Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 登 depicts two feet (癶) ascending a bean-shaped object (豆), originally representing the action of ascending or mounting. In ancient China, it evolved from a pictograph showing upward movement to signify rising, climbing, or achieving high status. It later extended to meanings like 'to record' or 'register' in contexts such as 登記 (registration), metaphorically linking the idea of ascending to an official record. Arrived in Japan: The character 登 was likely introduced to Japan during the early waves of Chinese cultural influence, possibly around the 5th to 6th centuries CE, when the Japanese adopted Chinese characters (kanji) along with Buddhism, Confucian texts, and administrative systems.