Yamaguchi was born in Yokohama and graduated from Sugino Gakuen's Dressmaker Gakuin design school in Tokyo.

[2] She was one of the first Asian models to be featured in the world's top fashion shows and magazines.

[citation needed] In 1977, Newsweek named her one of the world's top six fashion models.

[1][2] Also that year, she was featured on the cover of Steely Dan's Aja album, photographed by Hideki Fujii.

[3] Yamaguchi went on to continue her career as a film and theater actress, as well as a costume designer.