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The character 入 (rù) depicts an arrowhead or pointed object entering something, representing the concept of 'enter' or 'go into.' In its earliest oracle bone script forms, it resembled a sharp tip penetrating a surface. Over time, the character simplified to its current form of two strokes - one longer stroke with a shorter stroke entering from the top left. This character belongs to the 'indicative' (指事) category of the Six Writing Methods, where the form directly indicates the meaning. It has maintained the core meaning of entering, joining, or being admitted throughout Chinese history. Arrived in Japan: The character 入 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, primarily through the introduction of Chinese writing systems via Korean peninsula. It was adopted into Japanese as 'nyū' (onyomi) and 'iru/hairu' (kunyomi), retaining its fundamental meaning of entering. The character became part of the earliest Japanese texts and was included in foundational works like the Manyōshū poetry collection from the 8th century.