Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 虹 (rainbow) has an interesting evolution. In ancient oracle bone script, it was depicted as a two-headed dragon or serpent arching across the sky, reflecting the ancient belief that rainbows were celestial dragons drinking from rivers. The character combines the radical 虫 (insect/worm) with 工 (work/construction), possibly suggesting the rainbow's 'constructed' arch shape. Over time, the dragon imagery simplified into the modern form while retaining the association with serpentine creatures in Chinese mythology. Arrived in Japan: The character 虹 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing systems (kanji) through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange with the Korean peninsula and China. It appears in early Japanese documents like the 8th-century Man'yōshū poetry collection.