Born in Akanko Onsen, Hokkaido, Tomoko Taira wanted to work in Tokyo but eventually became interested in the Ainu people and their culture. She started studying at Akanko Onsen, where she has family members who played important roles in passing down Ainu traditions in eastern Hokkaido, such as Tasure Yamamoto on her mother's side and Yae Shimaki on her father's side. Using stories her grandmother Yae Shimaki told in the Ainu language as inspiration, Tomoko wrote a story and had a friend illustrate it to create a picture book. Through making picture books, she hopes to share Ainu culture with many people. Her picture book "The Story of the Crow and the Jay" won the Grand Prize in the Foundation for Ainu Culture Promotion’s competition for original picture book based on Ainu traditions and culture in 2001.

Through the process of making picture books, Tomoko became curious about learning all the stories and songs her grandmother left behind. This curiosity motivated her to study traditional Ainu dance, songs, and instruments, as well as traditional weaving and embroidery. She performs traditional dances at the Lake Akan Ainu Theater "Ikoro," which offers performances for tourists, often as a dancer, singer, or instrument player. Akanko Onsen, where her family and relatives live and where Ainu culture is deeply rooted, is an ideal place for Tomoko to engage with Ainu culture in her daily life. Her style is to pass down Ainu culture in a natural and effortless manner, without forcing anything, reflecting her gentle consideration for others.

As part of her involvement with Ainu culture, Tomoko also creates works using traditional Ainu embroidery and other techniques, following the patterns and motifs that her grandmother left behind. In 2022, she renovated one of the shopfronts in Lake Akan Ainu Kotan and opened a folk craft shop called "Koropokkuru." The shop features Tomoko's own works, carefully selected folk crafts, and works by her husband, Hideharu, who is a woodcarver. The shop also showcases books and photos related to her grandmother Yae Shimaki. It is expected to become a place where visitors can explore the stories that Tomoko learned from her family.