《Characteristics》
While there is a Kansai-style (West Japan) “Katame-Fude (literally, hard writing brush)”, the one in Tokyo is called “Edo-Fude” or “Sabaki-Fude”, which traces its history back to the Edo Period (17-19c). When “Sankin-Kotai(*1)” took place and many craftsmen were gathered from all over the country into Edo (Tokyo of today), their techniques and craftsmanship were introduced and completed the present Edo-Fude consequently.

“Katame-Fude” is used by dipping two-third of the brush in India ink from the tip, while “Sabaki-Fude” is used by fully dipping the brush in the ink as close as to the brush shaft.
These writing brushes have been crafted till now to supply with the most suitable brush for users, depending on their respective tastes, skills, ways of writing, sizes and style of writing(*2*3).

(*1) Sankin-Kotai:
One of the Japanese federal systems in the Edo period (17 to 19c), by which the regional leaders were obliged to visit the central government in Edo every two years. The purpose of this system was to make the regional samurais (warriors) spend a huge amount of money on the way back and forth between their domain and Edo, not only to have them guard the central government. This prevented their rebels against the Edo government due to the lack of financial power.

[There are various brushes named in accordance with its level of elasticity]

Kengo-Fude (Hard Brush)
The hardest one among all brushes.
The material is the hair of antelope in Nepal, and it is mainly used for calligraphy works. This is especially used to express strongly swept lines. However, since the Washington Convention has banned importing the hair of Nepal antelope, the genuine brush can hardly be seen these days.

Kenmo-Fude (Blended Hair Brush)
A comparatively harder brush than others. Depending on how to blend different types of hair, it can be harder or softer. The materials used for this brush are the hair of raccoon dog, deer, and horse; the major users of this brush used to be beginners, because of its flexibility and elasticity.
Nowadays, since not so many raccoon dogs are seen as before in Japan, Kenmo-Fude is not often made. Furthermore, some brushes are made for professional calligraphers who specially write in “Kaisho”(*2), by blending the hair of Japanese weasels, Siberian weasels, and the tails of horses.

(*2) Kaisho:
This is one of the styles of writing Chinese characters, also known as Shinsho or Seisho. It literally means “the genuine or true writing”. It is the most popular, basic and simplest way of writing in Japan. In this way of writing, every line and point of each character are properly shown as first taught at schools.

Junpaku-Yomo-Fude (Pure-White-Sheep-Hair Brush)
The material used is the hair of Chinese goat and the tail of white-horse. It neatly tidies the brush tip and gives proper elasticity. Its hardness depends on the combination ratio of the hair. Beginners find it easier for their practice to use the brush with more horse hair.
Today, the domestic horse hair is hard to procure, so the most brushes are made of nylon hair instead. Moreover, adding a little amount of horse hair to the fine quality wool makes a good brush, for writing in “Sosho” manner(*3).

(*3) Sosho:
A type of calligraphy writing, which writes faster by omitting the number of strokes. Different from “Gyosho”, another writing type in calligraphy, the omission in Sosho is much obvious. Since there are many rules in omission in Sosho, it is hard to write and read without learning them.

Jun-Yomo Fude (Genuine Wool Brush)
A brush made of the hair of goat in China. The goat hair is imported after being classified into more than 15 classes in accordance with the parts from which the hair is taken. Combining different classes of hair produces the difference in writing, such as the amount of ink the brush can hold, how the strokes are blurred, and the shapes of the beginning of brush-strokes.
Using this type of brush requires excellent skills since it makes a different expression with its length, thickness, and the shape of its brush tip.

[The Designated Traditional Craft of the Governor of Tokyo]
Source: Fude-Kobo Kamei
Translation by: Aya Matsui, reviewed by Hiroko Okamura