I was born in Bellevue, Washington, and when I was eight, my family moved to Japan. I grew up in Hokkaido, Gunma, and Tokyo, and those years gave me an appreciation for how different perspectives shape the way we live and make decisions.
In the early 2000s, I began my career at a global consulting firm in Tokyo. My projects ranged from cost cutting to HR restructuring to implementing Customer Management Systems, but the underlying question was always the same: how do we maximize shareholder value? The work was challenging, but in many ways simple—apply financial models, think critically, and follow the logic. When I moved to New York to become a financial advisor, I quickly realized that personal finance was different. Clients weren’t spreadsheets, and their decisions weren’t always “logical.” And they were right not to be. One client refused to consolidate accounts because one of them had been a gift from his grandfather—a treasure box of memories, not just numbers on a statement. Another client, a retired woman with a large sum of cash, came to me for advice. After thoughtful conversations, I concluded the best solution was to leave it where it was: in her checking account. Those experiences taught me that true financial planning is not only about efficiency or return—it’s about listening, understanding, and building strategies that honor both the numbers and the meaning behind them.
That belief became the foundation for Midtown Wealth Advisors, Inc., which I founded in 2005. Today, we oversee more than $120 million in assets under advisement. Growth matters to us in part because it reflects the trust we’ve earned over the past 20 years. But we’ve never measured success by the size of our balance sheet or by gathering assets for its own sake. In fact, when a client withdraws a large sum of funds to achieve a lifelong goal, we see that not as a loss, but as the truest measure of success—the realization of a dream made possible by years of thoughtful planning and investing. Our focus has always been on listening to clients, understanding their unique circumstances, and providing solutions that support their entire financial lives. This is the work we will continue every single day.