Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 今 (jīn) originally depicted a roof or covering, representing the concept of 'the present moment' - that which covers or encloses us right now. In oracle bone script, it showed a roof-like structure, evolving through bronze script where it became more abstract. By the small seal script period, it had taken a form recognizable as modern 今. The character carries meanings of 'now,' 'current,' and 'this moment,' reflecting how the present envelops us like a roof overhead. Arrived in Japan: The character 今 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, primarily through the introduction of Chinese writing systems and Buddhist texts. It was adopted into Japanese as 'kon' (in on'yomi reading) and 'ima' (in kun'yomi reading), maintaining its core meaning of 'now' or 'the present moment.'