adverb, noun
in all ages; since antiquity
A rare, literary yojijukugo meaning 'from ancient times to the present' or 'throughout all ages'. Used in formal or poetic contexts, often to emphasize timelessness or historical continuity.
古往今来、人間の本質は変わらないと言われる。
It is said that human nature has not changed throughout all ages.
この地は古往今来、多くの文化が交差する場所だった。
Since antiquity, this land has been a place where many cultures intersect.
A yojijukugo composed of 古 (old), 往 (past), 今 (now), and 来 (coming), literally 'old past now coming'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows classical Chinese patterns for expressing 'from ancient times to the present'.