The kanji 昔 primarily conveys the concept of "past," "old times," or "long ago." It refers to a period of time that is gone or distant, often associated with nostalgia or history.

・On-yomi (音読み): セキ (seki) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): むかし (mukashi)

⚫︎ 昔話 (mukashi-banashi) Translation: Folktale, old story. ⚫︎ 昔々 (mukashi-mukashi) Translation: Once upon a time. ⚫︎ 昔から (mukashi kara) Translation: Since the old days; from long ago.

The kanji 昔 is a pictographic compound. The upper part of 昔 represents the sun 日, and the lower part is a depiction of meat 肉. Together, the character originally symbolized the sun's position at the time of the ritual slaughter of animals. Over time, the meaning shifted to represent the passage of time and the past. The association with ritual sacrifice is less prominent in modern usage.