I am the youngest of 5 children, grew up in Kobe City, Japan, and spent a year in Australia learning English from my host families. Returning to Japan, I volunteered at the Japan-Australia Society, helping the secretary general for two years. Later, I worked in Osaka, Japan as a children’s clothing designer in the innovation department of a leading Japanese company before moving to America to live with my husband.
Being my first published book, it was a challenge to write in English, my second language. In the end, it was worth the effort because Tamiko, my 98-year-old mother whose life is chronicled on these pages, is pleased to share her life story and Tamiko counts her blessings each day for being able to touch others.
The photo of the house above is where my parents held their wedding ceremony in 1940, all of my siblings and I were born there and lived until I was 2 years old.