Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 拝 evolved from ancient pictographs showing two hands holding ritual objects or offerings. In oracle bone script, it depicted hands presenting jade or other precious items in ceremonial worship. The modern form 拝 retains the hand radical (扌) on the left, combined with a simplified right side that originally represented the ritual action. The character means 'to worship,' 'to bow,' or 'to pay respects,' reflecting its ceremonial origins in Chinese religious and court rituals where offerings were presented with both hands. Arrived in Japan: The character 拝 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 became established in Japanese writing during the Asuka and Nara periods when Japan systematically adopted Chinese characters for official documents and religious purposes.