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AI
穢
dirty
✎ Editor's glossdefilement, impurity
Naruto · Jutsu · Kanji file 020
Edo Tensei — Reanimation Jutsu 穢土転生
Pronounced e·do ten·sei
Edo (穢土) is a Buddhist term: this present world, defiled by worldly desires. Tensei (転生) means rebirth — the same tensei as in rinne tensei, the transmigration of souls. The author joined the two into a coinage of his own. In Naruto it is the forbidden art that summons the souls of the dead back into this world, at the price of a sacrifice. From early in the story it stands among the strongest techniques there are — summoning the past Hokage themselves. An inhuman jutsu — and yet it becomes the occasion for the living and the dead to speak once more, and in that role it pulls the whole story forward.
Gorgeous on the page
📖 Databook: Rin no Sho, p. 181
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.
2 / 4
DO
土
soil · earth · ground
✎ Editor's glossland — a country, a region
3 / 4
TEN
転
revolve · turn around · change
✎ Editor's glossto turn, to cycle around
4 / 4
SEI
生
life · genuine · birth
✎ Editor's glossto be born — life itself
What's next
Which term should we write next?
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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 穢土転生?
37 in total: 穢 is 18, 土 is 3, 転 is 11, 生 is 5.
How do you pronounce Edo Tensei?
Say it e·do ten·sei (穢土転生). 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 Edo Tensei — Reanimation Jutsu?
穢土転生 — 穢, then 土, then 転, then 生. Core meanings from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database: 穢 dirty; 土 soil · earth; 転 revolve · turn around; 生 life · genuine.
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.