Changes

==Meiji==

==Meiji==

In [[1869]], Lady Yoshiko dramatically reduced the size of her staff, and Hide returned briefly to her father's residence at the Koishikawa mansion in [[Tokyo]]. Before long, they had to move again, and find a property of their own to rent, as the [[Mito Tokugawa clan]] could no longer afford to maintain their Tokyo mansion. Her father, though seventy years old at this time, was able to find work in the new [[Meiji government]], his expertise as a scholar of Japanese imperial history helping him obtain a position as assistant in charge of managing imperial tombs. In [[1872]], he retired from that position. He and Hide were summoned to Mito, and were obliged to re-settle there in order to maintain their family's ''[[shizoku]]'' (former samurai) status. Her father's stipend had been increased dramatically to 150 ''koku'' in [[1867]], and in order to maintain their status, and income, they agreed to relocate to Mito; unfortunately, ''shizoku'' stipends were cut severely by the Tokyo government shortly afterward. At some point around this time, her father changed the family name from Nishino to Nishimiya.

In [[1869]], Lady Yoshiko dramatically reduced the size of her staff, and Hide returned briefly to her father's residence at the [[Mito Edo mansion|Koishikawa mansion]] in [[Tokyo]]. Before long, they had to move again, and find a property of their own to rent, as the [[Mito Tokugawa clan]] could no longer afford to maintain their Tokyo mansion. Her father, though seventy years old at this time, was able to find work in the new [[Meiji government]], his expertise as a scholar of Japanese imperial history helping him obtain a position as assistant in charge of managing imperial tombs. In [[1872]], he retired from that position. He and Hide were summoned to Mito, and were obliged to re-settle there in order to maintain their family's ''[[shizoku]]'' (former samurai) status. Her father's stipend had been increased dramatically to 150 ''koku'' in [[1867]], and in order to maintain their status, and income, they agreed to relocate to Mito; unfortunately, ''shizoku'' stipends were cut severely by the Tokyo government shortly afterward. At some point around this time, her father changed the family name from Nishino to Nishimiya.

Hide, meanwhile, had she been able to remain in Yoshiko's service, might have been able to retire with a comfortable pension. Since she was not able to do that, she, her father, and her stepmother had to figure out some way to support the family, and to secure an heir. Her father adopted a man for her to marry, and after their son Nobutaka was born in [[1873]], the couple were divorced. After that, the family tried a number of things to make money to support themselves. They rented out futons for a brief time, then gave that up and tried raising chickens, but a fox destroyed their flock. For a few years after that, she found considerable, though brief, success establishing and running a [[geisha]] house. She recruited several geisha from Tokyo, and brought them to Mito, finding enough success that she was able to recruit several more shortly afterward. However, in [[1882]] after the geisha house burned down for the third time, she gave up on this endeavor as well, in part because of concerns of the negative impact of the geisha house upon her son's moral education. Her father died later that year.

Hide, meanwhile, had she been able to remain in Yoshiko's service, might have been able to retire with a comfortable pension. Since she was not able to do that, she, her father, and her stepmother had to figure out some way to support the family, and to secure an heir. Her father adopted a man for her to marry, and after their son Nobutaka was born in [[1873]], the couple were divorced. After that, the family tried a number of things to make money to support themselves. They rented out futons for a brief time, then gave that up and tried raising chickens, but a fox destroyed their flock. For a few years after that, she found considerable, though brief, success establishing and running a [[geisha]] house. She recruited several geisha from Tokyo, and brought them to Mito, finding enough success that she was able to recruit several more shortly afterward. However, in [[1882]] after the geisha house burned down for the third time, she gave up on this endeavor as well, in part because of concerns of the negative impact of the geisha house upon her son's moral education. Her father died later that year.