Meaning
幕 (まく / バク) centers on one concrete image: a hanging cloth curtain. In kabuki, noh, and bunraku, the 幕 is the curtain drawn across the stage to open and close each scene. From there, the word extended naturally to mean an act within a play — 第一幕 is "the first act."
Military use gave 幕 a second life. In ancient and medieval Japan, commanders surrounded their field headquarters with hanging cloth screens to mark the command area. These curtained posts gave the kanji its military sense. From there came 幕府 (ばくふ) — the "tent government," the shogunate system that ruled Japan from the Kamakura period through the end of the Edo period in the 19th century. 幕末 (ばくまつ), the final chaotic decade of Tokugawa rule (roughly 1853–1868), is a term you will need for any serious study of modern Japanese history.
Structurally, 幕 combines two components. 莫 (BAKU) sits on top as the phonetic element, carrying connotations of vagueness and evening. 巾 (きん), the cloth radical, anchors the base — grounding 幕 in its textile origins. 巾 also appears in 布 (cloth) and 帯 (sash/belt). At 13 strokes, 幕 is a 中学校-level kanji in Japan, and it turns up in theater programs, historical texts, political commentary, and news coverage alike.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is バク (BAKU). This reading appears almost exclusively in formal compound words tied to feudal history, military affairs, and government. You will encounter it in history textbooks, NHK period dramas (大河ドラマ), and academic writing. BAKU never stands alone; it always forms part of a larger word.
幕府 (bakufu) — shogunate; the military government led by the shogun (literally "tent government")
幕末 (bakumatsu) — the final years of the Edo shogunate (roughly 1853–1868)
幕僚 (bakuryō) — staff officer; military or political aide; chief of staff
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is まく (maku). It works as a standalone noun — "curtain" — and in compounds spanning theater, ceremonies, and everyday speech. まく feels conversational where バク carries historical weight, and you will hear it regularly around performances and events.
幕 (maku) — curtain; act (in a play)
幕開け (makuake) — raising of the curtain; opening or beginning of something new
幕切れ (makugire) — end of an act or scene; the close of something
幕間 (makuai) — intermission; the interval between acts
Common Words & Compounds
幕 appears across a wide range of contexts, from traditional theater to modern news. Key compound words by theme:
Theater, Performance & Events
- 開幕 (kaimaku) — opening of the curtain; start of an event, match, or festival
- 閉幕 (heimaku) — closing of the curtain; end of an event or competition
- 序幕 (jomaku) — prologue; opening scene; the very beginning
- 終幕 (shūmaku) — final act; epilogue; the close
- 幕間 (makuai) — intermission; the break between acts
- 幕の内 (makunouchi) — Makunouchi bento (the classic Japanese lunchbox, traditionally eaten at intermission); also a top sumo division rank
History & Military
- 幕府 (bakufu) — shogunate; military government ruling in the emperor's name
- 幕末 (bakumatsu) — the end of the Edo shogunate and dawn of the Meiji era
- 幕藩体制 (bakuhan taisei) — the feudal system of shogunate and domain governance in the Edo period
- 幕僚 (bakuryō) — staff officer; high-level aide in military or government
Everyday & Figurative Uses
- 黒幕 (kuromaku) — the black curtain; a shadowy figure pulling strings behind the scenes; a mastermind or puppet master
- 天幕 (tenmaku) — tent; canopy; outdoor awning
- 煙幕 (enmaku) — smokescreen; a cover story designed to obscure the truth
- 幕開け (makuake) — dawn of a new era; the beginning of something significant
Example Sentences
幕が上がると、舞台に役者が登場した。
Maku ga agaru to, butai ni yakusha ga tōjō shita.
When the curtain rose, the actors appeared on stage.
第一幕は非常に感動的だった。
Dai-ichi maku wa hijō ni kandōteki datta.
The first act was extremely moving.
新しい時代の幕開けを感じる。
Atarashii jidai no makuake wo kanjiru.
I feel the dawn of a new era beginning.
幕府は江戸時代に日本を支配した。
Bakufu wa Edo jidai ni Nihon wo shihai shita.
The shogunate ruled Japan during the Edo period.
幕末の動乱は日本の歴史を大きく変えた。
Bakumatsu no dōran wa Nihon no rekishi wo ōkiku kaeta.
The turbulence at the end of the shogunate greatly changed Japan's history.
彼は事件の黒幕だと言われている。
Kare wa jiken no kuromaku da to iwarete iru.
He is said to be the mastermind behind the incident.
大会の開幕を前に、選手たちは緊張していた。
Taikai no kaimaku wo mae ni, senshu-tachi wa kinchō shite ita.
Before the opening of the tournament, the athletes were tense.
煙幕を張って真実を隠そうとした。
Enmaku wo hatte shinjitsu wo kakusō to shita.
They tried to hide the truth by laying down a smokescreen.
幕間に飲み物を買いにロビーへ行った。
Makuai ni nomimono wo kai ni robī e itta.
I went to the lobby to buy a drink during intermission.
幕僚たちは夜遅くまで作戦を練った。
Bakuryō-tachi wa yoru osoku made sakusen wo netta.
The staff officers worked late into the night devising their strategy.
Memory Tip
Picture a theater curtain made of cloth. The base of 幕 is 巾 (cloth radical) — the actual fabric. Above it sits 莫, which contains 日 (sun) and evokes a dim, hazy evening. Imagine the curtain dropping at sunset, plunging the stage into darkness — that is 幕.
Push the image further: when the Tokugawa shogunate fell in the 1860s, historians called it 幕末 — the curtain's end. The shogunate itself was nicknamed 幕府, the "tent government," because it began in a curtained military encampment. That same curtain becomes the 黒幕 (black curtain) of a hidden mastermind — and the 煙幕 (smokescreen) shielding the truth. One image, four essential words.