Nobuko, an active sportswoman who strives to hit perfection on her tennis games - hopeful to mimic Federer’s back hand passing.  This sassy mama of two kids, at age 50 years old, disliked to be perceived as one, stays very young at heart. She has a very positive philosophy and treats life as if there’s new adventure each day break. She counts respect, love and diligence as her core 3 values in her life.

1. What is your definition of success?
People like to define success by what they can see.  I used to do that when I was younger.  Better score in tests, higher paying job, awards, bonus, etc.  I  had to get all that before landing on a comfortable place in life where if I do my best in any little thing I do in life, I had a successful day.  Having children taught me a lot about how success is not necessarily in what you can see.  Every little effort may lead to something new and something more in a long run.  At the moment, I am trying to win in the tennis tournament coming up in June, which is a challenge, but at the age of 50, I am grateful that i still have the challenging spirit and I never run out of things that I want to attain.  

2. What is your ideal holiday?
My ideal holiday is, not chilling out!  I need to stay active on holiday.  A beer at the end of a tennis tournament tastes better.  Coffee at the top of a high mountain tastes like heaven.  I also want my children to stay active and learn something during holiday.  If my husband is happily learning new tricks on kite surfing, my children learning to water ski, and myself learning to catch a few waves on a surf board in the morning, we can sit down together for a nice casual lunch by the beach, sipping on frozen margarita a bit too early in the day…that’s my ideal holiday.  Then, we get ready for fishing in the late afternoon to catch some dinner!!!

3. What are your favourite recipes?
My favourite recipe is Japanese dumplings.  I put all sorts of veggies that my kids normally don’t eat in there, all chopped up into small pieces.  My secret ingredient in it is Japanese fermented rice.  It makes the meat more tender and tasty.  All natural and good for your healthy guts.

4. How do you keep in shape?
I never use a scale to weigh myself.  I never do diet.  I never do detoxing.  I just diligently cook good food (authentic Japanese recipes) with good quality ingredients, no junk food, no artificial stuff and preferably organic.  I never take low-fat products. Whole fat milk and lots of animal fat, but no trans-fat.  I watch what my family eat, because i believe good eating habit is an asset you can give to children.  Never pick up anything in a packet ready to eat from a supermarket! They are all bad for you.  I take time to shop for good stuff and take time to cook.  That’s all, along with some regular exercise.  

5. What or who are your style influences?
I like going back to Japan to see what the fashion trend is.  But my secret fashion guru is Princess Kate Middleton.  Her style is very elegant, classy, but yet very sexy in a discrete way.  

6. Living in a sunny climate, what are some of your must-haves when it comes to your skin?
My must haves is good vitamin sources like fruits and coconuts.  We have plenty of them in Singapore which I like.  I take a bath with coconut oil on my face after being in the sun, and by the time I get out of the bath, my skin tone is already lighter and better.

7. What is one thing on your bucket list?
To go back to Patagonia with my family to climb the mountains and walk along the beautiful lake.  I did that with my husband before kids, and I want to take our kids back there because that was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?
I will be still playing tennis in Singapore, trying to hit Federer like back hand passing shot and Nadal like down the line top spin, hopefully in the top level at WITS, LTS, and SJL tournaments.  

Nobuko wears Thermal Spring Suit and Wet Suit