“The style for the names and numbers on the tour shirts is Shodō. ‘Sho’ means writing and ‘dō’ means pathway,” explained Akiko Kamiya, the deputy director of Kodansha Ltd, who has overseen this project.
“Japanese has a lot of words with ‘dō’ or pathway in them, such as judō. Shodō is a writing pathway where we use a brush, ink and Japanese paper.
“We put the brush into the ink and then draw the word in a continuous movement, putting our thoughts and our emotions into the word.
“Once you put your brush on the paper, you can’t go back. Shodō is not about drawing a character beautifully. It’s not always perfect but it’s not simply about making letters look beautiful – it’s about writing with intention. Every stroke carries the writer’s feelings, rhythm and presence in that very moment.
“Shodō does not seek perfection or symmetry. Instead, it finds beauty in movement, balance, space and sincerity.”
Akizuki prominently deploys ancient characters and kana script in her work, which has featured in magazines, books, television, films, commercials and clothing.
Her distinctive creation for Liverpool’s shirts this week will be on display for the world to see when Arne Slot’s side complete their 2025 tour of Asia by facing Marinos.
