Page 24 - Hussein revivalism14

Interview

Arabic

Calligrapher

Honda Kōichi

Leaving His Mark on

an Ancient Art

The art of Arabic calligraphy has under the long-distance guidance HONDA KŌICHI: I was working
been honed over more than a of Turkish calligrapher Hasan Çelebi, in Saudi Arabia and other Middle
millennium, reaching an astounding from whom he received his Ijaza Eastern countries as an interpreter
level of artistic perfection. One diploma as a master calligrapher in for a Japanese firm. Our company
renowned practitioner of the art 2000. had been hired to create maps
today is Honda Kōichi, who first Kōichi has won numerous awards of the region, and I went there as
encountered Arabic calligraphy for his work, starting with the part of its project team. We took
while working in the Middle East. Jury’s Encouragement Prize at aerial photographs of the region
Honda was interviewed to learn the 1990 International Arabic and conducted on-the-ground
more about the art and how he has Calligraphy Contest. His published surveys, recording the names
lent it a new vitality. works include Pasupōtoshokyū of riverbeds, hills, and other
Arabiagojiten (‘The passport topographical features. We then
Honda Kōichi is the President beginner’s Arabic dictionary’), took this information to the Saudi
of the Japan Arabic Calligraphy Arabiago no nyūmon (‘An Ministry of Petroleum in Riyadh,
Association and a professor of introduction to Arabic’), and Arabia where calligraphers wrote in the
international relations at Daitō moji o kaitemiyōyondemiyō (‘Try names that we had recorded. I was
Bunka University. Kōichi was born writing and reading Arabic’), as well struck by how beautiful the Arabic
in 1946 in Kanagawa Prefecture as a collection of his calligraphy characters they wrote were; even for
and in 1969 graduated from Tokyo works titled Arabia shodō no a Japanese person like myself, the
University of Foreign Studies, where uchū (‘The universe of Arabic shapes were enthralling.
he studied Arabic. He joined the calligraphy’). The supervisor accompanying us
Pacific Aerial Survey Company in from the government ministry was
1975 and spent the next five years INTERVIEWER: When did also a calligrapher, so I asked him
in the Middle East, where he picked you first encounter Arabic to teach me more about the art. He
up the basics of Arabic calligraphy. calligraphy? loaned me a book on the alphabet
He continued to teach himself and a reed pen. I would copy down
calligraphy after returning to Japan the characters and show them to

24 Hussein Revivalism