ABOUT

I am the youngest daughter of a tooling sculptor. My father–whose thinking was more western than Japanese–loved western products and culture, which is unusual for a Japanese man who experienced the impact of World War II. He inspired me to go abroad to see what my own country couldn’t offer. His motto was, “Don’t limit yourself, think big, and enjoy the journey.”

Before my first marriage, I traveled alone to Taipei, Thailand, Hawaii, America, France, Egypt, Jordan, and lived in England for six months. Although I consider myself shy and reserved, I never let that limit me.

In my debut book, From Tokyo To America, I tell of my thirty years of life in America. Numerous moves during my first marriage and a string of adversities after divorce forced me to take many different kinds of jobs. But having my father’s open mindedness and my mother’s flexibility and tenacity, I was able to navigate my life in America.

My father passed away in 2012, but his words are still with me. “Even though you don’t feel like you want to smile, smile anyway. A smile brings you happiness.” Treasuring his words, I live in a country setting with my husband. I enjoy writing and painting.