Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 力 originally depicted a plow or farming tool in oracle bone script, representing physical strength required for tilling land. Over centuries, it evolved through bronze script and seal script forms, gradually simplifying into the modern kanji shape. The character's meaning expanded from agricultural labor to encompass power, energy, force, and capability in general, reflecting how physical strength was fundamental to ancient Chinese society's agricultural foundation. Arrived in Japan: The character 力 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, introduced alongside other Chinese characters through cultural exchange with Korea and China, particularly during the Yamato period when Japan adopted Chinese writing systems, Confucian classics, and Buddhist texts.