Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 魚 (yú) depicts a fish in ancient Chinese oracle bone script, showing a fish with a distinct head, body, scales, and tail. Over centuries, it evolved through bronze script and seal script forms, gradually stylizing into the modern kanji. As one of the oldest Chinese characters, it represents aquatic creatures and appears in many compound characters related to fishing, marine life, and cuisine. The character's pictographic origins remain visible in its radical form, serving as a building block for numerous other characters in the Chinese writing system. Arrived in Japan: The character 魚 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, introduced alongside the Chinese writing system through cultural exchange with Korean peninsular states and direct contact with China. It was systematically adopted during the Asuka period (538-710 CE) as part of the broader importation of Chinese culture, technology, and governance systems.