I became a model after being scouted on the streets of Tokyo at age 12. As a kid, I focused on sports and getting my education so I couldn’t take modelling seriously at the time. When I turned 16, I began to have more interest in international modelling as my local agency advised me that I was too tall for the Japanese market, but could try for the global industry.
In order to stand a chance, I needed to be able to speak English. To convince my parents to let me to study abroad, I showed them my exam results and grades. After a lot of arguments and talk with my parents and teacher, I finally took an opportunity to study abroad in Vancouver, Canada for one year.