Honengyo T-Shirt, River Serpent Ukiyo-e Yokai Tee

The hōnengyo (豊年魚), whose name means "fish of the abundant year", is a strange river creature of Japanese folklore. Accounts describe a long, supple body like a weasel's, covered in snake-like scales, with short legs like a turtle's, mirror-bright eyes and a spiny black crest along its back, often trailing moss and river weeds. It lives hidden in the depths of rivers and is seen only when it surfaces unexpectedly or is caught by chance in a fisherman's net.

Its appearance was taken as a good omen, announcing rich catches and a prosperous year. The most famous sighting took place in 1866 on the banks of the Yodo River in Osaka, where a creature more than two meters long was found. The story spread widely, and the creature was named hōnengyo for the good fortune such finds were said to bring. Some believe it was a Japanese giant salamander, or even a seal, far from its usual waters.

This design shows the hōnengyo rising from the waves in an Edo-period woodblock print style (ukiyo-e), with its name in kanji on a traditional cartouche.

Premium unisex crewneck t-shirt (Bella+Canvas 3001)
Lightweight 4.2 oz/yd² (about 142 g/m²) Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, soft and breathable
Side-seamed, retail fit, shoulder taping, ribbed crew neck
Large front print, about 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 in)
Unisex fit, sizes XS to 3XL: women may want to choose one size down
Printed on demand in North America

Part of our Yokai collection, inspired by the spirits and creatures of Japanese folklore.

Size guide

	XS	S	M	L	XL	2XL	3XL	4XL	5XL
A) Length (cm)	—	71.1	73.7	76.2	78.7	81.3	83.8	85	88.8
B) Width (cm)	—	91.4	101.6	111.8	122	132	142.2	152	162.6
B) Half Chest (cm)	—	45.7	50.8	55.9	61	66	71.1	76	81.3

	XS	S	M	L	XL	2XL	3XL	4XL	5XL
A) Length (inches)	—	28	29	30	31	32	33	33.5	35
B) Width (inches)	—	36	40	44	48	52	56	59.8	64
B) Half Chest (inches)	—	18	20	22	24	26	28	29.9	32

Care Instructions

General	A top-choice garment known for its softness, durability, and compatibility with DTG printing, making it a favorite in both retail and promotional markets
Wash	Maintain the tee's quality by washing it in cold water, which helps preserve the fabric and the vibrancy of the print
Dry	Tumble dry on a low setting or hang dry to retain the shape and size of the tee post-wash
Store	Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to maintain the integrity of the fabric and colors.

On this page

How long delivery takes · Something arrived wrong · Changed your mind · What cannot be returned · Start a return

How long delivery takes

Everything ships from Fukuoka, Japan. You choose between two options at checkout.

	Standard Airmail	Express Delivery (DHL / FedEx)
Delivery time, from order to door	About 2 weeks	5 to 8 business days
Dispatch	Standard queue	Priority dispatch
Tracking	Tracked and insured	Door-to-door tracking

Express to Israel, the Gulf states and Bhutan takes about 7 business days, and about 10 business days to South America.

Express couriers need a phone number to arrange delivery and customs clearance, so please add one at checkout.

Customs checks in your country can add a few days to any of these estimates. That part is outside our control and the carrier's.

If something is wrong

Tell us. Most cases are settled by email within a day or two, and a return is often not necessary at all.

Damaged, faulty or not what you ordered

This one is on us. Email us within 14 days of delivery with your order number and a photograph of the problem, including the packaging if the parcel arrived damaged.

We will replace the item or refund it in full, shipping included. You pay nothing, and in most cases we will not ask you to send anything back.

Changed your mind

You have 14 calendar days from the day you receive your order to ask for a return. Write to us first, before sending anything back, so we can give you the return address and a reference for your parcel.

The item must come back unused, in its original packaging and in the condition it reached you. Once it arrives we inspect it and refund the price of the goods to your original payment method, usually within five working days.

Please read this before you order. Returns travel back to Japan, and you cover that cost. From North America or Europe it is rarely cheap, and on a low-value item the postage can exceed what you paid for it. The original shipping fee is not refunded either. If you are hesitating between two items, ask us before ordering rather than after. We answer quickly and we would far rather help you choose than process a return.

What cannot be returned

A change of mind does not cover the following, for reasons of hygiene, safety or customs. Faulty items are of course still covered above.

Food, tea, matcha, confectionery and anything edible, whether opened or not
Cosmetics and skincare once the seal is broken
Socks and other items worn against the skin, once tried on
Knives and blades that have been used or sharpened
Items personalised or made to order for you
Anything returned without contacting us first

Handmade pieces are not defective

Much of what we sell is made by hand. Variations in glaze, colour, grain and shape between two pieces of the same ceramic are the mark of the craft, not a fault, and they are described as such on the product pages. These variations are not grounds for a return under our damaged and faulty policy, though the 14-day change of mind period still applies.

Start a return

Write to us through our contact form with your order number and a line about what is wrong. We will reply with the return address and a reference to write on the parcel.

Please do not send anything back before you have that reference. Unannounced parcels are difficult to match to an order and slow the refund down considerably. We answer from Fukuoka, Japan, so allow for the time difference.

Nothing on this page affects the statutory rights you hold in your own country, which apply in addition to the policy described here.

United States

Everything is included. Nothing to pay on delivery.

All US orders ship Delivered Duty Paid. Import duties, tariffs and taxes are calculated and paid by us before your parcel leaves Japan.

The total at checkout is the total you pay. The courier will never invoice you. There is no threshold to reach and no condition to meet.

Everything we sell is shipped from Japan. When a parcel reaches your country it crosses a customs border, and at that point your own authorities may apply import duty, tariffs and sales tax. The amount is set by your government, not by us, and it is separate from the shipping fee. Here is what to expect for your destination.

Destination	What you pay on delivery
United States	Nothing. All duties and tariffs included.
Canada	Duty and GST/HST, collected by the carrier
European Union	Import VAT and carrier handling fee
United Kingdom	Import VAT and carrier handling fee
Australia	GST, collected by the carrier
New Zealand	GST, collected by the carrier
Everywhere else	Local duty and tax, collected by the carrier

United States, in detail

Our minimum order value is $50, and every US order ships Delivered Duty Paid. There is no order small enough to fall outside it.

This matters more than it used to. The United States withdrew its $800 duty-free allowance in August 2025 and made the withdrawal permanent in June 2026, so every parcel entering the country is now assessed, however small. Tariffs applied to country of origin and product category have also changed repeatedly across 2025 and 2026, and the rate depends on how each item is classified, so ceramics, tea, textiles and cutlery are not treated alike. None of that reaches you. We absorb whatever applies and the checkout total stands. We do not publish a rate here because it would be out of date within weeks, but if you want the commodity codes we declare so you can check for yourself, just ask.

Canada

Orders are shipped Delivered Duty Unpaid. Goods arriving from Japan above CAD 20 may attract duty and GST or HST. These charges are set by the Canada Border Services Agency and collected by the carrier before delivery, which usually adds a handling fee of its own. Details are on the CBSA website.

European Union

Orders are shipped Delivered Duty Unpaid. Import VAT, and customs duty where it applies, are collected by the carrier or your postal service before the parcel is released, together with a handling fee charged by the carrier for making the declaration on your behalf.

Two points worth knowing. Import VAT applies to every parcel entering the EU, with no minimum value, at your national rate. And the EU is withdrawing its €150 duty-free allowance during 2026, with a flat customs charge applying to low-value parcels from 1 July 2026. Rates and current rules are published by your national customs authority.

United Kingdom

Orders are shipped Delivered Duty Unpaid. Import VAT, and customs duty on consignments above £135, are collected by the carrier before delivery, along with its handling fee. Current thresholds and rates are published by HM Revenue & Customs.

Australia

Orders are shipped Delivered Duty Unpaid. Australian customs treat consignments below AUD 1,000 as low value imports. GST generally applies to these goods, while customs duty is normally reserved for consignments above that threshold. Current rules are published by the Australian Border Force.

New Zealand

Orders are shipped Delivered Duty Unpaid. New Zealand applies GST to imported goods, and consignments above NZD 1,000 may also attract customs duty and a border processing fee. Charges are collected before the parcel is released. Current rules are published by New Zealand Customs.

Everywhere else

Orders are shipped Delivered Duty Unpaid. Any duty or tax due is collected by the carrier or your postal service before the parcel is released. Rates vary by product category, so ceramics, tea, textiles and knives are not treated alike. Your national customs website is the reliable source, and we are happy to send you the commodity codes and declared values we use if you want to check before ordering.

Parcels refused or left unclaimed

Where duties are payable on delivery and the parcel is refused or never collected, it is either returned to Japan or destroyed, depending on the country. Return carriage from most destinations costs more than the outbound leg. If a parcel reaches us again we will refund the goods, but outbound and return shipping cannot be recovered and will be deducted from the refund. Please make sure someone is able to accept the parcel and settle any local charge.

Food, tea and restricted items

Many countries apply additional rules to food, tea and matcha, and some restrict knives. These items may be inspected, held, or in rare cases refused entry, whether or not the tax has been paid. We declare every parcel accurately. We cannot mark an order as a gift or understate its value, as both are customs offences and would put your parcel at risk rather than protect it.

These rules are moving quickly. Import thresholds and tariffs in the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom have all changed or are scheduled to change across 2025 and 2026. This page reflects our policy as of July 2026. If anything here conflicts with what a carrier tells you, write to us and we will sort it out.