Nihon Rising Tee

日本 (Nihon): "Japan, the origin of the sun."

Japan's red sun flag, the Hinomaru, or circle of the sun, was the flag of merchant vessels from 1870, but it didn't become the national flag in law until 1999. That law also fixed its shape: a red disc three-fifths the height of the flag, set dead center on white. The same picture turns up at lunch, where a hinomaru bentō is a box of plain white rice with one red pickled plum pressed into the middle.

A pagoda rises behind a big koi twisting through the waves, with a blossoming branch and a red sun to the left, under "Nihon" and "Japan" in heavy navy letters. A rounder badge on the chest adds Mount Fuji and the two characters 日本 (Nihon), "Japan."

Like the flag, it puts a red sun on plain white, with navy lettering straight off an old travel label. It's an easy first Japanese tee for someone just back from a trip, or counting down to one, and the Japanese graphic tees take it from there.

• 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.