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The character 雷 (léi) meaning 'thunder' has an ancient evolution. In oracle bone script, it was depicted as 畾, showing lightning bolts with rolling wheels or circles below clouds, representing both the sound and flash of thunder. The Liushutong form L31066 shows this wheel/circular element prominently. By the seal script period, the character evolved to include the rain radical 雨 on top, emphasizing thunder's connection to weather, while retaining the phonetic component 田 below, though originally representing the rolling thunder sound. This combination perfectly captures the phenomenon of thunder occurring during rainstorms. Arrived in Japan: The character 雷 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system (kanji) to Japan. It was adopted into Japanese as 'kaminari' (かみなり) or 'rai' in on'yomi reading, and appears in early Japanese texts like the Man'yōshū (8th century).