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The character 異 originally depicted a person with a strange headdress or mask, representing the concept of 'different,' 'strange,' or 'unusual.' In oracle bone script, it showed a figure with what appears to be hands raised to the head. Over time, it evolved through bronze script, seal script, and clerical script to become the modern form 異. The character carries meanings of difference, distinction, and the unusual, and is used in words like 異なる (to differ), 異文化 (different culture), and 異議 (objection). It also appears in the word 異口同音 meaning 'unanimously' - literally 'different mouths, same sound.' Arrived in Japan: The character 異 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems, either directly from China or via the Korean peninsula. It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as a kanji character and appears in early Japanese texts such as the Manyoshu (8th century), indicating it was well-established in Japanese literary culture by the Nara period.