Balance in Nature Tee

日本美術 (Nihon bijutsu): "Japanese art."

Japan had no single word for fine art until 1872. That year the Meiji government, preparing for the 1873 world's fair in Vienna, the first it took part in, coined bijutsu to translate the European idea of art for its own sake. Before that, painting, lacquer, swords and ceramics lived in separate worlds of craft, and nobody had needed one word to hold them all.

A crane beats its wings past a red sun over Mount Fuji, with a twisted pine at the mountain's foot. Crane and pine are Japan's old pair for long life; people still say the crane lives a thousand years. The characters at the left read 日本美術 (Nihon bijutsu), "Japanese art," above the English "Balance in Nature."

Crane and pine stand for long life, so it's an easy birthday gift for a parent who loves Fuji. It's calm enough for a gallery afternoon or a long weekend away, navy and coral on plain white, and the Japanese print tees have more scenes like it.

• Fabric: 100% combed cotton, 230gsm, pre-shrunk and soft-washed
• Print: direct-to-garment (DTG)
• Color: white
• Fit: unisex, regular; size up for a boxier, oversized look
• Sizes: S to 3XL
• Size reference: 6 ft 2 in wears L; 5 ft 7 in wears M

Measurements for every size are in the size guide.