Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 舟 depicts a simple boat or vessel, showing its evolution from ancient pictographs of a canoe-like shape. In oracle bone script, it clearly resembled a small boat with a curved hull. Over time, the character simplified while retaining its essential boat shape, eventually becoming the modern 舟. The character represents not just physical boats but also carries meanings of transportation, journey, and crossing - fundamental concepts in Chinese culture where waterways were vital for travel and trade. Arrived in Japan: The character 舟 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (approximately 300 BCE to 300 CE) along with other Chinese characters, as part of cultural exchanges between Japan and the Asian mainland. It was formally incorporated into the Japanese writing system during the systematic adoption of Chinese characters in the 5th-6th centuries CE.