Study the old to understand the new. Confucius, and everyone here knows it.

What a Japanese person actually thinks
Educated and slightly formal — school-motto register. Reads as someone thoughtful rather than someone posturing.

Meaning

Literally: warm up the old + know the new
Actually: Revisiting what came before in order to understand what's coming. Straight from the Analects.

Scores

Naturalness●●●●●

Very well-known yojijukugo.

Coolness●●●●●

Four balanced characters, a real classical source, and a meaning that doesn't need defending.

Watch out

Nothing embarrassing lurking in here.

On skin

温故知新

Orientation: vertical

Mincho, vertical.