Sea Bream Samurai Tee

鯛と武士 (tai to bushi): "the sea bream and the warrior."

Tai sounds like the end of medetai, "worth celebrating," and Japan has never let a good pun go to waste. A whole red sea bream, head and tail on, turns up at weddings and at New Year. Ebisu, the lucky god of fishermen and trade, carries a rod in one hand and a tai under his arm. There's even a proverb for it: kusatte mo tai, "even rotten, it's still a sea bream."

A grinning samurai in red stage makeup hugs an enormous sea bream on the back, chopsticks raised, bare feet in the surf. The gold cartouche reads 鯛と武士 (tai to bushi), "the sea bream and the warrior," and a red fish leaps through a wave on the chest.

A birthday dinner, a wedding afterparty, any night with sashimi on the table: that's where it belongs. Anyone who has eaten well in Japan gets the joke at once. If you'd rather your warriors stayed serious, the other samurai are less hungry.

• 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.