n July 8 and 9, 2000 the Ranseki Sho Juku and Wanto Shodo-Kai sponsored an exhibition of Japanese calligraphy in San Francisco. The event was in honor of Kobara Ranseki Sensei's thirtieth anniversary of teaching shodo, or Japanese brush writing and ink painting, in the United States. The event featured over 40 pieces of outstanding artwork by Mr. Kobara and members of the Wanto Shodo-Kai of Oakland, California. Many of these calligraphic works of art had previously been exhibited in Japan and received awards at the International Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition in Urayasu.

Kobara Sensei is the Shihan ("Headmaster") of the Ranseki Sho Juku calligraphy school and the Vice-President of the Kokusai Shodo Bunka Koryu Kyokai, which is an international shodo association in Japan. He has received numerous awards for excellence in shodo, and he is a direct disciple of the late Fukuzawa Seiran Sensei of Kyoto. Not showing a day of his 75 years of age, Mr. Kobara demonstrated shodo several times over the two-day period to enthusiastic crowds. He lectured in Japanese to the largely Japanese and Japanese-American audience.