"The Secrets of Shining Women" is an interview series introducing women who excel in a variety of areas, including work and home. Our third installment features Natsuko Kimura of Expedia, the world's largest online travel site. As Marketing Director for North Asia, she spends her days traveling from Japan to Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Despite her busy schedule, she enjoys a diverse range of hobbies, including Latin dance and jogging, making her a powerful woman who leads a well-balanced life. In the first half of the interview, we asked her about her secret to staying active and surviving her hectic days.

--What led you to join Expedia?

After working for a US venture company, i2 Technologies, Sony, and Amazon Japan, I joined Expedia in 2007. I was looking for a way to leverage the international marketing and internet marketing knowledge I had acquired in my previous job to launch a project from scratch, and that's when I found a marketing position opening at Expedia. The Japanese subsidiary had just been established at the time, so I joined as one of the initial members. An avid travel enthusiast since my student days, I've visited over 40 cities. Working in an industry I'm interested in is exciting and rewarding.

--What kind of work does a marketing director do?

After getting the Japanese website up and running, I worked on launching the Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong websites. Western marketing techniques don't work in these non-English-speaking countries, so unique, localized approaches are required. This is where my experience working on the Japanese website came in handy. For example, our bear character, "Exbear," only appears in promotions in Japan. At the beginning, I was busy traveling a lot, visiting Asian countries once a month. Now, I'm mainly in charge of marketing in Japan and Korea.

In Japan, my role is to raise Expedia's profile and expand sales. Expedia has the largest market share in the West, but in Japan, only about half of international travelers know about the company. Therefore, I'm developing strategies to attract more users, including effective advertising, PR, and website campaigns.

--What are some of your recent initiatives?

In May of this year, we released "Expedia Hotels & Flights," an updated version of our existing smartphone app. Expedia offers reservations for over 290,000 hotels and flights from approximately 400 airlines in approximately 30,000 cities. It also features real-time updates of flight status, boarding gate numbers, and airport access information. This service has been well-received, providing convenient information not only at the time of booking but also while traveling.

--You seem to lead a very busy life. What is your source of energy?

My daily routine is to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and, after breakfast, walk or jog for about an hour, 6.5 to 7 kilometers, to wake up my body. I started learning salsa, my beloved dance, in my mid-20s. I discovered it during a year-long business trip to San Diego, California, and became so hooked that after returning to Japan, I joined a team and even competed in contests. Then, wanting to learn a dance I could enjoy on my own, I decided to learn Latin dance. I recently got certified as a Zumba instructor, a dance routine set to Latin music. Work can be stressful, so it's important to release stress. For me, that means moving my body. Exercise clears my mind and relieves headaches.

--You're active both on and off the job. Is there anyone in your life who you look up to or who has influenced you?

The woman I admire is my former boss at Amazon Japan, Lauren Kawasaki. She's married to a wonderful partner, has children, works hard, and enjoys a high social status. Seeing her achieve everything a woman could want taught me that you don't have to sacrifice one thing to get another.

In the second half, we'll explore Kimura's beauty and fashion aspirations.