La Yoko, as she is known by those in the flamenco world, is the woman responsible for not only bringing this ethnic gypsy-rooted form of dance into Japan but also establishing the first flamenco dance company on this far eastern island 36 years ago. In 1959, Yoko Komatsubara, after having seen the spectacular Pilar Lopez -- sister of the also well-known legend La Argentinita -- perform in Japan, felt the urge to leave her country and exchange her cozy home for Franco's Spain in search of a flamenco teacher.

The harsh day-to-day reality of living under the dictatorial rightwing regime did not discourage the zealous Yoko, who didn't speak a word of Spanish when she set off in pursuit of her dream. "The woman who managed the residential quarters where I used to live in Sevilla often asked me why had I come from so far just to study gypsy dance," says Yoko. And, 42 years later, even after all the success achieved in and outside of Japan, Yoko's face lights up with amusement when she is asked if she is the pioneer of flamenco in Japan.

Content and grateful for having been received with such open arms by both Japanese and Spanish audiences, Yoko admits that, although she is Japanese and proud of her roots, her heart belongs to flamenco.