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HAKU
白
white
✎ Editor's glosswhite; unstained — and clear, plain to see
Naruto · Dōjutsu · Kanji file 004
Byakugan 白眼
Pronounced bya·ku·gan
In Japan, white is a sacred color — in Shinto it stands for purity and is worn at shrines — and in many anime it dresses characters of high standing. 白 can be read haku or byaku; this technique goes with byakugan. Byaku is the older reading, and the sound carries a certain dignity. Byakugan, too, is one of the dōjutsu that end in 眼, the eye. In Rin no Sho, the Byakugan is described as seeing straight through obstacles and catching things far in the distance.
A coinage that gives you chills
📖 Databook: Rin no Sho, p. 218
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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GAN
眼
eye
✎ Editor's glossthe eye — the power to see through to the truth of things
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 白眼?
16 in total: 白 is 5, 眼 is 11. The animation above draws every stroke in dictionary order.
How do you pronounce Byakugan?
Say it bya·ku·gan (白眼). 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 Byakugan?
Byakugan is written 白眼: 白 (white); 眼 (eye). 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.