Masako was born and raised in Sapporo, Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of Japan.
After graduating from college, she married and taught flower arrangement at home. In her 30s, she moved to the USA with her family when her husband was transferred to Washington DC. Three years later she came back to Japan and started teaching English-Japanese translation classes at Sapporo University, which she enjoyed for 20 years.
After obtaining her national guide license she began working as a freelance tour guide and was invited by Yuki to work for Journey to the East (JttE) for tours in Hokkaido and Tohoku, and eventually in other areas. She has found working as an English speaking tour guide very rewarding and inspirational. Masako enjoys traveling with fun-loving and well-travelled JttE guests and showing them the beautiful places in her beloved country.
She lives with her husband in Sapporo. Her three grown-up children are all married and work in different places in the world, Tokyo, Shanghai and Frankfurt. When not working, she enjoys taking swimming classes, walking, reading books, listening to the Beatles, checking out new restaurants with her friends, or watching foreign films.