Born in Tokyo and brought to California in the 1950s by her parents, Julie began her training in the arts with ballet from age four to fourteen. She then trained in Japanese Classical Dancing and received the Natori degree from the Hanayagi School of Dance in Japan. A versatile young woman, she practiced both piano and violin during her school years. But she was surrounded by ikebana all her life since her mother, Kinsui Saiki, is an accomplished teacher of Ikenobo Ikebana. She began ikebana lessons with her mother as a small child and in 1970 attended Ikenobo’s Ochamizu School in Tokyo. She also took classes at Ikenobo headquarters in Kyoto in 1997, 2001, and 2005. Julie holds Ikenobo’s teaching degree Junkatoku, Senior Professor 4th level.

In addition to holding a full time banking position, she assists her mother’s class in San Francisco and has taught for the past 25 years. She also has taught ikebana at Quinlan Community Center in Cupertino, the Mandarin Chinese School in Saratoga, and in Marin County.

She frequently exhibits and gives demonstrations for various groups including the San Francisco’s Cherry Blossom Festival, Macy’s department store, cultural and arts clubs, Obon festivals, the annual Ikenobo Tanabata show, and she has served as assistant to visiting professors from Japan. She has been a board member of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society and is a member of Ikebana International and the Ikebana Teachers Federation.