Introduction: A System Without a Face A puppet emperor is easy to blame. But what if there was no one pulling the strings? Manchukuo was not simply controlled. It was designed so that control itself could not be traced. There is a Japanese saying: “The lighter the portable shrine, the better.” A mikoshi is meant to be carried — and, if necessary, abandoned. The carriers disappear into the crowd. This was not just a metaphor. It was a governing logic.…
