Kharima Rooster Vintage Japanese Phosphorus Matches Label Tee

The Story

A proud rooster stands at the center of a busy, ornate label, framed in a circular TRADE MARK medallion and printed in magenta and green over an aged cream ground. PHOSPHORUS MATCHES runs along a banner at the top, KHARIMA MADE IN JAPAN curves around the lower half of the central ring, and four smaller roundels fill the corners: a wreathed MADE IN JAPAN at upper left, a bearded profile portrait at upper right, and a pair of decorative urns below. Scrolling tendrils link the medallions, giving the whole design the look of an engraved certificate or banknote. On a black tee, the magenta line work and green flourishes glow against the dark cotton.

The rooster was among the most auspicious emblems in the export trade, associated with the sun, vigilance and good fortune, and a natural choice for goods sold across Asia. The wording places this label a notch earlier or more old-fashioned than most: phosphorus matches were the strike-anywhere type that predated and overlapped the safety match, so the term marks this as a product of the trade's earlier character. The maker name Kharima, with its certificate-style border and medal portrait, leans hard on the visual language of trust and quality. Surviving labels of this elaborate kind now live mostly in collections.

On the tee, the dense, ornamental panel rewards a closer look while still reading as a single bold emblem from across a room. Printed at a comfortable size on the chest, it carries the feel of a vintage trade certificate rather than a modern logo, easy to wear and full of detail.

Who Is It For

Collectors of Japanese matchbox graphics and printed ephemera, pop art lovers, people drawn to rooster imagery and to ornate engraved trade-mark design, and anyone who wants a piece of genuine 1880 to 1940 commercial art on something they can wear every day. The black ground suits wardrobes that lean toward vintage and archival graphics rather than modern branding.

About the Collection

Every design in the Ichinichi Collection is sourced from a personal archive of original Japanese matchbox labels spanning 1880 to 1940. This Kharima rooster label belongs to the export side of that archive, advertising phosphorus matches made in Japan, and is reproduced here directly from the original with its magenta and green inks, aged ground and age intact.

Product Details

This unisex jersey short sleeve tee is made from 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton at a lightweight 4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²), with a retail fit, crew neckline, ribbed knit collar, tapered shoulders, dual side seams and a tear-away label. Bella+Canvas is part of the Fair Labor Association and is Platinum WRAP certified, manufacturing in humane, sustainable conditions. Sleeve prints and neck labels, where applicable, are produced using DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing technology on products fulfilled by OPT OnDemand and Shirt Monkey.

Size Guide

Measurements allow a tolerance of ±1.50 inches. Fabric blends vary by color: Ash and Heather Prism colors are 99% cotton, 1% polyester; Heather and Solid Blend colors are 52% cotton, 48% polyester; Athletic Heather and Black Heather are 90% cotton, 10% polyester.