書き初め[かきぞめ] (kakizome)

書き初かきぞめは1月がつ2日ふつかに行おこなう

The New Year's calligraphy session will be held on January 2nd.

書き初めは日本の新年の伝統行事だ。

Kakizome is a traditional New Year's event in Japan.

書き初めの文字は巨大な絹の布に書かれた。

The kakizome’s characters were written on a gigantic silk cloth.

３人の書道家が巨大な筆を使って書き初めをした。

Three calligraphers used huge brushes to make the kakizome.

後に，彼は羽(は)織(おり)姿で書き初めや羽つきを行った。

He later performed kakizome and hanetsuki in haori.

書き初め（かきぞめ）とは、年が明けて初めて毛筆で書や絵をかく行事。

Kakizome is a festival for calligraphy and drawing pictures, during which one uses brushes for the first time since the start of the new year.

１月４日に広島市内で開催されたイベントで，巨大な書き初めが行われた。

A giant kakizome was made on Jan. 4 at an event held in Hiroshima City.

そこにその年飾った門松や注連飾り、書き初めで書いた物を持ち寄って焼く。

Then, local people bring Kadomatsu (New Year's pine decoration), Shimekazari (Sacred Shinto rope with festoons) or Kakizome paper (the first calligraphy of the year) and put them into the bonfire.

また、書き初めを焼いた時に炎が高く上がると字が上達すると言われている。

Also, if the flames rise high when Kakizome paper is thrown into the fire, they say his or her calligraphy skill will be improved.

書き初めで書いたものは左義長で燃やし、その炎が高く上がると字が上達すると言われている。

The calligraphy written in kakizome is burned in sagicho (a ritual bonfire of New Year's decorations); it is said that when the flame rises high into the air, the writer's skill will improve.

高校生と大学生のための書き初め大会が１月４日，東京の国立オリンピック記念青少年総合センターで初めて開催された。

A kakizome contest for high school and college students was held for the first time at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Tokyo on Jan. 4.