1.
square autograph board; decorative cardboard for writing
A stiff, square piece of decorative cardboard used for autographs, poems, calligraphy, or short messages. Commonly used in Japan to get celebrity signatures or to write farewell messages.
Reading: This entry covers the reading しきし. The same kanji 色紙 (read いろがみ) means "colored paper" (such as origami paper) and is a different word.
Usage: 色紙 is a standard-sized (about 24cm × 27cm) square board. It is used in two main contexts:
1. Getting autographs from celebrities, athletes, or authors
2. Writing group farewell messages for someone leaving a workplace or school
Common collocations
- 色紙にサインをもらう (to get an autograph on a shikishi board)
- 色紙に寄せ書きをする (to write a group message on a shikishi board)
- サイン入り色紙 (autographed shikishi board)
- 色紙を飾る (to display a shikishi board)
Shikishi boards signed by famous people are often displayed in restaurants, barbershops, and offices. The 寄せ書き (group farewell message) tradition is a staple of Japanese workplace culture.