Japanese calligraphy (書道, shodō) is common art in Japan.[1]
History
Japanese Calligraphy started with introduction of Kanji from China.[2]
After Buddhism was introduced into Japan, Calligraphy spread rapidly.
Emperors such as Shotokutaishi (聖徳太子) and Shoumu (聖武天皇) wanted people to copy sutras by hand. Also, Japanese envoys to Tang Dynasty China took Chinese culture back to Japan. This affected the way of Japanese Calligraphy.
References
Other websites
Media related to Japanese calligraphy at Wikimedia Commons