Emperor Shomu was well known for a master of calligraphy in the Nara Period as well as Empress Komyo, and shinkan documents which are believed to have been handwritten by Emperor Shomu are as follows:
聖武天皇は奈良時代の能書家として光明皇后とともに有名であり、聖武天皇の宸翰と伝えられる書には以下のものがある。