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The character 腹 (fù) meaning 'belly, abdomen' has evolved from ancient pictographs depicting the human torso. In oracle bone script, it showed a person with an emphasized abdominal region. The character combines the radical 月 (肉, flesh) on the left, indicating its connection to the body, with 复 on the right, which provides phonetic value but also carries connotations of 'returning' or 'repeating' - possibly suggesting the cyclical nature of hunger and digestion. Over centuries, the character simplified while maintaining its core meaning related to the stomach region, both literally and metaphorically (as in 'keeping thoughts in one's belly'). Arrived in Japan: The character 腹 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system (kanji) through Buddhist texts and cultural exchange. It was formally incorporated into the Japanese writing system and appears in early Japanese texts like the Manyoshu (8th century), where it was used both for its meaning and in compound words.