The Japanese kanji for way: 道
漢字 Kanji 08 of 40
The kanji for way: 道
The dō of jūdō, kendō and shodō (calligraphy): not just a road but a way of living a practice.
道
- Meaning
- way, path, road
- Kun reading
- michi (Japanese)
- On reading
- DŌ (from Chinese)
- Strokes
- 12
書き順Stroke order
道 is written in 12 strokes, in this order. The red line is the new stroke at each step. Japanese is written top to bottom and left to right, and the order matters: it is what makes handwriting flow.
Stroke data from KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
使い方In everyday Japanese
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 武道 | budō | the martial arts |
| 書道 | shodō | brush calligraphy |
敬意Wearing it
On its own a Japanese reader may think 'road' first, then 'way of life'. Both sit well on a tee.
Every kanji in 5C5V Studio is checked for meaning and context. Read our Respect Notes.
工房 Made just for you
Wear 道
Open 5C5V Studio, pick 道 from the kanji, choose a tee, hoodie, cap or beanie, and see it mocked up before you buy. Printed or embroidered, made to order.