Full Belly Samurai Tee

満腹武士 (manpuku bushi): "the full-bellied warrior."

A day at an Edo kabuki theater ran from morning until dusk, so the audience ate where it sat. The rice and side dishes passed around between acts gave their name to the makunouchi bentō, maku meaning the stage curtain, and the same boxed lunch still sells at train stations across Japan. On stage, bold red lines painted across an actor's face, the kumadori makeup Ichikawa Danjūrō I made famous in the late 1600s, told the crowd they were watching the hero.

The chest badge is the joke: a samurai in red kabuki makeup with chopsticks and a wooden lunch box, under 満腹武士 (manpuku bushi), "the full-bellied warrior." 満腹 means a stomach filled to the top and 武士 means samurai. On the back he poses with a sword and chopsticks in front of a giant red carp and the English word "Carp."

Trip planners who build the whole day around lunch, station bentō included, will laugh at both sides. The full-bellied warrior is plainly one of their own, and the reds stay bright on white. More carp, most of them less hungry, are in the koi lineup.

• 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.