We were lucky to catch up with Yoshiko Yamaguchi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yoshiko, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I started my career in nail art a little later than most people.

After graduating from college, I worked in an office for many years.

Then, one day, I saw a TV program about a nail artist in Tokyo who ran her own salon and had her own nail school.

One part of the program was about volunteering at a hospital. Many nail artists did manicures for older patients, and the women looked so happy.

This really inspired me because I used to do my grandmother’s nails when I lived in my hometown, and it brought back many memories for me.

I thought that even though the patients were older, they were still women and cared about their health and beauty. In my opinion, this was meaningful work, and I also wanted to do something to make older women happy.

I decided to started taking a beginner nail art class. At first, I was quite nervous because I had given up on a few other career paths in the past, so I really wondered if I could keep doing nail art.

Upon finishing the class, I decided to continue studying and get all the necessary licenses to become a nail artist in Japan, and I also participated in competitions in Osaka and Tokyo.

From those experiences, I was confident that I could change my career and actually become a professional nail artist.

Interestingly, I ended up going to the nail school that I had seen in the TV program. However, when I graduated, I thought I was too old to work for their salon, so I tried to apply to other places. Eventually, one of the teachers encouraged me to apply for a position at their salon, and fortunately, they hired me.

That salon was very popular at the time, so I had the opportunity to work with a variety of clients, including celebrities(Miranda Kerr, Whoopi Goldberg, Anna Dello Russo, etc). In addition, I was able to do nails for photo shoots and luxury brand events.

This was the path that lead me to eventually becoming a professional nail artist in NYC.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

At my current salon, I am asked to do many types of work, so I need to be a versatile nail artist. I feel that my strength is in floral designs, and many clients request that from me now. In general, flowers really inspire me, and, specifically, I always try to see a variety of cherry blossoms in America in the spring. I visit Washington D.C. every year, and I search for different places around the US that have beautiful cherry blossoms.

When it comes to my clients, many people like nail art, but they really don’t know what kind of designs they want. Often, when people have special occasions like weddings or holidays, people want great nails, but they don’t know exactly what to get.

In those situations, I try to reduce stress for my clients by asking for pictures of their dresses and shoes. After that, I am able to develop a design that matches everything and is appropriate for the event. We then work together to finalize the design.

In general, the most fulfilling part of my job is developing deep connections with clients. Of course, I enjoy doing nail art, but the relationships that I’ve formed with my clients are the most precious part of the job for me. It is so wonderful to see my clients grow up, get married, have babies, and enjoy their lives.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

In Japan, when I was a kid, the adults around me told me not to dream. Everybody wanted me to follow what others were doing.

I eventually moved to Tokyo to avoid this pressure and choose a path for myself.

As the years went by, I became more confident in myself, and I believed I could do many different things. This lead me to becoming a nail artist and living in NYC.

So, I had to learn for myself that it is important to dream and dream big

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Ultimately, I would like to promote volunteer work and do nail art for the elderly and parents of children with incurable diseases. I believe that art can heal people. Also, I believe that if people are healthy and happy, there will be no more conflicts in this world. I want to make the world peaceful through nail art. My grandmother also had her nails done while she was in the hospital, and then she went into the coffin with art on her nails.

Contact Info:

• Website: yoshikoyamaguch.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoshnail?igsh=d2tlMGN1NW41ZWp3&utm_source=qr