I am currently pursuing an M.A. in Japanese Pedagogy in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Indiana University Bloomington. 

I was born and raised in Kobe, Japan, a city known for its international character. Growing up, I naturally developed a strong interest in foreign languages and cultures. I began learning English in elementary school and Mandarin Chinese in high school. 

During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to study abroad in both Canada and Taiwan. My experiences in Taiwan sparked a deeper curiosity about the cultures of the Indigenous peoples I encountered, which led me to return after graduation to pursue an M.A. in Anthropology, with a focus on Indigenous languages and cultures.

After returning to Japan for two years, I worked at the Office of International Students at a foreign language university in Kobe. Following a life transition, I moved to the United States and completed a 420-hour Japanese Teacher Training Correspondence Course while beginning my teaching career at a K-12 Japanese language school in California. With a desire to teach Japanese in higher education in the U.S., I joined Indiana University after completing the ALLEX Foundation teaching training program.