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TEN
天
heavens · sky · imperial
✎ Editor's glossthe sky; the heavens — where the gods dwell
Naruto · Jutsu · Kanji file 008
Amaterasu 天照
Pronounced a·ma·te·ra·su
Amaterasu, too, is a god's name — Amaterasu Ōmikami stands at the summit of Japan's eight million gods, the supreme deity of the mythology, worshipped as the sun. And the myth tells it this way: Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed his left eye in purification. A god born from an eye — and in Naruto, her name goes to an eye technique. A sun's name, given to a fire that never goes out. In Japan, Amaterasu is also revered as the ancestor of the Imperial family.
⛩ From Japanese mythology
Speed
Breaking down the kanji
Here's what each character means — and how to write it. In Japan, following the correct stroke order is considered the key to writing kanji beautifully. Readings, stroke counts and core meanings below come directly from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database. The red ✎ line is the editor's gloss — the meaning that is actually alive in this name, chosen by our editors from a Japanese kanji dictionary.
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SHŌ
照
illuminate · shine · compare
✎ Editor's glossto shine on; sunlight
What's next
Which term should we write next?
We write in order of demand. Every name and jutsu in the official databooks is listed in our Master Index — find the one you want, and tell us via the Contact page.
Original artwork — free to save
The kanji, on one sheet
A reference card we drew ourselves — the characters in Japanese brush style.
Quick answers
FAQ
How many strokes is 天照?
17 in total: 天 is 4, 照 is 13.
How do you pronounce Amaterasu?
Say it a·ma·te·ra·su (天照). Japanese has no strong word stress: give each syllable about the same length and weight, and keep the vowels short and clear — a as in “father,” i as in “machine,” u as in “food,” e as in “met,” o as in “go.”
What characters make up Amaterasu?
天照 — 天, then 照. Core meanings from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database: 天 heavens · sky; 照 illuminate · shine.
Can I use the copied kanji anywhere?
Yes — it's standard Unicode text and works on any modern OS. One caution before you print or ink it: make sure the font is a Japanese one. Some fonts render the same characters in Chinese style, and the difference shows.