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懐古 (かいこ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
reminiscence ; nostalgia ; looking back fondly on the past
Often used for sentimental recollection of bygone days, sometimes with a slightly literary or refined tone. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'to reminisce' or 'to feel nostalgic'.
この 町まち に は 懐かい 古こ を 誘さそ う 風ふう 景けい が 残のこ っ て いる 。
This town still has scenery that evokes nostalgia.
Similar words 郷きょう 愁しゅう 郷愁 is a more poetic, often literary term for homesickness or longing for a place, while 懐古 focuses on fond memories of the past in general.
ノスタルジア ノスタルジア is a direct loanword from English 'nostalgia', often used in modern or artistic contexts, whereas 懐古 is a native Sino-Japanese word with a slightly more traditional feel.
Etymology Sino-Japanese compound of 懐 (to think fondly of, to yearn for) and 古 (old, past). The word entered Japanese from classical Chinese, where it carried similar meanings of recalling antiquity.