Shisa Protector Tee

シーサー (shīsā): "the Okinawan guardian lion."

Across Okinawa, shisa sit on red tile roofs and gateposts, facing the street to stop trouble at the door. The lion-dogs reached the old Ryukyu Kingdom from China, cousins of the stone lions that guard Chinese palaces and temples. When tiled roofs spread to ordinary homes, roofers began shaping shisa from leftover tile and plaster to finish the job. Pairs usually come with one mouth open to scare evil off and one closed to keep good luck in.

One big shisa sits on the front in deep green on white, chest out, mane in tight curls and mouth wide open, which makes it the half of a pair that does the scaring. "Shisa Protector" runs above its head, and the year 2024 stands in tall numbers down the right side.

A shisa's whole job is guarding the front door, so give this one with the keys to a new apartment, or to anyone who's spent a week on Okinawa's beaches. One green on white looks clean under a light overshirt. The rest of the guardians and lucky gods keep it company.

• 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.