JACC x HKMSS: The Art of Calligraphy
On may 22nd, 2026, I had the pleasure to join the calligraphy event organized by a collaboration of the Japanese culture club Munich (JACC) and the Hongkong-Macau Student Society München (HKMSS).
The event took place in a room at TUM, but the atmosphere was very different from that of a strict lecture or course. Snacks were put out for everyone, and people were chatting and getting to know each other. On almost every desk, there was a calligraphy set containing paper, brushes, ink, and a board for putting the paper on while writing. There were also papers with calligraphy on them for inspiration, as well as experienced calligraphy writers helping people out.
It was amazing seeing how experienced people write, analysing the differences between Chinese and Japanese characters and trying out calligraphy myself, too. I got the chance to write multiple times and even tried Arabic calligraphy for the first time! Someone also wrote something in Mongolian; it was generally beautiful seeing multiple cultures come into contact with each other.
At the end, we all took a picture with our piece of paper and a piece of ourselves, since every character chosen, be it for its meaning or aesthetic, holds a piece of the person who must have been fascinated by it for some reason! I myself, for example, wrote the Japanese word 空想 (kūsō), which translates to “daydream.” I think it is fascinating how the combination of 空 (sora) -meaning sky- and 想(sō) -meaning imagination- creates the meaning of daydreaming. Since I tend to be a daydreamer myself sometimes, it has been one of my favourite combinations since I learned it.
Overall, I’m really grateful for this amazing experience and the amazing people I got to meet at this event! I‘m looking forward to more events like this!