BLANCO is a Japanese word for “SWING”
Hi ! My name is Hiromi. In 2015, I left my home Japan and moved to Byron Bay Australia to pursue my dreams and create the life i want.
Many of you have seen a kid play on a swing.
Or even remember yourself playing on it when you were young ( or you might still play on it ! )
The idea that something so simple can generate an enormous amount of joy and the innocent laughter it creates. That sensation of freedom.
When was the last time you felt so free?
The last time you really just enjoyed life without worry?
The last time that you focused on the joy you felt in a moment, rather than worrying about when the moment would end?
We all used to be that kid.
What happened ?
As we get older, we get consumed in our busy complex life, worrying about work, health, money, relationships and so many stuff that we accumulate.
But we believe life must be lived as play. The world is a playground and life is pushing our swings to feel the freedom and be open to simply enjoy life like we all felt when we were kids
BLANCO also translates to WHITE, suggesting that our life is like a white empty canvas and it is up to us as individuals of what colors, textures and shapes we want to add to it!
Our mission is to connect people and act as a liaison with local businesses, communities and people who have similar passions and shared interests to create a pleasurable, inspirational and memorable experience for all parties
We provide unique travel and cultural experiences for the conscious minded individuals. We love connecting with local communities true way of life within their natural environment. We aspire to offer an authentic approach of understanding new cultures and sustainable living practices in order to nurture ourselves and our planet.
HIROMI SHIBASAKI
After graduating from Sophia University in Japan (BA Psychology), she joined the highly competitive leadership training program at GE Capital where she worked for 5 years in various positions such as structured financing, asset management, sales, marketing and corporate citizenship.
In 2006 she co-founded the FIRST Japanese/English bilingual green blog and venture business ” greenz.jp “ to share stories of positive social changes around the world to empower and educate individuals, organizations, institutions and corporations that they too can make a difference and shift the society in a more sustainable way. During this time, she started hosting “green drinks Tokyo” as part of the global “green drinks” movement, where it became a popular gathering event for people to connect and share best practises to promote a more environmentally and socially responsible lifestyle.
After the 2011 Japan North Eastern great earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima catastrophe, it was a turning point when Hiromi was offered and took up the challenges of a leading role in a global environmental NGO. In parallel Hiromi took up a position presenting the Sunday morning show on National commercial radio ” JWAVE.”. These dramatic career changes and experiences solidified her to realize where her true passions lay. This was to create a more sustainable lifestyle connecting people , communities and nature.
But something didn’t quite fulfill her at home. She felt there was a greater purpose in life, somewhere away from home that she could be true to herself and . In 2015, she set on a new adventure moving to Australia, settling here in Byron Bay. She founded a small boutique travel guide business BLANCO LIVING, catering to Japanese tourists sharing with them some of her local connections and experiences. She is also a qualified chef , running much loved miso making workshops and a small macrobiotic catering business , SACHI PLATE to share simple, healthy, wholesome and seasonal Japanese cuisine based on Macrobiotic principles.
Her passion is connecting people and sharing different cultures. She has extensive experience in event management, public speaking internationally on topics that include the environment, ocean conservation, conscious eating, surfing tourism and sustainability. This led her to co- host Byron Bay Community Radio , Bay FM’s Japanese program on the Multicultural Nation Show in 2016 and has been sharing the rich culture of the Japanese people and their lifestyle , who also have left home and found their new home in Byron Bay.
