Japanese symbol for “past”
過去
かこ
Romaji: kako
the past; bygone days
In Japanese, past is 過去, read かこ (kako).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-no, adv, n the past; bygone days
- n one's past (that one would prefer remained secret)
- n past (tense); preterit; preterite (gramm)
- n previous life (Buddh)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “past”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 過ぎ | すぎ sugi | past; after |
| 昔 | むかし mukashi | the old days; the past; former times |
| 後 | あと ato | past; previous |
| 以前 | いぜん izen | the past; before; previously |
| 往時 | おうじ ouji | the past; old times; bygone times |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 過ぎ | すぎ sugi | past; after |
| 過程 | かてい katei | process; course; mechanism |
| 経過 | けいか keika | passage (of time); elapsing; lapse |
| 通過 | つうか tsuuka | passing through (a tunnel, station, town, etc.); passing by (e.g. of a typhoon); transit |
| 過剰 | かじょう kajou | excess; surplus; superabundance |
| 去年 | きょねん kyonen | last year |
| 死去 | しきょ shikyo | death; decease; passing away |
| 撤去 | てっきょ tekkyo | removal; taking away; dismantling (a building, facilities, etc.) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “past”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.