I grew up in the countryside, near Osaka. When I was in high school, I went to a hair salon and the stylist there said to me, “You should be a hairstylist.” I don't know why he said that. Maybe because he was looking for an assistant? But I thought, “OK, well, I want to work here.” So I started working there in high school, during summer vacations. I loved it. After I graduated, they wanted me to work full-time, but I wanted to go to beauty school.
At first, my father said, “No, being a hair stylist is not a job. It's a woman's job.” This was 20 years ago. But I really liked it. Everyone that worked at the salon was really cool. It was in the countryside, but it was the best salon in the area. I started as an assistant, mostly just cleaning and sweeping. But I loved it. I loved seeing how happy customers were after their haircuts.
I went to beauty school for a year and I spent two years as an assistant, and after that became a full hair stylist in Nagoya. Then the salon asked if anyone wanted to go to Tokyo, and I said I did. I was 21. I'd been to Tokyo before, while traveling, and I loved it. This was before the internet, really. So for me, Tokyo was a place for inspiration. Everything was cooler there. I wanted to learn technique and see the fashion. I like challenging myself. I like big cities, meeting new people, and trying new things. I would maybe move back to the countryside once I'm 60. My dad and grandmother still live there. My dad is an architect. He probably wanted me to do something similar to him, but he really only cared if I liked my job. And so he's happy that I found something I love.