Sakura has been working in the Lower Mainland since 2003 as a general dentist. She grew up in Burnaby as a second generation Japanese-Canadian where she went to high school after which she went on to UBC to receive a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology. She was on her way to enrolling in a doctorate program when she decided that a career in research wasn’t her future. During dental school, Sakura participated in an oral surgery externship at the University of British Columbia and the University of Chicago in 2002. She completed her dental degree at UBC in 2003 and after a short locum position in Duncan on Vancouver Island, settled into a home and career in the Lower Mainland.

Sakura has worked in Coquitlam, Delta, Burnaby and Vancouver in various family practice settings. She has participated in a volunteer dental mission to Guatemala and plans to be involved in more outreach activities; Sakura also volunteers within the community on a regular basis. She likes treating families and children, and enjoys all aspects of dentistry, especially oral surgery and endodontics (root canal therapy). She follows a preventative, conservative philosophy to dental care and believes the patient needs to be involved in the decision-making process of determining the best dental treatment for their needs.

Sakura lives with her partner, stepdaughter and Labrador Retriever in the South Dunbar area and enjoys ice hockey, running, photography, as well as popular and indie music and film. Every year, Sakura is involved in the production and running of the Dunbar Haunted House, a volunteer/community-run seasonal Halloween haunted house that raises money for various charities.