ASA (AH-saw) – Japanese calligraphy for Cannabis

The Japanese calligraphy for Cannabis drawn by Ms Nagata Koran, a master calligraphy artist in Tokyo of more than 40 years.

Asa is an indigenous plant to Japan dating to more than 8,000 BC. Though seldom consumed, the plant has been used in Japan through the millennium for its versatility as a textile and in religious ceremonies symbolizing purity and rapid growth. Asa in Japan is planted in dense fields to grow more than 10-15 ft in height, and is often paired in children’s names in the hopes of good health and fast growth.

Ms Koran says of her drawing: The calligraphy was written with a special brush that allows the lines to breathe and a certain quickness to reflect the vitality of Asa.

You can almost see the plant’s movement in the art.