Hiromi T. Rogers was born in the Shiba district of central Tokyo into a family of steel manufacturers, headed by her redoubtable grandmother. Her ancestors were samurai and from an early age she immersed herself in samurai culture. Graduating from Hosei University, 1983, she came to the UK, 1989, initially to improve her English but ultimately obtaining a PhD at the University of Exeter. Hiromi lives in Devon with her husband. She is also a prize-winning calligrapher and botanical artist.