Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 旅 (lǚ) originally depicted a group of people gathered under a banner, representing a military unit or travelers. In its earliest oracle bone script forms, it showed two figures under a flag. The character evolved through bronze script and seal script periods, gradually standardizing into its modern form. The components represent 方 (banner) and 从 (followers), symbolizing a group journeying together. Its meaning expanded from 'military troop' to include 'travel,' 'journey,' and 'tourist,' reflecting the concept of people moving together under organized leadership. Arrived in Japan: The character 旅 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) through cultural exchange with China, but became systematically established during the 5th-6th centuries CE when the Japanese court adopted Chinese writing systems. It was incorporated into the Japanese language with the same meaning of 'travel' or 'journey,' and appears in early Japanese texts like the Man'yōshū poetry collection (8th century).