She completed her B.A. in English at Tsuda College in Tokyo, Japan. While attending Tsuda College, she spent one year at the University of San Francisco. She earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. In her graduate program there, she received teaching and research awards and a fellowship. Makiko's research focuses on intercultural communication from intergroup and interpersonal perspectives using quantitative and qualitative methods. In particular, her research interests include cultural identity, cultural adaptation, intergroup attitudes, interpersonal relationships and communication, and cultural values. Her recent work has been published in U.S. and international communication journals. In her free time, she enjoys dancing ballet.