Nakijin Nobuko (1887-1968)
Mar. 13th, 2026 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nnozomi posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
senzenwomenNakijin Nobuko was born in 1887 in modern-day Okinawa, the daughter of Crown Prince Shō Ten of the Kingdom of the Ryukyus (by the time of her birth, already deposed under Japanese rule and made a peer instead); her birth name was Shō Omito. She was a part of the first graduating class of the Okinawa Prefectural Girls’ Higher School in 1904, among the elite who were in the vanguard of the shift from Okinawan to Japanese (and later to Western) dress and from Okinawan to Japanese names.
Upon her marriage to the Okinawan nobleman Nakijin Choei, she took the (Japanese-style) first name Nobuko; in addition to their daughter Kazuko, they had a son, Choshu, who died fighting in the Battle of Okinawa. In 1944 Nobuko ascended as the 18th kikoe-ogimi or high priestess of the Ryukyus, inheriting the position after the death of her aunt Princess Amuro, although between Japanese colonization and the war, she was unable to carry out most of the traditional practices. The following year she was briefly a prisoner of war during the US invasion of Okinawa. She died in 1968 at the age of eighty-one.
Upon her marriage to the Okinawan nobleman Nakijin Choei, she took the (Japanese-style) first name Nobuko; in addition to their daughter Kazuko, they had a son, Choshu, who died fighting in the Battle of Okinawa. In 1944 Nobuko ascended as the 18th kikoe-ogimi or high priestess of the Ryukyus, inheriting the position after the death of her aunt Princess Amuro, although between Japanese colonization and the war, she was unable to carry out most of the traditional practices. The following year she was briefly a prisoner of war during the US invasion of Okinawa. She died in 1968 at the age of eighty-one.
The Friday Five for 13 March 2026: Magical Questions
Mar. 12th, 2026 03:29 pmanais_pf posting in thefridayfiveThese questions were suggested by spiralsheep.
1. Have you ever watched illusion magic? Close-up, or in a stage show, or on television? Did it work for you?
2. Have you ever wished on a star, or a lucky cat, or a coin in a wishing well? Did it work in some way?
3. Have you ever cast a spell, made a love charm, or tried a curse? Did it work in some way?
4. Are there any other traditional superstitions you pay attention to? Do they work in some way?
5. Would you want major magical powers like in a fantasy story? Which powers, and how would you use them?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
spiralsheep.1. Have you ever watched illusion magic? Close-up, or in a stage show, or on television? Did it work for you?
2. Have you ever wished on a star, or a lucky cat, or a coin in a wishing well? Did it work in some way?
3. Have you ever cast a spell, made a love charm, or tried a curse? Did it work in some way?
4. Are there any other traditional superstitions you pay attention to? Do they work in some way?
5. Would you want major magical powers like in a fantasy story? Which powers, and how would you use them?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
G'day
Mar. 11th, 2026 12:17 pmbrainbeast posting in addmeName: You can call me whatever you want, as long as you call me 😎
Age: Old enough to know better. A former LiveJournal user from the 90s
I mostly post about: Life, random thoughts, work, observations, whatever comes to mind
My hobbies are: Reading, movies, sport (cricket, F1, hockey (real not ice), australian rules football, and a few others), science, psychology - I like a little bit of all things, realy - history to anthropology, I'm there
My fandoms are: Do dogs count?
I'm looking to meet people who: Kind people, open minded, those who enjoy learning, ahve passions in their lives
My posting schedule tends to be: sporadic
When I add people, my dealbreakers are: racists/sexists/fundamentalist religious nuts who believe their religion is better than others, genocide apologists, ignorant people, those who don't value science and intelligence
Before adding me, you should know: I have a pretty terrible sense of humour (by terrible I mean excellent) and I'm neurodiverse
Hello!
Mar. 10th, 2026 10:26 pmoneinist posting in addmeName: Oneinist, or One (they/them)
Age: Middle aged
I mostly post about: So far I've posted general journals, a bit of poetry, and some prompts from the snowflake_challenge. I've posted in English and Japanese. I'm still figuring out what I want to post about. I have a Naruto/KKIR fandom Tumblr, but I haven't decided to what extent I'll be posting fannish content here yet. I feel like I might post thoughts on fandom? Or at least I would like to. I'll find an excuse to turn anything into a bingo board.
My hobbies are: I have too many hobbies, and I tend to cycle through them, but I also have some core ones like watching anime, reading Japanese BL manga and listening to BLCDs, cooking, baking, writing, journaling, drawing and crafting. My latest hyper-fixation is Obsidian (note organizing software), and along with it HTML and CSS. The intensity of it varies and sometimes I take breaks or have slumps from my main ones too.
My fandoms are: I'm only active in the Naruto/Boruto fandom, but I still enjoy a variety of fandoms/media. As an example, love Star Trek Voyager and Natsume Book of Friends too; I just haven't created anything for either. I grew up on 90s Sailor Moon anime, so that one holds a special place in my heart.
I'm looking to meet people who: Post about a mix of things that we both have in common and don't have in common, it doesn't have to be fandom related, and it's not a requirement to share fandoms. I enjoy reading about everyday life around the world, hobbies, thoughts and feelings. I'm hoping to build relationships slowly and steadily.
My posting schedule tends to be: I've sort of gotten into the habit of doing the justcreate check-in on Mondays, and at the same time I catch up on reading and commenting. I also post then if I'm feeling inspired. That being said, I don't want to stress myself out by trying to explicitly keep some sort of schedule.
When I add people, my dealbreakers are: If you write mainly about Christianity from a practicing Christian perspective we are likely not a good match. I'm fine with more cultural or secularized aspects of Christianity like Christmas for example (I decorate extensively myself).
Before adding me, you should know: English is not my first language, and sometimes I misunderstand. I'm sure we can work it out though. I can also be a bit bad at asking questions (I process a lot through association, so my mind slips into "that reminds me of the time I..." as a way of connecting when I've read something). In all languages I write in, I struggle with missing letters and spelling. Because of that, I'm quite self-conscious about my writing, and I can only ask for a bit of patience and grace. My energy levels vary throughout the day as well as the year, and if I go from very chatty to not that chatty, it's me and not you.
(no subject)
Mar. 9th, 2026 04:03 pmcatchthewind posting in addmeAge: 30s
I mostly post about: Daily life - my thoughts, things I'm up to, things I've created (I'm an artist), my travels, movies I've watched, photos I've taken. The mundane and anything that grabs my interest. I try to find whimsy in everyday life, and I probably think too deeply about a lot of stuff.
My hobbies / interests are: Drawing, journaling on paper and stationery in general, reading fiction, watching movies, musical theatre, EGL fashion, playing The Sims 4 and Animal Crossing, Lego, learning languages, traveling whenever I can (usually on my own), and whatever actor I might be obsessed with at the moment.
I'm looking to meet people who: Thoughtful people who have similar interests and values. I'm looking for community and people I can connect with. I'm feeling very burnt out from social media and how loud and demanding it is with people just observing each other and nothing ever going any deeper than that. I miss feeling like I had actual friends on the internet, and learning about people's lives from all over.
My posting schedule tends to be: Whenever I feel like. Sometimes that might be daily, sometimes weekly. I try not to post any less than that.
When I add people, my deal breakers are: Bigots. People who exclusively post about fandom, fanfic, or book reviews and little else. As an artist, I'm anti-AI. And just mean, judgemental types, I don't have space for that kind of attitude in my life. Be kind or get out.
Before adding me, you should know: I have C-PTSD, hEDS, and I'm neurodivergent. I don't talk about these things much, but they exist in the background and shape much of my world.
(no subject)
Mar. 6th, 2026 08:16 pmamycles posting in addmei used to be super active on livejournal, mainly in the icon community. i made a dreamwidth account as livejournal was fading, but i didn't really connect to the site and with irl changes i ended up leaving this part of the internet altogether. i've been reminiscing and have wanted to get back into "journaling", so i'm giving dreamwidth a proper go this time around.
name: laura
age: 30
i mostly post about: life updates and the occasional book review. i dealt with a lot of changes last year and a major loss at the end of january, so i'm navigating this new chapter (that sounds so corny) and just want to document the ups & downs as i experience them.
my posting schedule tends to be: for now, i'd say sporadic, maybe a few times a week.
my interests: reading, bookish content (new/upcoming releases, challenges, etc), horror, thanatology (see: Caitlin Doughty), arts/crafts, trying new recipes/cooking, hockey (nhl & pwhl), the sims 4, historical facts, theatre, concerts, cleaning/weekend reset videos (specific fandoms) lord of the rings, the boys, sailor moon, three days grace, prison break, jujutsu kaisen, tokyo revengers, schitts creek, supernatural, gundam seed, mcu
my dealbreakers are: aggressive or continuous political content; i'm well aware of what's happening in the world and i have no problem with people who want to discuss or vent, but i have no desire in befriending anyone who is consumed by politics (especially whatever trump is up to). anti-lgbt, conservatives/traditionalists, ableists.
before adding me, you should know: i have social anxiety; i have good days and bad days. i might come off as standoffish, but i promise i'm not. i love reading/hearing about other people's experiences and getting a glimpse into their lives. i'm just too nervous to approach them lol
name: laura
age: 30
i mostly post about: life updates and the occasional book review. i dealt with a lot of changes last year and a major loss at the end of january, so i'm navigating this new chapter (that sounds so corny) and just want to document the ups & downs as i experience them.
my posting schedule tends to be: for now, i'd say sporadic, maybe a few times a week.
my interests: reading, bookish content (new/upcoming releases, challenges, etc), horror, thanatology (see: Caitlin Doughty), arts/crafts, trying new recipes/cooking, hockey (nhl & pwhl), the sims 4, historical facts, theatre, concerts, cleaning/weekend reset videos (specific fandoms) lord of the rings, the boys, sailor moon, three days grace, prison break, jujutsu kaisen, tokyo revengers, schitts creek, supernatural, gundam seed, mcu
my dealbreakers are: aggressive or continuous political content; i'm well aware of what's happening in the world and i have no problem with people who want to discuss or vent, but i have no desire in befriending anyone who is consumed by politics (especially whatever trump is up to). anti-lgbt, conservatives/traditionalists, ableists.
before adding me, you should know: i have social anxiety; i have good days and bad days. i might come off as standoffish, but i promise i'm not. i love reading/hearing about other people's experiences and getting a glimpse into their lives. i'm just too nervous to approach them lol
Kujo Takeko (1887-1928)
Mar. 6th, 2026 08:06 pmnnozomi posting in senzenwomenKujo Takeko was born in 1887 in Kyoto, where her father was the abbot of Nishi-Honganji, one of the largest Buddhist temples, and her mother was a concubine (she grew up calling his legitimate wife “Mother”); her maiden name was Otani (a family name still instantly identifiable with the senior Buddhist hierarchy). Intending to make her independent as well as beautiful, her father had her taught poetry and French from her early teens on.
In 1909 she married Baron Kujo Yoshimune [or Yoshitomo or Yoshimasa], a half-brother of then-Imperial Princess Sadako, who proved to be gloomy and unmotivated. They spent the first year of their marriage, along with Takeko’s older brother Kozui (an art collector and possibly a spy) and his wife Kazuko , traveling through Europe to observe the religious practices there; Takeko discovered not only Christianity but the prevalence of community good works. She returned to Japan while Yoshimune stayed in England to study at Cambridge; his original stay, planned for three years, lasted a decade with no signs of his coming home (and only two letters). Meanwhile, Takeko and Kazuko (who was both her brother’s wife and her husband’s sister) had been planning a new women’s project (which eventually merged with an existing school to become Kyoto Women’s University) until Kazuko’s untimely death in 1911.
Takeko continued to work for her Buddhist Women’s Association and to write poetry, which she studied with Sasaki Nobutsuna along with the rebellious fellow poet Yanagiwara Byakuren, who became a close friend. She made herself known in the provinces for her good works (“they say you can cure headaches by scratching your head with the chopsticks I used!” she told Byakuren mischievously). She published a collection of waka poems in 1920, which was also the year Yoshimune finally came home (transformed, apparently, into a good-natured, gentlemanly husband). Their happy married life, living in a temple in Tokyo while Yoshimune worked for a Yokohama bank, was disrupted when the temple burned in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Seeing the efforts made to support the displaced, Takeko resolved to commit herself further to helping the poor. In 1925, she used the royalties from an essay collection to open a free clinic as well as a rehabilitation center for delinquent girls.
She died in 1928 at the age of forty-two, with a play and two more volumes of poetry published posthumously.
Sources
Nakae; Mori 1996
https://www.fujingaho.jp/culture/archives/g33801797/fujingaho115-culture-200831/ (Japanese) Various contemporary photographs of Takeko
In 1909 she married Baron Kujo Yoshimune [or Yoshitomo or Yoshimasa], a half-brother of then-Imperial Princess Sadako, who proved to be gloomy and unmotivated. They spent the first year of their marriage, along with Takeko’s older brother Kozui (an art collector and possibly a spy) and his wife Kazuko , traveling through Europe to observe the religious practices there; Takeko discovered not only Christianity but the prevalence of community good works. She returned to Japan while Yoshimune stayed in England to study at Cambridge; his original stay, planned for three years, lasted a decade with no signs of his coming home (and only two letters). Meanwhile, Takeko and Kazuko (who was both her brother’s wife and her husband’s sister) had been planning a new women’s project (which eventually merged with an existing school to become Kyoto Women’s University) until Kazuko’s untimely death in 1911.
Takeko continued to work for her Buddhist Women’s Association and to write poetry, which she studied with Sasaki Nobutsuna along with the rebellious fellow poet Yanagiwara Byakuren, who became a close friend. She made herself known in the provinces for her good works (“they say you can cure headaches by scratching your head with the chopsticks I used!” she told Byakuren mischievously). She published a collection of waka poems in 1920, which was also the year Yoshimune finally came home (transformed, apparently, into a good-natured, gentlemanly husband). Their happy married life, living in a temple in Tokyo while Yoshimune worked for a Yokohama bank, was disrupted when the temple burned in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Seeing the efforts made to support the displaced, Takeko resolved to commit herself further to helping the poor. In 1925, she used the royalties from an essay collection to open a free clinic as well as a rehabilitation center for delinquent girls.
She died in 1928 at the age of forty-two, with a play and two more volumes of poetry published posthumously.
Sources
Nakae; Mori 1996
https://www.fujingaho.jp/culture/archives/g33801797/fujingaho115-culture-200831/ (Japanese) Various contemporary photographs of Takeko
The Friday Five for 6 March 2026
Mar. 5th, 2026 03:09 pmanais_pf posting in thefridayfiveThese questions were suggested by dray.
1. Do you know of any other words for snow? What's your favourite and why?
2. What's your ideal temperature range for winter?
3. Favourite winter activity? What about it makes it your favourite?
4. What are three things you can't do without when winter arrives?
5. Do you have favourite winter holiday activities?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
**Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going. Also, please remember to play nice. We are all here to answer the questions and have fun each week. We repost the questions exactly as the original posters submitted them and request that all questions be checked for spelling and grammatical errors before they're submitted. Comments re: the spelling and grammatical nature of the questions are not necessary. Honestly, any hostile, rude, petty, or unnecessary comments need not be posted, either.**
dray.1. Do you know of any other words for snow? What's your favourite and why?
2. What's your ideal temperature range for winter?
3. Favourite winter activity? What about it makes it your favourite?
4. What are three things you can't do without when winter arrives?
5. Do you have favourite winter holiday activities?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
**Remember that we rely on you, our members, to help keep the community going. Also, please remember to play nice. We are all here to answer the questions and have fun each week. We repost the questions exactly as the original posters submitted them and request that all questions be checked for spelling and grammatical errors before they're submitted. Comments re: the spelling and grammatical nature of the questions are not necessary. Honestly, any hostile, rude, petty, or unnecessary comments need not be posted, either.**
Fancake Theme for March: Siblings
Mar. 3rd, 2026 10:05 amrunpunkrun posting in fandomcalendar
fancake is a thematic recommendation community where all members are welcome to post recs, and fanworks of all shapes and sizes are accepted. Check out the community guidelines for the full set of rules. This theme runs for the entire month. If you have any questions, just ask!