noun
historical event; ancient event
Refers to a specific event or incident from the distant past, often used in historical or literary contexts.
この故事は中国の歴史書に記されている。
This historical event is recorded in a Chinese history book.
このことわざには古い故事がある。
This proverb has an old legend behind it.
From Middle Chinese-derived elements 故 (old, past) and 事 (matter, event). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound has been used in Japanese to refer to ancient events and traditional stories.