This was the first time that Mari really had to ask herself, "Who am I without my instrument? And does anyone outside of my elite bubble even care about classical music?" Here's Mari.

I left Japan when I was 11, and I was there as a 20-year-old for the first time discovering what Japanese society is like as an adult.

I come from this marginalized community in Japan called Zainichi Koreans.

We're not recognized as Japanese people, so I actually have Korean passport, but I'm not registered in Korea, so I'm a stateless person.

And so, I mean, that was, like, one of the biggest reasons why my parents sent me and I, I have a brother, sent us away at a young age because they thought we had a better future outside of Japan.

But then I was suddenly in Japan trying to do something to help my family financially, but I didn't have a degree.

I ended up working at a restaurant.