JAPAN: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE YOUNG AND OLD GATHER IN TOKYO TO TAKE PART IN THE TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION

Record ID: 860234

  • Title: JAPAN: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE YOUNG AND OLD GATHER IN TOKYO TO TAKE PART IN THE TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION
  • Date: 5th January 2005
  • Summary: (L!3) TOKYO, JAPAN (JANUARY 5, 2005) (REUTERS) EXT: PEOPLE GATHERING AT BUDOKAN HALL VARIOUS: OF STUDENTS AT WORK IN CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION (5 SHOTS) HAS/WS: OF CALLIGRAPHERS IN THE HALL MLV: GIRL SHOWING HER WORK WHICH SAYS "PEACEFUL WORLD" MV: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOSHIKA SAISEI, 14, STUDENT, SAYING: "I really hope it's going to be a peaceful year this year. There were a lot of wars last year and I wish those will come to an end soon." MV: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) SHINJI MIMA, 64, SAYING: "We suffered many natural disasters last year. I really do hope it will be a good year without interruptions by terrible disasters." CU: CALLIGRAPHY WITH PAINT BRUSH CU: BRUSH MV: GIRL WRITING MLV: SMALL GIRL SHOWING HER WORK HAS/WS: OF HALL OF CALLIGRAPHERS HOLDING UP THEIR WORK
  • Embargoed: 20th January 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
  • City:
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA3OM7BK9GHI6KGBT8NVN25ICAV
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Thousands of people gather in Tokyo to participate in a traditional New Year calligraphy competition.
    Young and old calligraphers from around the country converged in Tokyo on Wednesday (January 5) to take part in an annual calligraphy contest.
    In the first days of the new year, people across Japan write their resolutions, wishes or auspicious Chinese characters using ink and brush to commemorate the New Year.
    The contestants, who were divided by age into 11 groups, were given 20 minutes to complete their calligraphic portrayals of the year ahead using a brush and ink made from charcoal.
    This year, 3,500 people ranging from ages four to over eighty took part in the competition. Many of the participants chose to write the characters for "peace" and "security".
    "I really hope it's going to be a peaceful year this year. There were a lot of wars last year and I wish those will come to an end soon," said Toshika Saisei, a 14-year-old student.
    "We suffered many natural disasters last year. I really do hope it will be a good year without interruptions by terrible disasters," said 64-year-old Shinji Mima.
    Once completed, all the entries are gathered up for judging. It takes some days for the judges to view and grade each entry according to the strict rules which govern the calligrapher's skills.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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