Born perhaps a century too soon, Otake Kōkichi was a defiant and free-spirited feminist, author, painter and activist whose life and legacy offer profound insights into the complexities of gender identity and expression in early twentieth-century Japan. During her lifetime, Kōkichi defied societal norms by dressing in masculine attire, openly discussed her love of women, advocated for sex workers and actively rejected any traditions she deemed oppressive, particularly the long-held ideal that Japanese women should exist simply to be “Good Wives, Wise Mothers.” Much of the literature surrounding Kōkichi focuses on her brief same-sex affair with the more well-known writer, Hiratsuka Raichō, but Kōkichi’s entire being was highly radical for her time, and her courage to live authentically during a period marked by rigid gender roles was altogether groundbreaking. The story of Kōkichi thus highlights the rich–but often overlooked–history of gender diversity in a non-Western context. As a rather unique but vital queer figurehead, Otake Kōkichi deserves far more recognition than she has previously been awarded.
Making Queer History has a vague title because it has a rather vague purpose. We are not alone in our aim to tell the queer community’s history. What defines us is our focus not only on the past, but toward the future.