Nobody wants to experience sad events but people like to listen to sad songs. That's the beauty of music.

I have always liked black and white! It is simple and the colour of the piano.

The way to respect all the people I love is to eat the music, have it in my blood and bones, and try to explore it in as much different ways as possible to create my own identity.

Every day is different and improvised. Sometimes, a song can lead to a completely different adventure. You can't control it.

I started to listen to Japanese jazz musicians when I went to high school. Some people I listened to were Yosuke Yamashita, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Sadao Watanabe.

Work hard! Just keep working hard until you can do something you want to do! We all progress at different speeds and in different ways, so be patient and keep working hard!

The beautiful thing about music is that even so-called negative emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, when they come through the filter of music, they all become beautiful.

Everybody improvises without noticing it. Life is about improvising. You can't control what happens in your life, I mean, you don't know what can happen in your life today. So you somehow improvise.

Challenges are the key in life. You always have to challenge yourself and try to get to different states.

Everything is inspiring! It could be fine art or a conversation I have with somebody!

To be nice to people and make them happy - that's my philosophy in life.

Some like to believe it's the book that chooses the person.

The paralyzing fear of being lost is fed solely by the irrational fear that we will never be found.

You are the grand estate and administrator of — now.

Out of my flesh that hungers and my mouth that knows comes the shape I am seeking for reason.

They [granddaughters] went to Disneyland and Alice proudly told Snow White: 'My grandmother is a famous atlas!' So that's nice - they're happy that I'm an atlas!

Everyone deserves a happy ending.

The blood of a redheaded woman is three degrees cooler than the blood of a normal woman. This has been established by medical studies.

I didn't know the word no, because I wanted to please everybody all the time. Every kid does

When I was about 15... I made my first attempt as a leading lady, and was, of course, a complete failure.

All you can do to the past is to never want to be like it.