Born in Tobe, Ehime in 1941, Ishimoto has resided in Finland since 1970, currently in Helsinki. For 32 years from 1974 he worked as a textile designer for Finland’s most famous textiles brand marimekko and at present works in ceramic art as a member of Finland’s national manufacturer of pottery, Arabia Art Department. He was awarded the Kaj Franck Design Prize in 1994, the Order of the Lion of Finland Pro Finlandia Medal in 2010, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 2011. In September and October 2013, he held his first exhibition in his birthplace of Ehime, “Playing with Cloth, Playing with Clay” at Ehime Museum of Art, Tobe Bunka Kaikan, and Hotel Chaharu.