She's from Niigata prefecture. Over her career, she picked up some major recognition: the Japan Cartoonists Association Excellence Award in 1982 for "Zettai Anzen Kamisori," the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2003 for "Kiiroi Hon," and the Iwaya Sazanami Liberal Arts Prize in 2015. That last one especially shows how her work crossed over beyond manga into broader cultural territory.