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筆

  • When looking at a brush, you're interested in:
    • 尖(せん): Is it really pointy?
    • 斉(さい): Do the hairs stay together when flattened?
    • 円(えん): Is the body nice and round?
    • 健(けん)): Does it spring back into its original shape?
    • (and also ink retention)
  • Size matters (the shorter, the easier to control; but longer gives more expressivity)
  • There are brushes for writing 漢字 and for writing かな (or 仮名). The latter is often made from weasel hair (イタチ毛) or a Siberian weasel (called コリンスキー, for some reason).
  • Brushes are made from different hairs:
毛 Reading Animal Character Suitable
羊毛 ようもう Goat hair (despite using 羊) Very soft, difficult to control; large expressive range 行書・草書
鼬毛・イタチ毛 いたちげ Weasel hair Fine point, strong spring, responsive 仮名・細字・楷書
コリンスキー korinsukī Siberian-weasel tail hair (*Mustela sibirica*) Premium weasel hair; fine and relatively long; excellent point, elasticity and good 墨含み 仮名 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★★
狼毫 / 狼毛 rōgō / rōmō Usually Chinese-derived term for weasel hair, not wolf Similar to 鼬: firm, resilient, sharp; quality varies considerably 楷書 ★★★★★ / 仮名 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★★
馬毛 umage Horse hair; different parts of horse have different properties Generally strong and resilient; can be coarse; gives forceful, clear strokes 楷書 ★★★★★ / 大字 ★★★★ / 行書 ★★★ / 仮名 ★
天尾 amao Particularly resilient hair near root of horse's tail Very strong 腰; often used to strengthen a brush/blend 楷書 ★★★★★ / 大字 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★
狸毛 tanukige Raccoon-dog hair Firm tip, very strong resilience; good when the point needs authority 楷書 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★ / 仮名 ★★★★
鹿毛 shikage Deer hair Coarse/stiff, strong; often blended rather than used alone 楷書 ★★★★ / 大字 ★★★★ / 行書 ★★
兎毛 / 紫毫 usagige / shigō Rabbit/hare hair; 紫毫 traditionally refers to dark rabbit hair Sharp, resilient, rather delicate; historically prestigious 細字 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★★★ / 仮名 ★★★★
玉毛 / 猫毛 tamamō / nekoge Cat hair Very fine, soft, with distinctive sticky/supple elasticity 仮名細字 ★★★★★ / 細字 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★
貂毛 tenge Marten hair Elastic, supple, durable; fine point 細字 ★★★★★ / 仮名 ★★★★ / 楷書 ★★★★
猪毛 inoshishige Boar hair Very stiff, rough, produces deliberately vigorous/rough lines 大字 ★★★★ / 前衛・創作 ★★★★★ / 楷書 ★★
兼毫 / 兼毛 kengō / kanemō Blend of two or more hairs; not an animal Properties depend on blend; usually balances strong 腰 with good 墨含み 楷書 ★★★★★ / 行書 ★★★★★ / 草書 ★★★★ / 初学 ★★★★★
  • Brands:
    • Akashiya: From Nara, 300 years history.
    • 一休園: From Kumano (熊野)
  • Collection
    • For 仮名
      • コリンスキー, small
      • medium イタチ (maybe 一休園 さくら 小・中・大)
      • large?
      • 羊毛 (which is goat, not sheep, and really annoyingly soft)
      • Cat hair
    • 楷書
      • Normal
      • Hard
    • For writing letters:
      • Very small 兎
    • Something big
  • Storage:
    • In a 筆巻 to carry around (ventilated!)
    • Or hang on a 筆掛け・筆立て
Last modified: 08.09.2026:2230