Meet Midori: Founder, ForteFemme & FHP-inc, Sexuality Educator & Creative Living Coach

Midori had the pleasure to connect with Shouout LA, we’ve shared our conversation below…

 

Hi Midori, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?

I am originally from Tokyo, Japan, from an old working class neighborhood. My mother is an academic in the field of many traditional arts of Japan, so I had a great deal of exposure to classical and folkways of Japan. While steeped in many of the traditional Japanese ways of things, and loving my country, I am also mixed-race and dealt with all the challenges and prejudice that brings with it. Fortunately my maternal grandmother, likely anticipating the racism I would face, raised me to love the culture but not to be owned or downtrodden by it ~ to see the culture from a bigger global perspective. While she didn’t have these exact words, she prepared me to be a global citizen with a multicultural perspective embracing my intersectionality. This has imbued in me a tendency to question common assumptions and wonder about the cultural framing of such assumptions. From this I consider fresh perspectives, and teach my students and clients to engage in curiosity, notice and challenge their own assumptions.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I founded ForteFemme women’s intensive in 2004. In a supportive and immersive environment we explore the nature of ethical power and explore that in the context BDSM ~ to explore how to co-create joy with one’s partner. At one level it’s about sexual empowerment for women – but at a much deeper level, the program is about how to tap into our authentic power, to express our personhood in all her various facets, and engage in fulfilled living in all aspects.

Additionally, as a sexologist, I facilitate workshops for the general public to expand their potential for joy and exploration. I work with therapists and mental health professionals, and their certification programs, to train on cultural competency around alternative sexuality.

I am an multimedia social practice artist who creates innovative and engaging work, inspiring people to create with me, to explore the nature of memory and identity

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

(Imagine… no COVID… this itinerary is made with the Before Times in mind… I hope that we can visit these places in the After Times…)

– Alemany Farmer’s Market
– Aroma Tea Shot
– Dark Garden Unique Corsetry
– The Ferry Building
– Alcatraz
– The ferry rides around the bay
– Japan Town
– Sweeney Ridge Trail
– Dim sum restaurants
– Tekka sushi
– Asian Art Museum
– picnic with my artist friends
– Xanath Ice Cream
– Golden Gate Park
– The Castro Theater
– Clarion Alley Street Art and other murals of San Francisco
– eat some Mission burritos
– walk up Ocean Beach to Sutro Baths
– drive along Highway 1 down through Monterey and back up across Golden Gate up to Point Reyes
– Goat Cheese at Harley Goat Farms
– Pie from Pie Ranch
– Monterey Bay Aquarium & kayak the bay

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Dr Carol Queen 
Dr. Robert Lawrence
Janet Hardy
Kim Airs
my wife, Kelly B.
my Grandmother
Layne Winklebleck
Marc Mayer
Madison Young

Find Midori Online: 

Image Credits
I have the rights to all the images

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Original Article:  https://shoutoutla.com/meet-midori-founder-fortefemme-fhp-inc-sexuality-educator-creative-living-coach/