An unexpected older meaningSourced
Japan · Japanese meaning
Asamashi could express astonishment
Classical Japanese asamashi can mean astonishing or unexpected, alongside meanings such as lamentable and unsightly. It is not simply an old compliment. Reading it only through modern asamashii can miss the element of surprise.
The surrounding sentence helps decide what kind of reaction is meant.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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あさまし · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-10