Aveline Kushi

Aveline Kushi (born Tomoko Yokoyama; February 27, 1923 – July 23, 2001) was a Japanese teacher who was an advocate for macrobiotic diets and world peace. She opened Erewhon, considered the first natural food store, in Brookline, Massachusetts, in the early 1960s. Kushi promoted the macrobiotic philosophy and diet, a Taoist-influenced spiritual practice emphasizing organic and seasonal foods.

Background Kushi was born in Yokota, Japan. She worked as a school teacher until the end of World War II, when she joined noted macrobiotic activist George Ohsawa's World Government Association and changed her name to Aveline.

Aveline and Michio Kushi founded the Kushi Foundation, the Kushi Institute and One Peaceful World organizations, all dedicated to the promotion of a macrobiotic philosophy. The Kushi Institute was founded in 1978 to teach macrobiotics. It operates in Becket, Massachusetts, and Amsterdam.