日本最大級の英語学習ポータルサイト「英語タウン」

I was a scrub nurse at Tokyo Women's College Hospital and then a nurse at several private clinics in and around Tokyo.

Well, me and my husband decided that we'd like to live in England (semi-permanently!) after spending several years in Japan (we'd also lived in Turkey for a while). I'd been there quite a few times before, the longest period being for nearly a year. It was also partly because his parents were getting on a bit, and so in the spring of 2005 I moved to Manchester from Tokyo.

It's a bit of a long story, really. When I got to England it was difficult to get a job and, as I had studied ikebana while we were living in Saitama, I decided to work as a florist. My first 'job' was voluntary, helping out at a small florist in north Manchester. I got a lot of very valuable experience there, and then in the summer of 2006 I was lucky enough to meet Lynsey, the manager of 'Living Flowers'. She gave me a part-time (but paid!) position. At the same time, we bought a flat near central Manchester. Opposite the building was a studio/ gallery owned by Philippe Aird, and it was he who encouraged me to begin painting.

Well, Philippe and my husband became friends (he later wrote a book on Philippe and his work, called 'Eye of the Beholder'), and I began helping out at the studio every Friday, chording pictures and and then priming canvases. One day, Philippe suggested I 'have a go' at painting. I was a bit nervous, but after a few weeks of watching Philippe at work and learning something about his technique and the materials he uses, I finally started adapting some of my ideas to the process and I produced a few (not very good, I think) paintings of my own. It was a very liberating experience, inspired by his encouragement and the generosity of his personality.

Yes, very clearly. It was a Sunday and we were at home. Philippe phoned (he works 7 days a week) and told me someone had chosen one of my paintings and agreed to pay £300 (Y70,000) for it. I was speechless for a few seconds; I really thought he was joking. I was jumping round the living room and I couldn't breathe properly!

I sold quite a few paintings in the first few weeks, but I didn't really believe that it would continue. There have been quiet periods, but I have been able to use that time to improve my technique and develop variations on my (mainly floral) themes. I really enjoy talking with the people who buy my stuff - it's a real compliment when a stranger walks into the studio and chooses something you've created to go on their living room or office wall, or to give as a present.

I'm entering the 'Best of Manchester' Art competition, mainly for the experience of submitting work to judges and to get feedback. I'm really not expecting to win, especially as a female Japanese sculptor won the £2,000 prize last year! I'm also exhibiting in a few new local venues, including a Medical Spa and a bar called Binary. What I'd really like, though, is the opportunity to exhibit my work back in Japan, so Philippe and I are currently beginning to build up contacts there. So if you know of any galleries, companies or individuals who might be interested in our work, then please let us know!