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DO
土
soil · earth · ground
✎ Editor's glossearth — the soil underfoot
Naruto · Jutsu · Kanji file 058
Doton — Earth Style 土遁
Pronounced do·ton
Doton — "Earth Style" — is, like Katon and Suiton, a staple that predates Naruto in ninja fiction. It appears in the ninja boom of the 1950s — in Sanpei Shirato's long-form ninja manga Ninja Senpū: Fūma Ninpūden, among others. There, however, Doton means hiding yourself with earth, melting into the terrain — nothing like the elemental-magic spectacle it becomes in Naruto. In Naruto it is used from Kakashi early in the story to the very end, by many hands — above all the Third Tsuchikage, who unleashes Doton in remarkable variety.
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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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TON
遁
flee · escape · evade
✎ Editor's glossto flee, to slip away — the ton of tonjutsu, the ninja arts of escape
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.
The whole family
Doton in the official index — all 23 jutsu
Every Doton technique listed in the official databook index, with exact kanji and romaji. Stroke-order animations and native commentary will come to each of them — the Master Index tracks the promise.
| 土遁・岩宿崩し | Doton Iwayadokuzushi |
| 土遁・おとし蓋 | Doton Otoshibuta |
| 土遁・開土昇掘 | Doton Kaidoshōkutsu |
| 土遁・加重岩の術 | Doton Kajūgannojutsu |
| 土遁・軽重岩の術 | Doton Keijūgannojutsu |
| 土遁結界・土牢堂夢 | Dotonkekkai Dorōdōmu |
| 土遁・拳岩の術 | Doton Kengannojutsu |
| 土遁・剛隷式の術 | Doton Gōremunojutsu |
| 土遁・山土の術 | Doton Sandonojutsu |
| 土遁・心中斬首の術 | Doton Shinjūzanshunojutsu“Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu” |
| 土遁・地動核/土遁・大地動核 | Doton Chidōkaku / Doton Daichidōkaku |
| 土遁・土中映魚の術 | Doton Dochūeigyonojutsu |
| 土遁・土中潜航 | Doton Dochūsenkō |
| 土遁・土矛 | Doton Domu |
| 土遁・土流割 | Doton Doryūkatsu |
| 土遁・土流城壁 | Doton Doryūjōheki |
| 土遁・土流壁 | Doton Doryūheki“Earth Style: Mud Wall” |
| 土遁・土陸返し | Doton Dorikugaeshi |
| 土遁・万里土流壁 | Doton Banridoryūheki |
| 土遁・土竜隠れの術 | Doton Moguragakurenojutsu |
| 土遁・黄泉沼 | Doton Yominuma“Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld” |
| 土遁・裂土転掌 | Doton Retsudotenshō |
| 土遁・練瓦の術 | Doton Renganojutsu |
0 of 23 covered so far — requests decide the order (→ Contact)
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 土遁?
16 in total: 土 is 3, 遁 is 13. The animation above draws every stroke in dictionary order.
How do you pronounce Doton?
Say it do·ton (土遁). 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 Doton?
Doton is written 土遁: 土 (earth · soil); 遁 (flee). Readings and meanings come from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database.
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.