Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

往昔 (おうせき) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

往おう昔せき

お

う

せ

き

Meanings

1

noun

ancient times; bygone days

A literary or archaic term for the distant past. In modern Japanese, 昔 (むかし) or 古代 (こだい) are far more common.

往おう昔せきをしのぶ歌うたが古ふるい歌か集しゅうに残のこっている。
Poems recalling ancient times remain in old anthologies.

Kanji

往journey, travel, chase away
昔once upon a time, antiquity, old times

Similar words

昔むかし
The standard everyday word for 'old times' or 'long ago'. 往昔 is a much rarer, more formal literary equivalent.
古こ代だい
Refers specifically to ancient historical periods, while 往昔 is a more poetic, general term for the distant past.

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound of 往 (past, go) and 昔 (old times). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used in classical Japanese writing.