Terumi was born and raised in Kamikatsu, Japan. She is the founder of RDND (Aru de Naide), a company focused on the education and promotion of zero waste and sustainability; owner of Cafe polestar, a Zero Waste accredited cafe; and a co-founder INOW, an experiential learning program that connects visitors with the local community. Terumi is working on a project with the town office and various stakeholders in and outside of the town to set up a waste management system that leaves no one behind.Her interests are in sustainable community development, dialogue with people from diverse backgrounds, and sharing Japanese philosophy.