Tokyo’s city hall changes dress code, workers now allowed to wear shorts[Videos]

Business-formal tradition melts away in modern-temperature Tokyo.

For a very long time, the baseline attitude in Japan has been that if you’re working in an office, you should be wearing formal business attire. However, while people in Japan may place great value on traditions, climate change, by its very nature, is unconcerned with conforming to the status quo. With Japan Meteorological Agency data showing the country has experienced its hottest summer on record for three years in a row, the Tokyo metropolitan government decided to rethink the dress code at Tocho, Tokyo’s city hall complex, and now allows workers to wear attire that would have been unthinkable a generation ago: shorts.

The relaxing of regulations came as part of new “cool biz” initiatives introduced at the start of the administrative year, which begins in spring in Japan. As of April 3, employees “working within the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building [Tocho]” are allowed to wear shorts. They’re also allowed to work in T-shirts, though it’s worth noting that, especially among older speakers, in Japanese “T-shirts” is sometimes used to refer to pull-over tops in general, and not only the sort of thing you might wear at the gym or buy at a concert by your favorite band.

Ideally, the relaxed dress code will produce a number of benefits. From a worker safety standpoint, lighter, better-breathing attire should function as a heatstroke countermeasure on hot days, and in fact Tocho has also instituted a new heatstroke alarm system to alert employees to stay cool and hydrated during extreme temperatures. The option of wearing shorts and T-shirts also would allow for running air conditioners at more moderate levels, lessening energy usage and environmental impact. Finally, comfortable workers tend to be more effective workers, so the new dress code could also lead to improved productivity within the halls of Tocho.

“At first I thought I’d feel self-conscious,” says one male Tocho worker who worked a recent shift in shorts, “but it really is comfortable wearing them, and I could feel myself making smoother progress with my work. Up until now, I’ve usually worn polo shirts and chinos in the office, but shorts really are cooler and more comfortable than long pants.”

The new policy isn’t coming without public blowback about the breezy wardrobe choices. Shorts, especially when worn by men, have long been seen as decidedly casual attire in Japan, and some online commenters have grumbled about the idea of government employees dressing in such a laid-back style. The until-now rarity of uncovered male legs in the workplace also raises grooming-related business etiquette questions, as in many Japanese offices stubbly facial hair is discouraged or banned, causing some to wonder if men choosing to wear shorts at Tocho should then also be willing to shave their legs or otherwise remove lower body hair.

Despite complaints from those who perceive the new dress code as representing a loss of professional decorum, the above videos appear to imply that shorts are being allowed for workers in internal/back office positions, not necessarily for those in roles which involve directly interacting with residents and other members of the public coming to Tocho to take care of administrative issues. And with Japan’s summers becoming so hot that the country is needing to create new words to describe the heat, it’s nice to see Tocho taking some sort of countermeasures before the end of spring.

Source: Tokyo MX Plus via Yahoo! Japan News via Hachima Kiko
Top image ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit:

Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo

Seventh Heaven becomes Lemon’s Heaven.

Final Fantasy VII is an adventure on a grand scale, taking players into ancient temples, mysterious caverns, and high-tech military facilities. One of its most memorable locations, though, is the bar Seventh Heaven.

Run by protagonist Cloud’s childhood friend (and best Final Fantasy VII female cast member) Tifa, Seventh Heaven serves as not only a gathering place for the local community, but also as the base of operations for resistance group Avalanche. As depicted in Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, it’s a rustically welcoming place, with a brick façade, wooden furnishings, and warm lighting, just the kind of place to get together and clink glasses with friends as you blow off steam after a hard day of work and/or discuss how to fight evil and save the world. As a matter of fact, Tifa’s bar is so inviting that it’s opening in the real world later this month.

Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix and Asahi Beer are teaming up to open the Future Lemon Sour Bar with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in downtown Tokyo’s Roppongi neighborhood. The approximately 60-seat saloon will recreate the look and feel of Seventh Heaven (with a change to the sign over the door to read “Lemon’s Heaven”), and will be serving up all three varieties of Asahi’s canned lemon chu-hi cocktail: Future Lemon Original, Plain (a dryer version), and Strong (with a 7-percent alcohol content instead of the 5 percent of the other two). They’re all priced at 300 yen (US$1.95), and note that payment in Gil or Shinra scrip is not accepted.

▼ Future Lemon, as you might remember from our taste test, is a unique canned cocktail with an actual lemon slice inside for extra freshness and flavor.

Tifa’s bar will be setting up shop in the Roppongi Hills entertainment complex’s outdoor O-Yane Plaza section. It’ll be open from April 29 to May 3, serving drinks from 1 to 9 p.m. on its opening day, 4 to 9 p.m. on April 30 and May 1, and noon to nine on May 2 and 3, with last call at 8:30 nightly.

Related: Roppongi Hills official website
Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit:

Buddhist priest arrested for using health insurance card he found on the street

Priest enlightened himself of the burdens incurred when paying for insurance.

I think most of us view Buddhist priests as centered people who aren’t swayed by the materialistic temptations that cause some to commit crime. But much like snowflakes, all Buddhist priests are unique creations of their own karma, and there are even some who end up going on a nationwide spending spree with someone else’s health insurance card.

Buddhist priest Terukazu Hirokaga was arrested after he was caught impersonating another man by using his insurance during a hospital visit in Osaka to get treatment and prescription medicine. The 55-year-old Hirokaga claims he had found the card belonging to a man in his 60s on the street in Tokyo.

The thing about illegally using a health insurance card is that there is a very clear-cut paper trail, and police could quickly ascertain that he had used the card 115 times since March 2024, in a number of cities, including Okayama and Kyoto. Hirokaga reportedly admitted that he intentionally used it in different locations to avoid detection.

▼ Apparently, even while he was making this video of himself playing the flute very beautifully, he was out and about hitting up different medical centers.

In Japan, everyone is required to have a health insurance card and pay into the national insurance system either through their company or individually. These plans generally cover 70 percent of hospital bills, with the remainder paid directly by the patient. Some people do not make their insurance payments and therefore do not have a valid card of their own. In that case, they can rejoin the system only if they pay two years’ worth of past payments at once, which makes some hesitant to rejoin unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Actually, the government officially stopped issuing health insurance cards last year, but still honor ones that haven’t expired yet. Instead, the duty has been transferred to the MyNumber card, a type of social insurance card that the government hopes to be used for everything from healthcare to driver’s licenses. One key difference is that a MyNumber card has a photo on it and requires either a PIN or facial scan to use, whereas a health insurance card does neither.

▼ MyNumber cards also have chips to sync with your phone and other devices.

It’s unclear why Hirokaga didn’t have his own card. According to reports, he was “on leave” (“kyugochu”) at the time of his arrest. This means that he still retained the rank of priest but was not affiliated with a temple. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as him feeling professionally burned out or his former temple having fallen on hard times.

Whatever the case, many readers of the news online felt this was a clear case of how the MyNumber card is superior to traditional insurance cards. Others wondered if this priest was really holier than whosoever.

“He probably got insurance through his temple before he left.”
“That’s exactly why we need to use MyNumber…”
“This never would have happened with the MyNumber card.”
“I want him to shave his head and reflect on his actions.”
“How did they even manage to catch him if he didn’t do anything strange?”
“Who just picks up an insurance card like that? I wonder if that’s how he really got it.”
“115 times? The police should check if he was selling some of that medication.”

The fact that he went to a hospital 115 times in two years, averaging about once a week, is rather suspicious and likely a factor in how he got caught. For the time being, his reasons for doing this remain between him and his eighth consciousness, but perhaps police will be able to pierce the maya and uncover the seeds of his transgression.

Source: FNN Prime Online, Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit:

Japanese convenience store gives away free ice cream with creative ad at Shinjuku Station

An even more convenient way to get ice cream. 

Whenever someone from overseas raves about Japanese convenience stores, they’re usually talking about the big three – 7-Eleven, Family Mart, and Lawson.

▼ However, there’s another well-known chain that’s often overlooked: Ministop.

Despite being well-known, Ministop reported a net loss of 5.6 billion yen (US$35 million) for the fiscal year ending February 2026, its third consecutive year in the red. The news has sparked concern among longtime fans, with #SaveMinistop now appearing as a hashtag on social media. Support is so strong that some fans have been intentionally purchasing items with the best product margins, and one of those products is the soft serve, which the chain is famous for.

Given its financial background, you’d expect the chain to be tightening its purse-strings, cutting corners and doubling down on efforts to turn a profit at all costs. But instead, it’s doing something entirely different: giving away free soft serves.

The free offer is a very limited-time affair, and only available through the unique, eye-catching ad pictured below, which has just popped up at the Metro Promenade at Shinjuku Station.

▼ The sign here says: “I’ve found an outrageous ad“.

Our reporter Mr Sato stumbled upon the ad by accident as he was walking through the station, and as he walked towards it, he could see a row of people lined up beneath the words “必ず当たる” which means “guaranteed win”.

A guaranteed win is something Mr Sato can never pass up, so he joined the crowd at the poster and copied what they were doing by pressing his phone to the “Touch with your Smartphone” spot, circled below.

Although the system seemed to work for everyone else there, Mr Sato’s phone did nothing – his Motorola razr50 was unresponsive. Whipping out his backup phone, a Google Pixel 7a, this too did nothing so he asked the staff there for advice, and they told him that Android devices like these might be slow to respond. They suggested he try other touchpoints, but there was still no response, even when he tried them all.

So he took out his other backup, an iPhone SE2, and it worked immediately, lighting up his screen with a message saying he’d won a coupon.

▼ Mr Sato is a man of many phones.

The winning message had “Tokyo Asakusa Station North Exit Store” written at the top as the place to redeem the coupon, but it can be redeemed at any store in the country. If you do want to have the message show a different store, you can change it by spinning a roulette wheel, according to the steps below.

▼ Scroll down as instructed…

▼ …then tap the blue “spin the roulette wheel again” button.

This will switch to a random store every time you tap it, and you can spin it as many times as you like before hitting the yellow “Get Free Coupon” button.

It didn’t take long for Mr Sato to get a store nearby, so when “Shinjuku Hanazono Dori” popped up as an option, he hit the yellow button.

That took him to a new page with a barcode, which he was instructed to take a screenshot of for staff to scan when redeeming his free soft serve. The free offer is only available from 20-26 April, and limited to one per customer, with coupons needing to be redeemed from 20 April to 10 May.

Although Mr Sato’s screen said “Shinjuku Hanazono Dori”, he chose to use it at a different branch closer to his home. Sure enough, there were no hiccups as he was able to receive his free soft serve by simply presenting the coupon to staff at the register.

▼ The smile of a man who went through three smartphones to get a free ice cream.

As he licked his sweet reward, Mr Sato learned that Ministop’s soft serve underwent a revamp last April, changing from a “Vanilla Soft Serve” to a “Hokkaido Milk Soft Serve .” Earlier this month, the chain reportedly renewed the cone’s ingredients, replacing some of the wheat flour with whole wheat flour and adding calcium, so the free campaign looks to be a concerted effort by the chain to get everyone to try the new ice cream.

For Mr Sato, the soft serve tasted better than he’d remembered it, and not just because it was free. It was creamy and fresh, with a high-quality flavour you’d expect from milk sourced from Hokkaido, Japan’s premier milk-producing region. With summer just around the corner, the free campaign is a perfect way to remind everyone about the wonders of Ministop ice cream, and if you’re looking for a novel way to enjoy it, then this hack will help you view the humble ice cream in a whole new light, and hopefully keep Ministop in business.

Images©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit:

And now, a video of the voice of Dragon Ball’s Goku meeting the Emperor and Empress of Japan

There was more than one famous Masako at this year’s Spring Garden Party.

Every year in spring, the imperial family of Japan hosts a Spring Garden Party on the grounds of the Akasaka Estate, an elegantly maintained green space in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. Our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail, so unfortunately we weren’t among the guests in attendance to hobnob with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on April 17.

However, in addition to the wife of Japan’s reigning monarch, there was another famous Masako in attendance, Masako Nozawa, the veteran anime voice actress who’s served as the voice of Dragon Ball’s Son Goku for 40 years and counting. With 1,400 guests at the function, it’s unlikely that all of them had time to directly chat with the emperor and empress, but the royals did make time to talk with the anime luminary, as shown in the video below.

The royals clearly recognize Nozawa, with Empress Masako inquiring about her career, asking “Have you always done shonen roles?”, referencing Nozawa’s body of work in action anime aimed at boys. “Yes, I’ve never played the role of a beautiful woman, not even once” says Nozawa with a good-natured laugh. Rather than lean into Nozawa’s self-deprecating humor, thought, Empress Masako follows up with “Did shonen roles just click with you right from the start?” to which Nozawa replies “yes, they did.”

The biggest surprise, though, comes when Emperor Naruhito joins in and reveals himself to be a long-time fan of the anime adaptation of Gegege no Kitaro, the hit series in which Nozawa herself played the lead role. “When I was a kid, I watched Gegege no Kitaro on TV, and wondered what kind of person was doing the voice of the character,” he reminisces. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear that you watched it,” Nozawa says, and Emperor Naruhito also reveals that he knows that Nozawa went on to provide the voice for Kitaro’s father, Medama Oyaji, in the anime’s 2018 iteration, showing that he’s got at least some familiarity with relatively contemporary anime too.

Online reactions to the conversation between the two famous Masakos and singularly famous Naruhito have included:

“Kakarot, the Emperor, and the Empress all have such refined ways of speaking.”
“Even I feel honored watching this.”
“Masako Nozawa is so accomplished in her field, but she always conducts herself in a humble and gentle way…She’s exactly the kind of person I want to be.”
“I don’t think there’s anyone in Japan who didn’t grow up listening to her voice.”
“Seeing her talk with people, you’d think she’s still in her 50s. Having that much drive must keep you energetic.”
“It’s amazing to hear ‘Kitaro’ and ‘Medama Oyaji’ come out of the Emperor’s mouth.”

During their chat, the imperial couple asked Nozawa a number of other questions about how she’s honed her craft. She explains how a key element in a good performance is instilling a natural quality in it, matching the energy and intonation that one would have in a face-to-face exchange even while speaking into a microphone in a recording booth. To that end, she says that, even though she’s now 89 years old herself, she still often portrays young boys, and so she tries to be observant around kids in the real world, taking note of and internalizing the ways they speak.

As their conversation draws to a close, the three exchange polite goodbyes, and Nozawa says “I’ll keep doing my best,” perhaps now with even more motivation to make her vocal performances shine considering who might be watching and listening.

Source: Aera Digital via Yahoo! Japan News, YouTube/TBS NEWS DIG Powered by JNN
Top image ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit:

Japan is so hungry for workers it used up its five-year visa quota in record time

Many people with dreams are poised to save understaffed kitchens, but they’re currently stuck behind a bureaucratic velvet rope.

Two facets of Japanese culture that are world-renowned are its incredible service and its culinary scene, but there is an ever-growing issue that the industry is facing in that there are fewer and fewer people behind the counters to actually offer it. A critical shortage of staff is putting a strain on many of the areas within the industry, from local eateries to meal services in hospitals.

▼ Will smiling servers become a thing of the past in the face of a labor shortage?

In the hopes of combating this, the Japanese government introduced the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa in April 2019, designed to bring in trained international talent. The visa targets 16 specific industries where domestic staffing has become critically difficult, ranging from nursing care and construction to agriculture.

The SSW visa is not a scheme to usher in cheap labor, as they must pass assessments before they even arrive in the country, proving that they have at least a foundational command of Japanese (typically around N4 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or higher), as well as professional expertise through passing industry-specific exams.

▼ Because, of course, Japan needs you to pass exams for anything and everything.

The government originally intended to accept a total of 820,000 workers over the five-year period ending in 2028, with the food service sector capped at 50,000 workers to avoid exceeding the estimated labor shortage. However, the demand from Japanese businesses, and the enthusiasm from international applicants, has been so high that the food service sector’s quota is expected to reach its limit as early as next month.

On April 13, Japan officially suspended new applications for the sector, which has left many aspiring applicants in a difficult position. While it’s easy to consider “food service” as being limited to cafes and restaurants, the impact extends much further, reaching companies that provide prepared meals for hospitals and nursing care facilities. These companies rely on trained professionals with the SSW visa to fill gaps in local recruitment, and without them, there is a possibility they will become unable to provide meals for the facilities they supply.

▼ Thus having an increased possibility of needing to rely on alternative measures.

With many companies in Japan arguing that international talent is not an added bonus, but an actual necessity to the stability of the Japanese food service industry, along with the ability to provide consistent care to Japan’s vulnerable populations, the current suspension clearly highlights how global talent has become integral to Japanese daily life.

As the industry waits for the government to reassess its numbers, many of the kitchens remain understaffed, and the dreams of many international workers remain on hold. For now, it seems Japan’s famous hospitality is stuck with its name on a waiting list until the bureaucrats clear some more tables.

Source: NNN via Yahoo News via Hachima Kikou
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2, 3)
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit:

The dream of riding Final Fantasy Chocobos is coming to Tokyo VR centers

Final Fantasy XIV VR experience will give you the chance to prove you’re the kweh-kist Chocobo jockey around.

Fukushima recently unveiled a travel promotion in conjunction with Final Fantasy, inviting travelers to visit the prefecture and search for the video game franchise’s iconic avian character. However, as fans know, Chocobos aren’t just Final Fantasy’s mascot, they’re the series mounts too, and so now comes word of a chance to ride Chocobos.

This offer is coming to us from Tyffon, a maker of VR/XR attractions with two facilities in Tokyo. Tyffon has announced that it’s currently developing Final Fantasy XIV: Chocobo Race VR, which will allow players to take the role of a Chocobo jockey for an immersive experience recreating the thrills of Chocobo racing, as seen in the game’s Gold Saucer pleasure park. The developers are promising a thrilling challenge with sights, sounds, and physical sensations working in tandem to convey the speed of riding on the back of a top-class racing Chocobo, suggesting that players won’t just be sitting in a basic stationary chair during their sessions.

Tyffon’s previous projects have included VR experiences based on the Monster Hunter video game series and Stephen King’s horror hit It. Final Fantasy XIV: Chocobo Race VR is their first tie-up with Final Fanatsy, though. The game will make its debut in Tyffon’s Tyffonium XR entertainment facility, which currently has two locations in Tokyo, one in the Odaiba neighborhood and one in Shinjuku. The company says it’s planning to expand its number of locations both domestically and internationally, though, and considering Final Fantasy’s worldwide popularity, if and when Tyffonium does make it overseas, bringing their Chocobos with them would be the smart call. For now, though, Final Fantasy XIV: Chocobo Race VR is scheduled to be playable at the Tokyo Tyffonium branches this coming October.

Related: Tyffonium official website
Source, images: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit:

Studio Ghibli launches huge new anime movie T-shirt collection with special design details

American casual aesthetic, thoughtful Japanese design.

With the weather heating up, it’s time to start switching our wardrobes for lighter clothes, and if you find that your T-shirt collection needs a spruce up, Studio Ghibli has exactly what you’re looking for.

Produced by the studio’s cool GBL brand, which boasts an “American casual” aesthetic for hip fashion-savvy individuals, the 2026 Spring Summer GBL Basic T-Shirt range contains 12 different designs. Despite the name, there’s nothing basic about this collection, as each design incorporates subtle playful touches such as glow-in-the-dark elements, embroidery, and mixed materials.

▼ Made with 100-percent cotton and finished with a stonewash process, each T-shirt has a soft feel and worn-in look to give it a vintage vibe.

There’s a lot to explore in each shirt, with different layers of meaning and special design elements that fans will love.

▼ Castle in the Sky Laputa – You can read it! You can read it!

▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service – Jiji Plush Toy

In Kiki’s Delivery Service, there’s a charming scene where Kiki’s black cat Jiji has to step in and mimic a child’s stuffed toy that bears a striking resemblance to him.

That humorous scene is captured beautifully on this T-shirt, with sagara embroidery making JIji look even more like a stuffed toy.

▼ This extra textural detail lets you pet Jiji in real life.

The orange hue was selected to resemble the colour of the carpet in Ketto’s house, and around the back is a subtle line print depicting Jeff, Ketto’s dog who looks after Jiji during his stuffed-toy moment.

▼ Aw, sweet ol’ Jeff…with a nervous Jiji.

Image: Studio Ghibli

▼ Pom Poko – Bakegaku Practice

Pom Poko centres around a group of shape-shifting tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs), some of whom can shape-shift better than others. One character who needs to fine-tune their skills is Ponkichi, who takes part in Bakegaku Practice (“Transformation Science Practice”), and his efforts are seen on this T-shirt, where he’s pictured alongside some beckoning cats.

▼ The embroidered details make Ponkichi stand out against the crowd. 

▼ The T-shirt takes its design cues from this scene in the movie.

Image: Studio Ghibli

The back features a large “Transformation Science Revival Human Research” print that refers to the tanuki’s five-year plan to study humans and revive the ancient art of transformation to protect their natural environment against development.

▼ If this print looks familiar, that’s because it was written by Abbot Tsurukame in the film.

Image: Studio Ghibli

▼ Spirited Away – Yarn Play 

One of the sweetest moments in Spirited Away takes place at the house of Zeniba, where Chihiro’s companions, No Face, Baby Boh (in mouse form) and Yubaba’s transformed bird, sit at the table with balls of yarn.

This design draws you in with different embroidery techniques – chain stitch embroidery on the yarn and drapery embroidery on the spools of thread.

The front of this T-shirt is so detailed that it needs no extra embellishment on the back, using only the simple “Studio Ghibli” tag that appears on the back of all the shirts.

▼ Ponyo on the Cliff By The Sea – Ponyo and Jellyfish

One of the most adorable scenes from this beautifully made movie is when the titular character hitches a ride on a large jellyfish, while sheltering under a smaller one. This tee captures that magical moment, with polyvinyl chloride material used on the jellyfish portion to give it a transparent effect, and simple line art for the smaller figures to make the main jellyfish stand out.

▼ The use of different materials, a rare feature for a T-shirt, is one of the most appealing aspects of this design.

▼ The back of the neckline is embroidered with images of Ponyo’s siblings.

▼ My Neighbour Totoro – Chase

In the movie My Neighbour Totoro, young character Mei comes across a mysterious white Totoro walking by her countryside home. Soon, the little Totoro is joined by a blue Medium Totoro, and when Mei lays eyes upon them, she immediately chases after them.

▼ “Fled Into the Bushes” is what the two Totoro did to escape Mei, and the act is captured on the front pocket of the shirt.

The two scamper away in such a hurry they have no time to retrieve the acorns that fell from the sack carried by the Medium Totoro.

When the two creatures run into the bushes, escaping into what’s revealed to be a low tunnel between the plants, Mei ends up running into the upper branches. Stepping back, Mei’s face is covered in green leaves, and that moment is recreated in the design on the back of the tee.

▼ Some of the leaves are beautifully embroidered, creating a tactile, three-dimensional finish.

▼ Kiki’s Delivery Service – Senpai Witch

This is the most ’80s retro pop version of Kiki we’ve ever seen, and it perfectly captures her youthful energy. The year ’89 is not a reference to Taylor Swift’s “1989” album, but the year that Kiki’s Delivery Service first debuted in cinemas.

Kiki’s red radio appears on the left sleeve, and the design details let us know that it’s on and playing music, just as it was when Kiki set off on her witch-training journey on the night of a full moon.

▼ During that flight, Kiki comes across a senpai (“senior”) witch who is further along in her training.

Image: Studio Ghibli

Annoyed by the noise of Kiki’s radio, the witch says to Kiki, “You’re new, aren’t you?” with a slight air of disdain, and these words appear on the back neckline, recalling the movie moment.

▼ Porco Rosso – You’re Beat. Do As I Say.

This tee employs a “sophisticated” burgundy hue to give it a cool and stylish look. On the front is an image that recalls a flight scene from the movie, where Porco Rosso flashes a series of light signals to his foes in the Mamma Aiuto gang, who read it out as: “Message from the pig. ‘You’re Beat. Do What I say.'”

▼ The back of the shirt features the emblem of the tail fin of Porco’s beloved aircraft, the Savoia.

The light signal and dialogue are printed using reflective material, so they glow and stand out when exposed to a light source, such as a camera flash.

▼ Porco Rosso – Be Quiet!

This design recalls a humorous moment from the film, when Porco rescues a group of children from the Mamma Aiuto gang.

In this scene, Porco is at the mercy of the boisterous kids, trying to maintain control of the situation as they scramble about the plane.

Image: Studio Ghibli

With embroidered details, this tee has a three-dimensional feel, and on the back you’ll find Porco in his singlet, saying, “Be quiet”, just as he does in the movie.

▼ Princess Mononoke – Silence, Boy!

This design is inspired by the memorable scene in Princess Mononoke where Moro says to Ashitaka, “Silence, Boy!”  Moro’s powerful expression has been dynamically captured, highlighting the giant dog’s strong and imposing presence.

▼ Spirited Away – You Can’t Be Here

No Face stands in front of the brightly coloured bathhouse in this gorgeous design, which features a solid black colourway in honour of the character. Looking closely, you’ll see that No Face is actually embroidered with a thick cotton thread, resulting in a distinctive finish that’s both tactile and comforting.

“This is no Place for Humans” refers to the off-limits nature of the magical bathhouse for spirits, a sentiment echoed in Haku’s words when he sees Chihiro on the bridge and says, “You can’t be here”.

▼ Howl’s Moving Castle – Cleaning Up 

The scene here recalls the moment when Sophie and Markl work hard to move Howl’s dejected and motionless body into the bathroom. This is when Howl emits a sticky green substance, which is perfectly replicated on the shirt through transparent printing, which gives it a liquid-like appearance.

The back of the shirt features an image of Sophie sweeping, with the words, “The Great Wizard Jenkins”, in reference to Howl’s alias.

Priced at 6,930 yen (US$43.43) each, the T-shirts can be pre-reserved online (links below) from noon on 24 April. It’ll be hard to choose a favourite between them all, but whichever one you choose, it’ll arrive just in time for T-shirt season, with deliveries scheduled for mid-May.

Source, images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit: