noun
scattered writing; writing in an irregular hand
A style of Japanese calligraphy where characters are written in a deliberately uneven, scattered arrangement rather than in straight columns. Often used in poetry or artistic compositions.
散らし書きは、和歌を書くときによく使われる技法です。
Scattered writing is a technique often used when writing waka poems.
この掛け軸の散らし書きがとても美しい。
The scattered writing on this hanging scroll is very beautiful.
散らし is a broader term meaning 'scattering' or 'leaflet', while 散らし書き specifically refers to the calligraphic style.
Compound of 散らし (chirashi, 'scattering', the continuative form of 散らす) + 書き (kaki, 'writing', the continuative form of 書く). The term describes a writing style where characters are scattered across the page.