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About Us

Shishido Creative is a brand created by Fil-Am PNW native, Mandy, and Taka, a Japanese immigrant recently transplanted to the US in 2019. We are both passionate creators whose intention is to share our authentic cultures through the lens of an AAPI and Japanese lens, unfettered by the Western Gaze.

Since beginning our brand in 2018, we recognized there was no end to kawaii style art inspired by Japanese culture, but Taka, being a native to Japan could always find so many ways the art was incorrect in its representation of Japanese culture, so we decided to create artwork that was very intentional in its accuracy, while still sharing it with those who are genuinely interested in our cultures. It is our honor to share and continue to study our Filipino (Mandy) & Japanese (Taka) heritage and history with those who wish to learn and appreciate it.

how we met

Through an unexpected stroke of fate, we met accidentally (twice!) in Tokyo, Japan in 2017, during one of Mandy's annual trips to Japan. Taka had just returned within the last 6 months after living for a couple years in Germany and they met at a famous Japanese festival. Although their first encounter was very brief, not even exchanging names, nearly one week later in a different part of town, Taka recognized Mandy on her walk back to her hotel. They exchanged names and LINE numbers, kept in touch over a summer, and on a trip to visit Mandy in the US, they confessed their undying love, even tattooing each other's names in each other's inner lips.

Since then, the two have gone through such a wild ride all in the name of love. After a whirlwind adventure of romance and hardships for about 15 months, going back and forth between the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Japan, and parts of southeast Asia, we finally settled down in Seattle, WA.


what we're into
Raised in the Northwest, Mandy is for lack of a better term, a non-stop hustler. While Shishido Creative is her main gig where she acts as designer, illustrator, social media manager, photographer, quality control and inventory manager, website builder, order fulfillment, customer service and basically 90% of the brand, you can bet she also keeps busy as a housewife assisting Taka in his tattoo business and the wonderful woes of being an immigrant in the US. She loves bunnies, Japanese culture, trying out new restaurants/seeing performances with friends, consuming as much ukiyo e, art nouveau and lowbrow art as she can, and denying she has a pin addiction.

Hailing from Japan, Taka is a tebori artist (Japanese traditional tattoo artist) by trade with a background in graphic design. His eclectic interests include working out, street fashion, collecting shoes and sunglasses, listening to Japanese VK & hip hop as well as pretty bad early 2000s American rock/nu-metal, watching slasher films, ukiyo-e art, kimono patterns, traditional Japanese tattoos, fluffy cats + wicked rats, karaoke, and customizing motorcycles and cars. He hates social media, big crowds and being hugged by Mandy's friends.

Together, they maintain terrible sleep habits, staying up til dawn, toiling away all night on designs you'll love, and sleeping in til afternoon.