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The character 弓 depicts a bow, one of humanity's oldest hunting and warfare tools. In oracle bone script (甲骨文) from the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE), it clearly showed the curved shape of a strung bow. Over time, the character simplified while retaining its essential curved form. In Chinese culture, the bow represents military strength and martial prowess, as reflected in terms like 弓箭 (bow and arrow) and 弓道 (the way of the bow). The character also appears as a radical in many related characters like 引 (to pull, drawing a bow) and 張 (to stretch, as a bowstring). Arrived in Japan: The character 弓 was introduced to Japan along with other Chinese characters, likely between the 5th and 6th centuries CE during the period of cultural exchange with China and Korea. It appears in early Japanese texts like the Man'yōshū (8th century) and was incorporated into the Japanese writing system, where it retains both its meaning as 'bow' and its use as a radical in other characters.