Akiko Tomida

Akiko Tomida

Born November 21, 1991. Born in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture. He lost sight in his left eye due to uveitis, cataracts, and Hashimoto's disease, and became a prosthetic eye in March 2018 at the age of 26. The right eye also has progressive amblyopia. He has been on stage under the name of Yamashiro Tsuruaki, a master and player of the Japanese taiko drum "Yamashiro-ryu" that he began learning at the age of four. He is active as an NHK radio personality (regular on national broadcasts), percussion performer, singer, model, TV appearance, lecture lecturer, etc. At the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, an electronic Japanese drum was played in front of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. At the Harumi Olympic Village, despite being visually impaired, he worked as a manicurist during the Games, and was interviewed by the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) and was the only one to be posted on the official website, receiving rave reviews. In 2022, she appeared in a furisode dress at the outdoor festival "True Color Festival" held in the capital city of Baku as a project to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Azerbaijan. In 2022, he is active as an official ambassador of the Guam Tourism Bureau.