Mariko Takamura

was widely described as a cultural icon for the deaf and hard of hearing in Japan. She overcame many barriers to deafness in her home country to the benefit of thousands of deaf people in Japan. It is in large part due to her efforts that the Japanese people are more appreciative of deaf culture.

When Takamura was in high school, while learning to play the guitar, she began to write her own music. When she was eighteen years old, she appeared on television, and spoke of the subsequent support she received from the Japanese public.

Her publications in Japanese included American Sign Language Broadened My World and Learning Sign Language in America. She provided Japanese translations of Heather Whitestone's biography Yes You Can, Heather! and Ben Bahan's book Signs for Me.

She died of cancer in 2006.