China-Japan calligraphy exchange event held in China Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

The “Brushing Together – Chinese and Japanese Calligraphers Ink Up” calligraphy exchange event was held in China Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka on May 10. Chinese and Japanese artists created calligraphy works on the theme of peace and friendship, showing their best wishes for the art of calligraphy and China-Japan friendship.

Artists from both countries together completed calligraphy works that embody the ideal of “harmony in diversity” and “universal harmony,” as a way of expressing the desire to cherish peace and promote common development.

Xue Jian, Chinese Consul General in Osaka, stated in his remarks that calligraphy, as a cherished traditional art form by both China and Japan, has played a unique role in people-to-people exchanges. He hoped that through this event, both sides would continue collaborating to preserve the art of calligraphy, promote the essence of Eastern culture, and infuse more warmth and momentum into the longstanding friendship between China and Japan.

Liu Meiying, Deputy Secretary-General of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, said that the writing brush, ink stick, paper, and ink stone have long served as a bridge connecting the hearts of Chinese and Japanese people. This gathering of Chinese and Japanese calligraphers served to not only preserve the thousands-year-old art but also enhance China-Japan friendship in the new era. She hoped that people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan would grow in depth and substance, and China-Japan friendship would take root and sprout in the hearts of our two peoples.

Utsunomiya Tokuichiro, President of the Japan-China Friendship Association (National Headquarters) and President of the Tokyo Japan-China Friendship Association (TJCFA), noted that Japanese calligraphy originates in China, and on this basis, has formed its own characteristic. Noting the important role of calligraphy in the normalization of China-Japan relationship, he remarked that this event would further deepen calligraphy exchanges between Tokyo and Beijing, contributing to cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Japan and China.

Hakujyu Kuiseko, an eminent Japanese calligrapher who has been to China nearly 90 times, said that the Japanese calligraphy community has always accentuated the study of Chinese calligraphy masterpieces, and Chinese calligraphy has had profound and far-reaching impact on Japanese calligraphy. He looked forward to this calligraphy exchange event further deepening cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Co-hosted by the BPAFFC, Beijing Municipal Institute of Literature and History, the TJCFA, and the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association, this exchange is a signature event during Beijing Week of China Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.