About Us

Kimi means “you” in Japanese.
Ako means “I” in Tagalog.

Together, Kimi & Ako means You & I - a name grounded in what we value: connection.

This shop was born from a lifelong love of giving gifts that feel personal. Gifts that say I was thinking of you. That feeling is what inspired Kimi & Ako: a space where you can find something meaningful and add your own touch to make it even more special.

We're a women-owned shop rooted in our Japanese and Filipino heritage. Every item we offer is chosen with intentionality: small-batch, sustainably made, thoughtfully sourced, and always something we genuinely love.

Our products are designed to be more than just objects; they’re meant to be love letters: whether it's from us to you, a gift to yourself, or for you to share with someone special.

Here, gifting is an act of connection.
A moment between you & I.

Thank you for supporting our small business!
Michi & Angie

Michi Oyama

Michi grew up on Guam, where warm island hospitality and a deep love of nature taught her early to appreciate the small, meaningful things in life. Raised by two Japanese chefs, she grew up watching creativity become nourishment — and found her own joy in making things from scratch and sharing them with others.

That love of making led her naturally to art direction, where she spent a decade working in TV, film, and commercial production. But over time, the industry's culture of excess wore on her. Guided by the Japanese principle of mottainai — a deep reverence for not wasting what holds value — she began to look for a different way to create.

She had always been drawn to vintage goods, unique textiles, and anything with a story stitched into it. Combined with a lifelong love of handmade objects and thoughtful, beautiful things for the home, the vision for Kimi & Ako quietly took shape.

In a world that moves fast and forgets to slow down, she wanted to build something intentional. A space that brings back the beauty of making things by hand, with care and without rush. A place where gifts feel personal — not just another trending item — and where the act of giving becomes its own form of connection. Kimi & Ako is that space: a home for people who believe that what we give, and how we give it, matters.

Angelique Taloyo

Angelique was born and raised in Japan for eight years, then moved to Belgium, Florida, and California. Despite the moves, she turned towards writing, drawing, and art as a grounding anchor. But somewhere along the way, she set that creative instinct aside for a more traditional path by pursuing college, then a career at Google that still fills her days.

It wasn't until Covid that she realized how disconnected she'd become from her creativity — and finally found her way back to it through design and interiors to express herself. It was through interiors that she first became drawn to vintage objects, because they carry a story in their wear.

She's a romantic at heart: she loves the way light catches a glass at a certain hour, or the silhouettes created by shadows. And that softness shows up in the way she photographs and stages each piece — never just documenting an object, but capturing a feeling too. It's also what guides her sourcing: she's not just looking for any object, but for the one that will make someone else's home feel a little more like their own.

Kimi & Ako became the place where all of that could live together: a space built on intention, where every piece carries history. And it's also become a way to honor her Filipino roots, and she's weaving more of her heritage into the pieces she finds and makes.