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.

Where do you like to spend time outdoors?

Waterfalls are really powerful, and the sound of water is really extremely soothing. I’m trying to spend more time in nature, taking day trips and going upstate. Nature really heals our brains and helps us be present. When you see the planet, you realize the small stuff doesn’t really matter.

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.