Short answers, pulled from the story.
Michiyo Yasuda was born in Tokyo's Nakano ward, growing up in the Higashi-fushimi neighborhood of what is now Nishitōkyō city. Her parents encouraged her to excel in any field she chose while she raised three younger brothers alongside an older sister and brother.
Yasuda joined Toei Doga in April 1958 right after finishing high school. She started in the ink and paint section of the finishing department where tracers transferred cleaned line drawings onto cels for production.
Through union activities and daily work at the company she met Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. Both men began their careers at Toei shortly after her arrival with Takahata joining in 1959 and Miyazaki arriving in 1963.
The animated TV series Future Boy Conan aired in Japan during 1978 marked a turning point for Yasuda's career as she took charge of color selection for an entire project rather than just individual cells or scenes.
Yasuda managed Studio Ghibli's color department from its very beginning during Castle in the Sky production until her retirement following Ponyo released in 2008. Her filmography included theatrical releases from Hols: Prince of the Sun in 1968 through The Wind Rises in 2013 covering nearly every major Ghibli production.