Kumiko trained at the Jacques Lecoq Theatre School in Paris and has worked as an actor as well as a director, producer and teacher for over 30 years.

She has worked for many organisations including The National Theatre, Soho Theatre, the Young Vic, Donmar Warehouse, The Gate Theatre, Polka Theatre, Northampton Royal & Derngate, Unicorn Theatre, artsdepot and Tara Arts. She has acted as well as directed and co-directed in shows for New Earth Theatre (formerly Yellow Earth) and taught movement and mask at many of the leading drama schools. She was a core tutor at Clean Break for over ten years and ran regular Mask workshops in Japan until the pandemic.

She is Artistic Director and founder member of the British East and South East Asian led theatre company New Earth Theatre www.newearththeatre.org.uk and co-Artistic Director of A Thousand Cranes created to bring the stories and art forms of Japan to UK young audiences www.athousandcranes.org.uk.