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The character 餅 (bǐng) originally meant 'cooked rice' or 'food made from grain' in ancient China. It combines the radical 食 (food/eating) with 并 (combine/unite), suggesting food made by combining ingredients. Over time, its meaning narrowed specifically to 'rice cake' or 'flat bread'. In Japanese, it came to refer primarily to mochi (rice cakes) and various baked goods. The character appears in classical Chinese texts dating back to the Han dynasty, showing its long culinary history. Arrived in Japan: The character 餅 likely arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system and culture, possibly through Korean scholars and Buddhist texts. It appears in early Japanese documents like the 8th-century Man'yōshū poetry collection, indicating it was well-established in the Japanese lexicon by the Nara period (710-794 CE).