pre-noun adjectival
Literary pre-noun adjectival meaning 'past' or 'former', used to refer to a time, state, or thing that once existed. Often appears in nostalgic or reflective contexts.
在りし日の思い出がよみがえる。
Memories of past days come back to me.
pre-noun adjectival
when one was alive; during one's lifetime
Specifically refers to the time when someone was alive, often used in eulogistic or memorial contexts. The person is typically deceased.
在りし日の父を思い出す。
I remember my father as he was when he was alive.
I see his/her former appearance in a photograph.
在りし日の彼女の笑顔が忘れられない。
I can't forget her smile from when she was alive.
past days; bygone days; days of yore · while still alive; during one's lifetime
Standard kanji spelling for this literary pre-noun adjectival.
Alternate kanji spelling; less common than 在りし.
Derived from the classical Japanese verb あり (to be, to exist) in its 連体形 (attributive form) ありし, which functioned as a pre-noun adjectival. The kanji 在 is used for existence in a place or state, while 有 is used for possession or occurrence; both are acceptable here.