ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Kagemusha

Kagemusha is a Japanese word that means "shadow warrior." It was used during ancient Japanese times to refer to a person who was hired or chosen to be the double or shadow of a very important person, like a king or a shogun.

The kagemusha would look just like the important person they were shadowing, wearing the same clothes and even imitating their gestures and mannerisms. This was done to confuse and deceive enemies who might want to harm the real important person.

In a way, it was like a game of pretend or make-believe, where the kagemusha would pretend to be someone else to protect the real person. And just like in a game of make-believe, it was important that no one found out the kagemusha was not really the important person, because then the plan would not work.

Overall, the concept of kagemusha shows how clever and creative people can be when trying to protect the ones they care about.
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