Urinetown, Youth Theatre Northwest    Photo by Trina B. Wright

Mimi firmly believes in the power of theatre to transform and connect people. Originally from Tokyo, Mimi came to the US as a foreign student in 1983 and never left. After four decades (gulp!), she now has two degrees, is bilingual, and has acquired skills and life experience in directing, choreography, teaching, performing, and producing, which is far beyond what she imagined for herself when her journey began.   Mimi is drawn to works that involve strong ensemble and physical expressions, as well as stories that has Asian heritage, especially Japanese-related. She looks for collaborative opportunities with like-minded artists to tell stories that need telling in a safe, playful environment. Through her 26year tenure at Youth Theatre Northwest, Mimi has and continues to devote her energy in cultivating the next generation of artists and arts patrons. Still firmly connected to her native country, Mimi actively looks for opportunities to bridge her two cultures through theatre and is planning to launch a  Bicultural production company, Za Trans-Pacific Productions in 2025.  She is forever grateful to her parents who broke the mold of Japanese parenting and let her go at such a young age and hopes to honor them through her work.  Above all, Mimi feels her biggest accomplishment is her role of being a wife and a mother to endlessly compassionate, creative, and funny people who fuels her artistic existance.