When I look at Chinese vs Japanese calligraphy samples and books, it seems to
me that there are subtly different aesthetic principles governing the
characters, even discounting
[variants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_unification) (including stroke
order switches etc) and different formal styles. For argument's sake, let's
limit the argument to 楷書 where things would be expected to be the same. Can an
expert (or even a knowledgeable layman) see a sample of 楷書 and identify it as
Japanese or Chinese? Or are the variations between calligraphers wide enough
that national identity does not stand out as a distinguishing factor?
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question
chinese calligraphy
Can Chinese and Japanese calligraphy of the same character be identified as such?
On a per-character basis, generally not. Calligraphic styles are relatively
standardized across the Sinosphere. The only real exceptions to this are where
distinctly nationalistic elements appear when looking at the broader text as a
whole:

  * Simplified Characters, in the case of Chinese
  * Hangul, in the case of Korea
  * Kana and certain Japanese simplifications of characters, in the case of Japan

It's customary in both styles of calligraphy to use the traditional forms of
characters, so simplified forms don't always provide an indication. That said,
many simplified characters are derived from calligraphic forms (e.g. 门 vs. 門),
so these are a weak indicator at best.

The other distinguishing meta-factor is the signature on the piece, as naming
conventions are different across each country.
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answer