The Japan of Pure InventionLong before Sofia Coppolas Lost in Translation, long before Barthes explicated his empire of signs, even before Puccinis Madame Butterfly, Gilbert and Sullivans The Mikado presented its own distinctive version of Japan. Set in a fictional town called Titipu and populated by characters named Yum Yum, Nanki Poo, and Pooh Bah, the opera has remained popular since its premiere in 1885. Tracing the history of The Mikados performances from Victorian times