1.
once upon a time; long, long ago
A formulaic opening for traditional Japanese folktales and fairy tales, equivalent to English 'once upon a time.' Signals that a story set in the distant, unspecified past is about to begin.
昔々、おじいさんとおばあさんがいました。
Long, long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman.
The standard opening formula for Japanese folktales (昔話), used the same way as English "once upon a time." Almost always followed by あるところに ("in a certain place") to complete the opening formula.
Common patterns
- 昔々、あるところに…: Once upon a time, in a certain place...
- 昔々、おじいさんとおばあさんがいました: Long, long ago, there lived an old man and an old woman
Cultural note
This phrase is deeply associated with Japanese folktales such as 桃太郎 (Momotaro), 浦島太郎 (Urashima Taro), and 花咲かじいさん (The Old Man Who Made Flowers Bloom). Japanese children recognize this opening instantly, much like English-speaking children recognize "once upon a time."