ABOUT
Shodo is the ancient art of Japanese brush calligraphy. In 1966, Kobara Ranseki Sensei founded a famed school of shodo art in San Francisco called Ranseki Sho Juku. He was later invited to teach at Wanto Shodo Kai in Oakland. Kobara Sensei gave the highest level of teaching certification to Miyauchi Somei Sensei and H. E. Davey Sensei, who took over the operation of Wanto Shodo Kai after his death in 2005. Classes are held at the Buddhist Church of Oakland on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 10 am. Initial visits are by appointment. Send email to hedavey@aol.com to set up an appointment to visit.
TEACHERS
KOBARA RANSEKI
In 1966, Kobara Ranseki Sensei (1924-2005) launched a unique style of classical Japanese calligraphy at his school the Ranseki Sho Juku in San Francisco. Not long after this, he was invited to teach in Oakland, and Wanto Shodo Kai was born. Kobara Sensei, won many important awards in international Japanese calligraphy exhibitions, including an award from the Prime Minister of Japan and the Order of the Rising Sun from the government of Japan.
Miyauchi Somei Sensei and H. E. Davey Sensei, the current leaders of Wanto Shodo Kai, have both received multiple top awards at the Kokusai Shodo Ten, the "International Shodo Exhibition" in Tokyo.
MIYAUCHI SOMEI
After over 25 years of study, Miyauchi Somei Sensei is one of the most advanced practitioners of traditional shodo and ink painting in the San Francisco area,
His acclaimed artwork has been shown at important Japanese brush writing exhibitions in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
He frequently receives top awards and was granted the highest level of shodo instructor certification from his teacher Kobara Ranseki Sensei in 2005.
A resident of Oakland, he has been regularly teaching twice a month at Wanto Shodo Kai since 2006.
H. E. DAVEY
H. E. Davey Sensei has been studying shodo since 1985, over 30 years. Davey Sensei, the primary instructor for beginners at Wanto Shodo Kai, is the author of The Japanese Way of the Artist and other books. He's a top student of Kobara Sensei, founder of Ranseki Sho Juku. He studied with his teacher for 20 years, receiving the highest instructor rank in Ranseki Sho Juku shodo in 1993.
He's exhibited at the International Shodo Exhibition in Japan, where he received Jun Taisho, the “Associate Grand Prize,” and other awards. Davey Sensei’s art has been featured in many American and Japanese magazines and newspapers. He's regularly commissioned by collectors and businesses to create distinctive shodo art.