Being brought up in a Buddhist family in Japan, Nako became a Christian when she was a senior at a university in Tokyo that was founded by Methodist missionaries. She is forever grateful to God who revealed Himself and grabbed her heart with His love, a Christian friend who invited her to a Christian concert where she met Jesus, and her pastors in Japan who taught her about sanctification. She served as a UMC pastor for 14 years before she became the Conference Administrator for the Florida Conference of the GMC. She and her husband, Edward, also clergy, have two daughters.