Mona Matsuoka

The model and DJ Mona Matsuoka is wired to find beauty in adaptation. Born in Atlanta, she moved at age 10 to her mother’s native Japan and found herself dropped into a new world. “I was able to have simple conversations, but I really wasn’t fluent in Japanese at all,” Matsuoka recalls. School was understandably challenging, though the lessons she absorbed extended beyond coursework—from the practice of tidying up after class (“Everyone’s so respectful”) to the parade of street style. The long-limbed Matsuoka began modeling in Japan and then relocated to New York at 16 to pursue it further. The experience on set stoked her confidence and exposed her to a broadening creative milieu. “I really enjoyed makeup and styling, but my passion has always been with music since I was extremely young,” she says. “So I started playing around with a DJ app on my computer.” Gigs for friends’ parties landed her a DJ agent, which opened the door to fashion events—a happy marriage of her interests. At 25, life shifted again, as she welcomed her son, Mars. If there were early concerns about how motherhood might affect her career, they were immediately calmed: “Everyone from the IMG office emailed me, ‘Congratulations, I’m so happy for you,’ which was the sweetest, most supportive thing ever,” Matsuoka says. Now nearly two years old, Mars is now testing out his independence as his mom gets ready to release her own first tracks, featuring her vocals and lyrics. “I feel like life is truly about changing perspective, shifting, taking what you want, and shedding what you don’t need anymore.”

What projects are you currently working on?

I am making music and experimenting more with being a singer-songwriter, which has been a new territory. It’s been very, very inspiring and fun. It’s all happening soon, with at least one song by the end of this summer. It’s like dark wave house with an ’80s touch. A lot of the songs are about what I went through in relationships and love, and some are about me being a mother. Mars turns two next month. And in August I’m curating my first gallery pop-up for The Kollection, my friend’s nonprofit that is like a community base. We’re just bringing artists together.

Do you have a favorite scent from the natural world?

I’m obsessed with the smell of rain, especially in the summer. It’s such an incredible scent, the rain hitting the cement, or the woods—it’s like you can feel the earth breathing. I grew up in Hiroshima, so it kind of takes me back to the forests there.

What is your favorite time of year, and how is that reflected in nature?

Autumn in Japan. There are these bushes called osmanthus, with tiny orange flowers, and when they bloom, they have this phenomenal smell. It reminds me of getting out of school because they were planted there. I've only really smelled it in Japan. There’s nothing like it.

What is your sun sign (moon and rising too, if you want to share), and is there a characteristic of it that resonates with you?

I’m an Aquarius, and I feel like I attract so many Aquariuses. My rising and moon are both Leo, so I am definitely extremely out there—especially as a child. It was just attention, attention, me, me, me, me, and then my Aquarius side would probably pull me back. I think we are kind of in our own world. We see the signs, we see details. We’re very sensitive and we’re airy, so we get along with a lot of people.

In your approach to wellness, what are you leaning away from and/or toward?

I’ve stopped drinking—it’s been, I think, 66 days now. I didn’t like how I felt depressed for a week straight if I had consumed alcohol. It really affected my mental health. And my skin was acting up—I could tell that it was from my gut and stomach issues. It was also me being a mother now and wanting to have my full attention with my child. I’ve switched to some caffeine. I love the White Label Yerba Mate, and kava tea has been so helpful because it really calms you and kind of gives you a euphoric sense. The tea company Kettl, in Brooklyn, has this sparkling kombucha that tastes almost like skin contact wine, which is delicious.

When do you feel most beautiful?

When I’m very honest with myself and feel good about who I am. It generally is: You love yourself, and from that it helps to view everything from love. Then, if there’s a situation that makes me feel small or insecure, and if I view it with love and see different angles of the situation, I understand more and feel more content.

What activity keeps you unplugged from the internet?

Tarot is definitely something that I do whenever I have conflict or want to check in with myself. If I feel myself scrolling too much, I’m like, Okay, let me just read some tarot so that I’m physically reading words and know where I’m at in life right now. I have a tarot deck that my partner’s mother made—it’s super lovely. All the cards are quite positive, and it gives you affirmations to tell yourself every day. I also have another deck that’s more of the original tarot. I’ll look up the cards online to get the meaning from them, and that dives in more specifically.

How do you wind down for bed?

Recently I’ve just been reading a lot of self-help books. Right now, the one that’s really sinking in is this book called Facing Love Addiction. I feel like it is a common thing to have unhealthy codependency, and it’s helping me realize my patterns in relationships and love. Breaking bad habits is extremely hard, and this book has been helpful for that. I love taking baths. The HigherDOSE Serotonin Soak—an essential oil mixture with salts—smells phenomenal and is really good for your muscles. I also have a little lavender pillow in my bed.

What is a good rule to live by?

Treat people the way you want to be treated. That’s something we learn as a child, and now I understand it even more—because what you get back from the world is how you treat people. Being more aware takes time, that split-second of holding yourself back and being like, No, I’m going to communicate this way. It’s a learning curve every day.