Shōkadō Shōjō

Shōkadō Shōjō (松花堂昭乗, 1584 Yamato Province, Japan-1639) was an Edo period Buddhist monk, painter, calligrapher and master of the tea ceremony. He is one of the "Three brushes of the Kan'ei period" (寛永三筆, Kan'ei Sanpitsu).^[1]

Shōjō is the Buddhist name the youth was given when he entered the Hachiman shrine on Otoko-yama (Yawata) near Kyoto. He later served the Konoe family under Konoe Nobutada. At that time, he also became acquainted with the Zen-monks of Daitoku-ji. In 1627, he became the head of the small Takimoto-bō temple on the slope of Otoko-yama (Mt. Otoko) which is south of Kyōto. Ten years later, in 1637, he retired to a hut on the temple's estate which he called "Pine Flower Hall" (松花堂, Shōkadō). This became the name under which he, and his school of followers, is best known.^[1]

In painting, his style would include monochromatic ink, following in the steps of Mu-ch’i Fa-ch’ang and Yin-t’o-lo (13th century Chinese monk-artist). He would also paint in the style of Yamato-e (Japanese painting) style.^[1]

Shōjō revived calligraphy by reawakening the sō (“grass”) writing style, which is a quick, cursive script originating from China, also practiced by Kōbō Daishi, a 9th century Japanese Shingon saint. Using this style of writing, he would go on to create a six-panelled folding screen covered with gold leaf as well as 16 love poems.^[1]

• Addiss, Steven (2006). 77 Dances. Japanese Calligraphy by Poets, Monks, and Scholars, 1568-1868. Boston & London: Weatherhill. ISBN 978-0-8348-0571-2.

• The Shokado Tea House, Yawata
• Momoyama, Japanese Art in the Age of Grandeur, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Shōkadō Shōjō