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The character 塊 (kuài) originally depicted a lump of earth or clay. In its ancient Liushutong form, it showed a kneeling figure (㔾) beside a mound of earth (土), representing a clod or mass. Over time, the character evolved to its modern form 塊, combining the earth radical (土) with 鬼 (ghost/demon), possibly suggesting something formless or shapeless like a ghostly mass. The character's core meaning has remained 'lump,' 'chunk,' or 'mass,' extending metaphorically to mean a unit or piece of something. Arrived in Japan: The character 塊 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE-300 CE) or early Kofun period (300-538 CE) through cultural exchange with China, likely via Korean peninsula. It was systematically introduced along with other Chinese characters during the 5th-6th centuries when Chinese writing and Buddhism were formally adopted by the Japanese court. The character is read as 'kai' in Sino-Japanese readings and 'katamari' in native Japanese readings.