In an essay accompanying a 1984 exhibition of Japanese calligraphy in the U.S. titled "Words in Motion, " he says of his masterpiece "Brightness in Every Direction!"

WSJ: The Vision and Calligraphy of Aoyama San'u | Tokyo National Museum | Transformational Characters | By Michael Judge

The wide diversity of patterns reflects a variety of influences, ranging from Arabic calligraphy, European bouquets and Chinese phoenixes to Japanese cherry blossoms and Indian or Persian peacocks.

UNESCO: Culture

The design schemes feature contemporary cream-and-brown color palettes mixed with Eastern elements like calligraphy painted on the walls above the headboard, colorful Japanese-style pillows on the sofa and artwork Matsuhisa curated from up-and-coming Japanese artists.

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Internet users cheered the fleet for posting a New Year calligraphy couplet before setting sail that read: "Golden dragon soars and sweeps away Japanese devils", followed by "Silver snake dances vigorously to display might of China", Oriental Daily News and Haixia Dushi Bao report.

BBC: China media: New Year haze