Yo Thom was born in Tokyo and now lives in Dorset. She came to England in 1996 to study 3D design at the Kent Institute of Art and Design. After her introductory year, she chose ceramics and completed an MA in Ceramics in 2000. Whilst studying at the college, she also worked for Lisa Hammond MBE at Maze Hill Pottery in London and continued her apprenticeship for a further two years after graduation.

Yo Thom set up her own first studio in Deptford, London in 2004 producing stoneware and porcelain tableware and some wood-fired pieces. She moved to Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 2009 and has since had a family. She is an elected member of the Craft Potters Association and has exhibited widely throughout the UK. Her work draws on both Japanese and British pottery traditions and practices.