Ramen Kaiju Vintage Tee

ラーメン怪獣 (rāmen kaijū): "the ramen monster."

In 1958 Momofuku Ando started selling the first instant ramen: noodles seasoned and then flash-fried, so a bowl of boiling water could bring them back in a few minutes. He worked it out in a shed behind his house in Ikeda, Osaka. The cup version followed in 1971, and a nation of students and night-shift workers has been eating ramen at its desk ever since.

A chubby gray kaiju with its eyes squeezed shut slurps noodles straight from the bowl, a shrimp tempura propped on the rim and steam puffing up like smoke over a city. A yellow tag down the side just says "Ramen." On the chest the monster sits in a bowl next to ウマイ (umai), "delicious," and a small heart.

Night-shift workers and monster fans with a kettle at the desk will get this one straight away. The gray kaiju looks like an old late-night creature feature against the washed black, and the cotton feels lived-in from the first wear. The noodles have company in the street food section.

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