Difference between してこのかた and して以来


These two grammar points seem to be synonymous. Apart from formality このかた
being maybe an older expression, are there any significant differences in
meaning between these two.

For example, is there any reason that

> あの山の写真を見て **以来** 、いつかは登ってみたいとずっと思い続けてきた。

could not be rewritten as

> あの山の写真を見て **このかた** 、いつかは登ってみたいとずっと思い続けてきた

Likewise, is there any reason that

> 日本から帰国してこのかた、毎日日本のことを思い出している。

Could not be stated as

> 日本から帰国して以来、毎日日本のことを思い出している。

I took these examples from 新完全マスターN2.




このかた isn't felt older to me, but they do have a little difference in meaning.

Both ～して以来 and ～してこのかた can be translated "since X", but 以来 tend to focus on X,
suggesting it is a notable, important turning point, or reference point to
explain the story thereafter. In contrast, このかた puts focus on the period after
X, that has significance, being long, full of memories, or whatever special,
but X itself is usually incidental. In other words, 以来 actually means "Having
begun from X, --" while このかた means "In all the time between X and now, --".

Your

> あの山の写真を見てこのかた、いつかは登ってみたいとずっと思い続けてきた

thus sounds stiff to me, as this sentence apparently means you start to want
to climb that mountain _because_ you saw the picture. The second rewording is
natural and almost synonymous.

Usage-wise, it should be noted that このかた is hardly used when telling objective
frequency. Even if you said 就職してこのかた三回目, it would only be understood that you
wanted to say "three times" is too rare, or too frequent, compared to such a
long, or short, duration.

Grammatically, 以来 has a predicative meaning "be the first time since". このかた
can never be used as predicate.

> 酒を飲んだのは、大学を卒業して以来だ。  
>  = 酒を飲んだのは、大学を卒業して以来はじめてだ。  
>  = 酒を飲んだのは、大学を卒業してこのかたはじめてだ。  
>  × 酒を飲んだのは、大学を卒業してこのかただ。




このかた isn't felt older to me, but they do have a little difference in meaning.

Both ～して以来 and ～してこのかた can be translated "since X", but 以来 tend to focus on X,
suggesting it is a notable, important turning point, or reference point to
explain the story thereafter. In contrast, このかた puts focus on the period after
X, that has significance, being long, full of memories, or whatever special,
but X itself is usually incidental. In other words, 以来 actually means "Having
begun from X, --" while このかた means "In all the time between X and now, --".

Your

> あの山の写真を見てこのかた、いつかは登ってみたいとずっと思い続けてきた

thus sounds stiff to me, as this sentence apparently means you start to want
to climb that mountain _because_ you saw the picture. The second rewording is
natural and almost synonymous.

Usage-wise, it should be noted that このかた is hardly used when telling objective
frequency. Even if you said 就職してこのかた三回目, it would only be understood that you
wanted to say "three times" is too rare, or too frequent, compared to such a
long, or short, duration.

Grammatically, 以来 has a predicative meaning "be the first time since". このかた
can never be used as predicate.

> 酒を飲んだのは、大学を卒業して以来だ。  
>  = 酒を飲んだのは、大学を卒業して以来はじめてだ。  
>  = 酒を飲んだのは、大学を卒業してこのかたはじめてだ。  
>  × 酒を飲んだのは、大学を卒業してこのかただ。

