Sara is from Hiraizumi Japan, born to a farmer, and her Mother who was a Geisha. The only way to provide for their family. Her parents were hardly around. Her family was Jewish. Which, in Japan was hardly acceptable, considering that Japan's allies Germany, were against the religion, and therefore it was possible that they would be executed for it.

Before the events of the Great War, she had been sent by her parents to go to England, since they knew that it would come and her parents wanted her to be safe. She was afraid to, since she didn't think she would fit in there very well and her English wasn't the best. However, she did go being that her Father pleaded for her to so she'd be safe.

When she got to Yorkshire, she had practiced her English so she could communicate. She could speak enough to get by, but she wanted to be better at it. So, she had looked for a job in the village of Downton Abbey, but being her heritage a lot of people were hesitate to hire her until she found work as a waitress at a local tea shop, where she also stayed in an upstairs room.

However, the owner wasn't able to pay rent or wages being business was slow, so he was forced to close down the teashop and she was left jobless. At the post office, she saw an ad for a position as a housemaid at Downton Abbey. She was at first scared too, since she was well aware that the English didn't like a Japanese woman at their village, why would Lord Grantham be any different? However, she applied since she was in need of a job. After she got an interview, and after awhile of deciding she got the job as a housemaid and was roomed with Anna after the one before her Ethel had been forced to leave.

Anna and John Bates were the most welcoming including Mrs. Hughs, however others weren't so welcoming and more cautious of this foreign stranger. Mainly, Mr. Obrien and Thomas were the most rude to her. She almost left, but Anna asked her to stay, and she would look after her.

While at Downton as a housemaid, her Mother wrote to her that her Father was called to serve the Japanese military and he had died in the line of duty.