Abstract
This study investigates how calligraphic styles and viewers' expertise influence the aesthetic evaluation of apanese calligraphy. We developed a quantitative assessment method using Visual Analog Scale to analyze responses from 145 college students with varying calligraphic experience. Participants evaluated three fundamental writing styles (kaisho, gyosho, and sosho) across seven aesthetic dimensions. Statistical analysis revealed three key findings: (1) distinctive perceptual characteristics for each style, with kaisho excelling in readability (mean 0.76) while sosho demonstrated superior artistic uniqueness; (2) significant expertise-dependent evaluation differences, particularly in perceiving sosho's artistic qualities (experienced: 0.72, novice: 0.52); and (3) the formation of distinct evaluation patterns based on viewers' expertise levels. These findings provide empirical evidence for developing objective evaluation criteria in calligraphy education and automated assessment systems for traditional Japanese calligraphy.
