Born and raised in Japan, Haruka Tsuji received her early dance training at Chikage Kamisawa ballet studio. In her teens, Haruka won a number of placings at national and international ballet competitions, including Saitama Ballet Competition, Seisyounennno Tameno, All Japan ballet competition and the NBA ballet competition. She was also a semi-finalist at the International Ballet & Modern Dance Competition and a quarter-finalist at the renowned Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland. In 2006, Haruka trained on a scholarship at the Centre d' Art Choregraphique Franco-Japonais for two weeks, and in 2007, she began her full-time training at the New Zealand School of Dance. Whilst at the school, Haruka has been offered several secondment opportunities, including Singapore Dance Theatre's production of Swan Lake in 2007 and Royal NZ Ballet's production of La Sylphide in 2009. She joined SDT as a full time member in 2010.