 After graduating at St Anne's College, Oxford (Politics, Philosophy & Economics) she studied a one-year master's degree at the London School of Economics.During this time she joined Parkside AC (now Harrow AC) and was coached by Bob Parker, who coached David Bedford, former 10,000m world record-holder and current director of the Virgin London marathon.After finishing her studies, Yamauchi joined the British Foreign Ministry, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), in 1996.