I was born and raised in Tokyo. I earned my B.A. in English Literature from Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo and moved to Seattle in the early 90s. After moving to Seattle, I studied at the University of Washington and received an M.A. in Japanese Applied Linguistics and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. I started teaching Japanese in 1996 and have taught at the University of Washington, Seattle Central Community College, and Everett Community College. I joined Bellevue College in 2006 and have been teaching since then. Teaching has been my passion since I started working as a tutor when I was in high school. It has always been my pleasure to share my knowledge of Japanese culture and its language with my students. In my leisure time, I enjoy traveling and hiking with my family and two dogs.