She was born in Tokyo, Japan on September 19, 1901. She was the oldest daughter of Baron Hisaya Iwasaki, who was known as the richest man in Japan. She was thus the granddaughter of Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu conglomerate. As a child, she attended private girls' schools in Ochanomizu until she was 15. After that she was taught by Umeko Tsuda, her private tutor.
