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The character 蓮 (lotus) evolved from ancient pictographs depicting the lotus plant. In Liushutong, the form shows the plant's distinctive features: the root system, the long stem rising through water, and the large circular leaf and flower. The character later incorporated the grass radical (艹) at the top to classify it as a plant, with the bottom component representing both phonetic and semantic elements. The lotus has profound cultural significance in Chinese culture, symbolizing purity and enlightenment as it rises unsullied from muddy waters. Arrived in Japan: The character 蓮 arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) or early Kofun period (300-538 CE) through cultural exchange with China, likely alongside Buddhist texts and concepts where the lotus holds important symbolic meaning. It was formally incorporated into the Japanese writing system during the systematic adoption of Chinese characters in the 5th-6th centuries.