[ryuurui]

well, i am not quite sure what you mean but writing kanji and writing calligraphy is comparable to a difference between riding a bike and steering a space craft. Only a very small percentage of Japanese is actually seriously studying calligraphy. Penshuuji and calligraphy are not the same thing also. So whatever kids are learning at school is not calligraphy either.

I hope it somewhat answers your question, but I am not 100% sure though.

concept of calligraphy is completely different from the western understanding of this art. In fact, in western countries it is more of a craft. In my opinion the translation of word shodou is erroneous and does not even come close to its real meaning. Calligraphy is often referred to as heart imagery or soul painting, and has nothing to do with pretty writing.