My name is Nozomi, which means “hope” in Japanese, and I am a bold, loving, and open-hearted author, artist, and activist.

I am also an ordained minister, but churches can feel more like prisons than portals to me.

I am Japanese, and an only child from Cleveland, Ohio. Over the years, the isolation, racism, and family neuroses took their toll. I tried to prove my worth by getting good grades, going to elite schools, including Harvard, and devoting myself to my work throughout my career. But no achievement was ever really “enough” to make me feel validated, long-term. It’s no wonder that I have spent most of my life being “worried, lonely, and shut-down” instead of “bold, loving, and open-hearted.”

But this photo proves that there was a time before I began doubting myself. I deserve to reclaim the joy and freedom that are our birthright. And so do you!

This is your invitation to join me on the road from heartache to hope.

I think my story is important, but connecting with YOU and YOUR story is even more important! Let’s tell our stories, celebrate our cultures, and journey together to heal ourselves and our world.