About Mimi

From Tokyo to Seattle

As a girl at my public elementary school in Tokyo, I was full of life, and I’d been a leader since first grade. But I always had my own mind. In Japan there’s a saying, “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” and I was that nail. As a teenager, I couldn’t find a place where I could be myself.

In college I studied English and American literature, and I soon realized I’m not someone who learns through books. I have to experience things. So at 19 I left college, joined a study-abroad program, and flew to Seattle on my own, speaking almost no English.

I sat in the front row with a tape recorder, then listened to each lecture over and over at home just to understand the homework. My first friends came from South Yemen, Indonesia, Switzerland and Taiwan. We spoke to each other in broken English, and somehow we understood each other perfectly. Seattle has been my home for about 40 years now.

My first real job here was as a receptionist at a gift manufacturing company, at a time when my English still wasn’t very good. Over fifteen years I was given the chance to grow: into office management, sales management, HR and accounting, and eventually to become one of the company’s co-owners. I’m grateful for every one of those opportunities.

Sitting beside someone

When I was at my lowest, I pushed everyone away. But what I really wanted was for someone to sit next to me without saying anything, to notice me, and to know me by my name.

A few years ago I began driving a friend to his dialysis appointments. While I waited, I walked past people living on the street. One cold day I bought an extra drink, then soup, then bread, and then I sat down beside a young man and we started talking. He shared his drink with a friend nearby, so I invited them both inside for tea and asked to hear their stories.

Since then I’ve made many friends on the street. I take everyone’s order by name, bring back hot food, and when I can, I sit and eat with them. Giving things is wonderful, but I believe in spending time with people and getting to know them. That is where real change begins.

Finding my voice

An unexpected chapter of my life began in 2024. I was trying to help some of my musician friends reach wider audiences, and somewhere along the way I became a singer myself! Music connects people, and I believe it can heal us, so learning to sing and dance felt like a natural part of my ikigai.

Encouraged by generous, accomplished musicians, I organized, promoted and performed in live shows in Japan in 2024 and 2025, singing everything from Bruno Mars and Earth, Wind & Fire to Japanese songs. In 2026 I organized and performed, singing and dancing, at several events in Seattle, including one featuring a Grammy-winning singer.

In 2025 I sang for an hour at a nursing home, at a birthday celebration for a dear friend who had passed away. That summer I joined a medical mission in Kenya, where my role was to lift the spirits of the hundreds of patients waiting outdoors to see the doctors. We talked about life, I taught the children to sing and dance, and I translated the Japanese song “Please Give Us Wings” into the local language so we could all sing it together. It reminded me that music, laughter and human connection reach across any difference of language or culture.

On the court and in the pool

I’ve been a competitive swimmer since my school days, and when I first came to Seattle I worked as a lifeguard. I joined a Masters swim team about 30 years ago, and in 2021 I began playing tennis seriously. Since then I’ve competed in several USTA tournaments, and I’ve served as a captain for my tennis team.

In the summer of 2026 I won gold in singles and silver in doubles at a senior tennis tournament, and I qualified for the Senior Olympics in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2027. My preparation has already begun.

I don’t believe our age should define what we can or cannot do. Staying active, challenging myself and staying curious are all part of what makes life full and meaningful for me.