Sanae Takaichi slammed online for praising calligraphy without mentioning China

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has faced backlash after praising Japan's calligraphy, shodo, on social media without acknowledging its Chinese origins. The UNESCO released the nominations for this year's inclusion on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Among the 59 nominations were Chinese cuisine, Spain's traditional music and dance, and Japan's shodo calligraphy.

Takaichi welcomed the recommendation, expressing delight that shodo would be passed down to future generations as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. However, her post, which did not mention the tradition's origins in Chinese calligraphy, drew criticism from some social media users. Critics argued that shodo's brush, ink, inkstone and paper all originated in China and suggested that Takaichi should study history more.

Japan did not have its own writing system until Chinese characters were introduced around the 4th and 5th centuries. Japan and China had extensive exchanges throughout the centuries, with Japan's calligraphy eventually developing its own style by the 10th century. Shodo was registered as an intangible cultural property in Japan in 2021, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs selected it as a candidate for nomination to UNESCO's list in 2023.