1 / 2
SEN
千
thousand
✎ Editor's glossa thousand
Naruto · Ninjutsu · Kanji file 003
Chidori 千鳥
Pronounced chi·do·ri
Chidori is the everyday Japanese word for plovers — the little birds that live in flocks along the water's edge. It is also, as we'll get to, the name of a real sword from Japan's Warring States period. In Naruto, it is the jutsu Sasuke wields from early in the story. According to Rin no Sho, the chik-chik-chik of its chakra was likened to the cry of birds — that is where the name comes from. Sasuke goes on to spin variations out of it: Chidori Sharp Spear, Chidori Senbon, Chidori Current. Kakashi wields Chidori too — and because his once cut a bolt of lightning, his version carries a name of its own: Raikiri, the Lightning Cutter. Incidentally — the Sengoku-era warlord Tachibana Dōsetsu treasured a sword named Raikiri, and that blade still exists today. The story goes that it was originally called Chidori, and that with it, Dōsetsu cut down a bolt of lightning.
The kanji give it away
📖 Databook: Rin no Sho, p. 209
Speed
The basics — from the dictionary data
Each character at a glance
Readings, stroke counts and core meanings below come directly from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database — not from an AI and not from a wiki.
2 / 2
CHŌ
鳥
bird · chicken
✎ Editor's glossa bird
Original artwork — free to save
The kanji, on one sheet
A reference card we drew ourselves — the characters in Japanese brush style.
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.
Quick answers
FAQ
What does Chidori mean in Japanese?
Chidori is a real Japanese word: plovers, the small birds that flock along the water’s edge — written 千鳥, “a thousand birds.” Rin no Sho explains the jutsu was named for the bird-like cry of its lightning chakra.
How do you pronounce Chidori?
Say it chi·do·ri (千鳥). 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.”
How do you write Chidori in Japanese?
千鳥 — 千 (thousand, 3 strokes) + 鳥 (bird, 11 strokes). 14 strokes in all.
How many strokes is 千鳥?
14 in total: 千 is 3, 鳥 is 11.
What characters make up Chidori?
千鳥 — 千 then 鳥. Literally: thousand + bird. Core meanings above are drawn 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.