日本东京当地时间1月5日举办第48届新年书法大赛，吸引了近3000人参加比赛。经历了2011年大地震和海啸的日本民众希望借此机会祈求新的一年会更好。

calligraphy¹ contest to celebrate the new year in Tokyo January 5, 2012." src="http://www.enread.com/upimg/allimg/120114/1_120114052759_1.jpg" width="404" height="272" />
Participants display their works during a calligraphy contest to celebrate the new year in Tokyo January 5, 2012.

From small children to octogenarians（八十岁到八十九岁的人） , thousands came together in Tokyo on Thursday for a new year's battle of the brushes in an annual national calligraphy（书法，笔迹） contest.

In what has long been a ritual for the start of the year, people all across Japan write down their resolutions and hopes, or good luck characters, using a traditional horse-hair brush and ink made of charcoal²（木炭） .

This year's contestants³ brushing their welcome to the Year of the Dragon included children from Fukushima prefecture（县，辖区） , which is still struggling with the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years, set off by last year's massive earthquake and tsunami⁴.

"I wasn't sure if I would be able to write well, but I did better than I thought so I think it's good," said Natsumi Yazawa, a 14-year-old from Fukushima who travelled hundreds of kilometres to take part.

Contestants, who ranged from those aged⁵ four all the way up to 85, were assigned Chinese characters such as "Spring Wing" and "Year of the Dragon" and given 24 minutes to complete their masterpieces（杰作） .

One of the older participants was Etsuko Saotome, who said she had looked forward to taking part as it gave her energy.

"I'll be 74, and while that's embarrassing, this gives me a chance to feel youthful again, writing with all of these children," she said.

The pieces were collected to be reviewed by judges according to rules such as their flow, line strength and angles. The winners will be announced on Jan 22.

Calligraphy is a widely practised and revered⁶ art in many parts of Asia, with the act of writing Chinese characters believed to sharpen the mind and improve concentration.