About Lu

Born in Nagasaki, Japan, Lu (MASA) holds an MA in Theatre Lab from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), awarded by King’s College London.
 

Her dance career has taken her to New York, London, Gothenburg, Brussels, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Having lived in these cities and travelled to 30 countries, she brings an international perspective to her work as an entrepreneur, business owner, and performer.

In 2004, she established X-POLE Japan, Japan’s first company specialising in the sale of pole dance poles. She also began importing and selling specialist products from overseas, including pole dance heels and grip aids.

In 2006, she brought pole dance fitness from New York to Japan and founded Pole Dance Tokyo in Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo—Japan’s first specialist pole dance and aerial arts school. The school now has more than 3,500 registered students. In 2008, she introduced aerial hoop from the UK and aerial yoga from Germany, helping pioneer these disciplines in Japan. As a leading figure in Japan’s pole dance and aerial arts community, she has continued to support their growth and development.

Her company also provides entertainment services, including bookings for dancers and performers, choreography, stage direction, event production, and project planning for stage, television, and other media. She has also worked on marketing projects for Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs and Nikko Edo Wonderland, combining extensive experience in the arts with practical business expertise.
 

In 2004, she became the first Japanese competitor at the World Dance Championships in Las Vegas. Her career has included performances alongside Cirque du Soleil artists and selection as the first Japanese “Miss Tanqueray,” representing the British gin brand. She has also been featured by Britain’s national tourism organisation.

She has appeared on television in Denmark, Sweden, and China, as well as in numerous television programmes and stage productions in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. Her performance credits also include appearances at the Cannes Film Festival in France and a pole dance performance accompanying violinist Chisako Takashima in a concert broadcast on NHK.
 

She has provided choreography, posing coaching, and dance instruction for numerous celebrities, including Shingo Katori of SMAP, Sho Yonashiro of JO1, Anna Umemiya, Jessica Michibata, and actress Anne Suzuki.

In 2014-2019, while working as a professional actor and dancer in London, she also worked as a casting director and production manager at film and VR film production companies, gaining practical experience in casting and production management alongside her performance career.

Alongside her international performance tours, she has helped organise pole dance world championships, served as a competition judge, trained instructors, and led workshops around the world. One of her leading students, Mai Sato, became the first Japanese aerial performer to join Cirque du Soleil, performing in The Beatles LOVE in Las Vegas and later contributing to performer development as a trainer.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, held in 2021, Lu served as International Press Manager and Interpreter for gymnastics at Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), the International Olympic Committee’s host broadcast organisation, helping bring coverage of the Games to audiences worldwide.

A lifelong animal lover, she supports animal welfare initiatives and activities benefiting children and families. She is also studying dog training as a personal interest.

Author of Women Who Chose to Change the Future