The English playwrights Gilbert and Sullivan wrote a musical about the emperor of Japan called the Mikado.
Most people think that the Mikado was the name of the Japanese emperor. The Mikado was actually the name of a door!
In medieval times, the Japanese were not allowed to say the name of their emperor. Saying his name was considered a sign of disrespect.
Instead, they called him the Mikado, which means “exalted door” and referred to the doorway to the emperor’s chambers.
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