by Evelyn Cullen

SINCE becoming an Irish citizen on Valentine’s Day this year, an occasion reported by this paper, Kazuko Uchida from Yokohama in Japan, has wasted no time in weaving her native culture into Irish life in the most unique way.

Kazuko, who has lived in Letterkenny for the past seven years, recently launched her new business, ‘The Japanese Calligrapher’. Through it, she creates beautiful personalised artworks by writing Irish names in Japanese calligraphy, carefully selecting kanji characters that not only sound like the name, but carry a deeper, symbolic meaning.

Kanji is one of three Japanese writing systems, the most complex and artistically expressive one, which is made up of thousands of characters and requires many years of study to learn. Each character is like a miniature picture, often conveying a full word, idea or concept.

“When Irish people meet me, they’re always curious about Japan and eager to learn about the culture,” Kazuko said.

“I got the idea to blend both cultures through my art and give Irish people, and especially the people of Donegal, a unique piece of Japanese tradition.”

She chooses kanji characters based not only on sound, but also on how meaningful and visually beautiful they are on the page.

“People are always surprised and delighted when they discover the meaning I create with their name,” she said.

The artist at work.

Naturally, ‘Patrick’ is a popular request. Kazuko writes it as a three-character name meaning “wave, holy, land”, a fitting tribute to our patron saint.

‘Aoife’, translates to “the one and only” and ‘Jack’ becomes, which means “young horse”.

Kazuko’s art is proving especially popular as a gift for newborns.

“I get a lot of requests to create name pieces for new babies,” she said. “It’s such a special gift and I really enjoy doing them.”

She also has a stock of ready-made framed works with universal messages such as “love”, “friendship” and “family”, which make ideal gifts for housewarmings or other occasions.

You can find Kazuko’s work for sale at the Vestry Café on the St Conal’s Hospital Campus and at the Himalayan Café on Church Lane, Letterkenny. She also exhibits at craft fairs, with her next appearance set for August 23 at the Snugburough Pop-Up Market, at the Snugburough Restaurant, Bonagee.

Prices range from €10 and to €55 depending on size and frame used. To commission a personalised piece, visit her Instagram page @Japanesecalligraphy2025, or drop by the pop-up market to meet Kazuko and see the artist in at work.