She may demur at the suggestion she has become a symbol of inspiration, but a generation of young Japanese women have watched in undisguised admiration as Naoko Yamazaki became the first Japanese mother to be an astronaut.
Arguably more than any other of their female role models, this softly spoken woman from Chiba prefecture has demonstrated what they innately know but are sometimes reluctant to act on: that Japanese women are just as capable as men and that they can combine a family and the most demanding of careers.
'I have never considered myself as a pioneer, especially since Chiaki Mukai had already gone into space twice before me,' said Yamazaki, 40, who retired from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) at the end of August.
'However, if I can be a role model for young girls and women in Japan as the first Japanese woman to fly to the ISS [International Space Station] and work as a mission specialist in space, then I am very happy to have that honour.
'I certainly hope other women will follow me in my footsteps,' she added. 'I would like to encourage young women to keep up with their interests and pursue their careers throughout their lives.'
Yamazaki left Jaxa as she is expecting her second child at the end of the month and hopes her nine-year-old daughter, Yuki, and her new child will also follow their dreams, no matter how far that takes them.