In the context of the history of calligraphy, the calligraphic style passed on by Japanese monks who went to study in Northern Song China and Chinese monks who visited Japan is also known as 'zenshu-yo'.
書道史上においても、入北宋留学僧や来朝僧らが伝えた、当時の中国で流行していた書風を禅宗様と呼んでいる。