Aveline Kushi (born Tomoko Yokoyama; February 27, 1923 – July 23, 2001) was a Japanese teacher who was an advocate for macrobiotic diets and world peace.
She opened Erewhon, considered the first natural food store, in Brookline, Massachusetts in the early 1960s.
[1] Kushi promoted the macrobiotic philosophy and diet, a Taoist-influenced spiritual practice emphasizing organic and seasonal foods.
She worked as a school teacher until the end of World War II, when she joined noted macrobiotic activist George Ohsawa's World Government Association and changed her name to Aveline.
Initially, this was treated with chemotherapy, but Kushi shifted to acupuncture and eastern remedies after being told she had reached the limit of traditional therapies.