Michi Takahashi
Michi Takahashi (real name: Michiyo Takahashi, Christian name: Saint Mary Chiara, maiden name: Yoshimura, born July 22, 1963) is a teddy bear artist in Japan. She is well known in the teddy bear industry in the world as the pioneer teddy bear artist in Japan, who enhanced the charm of teddy bear as an art, not just a stuffed toy. One of her masterpieces "Look Here Bees! I'm Good Boy Takuya!" was nominated for TOBY awards in 1996¸ and won the highest praise from teddy bear fans in the world. She depicted the art of Takuya Kimura , whom she admires. Michi is also an art producer, an art director, and a soft sculptor. Her husband, Hiro Takahashi (Teddy bear artist), is also a teddy bear artist. Art work and activities. She made inroads into the US and European market since 1993, and received many awards in Japan, England, and America. She was the first Japanese artist, who was nominated for TOBY awards, called Academy Awards of teddy bear worlds. Four of her creations were nominated for three consecutive years. In 1996, her auction piece, "Over the Rainbow", for the Kobe earthquake charity auction, was appreciated by Princess  Nobuko. Her piece was auctioned at 700,000 yen, the highest price among the Japanese artist bears, and she donated whole amount. Because all her work process is done by half-backstitch, she can create only about 35 teddy bears in a year, which makes her creations more valuable as a rarity. Some authoritative museums in Japan ( including Huis Ten Bosch) and England asked her to make special teddy bears for their exhibits. Her teddy bears associated with fantasy, cuteness, and neatness. She tries to establish the art of teddy bears, which people can look, touch, and talk to. She also  added the oriental touch to her teddy bears through "Michi Takahashi Kimono Collection". She is recognized as a pioneering cultural ambassador, who advocates Japanese traditional beauty and the connection between East and West. Recently, she started making dogs with mohair as a Maltese dog fancier, and her "Real Dog Mohair " is appreciated by her fans in the world. She is active as a soft sculptor.