noun
anarchy; chaos; utter confusion
Literary or formal term for a state of extreme disorder, like tangled hemp fibers. Often used in set phrases such as 乱麻の如し (like tangled hemp).
戦後の社会は乱麻の如き混乱に陥った。
Postwar society fell into chaos like tangled hemp.
彼の机の上はまさに乱麻の状態だ。
His desk is in a state of utter confusion.
Compound of 乱 (disorder) and 麻 (hemp). The image is of tangled hemp fibers, symbolizing a chaotic, inextricable situation. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese literature.