木村：あそこで皆を笑わせている人はだれだろう。
佐藤：馬場君だよ。彼、相変わらず三枚目だね。ちっとも変わってない。
Aikawarazu
(Shoogakko no dosookai de)
Kimura: Asoko de minna wo warawasete iru hito dare daroo.
Satoo: Baba-kun da yo. Kare, aikawarazu sanmaime da ne. Chitto mo kawatte nai.
(At elementary school reunion)
Kimura: Who's that over there making everyone laugh?
Sato: That's Baba-kun. He's still the same old comedian. He hasn't changed at all.
Aikawarazu describes a continuing situation which hasn't changed from how it was in the past.
When I attended a 30th anniversary elementary school reunion recently, I found that in spite of all the time that had passed, people's characters had not changed much. Ogawa-san wa aikawarazu otonashii desu ne (Ms. Ogawa is still as quiet as always, isn't she?) , someone
remarked. And Sensei wa aikawarazu ogenki de hotto shimashita (I was relieved to see that our teacher was still as fit as always).
When we were in our sixth year of elementary school, our teacher was only 24, and fresh out of university. Now, still with only 12 years difference in age between us, some of my classmates looked older than him.
Sensei wa aikawarazu kami no ke ga fusafusa shite ite, ii desu ne (Our teacher still has lots of hair; he looks good), someone commented. Someone else, now the bald owner of a rice shop, said K-san wa aikawarazu dokushin rashii desu yo (I hear that Ms. K is still single). Ms. K was exceptionally attractive then and still stood out in the crowd.
The expression aikawarazu is used not only in cases like this, where a long period has elapsed, but also when only a day has passed, as in, Kare no heya wa kinoo to onaji de, kyoo mo aikawarazu kitanakatta (His room is just as untidy as it was yesterday).
Similarly, aikawarazu can be used when one is making a positive judgement about something or someone, as in, Aikawarazu utsukushii (She's as beautiful as ever), as well as when one is making a negative judgement, as in Aikawarazu hanashi ga heta da (He's still a terrible talker).
If someone says to me, Sasaki-sensei, aikawarazu desu ne (The same old Mrs. Sasaki, I see), I'm not sure how to take it. If they then go on to say, "You're working late again today, aren't you?"
I'm relieved when I realize what they meant. Aikawarazu shigoto ni owarete imasu (Always lots of work to catch up with), I reply.