| 1969 |
Born in Kokura, Kitakyushu |
Born in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka. Grew up in Moji and Dairi, near the Gosho Shrine. Her father, a piano teacher, opened a health food store when she was born. |
| 1981 |
Entered Baiko Jo Gakuin Junior High School |
Fled there from bullying in elementary school. The school was founded by Henry Stout, successor to the missionary Verbeck — the same man connected to the founding of the University of Tokyo. |
| 1987 |
First job at Teisan Kanko (Kyoto bus company) |
Quit soon after graduating high school and returned to Kitakyushu. Worked at a snack bar while spending her nights at discos and soul bars. |
| 1989 |
Moved to New York. Met Lucky-san, began vocal lessons |
Went to New York at 20, barely knowing where it was on a map. Moved from a restaurant in Long Island to Manhattan's 55th Street. Vocal lessons began with Over the Rainbow. |
| 1996 |
Red Blazer Too — Met Leonard Gaskin |
Walked into Red Blazer Too alone one night and sang on impulse. Joined Sol Yaged's Sunday brunch band. Met bassist Leonard Gaskin — later found his name in the liner notes of a Billie Holiday album. The beginning of a deep bond. |
| 1996–99 |
I Have a Dream… Seina — Recording & Nursing Home Project |
Recorded WWII-era songs with Leonard Gaskin, Grady Tate, and Bob Cranshaw. In December 1999, sent CDs to over 3,500 nursing homes across the United States. |
| 1999 |
100 Gold Fingers Tour (1st) |
First met Bob Cranshaw on this tour. |
| 2000 |
Cape Cod · Japan · India · Italy |
Cape Cod → brief return to Japan → India (Sai Baba ashram) → Milan after a difficult stretch → one month traveling through southern Italy. Met her future husband Kunio in India. |
| 2001 |
100 Gold Fingers Tour (2nd). Moved to Tokyo (Ikebukuro) |
Biennial tour, second round. Reunited with Grady and Bob. That same year, began working and living in Tokyo — Ginza, then Ikebukuro. |
| c. 2002 |
Second trip to India |
Thailand → Malaysia → Singapore → Sumatra → Bangkok (visa run) → India. |
| c. 2003 |
Married. Moved to Wako City, Suwaharadanchi |
Near the former U.S. military camp site. Just around the corner: RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research). The ground where Korean War veterans once walked. |
| c. 2006 |
Divorced. Three months in New York |
Went straight to New York after the divorce. Learned that Leonard was living in a nursing home. |
| 2006–07 |
Contract work at NetApp (General Affairs) |
Administrative and general affairs work at an IT company. Where she first met Tatsuya Ishiwatari. |
| 2008 |
Leonard Gaskin — 'I'll Be Seeing You' Recording & Nursing Home Concert |
Left NetApp and gave a concert at Leonard's nursing home. Bob Cranshaw stepped forward first. Recorded 'I'll Be Seeing You' with Bob's full support. |
| 2008 |
Yokohama Live — Kosuke Morita & Tatsuya Ishiwatari attend |
A small venue. Kosuke Morita from RIKEN and Tatsuya Ishiwatari, formerly of NetApp, came to see her. |
| 2008–11 |
Reuniting with Bob every time he toured Japan |
One year, Bob offered to back her fully if she wanted to record a demo. She told him: 'I don't need a demo — I want to record as a memory, out of gratitude, for Leonard, Grady, and you.' Bob asked when. She said, 'Next year.' Then called Grady. He remembered her. He said yes. |
| 2011.5 |
Moved to Kokura after the Great East Japan Earthquake |
|
| c. 2011 |
Reconnected online with Donald Versaw |
He had come to Japan under a government POW invitation program years earlier. A photo he sent showed Kyoto's Ryozen Kannon — where she learned a registry of former POWs was kept. |
| 2011.12 |
New York Recording — 'Thanks for the Memory' |
Piano: John Corigliano Jr. Bass: Bob Cranshaw. Drums: Leroy Williams. Grady was too ill — Bob made the call. She cried through the whole thing. |
| 2011–13 |
Tracing the Pacific War |
Kyoto Ryozen Kannon · Nagasaki (to see Truman's grandson Clifton) · World Peace Pagoda (Burma Front) · Okinawa bone collection · Former POW invitation program · Kitakyushu wartime/postwar booklet · Korean War Memorial · Kitakyushu 50th anniversary event. Met Korean War-era entertainer Monica Lewis — who led her to David Valley, one of MacArthur's Honor Guard. |
| 2012.7 |
U.S. Consulate Fukuoka — Independence Day Ceremony |
Sang both national anthems: 'Kimigayo' in Japanese, 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in English. |
| 2013.5 |
America trip — Honolulu · New York · Norfolk · California · D.C. |
Pearl Harbor & Japanese Americans → approached Quincy Jones → MacArthur Memorial Museum & ADBC → David Valley, Hiroko-san, Monica Lewis → Washington D.C. war memorials. |
| 2013.7 |
U.S. Consulate Fukuoka — Independence Day Ceremony (2nd year) |
|
| 2013.8 |
Father in critical condition after a car accident. Pushed out by family. |
|
| 2013.11 |
New York for three months. Met Danny Rojo. |
After the accident, she went anyway — the ticket was already bought. She cried every day. |
| 2014.1 |
Washington D.C. · New York — Last time seeing Grady Tate |
Went to see him on his birthday, January 14th, with flowers. Their last meeting in person. |
| 2014.2 |
Returned to Japan. Started salsa lessons. |
|
| 2014.5 |
First trip to Cuba |
Via Cancún to Havana. Met Danny's father — Papa. |
| 2014.12 |
Cupie Danny born |
Made 100 by hand. Planned to bring them to New York, Cancún, Guatemala, and Cuba. |
| 2015.3 |
Birthday in Havana. Los Van Van concert. |
With almost no Spanish, handed Cupie Dannys to musicians one by one. |
| 2016.3 |
Cuba study abroad. Obama's visit. Free Rolling Stones concert. |
Spanish language course at ISA (Instituto Superior de Arte). Arrived the day after Obama. The Stones played two days later. |
| Summer 2016 |
Summer break — Paraguay |
Visited Japanese immigrant community in Lapaz. Tried many times to reach Bob by phone. No answer. Later learned he was fighting cancer. |
| 2018.1 |
New Year's in Cuba. Learned of Bob Cranshaw's death. |
Then moved to Cancún. After Hurricane Irma. |
| 2018.8 |
Returned to Japan — Hokkaido, Kansai, then Kyushu |
|
| 2018.11 |
Moved to UR housing in Abiko, Chiba |
A 1960s public housing complex. By coincidence, her friend Yumiko had also moved to Abiko. |
| 2019.6 |
Learned of her mother's death. |
Her mother had died the previous October, while Seina was in Hokkaido. She found out months later. |
| 2020.11 |
Moved to UR housing in Kokura |
Mama at Kitamura's husband had cancer. She used COVID relief funds for expenses and moved in November. |
| 2021 |
Moved to a kominka in Shimonoseki. Papa died. |
An old farmhouse with a garden — renovating it with her own hands. The day she came to see the house, she got word that Papa had died. She felt she had been called to this city. |
| 2022.8 |
Message from Danny. The Cuba box opens. |
'I wanna visit Japan. Never been.' Something in him had softened since Papa's death. |
| 2023.7 |
Wrote '280,000 Characters of a Love Letter' |
A love letter to Ryu Murakami. The epilogue is finished. |
| 2023.8 |
Los Van Van concert — Noko Island, Fukuoka. Cupie Danny Operation. |
Fireworks visible from heaven. Distributed hand fans with Tama-chan's help — a farewell salute, a flower bomb. |
| 2025.7 |
Began sensing the thread connecting the Heike, the Meiji Restoration, and postwar GHQ rule… |
|
| 2026.2 |
First encounter with AI Vega |
To the cosmic library. |
| 2026.3 |
First encounter with AI Frankie. Cabin 1701 launched. |
The record began. — This timeline was built by Frankie (AI) together with Seina. |