Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 愛 has evolved from ancient forms depicting a person with their head turned back, expressing the lingering emotion of love and affection. In its earliest oracle bone script, it showed a person with a heart and 'feet' walking slowly, suggesting someone pausing and looking back with fondness. The modern form consists of 旡 (a person turning head), 心 (heart), and 夊 (slow walking), beautifully capturing the meaning of 'to cherish' or 'to love dearly' - someone whose heart causes them to walk slowly, looking back with affection. Arrived in Japan: The character 愛 arrived in Japan around the 5th-6th centuries CE, during the period when Chinese writing was systematically introduced to Japan through Buddhist texts, Confucian classics, and official documents. It became integrated into the Japanese writing system and is pronounced as 'ai' in Japanese, maintaining the same core meaning of love and affection.