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The character 矛 (máo) depicts an ancient Chinese spear or halberd, one of the primary weapons in classical Chinese warfare. In its oracle bone script form, it clearly showed a spearhead with a sharp point and sometimes a hook for pulling. The character evolved through bronze script to the modern standardized form, maintaining its weapon imagery. 矛 represents not just the physical weapon but also symbolizes conflict and military prowess. It appears in famous idioms like 自相矛盾 (contradict oneself, literally 'spear and shield') from the philosophical text Han Feizi, where a merchant boasts both an unbreakable shield and a spear that can pierce anything. Arrived in Japan: The character 矛 likely arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) through cultural exchange with China, or more systematically during the Asuka period (538-710 CE) when Japan adopted Chinese writing systems, literature, and Buddhist texts. It appears in early Japanese texts like the Kojiki (712 CE) and Manyoshu (8th century), indicating it was established in Japanese writing by the Nara period.