We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Tomoko Igarashi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara Tomoko, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised in Fukui, Japan. My mom was a traditional Japanese housewife who supported her husband, cooking and cleaning for her family every single day. She is the perfect wife and a great role model. So when I was a child, I always wanted to be like my mom. My dream was to get married, have kids, and be a mom my kids can look up to.

In 2018, I had cervical cancer and had a 12-hour surgery in Japan.
There were many struggles I went through while I was in the hospital. I couldn’t eat, it was hard to walk, hard to breathe, couldn’t sleep, and had a fever countless times. But this experience made me change a lot and helped me become the person I am today.

I’m so happy to be alive and healthy now, it’s like a dream!

I have always been grateful to have family, parents, and best friends who have supported me through it all.

What should our readers know about your business?
As I’ve been a housewife most of my life, I never expected to be a business owner. After I had cancer, it made me want to explore and do things I’ve always been passionate about. So I started my journey by going to beauty school which was very challenging as I had to balance not only taking care of my kids but also going to school for 28 hours a week. After I graduated I decided to take eyelash extension courses to further my education on how I can be a better Esthetician. I began to work at eyelash extension salons and learned how I can open my own business in this profession. One of my good friends that I went to beauty school with reached out and gave me a booth in her own salon to kick off my own business. Ever since then I’ve continued to work there and am thinking about starting a career in facials.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take them to Manhattan Beach where my husband’s restaurant is called Rice. There are so many bars and restaurants around there and although it can get very busy, it’s a fun place to relax at the beach, walk around the pier, and have fun with friends and family.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t have made it this far in life without the support of my friends and family. Especially my husband, he never fails to support my business as he owns his own restaurant as well. He motivates me every day to be successful with my work and seeing him work hard to provide for our family makes me more dedicated.

Website: https://www.rincalashbar1014.com

Instagram: rinca_lash_bar

Yelp: Rinca Lash Bar

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