Yuki Fukushima was born in Matsue, Japan, a small city on the Sea of Japan. Yuki’s father, Kazuo Fukushima, was a traditional potter whose noborigama, or climbing kiln, was on a mountainside near Matsue. When her father fell seriously ill, it became clear to Yuki that she must attend the Aichi Ceramic Institute and follow in her father’s footsteps to become a potter. When traveling, the Carmichaels befriended sisters Emi and Yuki Fukushima and decided to invite Yuki to be one of their Pilot Residents and she thrived in the creative environment where she exercised free reign with her designs rather than being obligated to follow traditional patterns.