About

I grew up in Yokohama until the middle of kindergarten, and moved to the suburbs of New York due to my father’s work and spent 5 years until the end of 4th grade.

During this time, I experienced piano, chorus, jazz dance, etc., and loved performance! I was blessed with wonderful encounters at school and summer camp, and was taken to various places in the states and abroad, of all the memories I cherish.

I was intrigued by Martin Luther King Jr. and a book on environmental issues had a big influence on me, which probably lead to my current activities.

After returning to Japan, I went to an international school in Yokohama in the 5th and 6th years of elementary school, and transferred to a Japanese school from junior high school. I was shocked by the different culture and hierarchy of a girls’ school. I couldn’t say what I wanted to say, and felt like I lost my identity.

I also suffered from gynecological problems and experienced surgery for ovarian cysts. I had atopic dermatitis and didn’t like my appearance, and was full of anxiety, inferiority and complex about being a girl. It was a hard teenager life.

With a dream of becoming a stage actor after going to university, I studied hard for entrance exams and was accepted to every university I applied to. I entered Sophia University and immersed in my dream of acting. I appeared in over a dozen productions and performed on over 40 stages.

After graduating I got a job, but the corporate lifestyle didn’t suit me at all and became depressed. I couldn’t ride the rush hour trains and was so scared of crowded elevators that I took the stairs to my 7th floor office.

I quit after 9 months and became a freelancer, starting my career as a bilingual narrator. I also worked as a translator for a small cosmetics marketing company, and embarked on a parallel career.

At the age of 24, I discovered belly dancing and was completely captivated by its exotic and alluring style, attending lessons enthusiastically. It was the first time I felt good dancing, and it finally allowed me to accept my sexuality and enjoy being a woman.

I married at the age of 25. Rather than enjoying a blissful newlywed life, my days were filled with misunderstandings, and the atopic dermatitis I had suffered from in middle and high school recurred.

Realizing the limitations of Western medicine, I tried traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and other Eastern medical therapies, while also studying a wide range of therapies, including aromatherapy, dietary therapy, and Thai massage.

Just as I began my career as a belly dancer and instructor, I became pregnant quite unexpectedly. My pregnancy progressed smoothly, and I continued working until the very last moment. At the age of 28, I gave birth to my son at a midwife clinic. (an incredibly easy birth!)

Filled with anxiety and impatience, I returned to work immediately. While continuing my work as a narrator, I gradually increased my dance lessons, and at the age of 30, I started my own belly dance school.

I was busy teaching and performing without a moment to catch a breath, and began attending various seminars and business consulting sessions to increase sales.

Desperate to fulfill my roles as a wife and mother while working, I forced myself to endure the hardships every day. The relationship with my husband was bad, and at the age of 34 we were on the verge of divorce, leaving me physically and mentally exhausted.

“From now on, I’m going to take care of myself and live my own life!” I thought. I began to carefully reflect on myself, valuing my intuition and feelings, to listen to what feels comfortable and what I like, and making daily choices based on them.

After selling our home in Yokohama and moved to Kamakura in 2016, I changed my pace and shifted to a more relaxed lifestyle.

I was blessed with many new encounters, found a place to belong, and gradually regained myself while being healed by the nature around me.

As I pursued her interests, such as being part of a volunteer group to reduce single-use waste at cafes in Kamakura, learning non-violent communication (NVC) and permaculture, my world expanded.

In the process, my doubts about the relationship with my husband resurfaced. After 15 years of marriage, I divorced at 40 and reset my life once again. I am currently happily experimenting with both my personal and professional lives, seeking a lighter, more breezy way of life.

Drawing on my own experience of struggling to live for many years, I wish to convey the importance of caring for both the mind and body, living true to oneself, and the joy of self-expression, while also working on environmental issues and peace activities.