[Japanese Interviews: Life in LA] Izumi Mitsuda : I’ve Never Been Concerned About Age — Toward a Society Where Women Can Thrive

---

““I originally worked as a flight attendant for an airline, and later as a legal interpreter. The turning point came when I saw news in November 2007 about the decision not to prosecute in a case involving a mass rape committed by U.S. servicemen stationed at the Iwakuni base in Hiroshima. I couldn’t help wondering why it had not been prosecuted, and that curiosity led me to become interested in the legal field. Studying law in both Japan and the United States has become one of my strengths.””

Izumi Mitsuda, now working as a paralegal and notary public at a law firm in Irvine, has had a remarkably diverse and fascinating career path. We spoke with her about her life journey and how it has led her to where she is today.

■ Raised with a Global Outlook in Hiroshima

Born in 1967 in Hiroshima, she grew up with a mother who worked as a master of ikebana (flower arrangement) and tea ceremony. Her mother often told her, “The world is vast. There is no need to be bound to Japan. You can go anywhere in the world you like.” Those words shaped her upbringing.

From her junior high school years, Mitsuda’s goal was to become an interpreter. After graduating from Hiroshima Kokutaiji High School, she was so focused on English that she felt studying anything other than English was unnecessary, and she chose not to attend university, instead enrolling in a specialized English language school.

■ Starting a New Life in the United States

Through a connection, she met an American man in Hiroshima and married him, later moving to Virginia in the United States. Everything she saw was fresh and exciting. At the age of 20, she became a mother when her first daughter was born.

“There were no Asian people around me at all, so I also experienced racial discrimination. But rather than feeling frustrated, I found it interesting,” she recalls. She would go to supermarkets and strike up conversations with strangers in English.

Her naturally positive mindset allowed her to turn every experience into personal growth. She later moved to Orange County, California.

■ Building a Career Across Languages and Borders

Once her children grew older, she began working. She held a wide range of positions, including ground staff at JAL, technical interpreter, legal interpreter, and flight attendant for United Airlines. With her strong English and communication skills, she was in constant demand wherever she went.

■ A Turning Point That Led to Law

A major turning point came in 2007. While working in flight operations, she came across news about the mass rape case committed by U.S. servicemen in Hiroshima. Something about the case stayed with her.

She began to question whether the lack of proper investigation and prosecution of sexual violence cases contributed to impunity. This curiosity gradually led her toward the legal field.

She went on to study Paralegal Studies at Santa Ana College and obtained her paralegal certification. True to her belief—“I’ve never once decided what I can or cannot do based on age”—she continued her education in law, enrolling in the correspondence program at Chuo University’s Faculty of Law in Japan, studying from the United States, and graduating successfully in 2013.

■ From 5 Employees at the Time of Joining to 26 Today: The Rapid Growth of Kimura London & White LLP

■ Continuing to Learn, Without Boundaries

Her pursuit of learning did not stop there. She later studied American law as well and graduated from law school in 2020. “Studying law was incredibly stimulating. Even now, when I go back to Japan, I attend seminars and visit professors to listen to their lectures,” she says.

---

■ A Life Guided by Curiosity and Growth

Mitsuda expresses deep appreciation for the American culture in which opportunities are not limited by age.

“I feel happy to be needed in the country I have admired since childhood. I want to keep learning and growing.”

■ At a Happy Hour Event with Colleagues