kuromaku

K5U1R1O1M3A1K5U1

noun

In Japan, an éminence grise or secret decision-maker.

OriginJapanese 黒幕 →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

nounkuromaku (plural kuromaku)
  1. In Japan, an éminence grise or secret decision-maker.

    The “black mists” of Japan did not die with Yoshio Kodama. In the spirit of the late kuromaku, questionable payments and mob connections still stretch far and wide among Japan's elected officials […]

    2012, David E. Kaplan, Alec Dubro, Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld, page 97

Origin

  1. Japanese黒幕
  2. Englishkuromaku

From Japanese 黒幕, literally "black curtain", alluding to the unseen operators in puppet theater; compare pull strings.

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

kuromaku. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kuromaku

MLA

“kuromaku.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kuromaku. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kuromaku,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kuromaku.

Source: kuromaku on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.