[2][3][4] She made her professional debut in 1964 at the age of 14 with her short story Picnic (ピクニック, Pikunikku), published by Shueisha in the Spring Break Special issue of Ribon.
After graduating from college, Kimura took a short break from creating manga before returning with Okurimono (贈り物, "Gift"), published by Shogakukan in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic in 1974.
She later published Nanohana Hatake no Kochiragawa (菜の花畑のこちら側, "This Side of the Rapeseed Blossom Field"), a short story about four young college girls living together.
Rachel Thorn, an anthropologist noted for her work on shōjo manga, called Kimura "one of the most brilliant and largely forgotten members of the [Year 24 Group]".
[7] Thorn praised her for creating manga with "explicitly social and feminist messages"[7] and for addressing "issues of interest to women, including sexuality, work, and health.