black mist

English

Etymology

Calque of Japanese 黒い霧

Noun

black mist (plural black mists)

1. (politics, Japan) Political corruption.
   • 1976, Japan Quarterly, volume 23, page 225:

     It does not mean the facts described in the book actually exist in Japan too. Yet there is no end to the black mists that becloud horse racing, fixers, illegal bookies, and public nuisances created by horse racing.

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

     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 […]