Japanese calligraphy poised to join UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list

An annual New Year calligraphy contest at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Jan. 5 | REUTERS

Nov 5, 2026

Japanese calligraphy is set to join UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list after an evaluation body recommended the traditional art for inscription, paving the way for its formal recognition later this year.

The recommendation, announced by the Cultural Affairs Agency on Thursday, found that shodō — Japanese calligraphy — met all five criteria for inclusion on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

A final decision is expected in early December, during the 21st session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which will take place from Nov 30 to Dec. 5 in the city of Xiamen, China.

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