31-year-old Chie Koda is a first-year art student from Tokyo, Japan. Before moving to Hawaiʻi on her own, she graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. Koda decided to come here because KCC is cheap and she loves the beauty of Hawaiʻi.

“I like bonding humans and nature together and Hawaiʻi is the best place for that, with its nature … its environment,” Koda says.

She has always been interested in being an artist and nature is her favorite subject. She wants to teach young children art through nature.

In her spare time, Koda enjoys swimming at Waikīkī beach or creating paintings outside. She also likes to play the ʻukulele, having started after arriving on Oʻahu early last year.