Kuromaku
/ˌkʊərəˈmɑːkuː/noun
A powerful person who operates behind the scenes, especially in Japanese politics or business.
Did you know?In Japanese theater, a black-clad stagehand called a kuroko is treated as invisible, helping create the image of unseen forces controlling events from behind the curtain.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
kuro
“Black or dark-colored”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
maku
“A curtain or theatrical screen”
20th Century
Japanese
kuromaku
“A black curtain; figuratively, an unseen power broker behind public figures”
Late 20th Century
Japanese
黒幕
“A person secretly directing events from behind the scenes”
Modern English
English
kuromaku
“A behind-the-scenes power broker, especially in Japan”