Japanese symbol for “unchanged”
昔ながら
むかしながら
Romaji: mukashinagara
unchanged (from long ago); as it was in the past; same old; traditional
In Japanese, unchanged is 昔ながら, read むかしながら (mukashinagara).
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 unchanged (from long ago); as it was in the past; same old; traditional
Written forms: 昔ながら、昔乍ら. Readings: むかしながら.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unchanged”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 常磐 | ときわ tokiwa | everlasting; eternal; unchanged |
| 変わらぬ | かわらぬ kawaranu | constant; unchanging; unchanged |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 昔話 | むかしばなし mukashibanashi | old tale; folk tale; legend |
| 大昔 | おおむかし oomukashi | ancient times; prehistoric times; the distant past |
| 一昔 | ひとむかし hitomukashi | an age (ago); a long time (ago); a decade (ago) |
| 今昔 | こんじゃく konjaku | past and present |
| 昔気質 | むかしかたぎ mukashikatagi | old-fashioned way of thinking; old-fashioned spirit |
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.