a male given name

a surname

Clipping of 式部省 (Shikibushō, “Ministry of Ceremonial Affairs”).

ancient times, a very long time ago

昔: old time, past time

(archaic) used in the beginning of narratives or story literature: once upon a time, long ago

Eggcorn of とうのむかし (tō-no-mukashi).

a king, especially one who is not East Asian or was East Asian in pre-imperial times; in China and Vietnam, generally a king before Qin Shi Huangdi who invented the title 皇帝 (kōtei, “huangdi; emperor”); in Korea, one of the many kings before the Korean Empire which was modeled after Japan's; in Japan, one of the rulers before Emperor Jinmu

(direction) left, the side of the left hand / (politics) a leftist

the left in vertical writing / the following (one)