First and foremost, cherish the act of loving. - Isutaeko, Designer/Art Director

Hello. I'm Yuka Imai, an editor and backyard watcher who covers various workplaces and behind-the-scenes events.

After graduating from art college, I joined the job search website "Nihon Shigoto Hyakka" and that's where I met everyone at Monosus.

We started working together at events and other occasions, and before we knew it, we'd been friends for about 10 years.

Every time I see our representative, Mr. Manabe, he asks, "It's been a while! How are you?" and shows concern for me, which makes me feel like we're family, and I'm really happy about that.

This article introduces graphic designer/art director Isutaeko. Known for her pop and colorful designs, she has worked on advertisements for the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, LUMINE, and "The W," a competition to determine the No. 1 female comedian.

If I were to describe my relationship with Monosus as being like that of "relatives," then the relationship between Isu and Monosus is more like "almost family."

In addition to my partner Yosuke Hayashi working at Monosus, I'm involved in several Monosus projects, such as "DIG SHIBUYA," an event that combines technology and art, and "KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB," a project that cultivates the city through mushrooms, and I'm also good friends with the members in the Kyoto and Thailand offices.

Isu-san is a wonderful person, overflowing with love and curiosity, just as powerful as the atmosphere of her work. In this interview, we delve into her past work, her involvement with Monosus, and what she values in her activities!

Isutaeko, born in Hokkaido, is an Art Director and Graphic Designer.
She handles art direction for advertising, book design, branding, web design, and spatial design. She plans and operates limited-time shops "Physical Tempo" and "POV Store" in various locations. She received the TDC RGB Award for her art direction of □□□ (Kuchiroro)'s "CD". She received the GOOD DESIGN Award for "THEATRE for ALL", an online theater specializing in accessibility. She has been a part-time lecturer at Joshibi Junior College of Art and Design since 2023. In 2025, she will be involved in the opening of KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB, which will combine a factory that cultivates mushrooms from local coffee grounds with a cafe that serves dishes made with the harvested mushrooms. In 2026, she will hold "KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB Culture Pop Up Kyoto" at Fujii Daimaru, which is currently under renovation.

In Shibuya, a place overflowing with information, a simple design is deliberately chosen.

— First, could you tell us what inspired you to become a graphic designer/art director?

Isu: I'm from Hokkaido, and the only select shop in my hometown was United Arrows. I really liked the advertisements by Kaoru Kasai that I saw there. My parents were civil servants, so they weren't keen on me taking on an unstable design job, but I came to Tokyo on the condition that it would only be for a few years.

I was feeling pretty frustrated at the time, and then there was a cherry blossom viewing party hosted by art director Gento Matsumoto. I decided to go even though I didn't know anyone there (laughs). There, designer Yasuo Miyamura introduced me to various people, including illustrators, photographers, and editors. At the cherry blossom viewing party the following year, I met editor Gabin Ito, and I started working at Vostok Inc., answering phones, and gradually expanded the scope of my activities.

— Please tell us about the design of " DIG SHIBUYA " that you created in collaboration with Monosus.

Isu: "DIG SHIBUYA" is an event that combines technology and art, which started in 2024, and I've been in charge of the design since the first event. I was happy that we were able to do a large-scale advertising takeover, such as street screens and posters, because Shibuya Ward is a co-sponsor.

When I used to work at an advertising agency, I had some projects that were on a massive scale, but since becoming a freelancer, opportunities to work on projects of that size have become rare.

I went to see it after it was actually installed, partly to take some photos, and it was quite moving to see my designs appearing on screens and posters, taking over the city. They really stood out, and I thought, "Wow, it's really taken over...!"

—Bold colors look cool too, don't they?

Isu: This was inspired by a poster I saw when I visited Korea. There were rows and rows of posters for an art festival, and they had a really simple design with just a little bit of text on a colored background. I got the impression that nowadays, with so much information, the simpler something is, the more it stands out.

So, when I proposed DIG SHIBUYA, I said, "Shibuya is a city with a particularly large amount of information, so how about keeping it simple, maybe even to the point of being black and white?" In terms of the event's concept of being digital, we first adopted a fluorescent green neon color, and then decided on two shades of blue to match it.

My partner introduced me to the office in Thailand.

—I heard that your partnership with Monosus came about through Yosuke Hayashi of Monosus, who is your partner.

Isu: Hayashi-kun originally worked as a programmer/designer in a unit called HAUS. The whole unit joined Monosus in the spring of 2023. I had always thought that it was a company doing interesting things.

I believe the first time we worked together was in 2020 when Monosus's grocery store "Kamapan & Friends <Natural Products Store>" had a pop-up shop at Ginza Sony Park. Coincidentally, around the same time, I was involved in the design of a project held in the same facility called "AUDIO GAME CENTER + (Audio Game Center Plus)," an arcade where you play games using only "sound" and no video (visuals) whatsoever.

Since we were holding the event in the same location, we decided to collaborate and created " AUDIO BURGER, " a hamburger chosen by sound, with Kamapan & Friends. Through that connection, we've continued to work together since DIG in 2024.

Hayashi-kun has been stationed at Monosus Thailand's Bangkok office for a while now, and since I also love Thai culture, I thought this was my chance and have been going there regularly. It's fun to look at the miscellaneous goods and T-shirts, and recently I found the cursed object shop really interesting. I've also become good friends with the Monosus members in Thailand, and before I knew it, I was acting like an employee myself (laughs).

Mushrooms are fascinating! They bring joy to those around them through curiosity and love.

— You're currently actively involved in the " KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB " project, which cultivates cities through mushrooms, right?

Isu: That's right. I've always loved mushrooms, and I was also interested in starting a shop, so I told Hayashi-kun that I wanted to help in some way. The Monosus team is a web team, so I was involved from the beginning in the form of support for paper and printed materials. I created various designs, such as the "mandala" that represents the concept, the stickers for the mushroom cultivation kit, and the shop's menu.

The Mushroom Mandala is a way of expressing what KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB is all about in various words. It's not just about food and drink; it also encompasses art and culture, and includes everything we want to challenge ourselves with in the future, so that you can understand our activities at a glance. I didn't create it all by myself; it was something that the whole team discussed and put together, and then I did the final drafting.

—A pop-up store will also be opening in Kyoto from October 30th, 2026, right?

Isu: I've reached out to some of my favorite artists to create illustrations, embroidery, and three-dimensional works that express mushrooms. During the exhibition, we're also planning to hold events like a bar where you can chat with other mushroom lovers, and a mushroom observation session, which I'm really looking forward to!

The venue was in front of the main entrance of FUJII DAIMARU, a department store in Kyoto. Yugo Hiramatsu, who used to be the store manager at Shibuya PARCO, reached out to me. I've known Mr. Hiramatsu for a long time, but recently we've run into each other a few times by chance, and I've attended the book launch event for one of his books, and that's when he asked me, "Why don't we do something together?"

Initially, we considered doing "PHYSICAL TEMPO," a project that Mr. Hiramatsu had helped promote from the beginning during our time at PARCO. However, we had just completed "KINO COLA," a craft cola made with mushrooms. So, we decided to go all-in on a project focused on mushrooms. As KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB, we had always wanted to do a pop-up event, and we had been talking about creating a zine since the early days of our activities, so we are currently making various preparations for this event.

—When Isu-san brought up the idea for the pop-up, I felt that she really enjoys the activities of KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB.

Isu: KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB is a pretty important part of my life. I hope that by getting involved and getting others involved, this activity will continue to grow.

When I went to scout the venue, the Monosus team from Kyoto took care of me and said, "We love customer service, so we'd like to help with the pop-up." I was so happy that they offered to help rather than us having to ask. It's great when everyone is involved while having fun.

My friends in Kyoto have also been helping out, reaching out to bookstores and confectioneries that make mushroom-shaped sweets, and I've even had an artist I recently became friends with create some new mushroom-themed artwork. It's all developing in an interesting way.

— What is the most enjoyable moment for you while you're working?

Isu: I guess it's photography. I love the moment when photographers, stylists, hair and makeup artists, and other professionals from each field come together, their creativity clashing, and something great is created. It's something you can never do alone, and I'm happy when I can do it with people I like.

When it comes to work, I prioritize having a passion for what you're doing. It's more enjoyable if you love it, and for example, if it's an artist, I'll research past episodes and what points fans pay attention to. It's fun to discover subtle details that only fans would notice if you look closely.

Isu approaches not only the objects she works with, but also the people around her, with respect and affection. You can fully feel Isu's love for mushrooms in her activities with KINOKO SOCIAL CLUB. A pop-up store is also being prepared in Kyoto, so if you're in the area, please come and visit!