reach the next level, I encouraged her to focus on creating more dynamic contrast in her brushwork. With that goal in mind, she practiced diligently and steadily improved.
I returned home around 10 PM, but I’ll be heading back to my parents’ house tomorrow at 11 AM for another session of calligraphy practice. My nephew might already be dreaming about calligraphy tonight! (Or so I hope, haha.)
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