Moonlit Koi Tee

月夜の鯉 (getsuya no koi): "koi on a moonlit night."

A carp that swims up the Yellow River and leaps the falls at the Dragon Gate turns into a dragon. The Chinese tale reached Japan long ago and stayed in the language: the contest that opens a whole career is still called a tōryūmon, a climb through the Dragon Gate. It's also why families fly carp streamers above the roof every May 5 for Children's Day, a wish that their kids grow up strong.

Two red-orange koi circle each other under a full moon on the back, with red peonies in two corners and a wave curling up beneath them. The line at the top right reads 昇る鯉 (noboru koi), "the rising koi," and the one down the left is the name, 月夜の鯉 (getsuya no koi). A small copy of the scene sits on the chest.

Give it to someone facing a Dragon Gate of their own, a new job or a first marathon. The chest stays quiet enough for the office, and 230gsm cotton has the weight to hang straight under an open shirt. The thunder god and the beckoning cat are its neighbors in the Japanese graphic tees.

• Fabric: 100% combed cotton, 230gsm, pre-shrunk and soft-washed
• Print: direct-to-garment (DTG)
• Color: black
• 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.