Born in Suginami-ku,[2] Tokyo, Japan, Matsuoka spent the early part of her childhood there before moving to England at the age of 11, settling in the Cotswolds.
[3] Matsuoke wrote and illustrated Ten-san, Kame-san and Muri-san go on a Journey which won the 2004 Annual 'Aozora' Environmental Picture Book competition.
Burger Boy by Alan Durant, won the "Portsmouth Children's Book" award in January 2007.
[4] Matsuoke wrote and illustrated her book Footprints in the Snow, which was published by Andersen Press in 2007.
Footprints in the Snow has been translated into Welsh, and published by Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion under the title Olion yn yr Eira, and was 10th on the Welsh Books Council's list of children's bestsellers in September 2007.