She attended Central Commerce Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ontario.
She debuted her first theatre production in the city of Watts, California as Isela Sanchez in Lynn Manning's 'The Unrequited: A tale between two Worlds' with Cornerstone Theater and Watts Village Theater.
[1] As of 2018, Yamanaka focuses her time on theatre, independent films, and advocacy.
She is also a published poet and spoken-word artist, having performed at the inaugural event Poetic Fashion.
She has also performed spoken word in Los Angeles, New York, and Swaziland.