Summer Calligraphy — Words and Kanji to Write for Summer Greetings

As the rainy season lifts and the summer sun blazes down, Japan has a beautiful tradition of sending handwritten greetings to loved ones called shochumimai (暑中見舞い) — summer well-wishing cards.

While printed postcards are convenient, a shochumimai written by brush carries a warmth that no printed design can replicate. Handwritten characters carry something irreplaceable: the unmistakable presence of the person who wrote them.

In this article, we explore the pleasures of summer calligraphy and introduce words and kanji perfect for summer greetings — from a calligrapher's perspective.

Shochumimai vs. Zanshoumimai: What's the Difference?

Let's start with the basics.

• Shochumimai (暑中見舞い): Sent from the end of the rainy season until Risshu (around August 7th), the traditional start of autumn
• Zanshoumimai (残暑見舞い): Sent after Risshu through the end of August

Once Risshu passes, the calendar technically enters "autumn," so the greeting shifts from "midsummer" to "lingering heat." If you're writing by brush, being mindful of this distinction adds a touch of refinement that recipients will notice and appreciate.

Kanji and Words That Capture Summer

In calligraphy, the choice of words shapes half of what the work communicates. Here are some kanji and phrases that beautifully embody the summer season.

Single Kanji That Evoke Summer

涼 (ryō) — Coolness A character that brings a breath of relief into the heat. The flowing strokes, especially the sweeping "払い" (harai), create a visual coolness. Written in cursive script (sosho), it feels even more refreshing.

夏 (natsu / ka) — Summer Simple yet powerful. Whether written with the precision of block script (kaisho) or the fluid rhythm of semi-cursive (gyosho), this kanji holds a strong presence on the page.

蒼 (sō) — Deep Blue Deeper than ordinary blue — the color of a blazing summer sky or a vast ocean. Combined as "蒼空" (blue sky) or "蒼海" (blue sea), it conjures expansive summer landscapes in just two characters.

炎 (en) — Flame A character that confronts the summer heat head-on. The "fire" radicals at the bottom offer a wonderful opportunity to express individual style through brushwork.

光 (kō) — Light The fierce light of midsummer. Despite its simple structure, the way ink pressure varies through each stroke creates strikingly different expressions — endlessly interesting to explore.

Phrases for Summer Greeting Cards

Word	Reading	Meaning / Usage
盛夏	seika	Height of summer; also used as the closing date
炎暑	ensho	Blazing summer heat
向暑	kōsho	"Heading into the heat" — used around the start of summer
清涼	seiryō	Cool and refreshing; a wish for the recipient
夏至	geshi	Summer solstice; also a seasonal poetic word (kigo)
海風	umikaze	Sea breeze; evokes summer freshness
入道雲	nyūdōgumo	Towering cumulonimbus clouds; a classic summer kigo

Tips for Writing Summer Greetings by Brush

1. Use Slightly Thinner Ink

Summer heat causes ink to dry faster, which can lead to unexpected dry strokes on postcards. Try thinning your ink slightly more than usual. The resulting lighter, more fluid strokes also create a visual sense of coolness.

2. Leave More White Space

Resist the urge to fill every inch of the card. Generous white space lets the paper "breathe," and that openness reads visually as a cool breeze. Ma (間) — the art of meaningful negative space — is central to calligraphy aesthetics, and summer writing is a perfect context to embrace it.

3. Try Semi-Cursive or Cursive Script

Kaisho (block script) is precise and beautiful, but for summer greetings, gyosho (semi-cursive) has a natural fluidity that feels right for the season. The rhythmic movement of the strokes gives postcards a lively energy. If you can manage sosho (cursive script), recipients may sense the summer wind in the freedom of the lines.

4. Use Cool Water in Your Inkstone

A small insider tip: using cold water when preparing ink on the inkstone (suzuri) subtly changes the feel of grinding and writing. Some calligraphers find it helps maintain focus in the heat. It may be partly psychological — but experiencing summer through all five senses is part of the joy of seasonal calligraphy.

Basic Structure of a Handwritten Shochumimai

There is a general format for summer greeting cards:

1. Opening greeting
   "Shochuu omimai moushiagemasu"
   (Respectfully sending midsummer greetings)

2. A caring note about the recipient
   "In this fierce heat, I hope you are keeping well."

3. Brief update on yourself
   "We are doing well here, thanks to your warm thoughts."

4. Closing wish for the recipient's health
   "Please do take care of yourself."

5. Date
   "Seika" (height of summer) or "Reiwa ○, Seika"

You don't need to write everything by brush. Even writing just the opening greeting or the recipient's name by hand on an otherwise printed card transforms how it is received.

Another Way to Enjoy Summer Calligraphy

Beyond greeting cards, summer is a wonderful time to write on uchiwa (round fans). Brush a single character like "涼" (coolness) or "風" (wind) onto a plain white fan and display it in your home — a beautiful intersection of art and function, uniquely suited to the Japanese summer.

Summer vacation is also an ideal time to try shakyo (写経), the practice of copying Buddhist sutras. Quietly transcribing the 262 characters of the Heart Sutra offers a meditative escape from the heat — pure concentration that makes time disappear.

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Calligraphy is deeply tied to the seasons. Kakizome in the new year, shochumimai in summer, the colors of autumn leaves on washi paper, nengajo at winter's end — Japan's four seasons offer reasons to pick up a brush all year long.

This summer, why not let your brush trace a few words on a single postcard? A warmth that no smartphone message can carry will travel from your hands to theirs.