Emiko started her early career watching Sapporo Inu's as a child. She'd always imagine playing for them with her friends Manto and Etsuko.

The first time she took to the ice was at the age of 7. She wasn't the best of skaters but she was made up for it all with her size on the ice. It wasn't until the age of 10 she got into a team as there wasn't any any teams in the area at that point. When she did join a team she ended up playing in goal due to her size and natural agility. Slowly but surely she started making a name for herself in the under 15s which led to her being offered a spot on Sapporo Inu's and was given the starting spot in her second season at the team.

By the time she left the Hokkaido Ice Hockey League she finished with a .935 Save Percentage and a 1.99 Goals against average and with a whopping 15 shutouts and 12 Assists in 86 games across 3 seasons before coming to the SMJHL.