1956   Mayumi was born in Aichi Prefecture in Japan on a small island known as Shinojima floating in the middle of the Mikawa Gulf. There she was raised as the youngest of 4 sisters and 1 brother. Her family owns a traditional Japanese hotel. Despite the surroundings of this tradition, since she was a small child she always followed her own path. Resisting her fatherfs instructions to fall in line and live a normal life.
   
1972 Mayumi went to the mainland and entered Nagoya Municipal High School of Commerce. During this time she lived with her older sister and together they would cook their own meals and commute to school. While in high school her favorite pass time was handball.
   
1974 She entered Aichi Toho Junior College. While in college she become involved in the hippie movement where she made many friends including her future husband Keiji Nishimura. It was at this time that she discovered and began to learn about natural foods and Steiner educational system. She then joined the Sentimental Family to support the band Sentimental City Romance.
   
1976 After she graduated from college she continue to be a part of Sentimental Family while also working at her familyfs hotel.
   
1979 New Years Eve, Mayumi attended a Grateful Dead concert in San Francisco. Reading Jerry Garciafs book gA signpost to New Spaceh greatly influenced her thinking.
   
1980 Mayumi married Keiji while he was studying abroad in the United States.
   
1981 When Mayumi visited Keiji in the United States, she came across and was deeply moved by the book gNew Dietc.h Written by the father of Macrobiotics George Ohsawa. She immediately began practicing macrobiotics and within 10 days began to feel the positive affects and changes within her body.
   
1982 Mayumi moved to Boston to study Macrobiotics. She lived at the home of Michio and Aveline Kushi, where she began studying the cooking and macrobiotic way of life. Once she cooked and prepared the food for a party in honor of the famous singer John Denver.
   
1983 She moved to Becket Massachusetts to help establish the Kushi Institute, where she was instrumental in helping shape the new curriculum. This was a curriculum that looked at ways to heal cancer through macrobiotic eating and lifestyle.
   
1984 Mayumifs first child Lisa was born at home. The midwife was unable to make it so Mayumi gave birth without her.
   
1988 Her second child Norihiko was also born at home.iThis time the midwife made it on timej.
   
1989 She accepted a cancer patient into her home and provided macrobiotic cooking for them.
   
1992 Mayumi temporarily moved back to Japan with her two children.
   
1994 She returned to Becket and resumed her job teaching and cooking at the Kushi Institute. At the same time she began learning Aikido.
   
1997 She visited a Macrobiotic community in Ionia, Alaska for one month.
   
1999 Mayumi decided to move to the macrobiotic community in Alaska. Before moving to Alaska she received her first grade black belt in Aikido.
   
2000 She returned to Becket from Alaska. She continued to cook macrobiotic meals for cancer patients, teach at the Kushi Institute and working at the Japanese restaurant Bizen in Great Barrington, MA.
   
2001 Mayumi became Madonnafs private chef and accompanied her on her World Tour.
   
2004 She accompanied Madonna on her gReinvention Tourh.
   
2005 Mayumifs first book gA Big Universe in a small kitchenh was published by Kanaria Press.
   
2006 She accompanied Madonna on her gConfessions on the Dance Floor Tourh.
   
2007 Her second book gMayumifs Best Recipes for Beautiful Skinh was published by Shufu and Seikatsu Press.
   
2008 Mayumi moved from Madonnafs home in London to begin her own work in Japan. Her third book
gHappy Petiet Macrobioticsh will be out this spring from Kodansya Press.
   



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