You Are Someone's Reason To Smile.

This is the ethos of Imouri. I want the brand to serve as a constant reminder that by doing the things that are meaningful to you, in turn, they are seen as meaningful to others. No matter how trivial or small they may seem in the grand scheme of things, what you do matters to someone out there.

To be honest, I've struggled with this idea for a long time until recently. Although I've been fortunate to find some level of success with Imouri, I quite often found myself thinking about the bigger picture. What is it that Imouri is actually contributing to society? Why am I even doing this?

In 2019, when Imouri rebranded and Imouri-Chan, our mascot, came to life, that all changed.

I knew that I wanted the brand to serve as an outlet for anime fans (including myself) to look to as inspiration in finding their own reason to smile. To find purpose, meaning, joy and comfort in daily life. To try the things that excite you, to wear the clothes that you like to, and authentically do the things that make you original, unique. The thought that, just maybe, through Imouri -- the designs, the character, the messaging -- I can somehow help bring more smiles, more feelings of self-fulfillment, it truly gives me a greater sense of purpose.

Maybe I've just watched too many slice of life anime (thanks, Makoto Shinkai), but I've always found them so beautiful in how they make "regular life" seem not so regular when you try reflecting inward on yourself from a different perspective. Everyone's life is unique and that's something worth celebrating and smiling about.