Welcome

About Me

Hi! I'm Jan. Better known throughout the interwebs as "Kurohane Shizumi"—a name I devised in middle school of Japanese origin. It means "Black Wings Quietly Fluttering" and as a Japanese name, the last name comes first so I have signed many posts and such throughout the years as simply "Shizu." I am not, however, Japanese. I'm pretty much straight-up white American. Though my family is a wide mixture of European (including English, German, Russian, Jewish, and Belgian), I have always felt particularly close to my Belgian roots. Perhaps it's my love of chocolate, perhaps it's being an underdog in history... the little guy no one seems to notice or care about... or perhaps it's just that it's that side I get my real name from!

You're probably wondering, "Well, why do you have a Japanese name if you're not Japanese?" and the answer is a little complicated. The obvious answer is that in middle school, when I came up with the name, I was into anime! But it wasn't just that. I was fascinated with Japan. I found the culture to be very different but somehow the same. I made an effort to understand and study the country almost immediately. I also tried to study the language. Though I have Belgian roots, and was trying to learn French, I actually found Japanese to be a more logical language. Though it wouldn't be until I was actually in college that I had a proper teacher and I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Japanese Studies to boot! I would argue I'm more of an expert than most fans. Though I didn't start out that way, for sure! Haha!

Okay, now that that's out of the way... why a website, er... webpage? Well, once upon a time I had a dream that I would be a writer and I wrote a bunch of shit. But looking back it's all really cringy. And then I loved to draw and thought I'd illustrate my own books, like Japanese light novels. But I always compared my art to others and while I had a few pieces I genuinely loved and thought were great, I ultimately didn't think I'd make it as an artist. I was really into cosplay and had a few moments in the spotlight at conventions but I rarely wanted to compete (mostly my friends would push me into it) so I never become a, like, Master Level Cosplayer™ or anything like that. I never wanted to sew for a living either but it was fun taking photos and sharing my creations online. Even now this is something I enjoy, though truthfully, I don't make as much as I once did because... LIFE, you know?

More often than not what I mostly enjoy now is something I've always enjoyed to some extent... teaching and just generally sharing knowledge. I hope to soon be teaching in Florida (where I've been my whole life), but until then you can probably find me at conventions all over the US (and beyond, maybe?) with the panel group Nerds Know. I mostly talk about Japanese culture and society (big surprise), but also mythology (my other love) and cosplay, among other things. If you want to keep up with me elsewhere, check out my social media accounts (listed below). Thanks for your time! ❤️ & ✌️

Social Media

Instagram: KurohaneShizumi (My main SM, at the moment.)

Threads: KurohaneShizumi (I post general nerdy things, here, including Cosplay WIPs.)

BlueSky: KurohaneShizumi (I post about BL news and info here.)

Cosplay Catalog: KS Cosplay Catalog 

There maybe other, older sites I'm on (you can always Google search "KurohaneShizumi") but these are the ones I'm active on today. I'll add or update as I see fit. 

Panel Information

Content that I specifically provide for this group is the following:

• • Japanese Mythology & Folktales

  • Japanese Yokai & Urban Legends

  • Traditional Japanese Fashion

  • Japanese Street Fashion

  • Japan: Fact or Fiction?

  • A Celebratory Year in Japan

  • LGBTQ+ in Japan: The Yuri on Ice Problem

  • Japan Through the Eyes of a Child

  • Cosplay Through the Ages

  • Modeling 101: How to Pose like a Pro

  • Norse Tales from Yggdrasil

  • Tarot Card Journey: Tarot in Pop Culture

  • Coheed & Cambria: A Guide to Heaven's Fence

  • Japanese 101 (Language Basics)

  • Japanese 102 (Writing Basics)

  • Japanese for Kids

  • An Introduction to BL (PG-13)

  • BL University: BL for Experts (18+)

  • The Ultimate BL Trivia Party (18+)

  • Insults & Cursing in Japanese (18+)

If you'd like to book me for an event, or have a suggestion for a topic, reach out to the group via FaceBook (here) or Instagram (here)! Thank you! 

Wiki Work

The following are some wikis I've made which just show what I'm pretty passionate about!

Donate

Though I don't do anything special that would require something fancy like Patreon, I do have goals and use Ko-fi! If you happened to come across me via a convention or other event / post / etc. and you'd like to tip me, feel free to use Ko-fi! Unfortunately, I can't make the minimum donation less than $3, but leaving a comment or sending a kind message is also much appreciated! I love hearing how much you loved the panel after I'm through!

You can use my account info below:

Ko-fi: KurohaneShizumi

Thank you so much for your support!

BL Surveys

The results and conclusion of any of my BL surveys can be found here:
2023