In Pursuit of Lost Calligraphy is the title of a book published in 2006 as part of Iwanami Shoten’s series, Records of an Era. The book begins with the striking line, “Just as calligraphy begins when the brush touches a blank sheet of paper, so literature begins when the pen touches the manuscript for the first time.” It continues by describing in detail the act of writing on paper—a process that is increasingly rendered obsolete in the digital age—and gradually considers more abstract concepts, such as how characters turn into words, words into text, and texts into works of literature. In this 2007 work bearing the same title as the book, Ishikawa borrows from the section on “Nation,” which explores themes like history and law, as part of the final chapter, “Paradox—Hope,” and turns it into calligraphy.

The leftward-swiping strokes, resembling the katakana character “ノ” (no) , which arc across the lines of text, began to appear in Ishikawa’s work in the late 1990s and are most prominent in his series on the poetry of Yoshimasu Gōzō (2000–2003). Ishikawa referred to these lines as “a storm of ‘ノ’” or “like the shape of wind blowing across [the surface of the image].” These katakana-like lines therefore express both the speed of movement and represent a vector from the upper right to the lower left. According to Ishikawa, “Katakana can be used to create connections between kanji, like in the case of “spring rain” (春ノ雨). In a way, katakana builds bridges and transitions between words made of kanji and words in hiragana, essentially serving as means of translation.” (Autobiographical Record)

Ishikawa Kyuyoh (calligrapher; b. 1945)

Born in Fukui Prefecture, Japan in 1945. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University. After serving as a professor at Kyoto Seika University and the director of the Institute for Writing and Civilizations, he is now an emeritus professor at the same university. Ishikawa has elucidated the concept that "calligraphy is the art of brush touch (using the term 'taction')," and interprets the structure and history of calligraphy. As a critic, he is also active in discussions on the Japanese language and culture, which have had a significant impact across various fields. In both his artistic creations and written works, Ishikawa continues to produce cutting-edge expressions and insights. His body of work includes over 2,000 calligraphic pieces and more than 100 published books.