Kimiko Nishimoto Explained

is a Brazilian-born Japanese photographer and internet celebrity. She was previously a hairdresser, track cyclist, and homemaker.

Early life and education

Kimiko Nishimoto was born in Brazil in 1928. Her parents taught agriculture to locals. She was the second daughter of 7 siblings. At the age of 8, her family moved to Kumamoto. She graduated from beauty school.[1]

Career

Nishimoto worked as a hairdresser in her father's salon where she specialized in bridal and Japanese coiffure. After 4 years working as a hairdresser, Nishimoto attended cycling school and became licensed as a professional cyclist. From the age of 22 to 27, she competed nationally as a track cyclist with her younger 2 brothers.[2]

In 2001, Nishimoto began her career as an amateur photographer after taking a photography and image processing course taught by her eldest son. In 2011, she had her first solo exhibit at the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art.[3] In 2018, she had an exhibition named "Asobokane?" at the Shinjuku., Nishimoto had developed a social media presence, with over 220,000 followers of her Instagram account.[4]

Personal life

At the age of 27, Nishimoto married Hitoshi, a tax official, and they raised their 3 children in Kyushu. She was a homemaker for over 45 years. Nishimoto's husband died in 2012 of lung cancer., Nishimoto resides in Kumamoto Prefecture. In reference to her longevity, Nishimoto stated that she is a daily cigarette smoker and drinks a tall glass of Bourbon whiskey every day.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ito. Masami. 2018-02-10. 'Insta-gran' Kimiko Nishimoto discovers that it's never too late to experiment with inventive photography. 2020-07-06. The Japan Times. en-US.
  2. Web site: Sasaki. Sayo. December 18, 2017. 89-year-old photographer Kimiko Nishimoto debuts in Tokyo with funny selfies. 2020-07-06. Kyodo News+.
  3. Web site: Clark. Nicole. May 29, 2018. This Insta-Famous 89-Year-Old Japanese Woman Takes Amazing Self-Portraits. 2020-07-06. Vice. en.
  4. Web site: Airth. Johanna. March 30, 2020. What the Japanese can teach us about super-ageing gracefully. 2020-07-06. BBC. en.