also: こうちょう · ごちょう
noun
morning after sleeping together; parting at dawn after a night together
Archaic term from classical Japanese literature, especially waka poetry, referring to the bittersweet morning after a couple has spent the night together and must part.
衣衣の別れを詠んだ和歌が多く残っている。
Many waka poems remain that sing of parting at dawn after a night together.
noun
the next morning
Only when written 後朝 · Only with reading こうちょう / ごちょう
Archaic general term for the following morning, not necessarily romantic. Restricted to the readings こうちょう and ごちょう.
後朝、旅人は再び歩き始めた。
The next morning, the traveler began walking again.
Alternate reading of 後朝; less common than こうちょう.
Variant spelling using the iteration mark 々; less common but still encountered.
Modern standard word for 'the next morning'; 衣衣/後朝 is archaic and poetic.
From 衣 (kinu, 'clothing') reduplicated, referring to the lovers' garments being separate in the morning after sleeping together. The kanji 後朝 (kōchō/gochō) literally means 'after morning' and is used for the general 'next morning' sense.