Following the conclusion of the main events of "Shibuya Fashion Week 2026 Autumn," a calligraphy experience event for the general public, "Relight the Write," was held on October 18th on Bunkamura Street in Shibuya. Organized by the Japan Calligraphy Education Foundation, the event utilized the same red carpet used in the fashion show, and over 100 Japanese and foreign tourists enjoyed the calligraphy experience.

The venue was a red carpet laid out along Bunkamura Street, stretching approximately 60 meters from SHIBUYA109 to in front of LABI Shibuya. The place where a glamorous runway show had just taken place was transformed into a venue for a calligraphy experience.

ファッションショー後、レッドカーペットが書道体験スペースに変貌

Calligraphy, a traditional Japanese art form, is currently aiming for registration as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. This event was planned as a special project for "Shibuya Fashion Week 2026 Autumn" with the aim of allowing people to become familiar with calligraphy in the streets of Shibuya and to promote its appeal both domestically and internationally.

A red carpet approximately 60 meters long was set up in a calligraphy classroom.

On the red carpet, long tables and cushions were arranged facing each other, and calligraphy tools such as inkstones, brushes, and paperweights were placed on the tables. A large calligraphy experience space appeared where about 50 people could pick up a brush at once, and the Bunkamura Street, which is usually bustling with shoppers and tourists, was filled with the sight of participants lined up and wielding their brushes.

Participation was free, and anyone could freely try it out. Over 100 people tried their hand at calligraphy during the approximately one-hour event, with participants rotating in and out. In addition to Japanese people enjoying their holiday shopping, passing foreign tourists also joined in spontaneously. They enjoyed this traditional Japanese culture, even though they were unfamiliar with using brushes.

イタリアから来た二人は「伊太利亜」、アメリカから来た男性は「米国」を母国を漢字で表現した

There were no rules about what characters to write, and participants were free to choose their favorite words. Among them, the two characters for "Shibuya," the venue for the event, stood out. Some foreigners were seen replacing their own names with kanji or Japanese characters, or expressing their home countries, such as "United States" or "Italy," in kanji.

自分の名前をカタカナで書く外国人も

"Peace," "Heavy Legs"—Foreigners express their own thoughts in various words.

A couple from Germany, visiting Japan on vacation, used their smartphone to translate the English word "PEACE" into Japanese and attempted to write the two characters for "peace." Looking at the characters displayed on the screen, they carefully moved their brush stroke by stroke. They struggled with sitting in the seiza position, which they weren't used to, as well as handling the brush with their left hand, but they showed satisfied smiles when they finished writing.

正座、左利きとなかなか難しい書道。ドイツから来たご夫婦は「平和」の二文字を書き終えて笑顔

Meanwhile, a man from Vancouver, Canada, who was staying in Japan for work, said, "Yesterday I walked 15,000 steps around the city," and chose the unique phrase "my legs are heavy" to describe how he was feeling at the time. The sight of foreigners checking the meaning of the Japanese words and expressing their own thoughts in calligraphy created a warm atmosphere in the venue.

かつてワーホリで日本に滞在していた経験もあるというカナダ人。歩きすぎて「足が痛い」と笑う

Sitting on Shibuya's main street, usually bustling with cars and people, and writing characters with a brush and ink was an extraordinary experience. Participants enjoyed their time in their own way, taking commemorative photos with their finished works against the backdrop of Shibuya's cityscape.

次々と参加者が訪れ、途切れることのない人気ぶりを見せた

From the glamorous stage of a fashion show to a space where one can experience traditional Japanese culture, this unique initiative represents a new way to utilize the red carpet. It was an event that showcased the potential for new cultural exchange, befitting Shibuya, a place that attracts many people from both Japan and abroad.

Venue

Interviews and writing

Editorial Department: Takashi Fujii

Shibuya registrar. In addition to Shibuya of Culture information, seasonal news and topics, it will spell write that feel every day.