Hello, I’m Jane
I was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up as an “expat-brat” moving back and forth between the U.S. and Japan. I received my undergraduate degree in Studio Art from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts and a Masters in Architecture from UCLA in Los Angeles, California.
I began my career at GK Design, International (GKDI) as a Planner on package design for Kikkoman, and transportation design for Yamaha Motors, USA. After GKDI, I joined Nissan North America where for 18 years, I served as Director of Advanced Planning & Strategy. In 2008, Automotive News named me one of the top 50 people who made enduring contributions to Nissan’s 50 years in America.
In 2009, after a brief, rewarding interlude as Global Planning Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day, I joined interTrend Communications as Vice President of Strategic Planning. Through interTrend, I became a trustee on the boards of the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, California, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Washington, D.C.
In 2016, I joined Honda R&D Americas, Inc. as Division Director of Advanced Product Planning. In 2019, I became the Director of Honda’s newest division, Future Mobility & Solutions. My focus now is creating compelling experiences for Honda’s next generation of users.
Values
We are all products of early imprinting. I moved with my family from Tokyo to Los Angeles when I was 7 years old. My life changed the moment my dad, who had moved there six months before us, picked us up at LAX in his 1967 Chevrolet Impala. The car was bigger than the apartment we had in Tokyo. The color matched the big blue sky. To this day, I equate abundance with things that bring me joy.
How
My specialty is making the unfamiliar familiar. I believe metaphors help us understand the unfamiliar by stirring the imagination and helping us “see” new things. When we are able to see new things, we leave ourselves behind and develop empathy for the user. With empathy for the user, we are fully able to generate new ideas and create true value.
“An idea is a feat of association, and the height of it is a good metaphor.”Robert FrostPast Industrial Revolutions have brought urbanization, mass production, and automation. What will the next Industrial Revolution bring?
"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all” Emily Dickinson
What
I stand at the intersection of nature and technology. Nature will make our lives better and advancements in Artificial Intelligence, by helping us solve complex problems, will be the enabler. We won’t see the technology, but will feel the benefits of mind-body health.
User centricity remains the core of everything I do.
User Experience Strategy
Planning the user’s experience at every brand touchpoint
Market Strategy
Migrating users to new behaviors
Product Strategy
Identifying a user problem and creating a roadmap for the solution
