1.
all ages; ancient and modern; throughout history
Literary noun combining 古 (old) and 今 (now), referring to all eras from antiquity to the present. Almost always used in fixed expressions or titles rather than as a free-standing word.
古今東西の名作を集めた。
We have gathered masterpieces from all times and places.
古今無双の英雄と言われている。
He is said to be a hero without equal in any age.
古今東西を問わず、人は愛について語り続けてきた。
Regardless of era or culture, people have always talked about love.
Literary compound of 古 (old) + 今 (now). In modern Japanese it appears almost exclusively in set phrases and classical titles, not as a stand-alone noun.
FIXED EXPRESSIONS:
- 古今東西: all times and places (everywhere, in every era)
- 古今東西を問わず: regardless of time or place
- 古今無双: unmatched in any era
- 古今和歌集: the Kokin Wakashū (10th-century poetry anthology)
REGISTER:
Formal and literary. Common in essays, speeches, and historical writing; rare in casual conversation, where 昔から今まで is more natural.