Born in Kawagoe, a historical city known as "Little Edo" Coco Funabiki moved to the central Tokyo in her childhood. After graduating from the Department of Sociology, the University of Tokyo, Funabiki stayed with her husband, a well-known cultural anthropologist, in one of the islands of New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in Melanesia and then in Cambridge, UK where she has fine-tuned her skills of housekeeping as the mother of four children. Based on her experiences over the years, Funabiki established the Oxford University Exchange Program for Japanese and Asian women after returning to Japan. In 1992, she opened Japan's first interior mart, the Tokyo Design Center, which has become a Mecca for interior designing and a concentrated trove of well - known interior brands. The Tokyo Design Center works hard for the revitalization of Japan's architectural and design fields, consistently hosting a wide range of cultural events such as design exhibitions, seminars, and symposiums. Funabiki was appointed as a member of the G-Mark Selection Jury in 1994 and has served on selection committees for design awards, both domestically and internationally, for various design products. Since becoming managing director of the Japan Design Consultants Association (established in 1996), she has been actively involved in the innovation and revitalization of local industries within Japan as well. Japan Design Consultants Association - Chief Director (98-09) Consumer products Industry Brand Development Program by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI) - Promotion Director (07-09) The Miyake Issey Foundation - Director (04-09) Good Design Award by Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization - Interior Section, Jury (00-09) - Office and Shop Section (05) - Interior and Housing Equipment/System Section, Chief Jury (02-04) - Vice Chairman of Judging Committee (00-01) - Office and Shop Section, Chief Jury (96-99) ASEAN G-Mark by ASEAN-Japan Center - Selection Judge (03-05) Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar Environmental & Equipment Design Award by Building Engineering Association Japan - Judging Committee Member (02-05) Asahi News Paper Satellite Broadcasting - Program Council (00-05)