Naruto · Weapons · Kanji file 036

Totsuka Blade

Pronounced to·tsu·ka no tsu·ru·gi

The Totsuka Blade (十拳剣) is a sword of Japanese mythology — though not the name of one particular blade. Totsuka means "ten fists long": it is a title, and several gods wield a totsuka blade of their own. In the myths, Izanagi used one to cut down the fire god; Susanoo used one to slay the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi. In Naruto, Itachi's Susanoo holds the Totsuka Blade in its right hand and the Yata Mirror in its left. The official databook Sha no Sho explains it as one of the Kusanagi swords — a blade that itself carries a sealing jutsu. Its other name is Sakegari no Tachi, the "sake-cutting longsword": those it pierces are drawn into a genjutsu world of drunken dreams. And who ended up sealed inside it? You know the one — the man who stands for the snake.

⛩ Appears in Japanese mythology

📖 Databook: Sha no Sho, p. 338

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.

1 / 3 JŪ

ten

✎ Editor's glossten

Kun / On
too / to · JŪ / JI
Strokes
2
Level
Taught in grade 1 in Japan
2 / 3 KEN

fist

✎ Editor's glossfist

Kun / On
kobushi · KEN / GEN
Strokes
10
Level
Jōyō kanji — taught in junior high in Japan
3 / 3 KEN

sabre · sword · blade

✎ Editor's glosssword

Kun / On
tsurugi · KEN
Strokes
10
Level
Jōyō kanji — taught in junior high in Japan

What's 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.

十拳剣 (totsuka no tsurugi) written in Japanese brush style
十拳剣 in brush style — totsuka no tsurugi

Free to save — terms (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Quick answers

FAQ

How many strokes is 十拳剣?

22 in total: 十 is 2, 拳 is 10, 剣 is 10.

How do you pronounce Totsuka Blade?

Say it to·tsu·ka no tsu·ru·gi (十拳剣). 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 Totsuka Blade?

十拳剣 — 十, then 拳, then 剣. Core meanings from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database: 十 ten; 拳 fist; 剣 sabre · sword.

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.