Today we’d like to introduce you to Miki “Ayane” Sakamoto.
Hi Ayane, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Osaka, Japan. When I was an infant, an injection I received while being treated for an illness caused the muscles in my legs to become contracted, leaving me unable to bend my knees normally. I had many happy memories growing up, but I also experienced hurtful bullying because of my condition.
Music has always been a big part of my life. In middle school, I started singing while playing the piano and began writing my own songs. I started playing in a band in high school, and during university, I spent much of my time performing with my band at live music venues.
Right after graduating from university, I moved to England and attended makeup school. I lived in London for about three years, working on magazine shoots and other projects. I later returned to Japan and continued working on magazine and film productions.
Eventually, I was offered a position with a beauty company in New York, and the company sponsored my visa. That opportunity brought me to New York, where I went on to work in the cosmetics industry for many years.
Just before leaving one of my jobs, I became seriously ill. What I thought was stress turned out to be stage IV colorectal cancer. I spent about a year and a half going through treatment. During that time, I also lost someone who had been like an older sister to me since childhood and was living in New York. She passed away from acute leukemia. Those experiences changed the way I looked at life.
After recovering, I decided not to return to the fashion and beauty industry in the same way I had before. I wanted to find a different way of working and began doing interpretation, guiding, private chef work, and food service at a preschool.
Eventually, somewhat unexpectedly, I started a curry business with a partner. Because of my experience working in a school and seeing how many people have allergies and dietary restrictions, we developed gluten-free and vegan-friendly curry. The business later expanded into baked goods, onigiri, pop-ups, events, and catering.
At the end of March 2025, the partnership ended, and I continued kiino on my own. Since March 2026, I have been balancing my private chef work with kiino. I am also currently working with a restaurant in New York.
Now I am thinking about how I can take kiino in a more interesting direction and create something new with it.
Looking back, my life has taken many unexpected turns. Very little of it was part of a carefully planned path, but each experience has led me to where I am today. And I’m still figuring out what comes next.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.
As a child, I experienced bullying because of my legs. But as an adult, I have faced a different kind of difficulty.
Because my disability is not always visible, people often don’t realize that I have difficulty with my legs. For example, when I sit in a chair, my feet don’t reach the floor and simply hang above it. It becomes more noticeable when I walk for a long time or use stairs.
Because people don’t know my situation, I sometimes experience hurtful comments or behavior. At first, I may be told, “I didn’t mean anything by it,” but when I explain that I was hurt, sometimes their hostility becomes even more obvious.
It is very different from the bullying I experienced as a child, but I still haven’t gotten used to these experiences. In fact, they hurt me much more deeply than people might realize.
There have been many times in my life when I’ve had to change direction because of circumstances involving my health, work, or relationships. Each time, I’ve had to think for myself and find a way to move forward again.
But I don’t think it’s as simple as saying that I overcame everything and became stronger. I still get hurt, and I still have moments when I don’t know what the next step is.
I’m learning to accept these experiences as part of who I am while continuing to think about how I want to live—and how I can make kiino more interesting and create something that feels truly my own.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Recipe Developer, Private Chef, and Culinary Innovator, as well as the owner and chef behind kiino.
I’m known for using a wide range of spices and flavors to create dishes that are a little unexpected and different from the usual. I especially enjoy creating gluten-free and vegan-friendly dishes that are so flavorful and satisfying that you wouldn’t necessarily realize they were made with dietary restrictions in mind.
What I’m most proud of is being able to make food that feels inclusive without feeling like “special diet” food. I want people to enjoy the food first—not think about what they can or cannot eat.
What sets me apart is my curiosity and willingness to experiment. I don’t like being limited to one particular style of cuisine, and I enjoy bringing different flavors and influences together to create something uniquely my own.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I owe a lot to the people who have supported me throughout my life and my work.
I grew up in a family that owned a restaurant, and our food was also sold as prepared foods at a department store. Even when I was a child, I would taste different dishes that were being considered for the menu and help choose which ones we would actually sell. My parents exposed me to many different flavors from a very young age, and I think that experience shaped the way I think about food today.
I’m also very grateful to my private chef clients and my kiino customers. Their trust, feedback, and continued support have given me opportunities to keep learning, experimenting, and developing my own style.
And, of course, I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me and kiino along the way. Every customer, friend, colleague, and person who has encouraged me has played a part in helping me continue.
Most of all, I’m grateful to my partner, who is always on my side and supports me no matter what is happening. Having someone who continues to believe in me and cheer me on through both the good times and the difficult times means more to me than I can put into words.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @kiinobrooklyn
