Flame Monk Tee

炎の僧 (honō no sō): "the monk of flame."

Fire is a working tool in Shingon and Tendai temples. At a goma rite the priest builds a fire on the altar and feeds it thin wooden sticks called gomagi, each one carrying a prayer written by a visitor. The flames are meant to burn away bonnō, the worldly desires that Buddhism counts at 108, which is also why a full string of juzu prayer beads has 108 beads. Sit near the altar and you feel the heat on your face.

He sits in red line work with one knee raised, prayer beads at his neck and in his hand and a pronged ritual tool in his grip. Flames climb all around him across the back, and a smaller bust of him wrapped in fire sits on the chest.

Spend a morning beside a goma fire and you'll know the heat in this one. The line work stays crisp on white, the flames climb the whole back, and few Japanese graphic tees run this hot.

• 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.