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The character 狼 (wolf) evolved from ancient pictographs depicting the distinctive features of a wolf. In oracle bone script, it showed an animal with a prominent jaw, sharp teeth, and a bushy tail. The character is composed of 犭(the 'dog' radical) and 良 (meaning 'good' originally representing a corridor or passage). This combination may reflect the wolf's nature as a 'good dog' in hunting ability, or possibly a phonetic borrowing. Over centuries, the character simplified while maintaining its core meaning as the wild canine predator, symbolizing ferocity, cunning, and loneliness in Chinese culture. Arrived in Japan: The character 狼 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) or early Kofun period (300-538 CE) through cultural exchange with China and Korea, likely as part of the introduction of Chinese writing systems. It was incorporated into the Japanese language as kanji, retaining the same meaning and pronunciation (rō in on'yomi).