Japan Survey Finds 12.6% Wear Original Event T‑Shirts

A survey conducted by NEXER Group together with Crossroad sampled 500 Japanese adults online from July 22‑27, 2026. Only 12.6 % reported having worn an original T‑shirt printed with an event name, mascot or design, with 5.0 % saying they have worn them multiple times and 7.6 % once or twice.

Among those who had worn such shirts, the top reason was “to feel unity with fellow participants” (54.0 %). Other motives included commemorating the event (31.7 %), expressing support for a favorite act or team (22.2 %) and matching a group’s outfit (19.0 %). The most common venues were live concerts (41.3 %), local festivals (25.4 %), sports‑support events (25.4 %) and music festivals (22.2 %).

Half of the respondents (50.8 %) had created their own original T‑shirts, either ordering from a specialist shop or online (28.6 %) or hand‑making the design (22.2 %). When designing, 53.1 % prioritized a “group/team uniform look”, followed by colour and font aesthetics (43.8 %) and unique messages or jokes (21.9 %). The findings highlight that original event T‑shirts remain a niche practice in Japan, valued more for social bonding than fashion.