Self-described as the “World-Fixing Space Mom,” she graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo and joined the former National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA, now the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA). She held positions such as Manager of the Legal & Compliance Division and Manager of the Aviation Industry Cooperation Division.
Soon after joining NASDA, she was responsible for negotiating treaties related to the International Space Station (ISS) and, to facilitate their ratification, was seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 1999—the first NASDA staff to be assigned there—handling parliamentary affairs and practical diplomatic negotiations.
In 2000, she was selected through NASDA’s internal study-abroad program and studied at Leiden University in the Netherlands, completing a one-year master’s program in international law. After returning to Japan, she worked at the Tsukuba Space Center and, in 2007, as Deputy Manager of the International Affairs Division, was in charge of space cooperation with Europe, the United States, and Russia. During her tenure in the International Affairs Division, she gave birth to her son in 2008 and her daughter in 2011.
From July 2022, she served a three-year term as a member of the House of Councillors.
