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HACHI
八
eight
✎ Editor's glosseight — or simply "many"
Naruto · Weapons · Kanji file 037
Yata Mirror 八咫鏡
Pronounced ya·ta no ka·ga·mi
The Yata Mirror (八咫鏡) is one of the Three Imperial Regalia of Japanese mythology. When the sun goddess Amaterasu hid herself in a cave and the world fell into darkness, this sacred mirror was made to draw her out — held up, it is said, to show the goddess her own reflection as she peered from the cave. Yata means "great": the name simply says, the great mirror. 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 describes it as an ethereal shield with no physical form — one that nullifies ninjutsu and physical attacks alike.
⛩ Appears in Japanese mythologyOne of the Three Imperial Regalia
📖 Databook: Sha no Sho, p. 275
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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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SHI
咫
short · span
✎ Editor's glossan ancient Japanese unit of length — the span from thumb to middle finger
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KYŌ
鏡
mirror · speculum · barrel-head
✎ Editor's glossmirror; also a model to learn from
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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 八咫鏡?
30 in total: 八 is 2, 咫 is 9, 鏡 is 19.
How do you pronounce Yata Mirror?
Say it ya·ta no ka·ga·mi (八咫鏡). 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 Yata Mirror?
八咫鏡 — 八, then 咫, then 鏡. Core meanings from the KANJIDIC2 dictionary database: 八 eight · eight radical (no. 12); 咫 short · span; 鏡 mirror · speculum.
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.