The Rise of Vintage Anime T-Shirts Led by "AKIRA" – Pop Culture from "chillweeb"

The explosion in popularity of vintage anime T-shirts, which began two years ago, can be said to be leading the vintage culture of the Reiwa era. 

One store contributing to this movement is "chillweeb" located in Ura-Harajuku. Opened in March of last year, the store offers a carefully curated selection of items chosen by the owner, Chill, focusing on vintage anime T-shirts. 

In this article, we spoke to Chill about the current state of the increasingly popular vintage anime T-shirts.

The Origin of the Anime T-Shirt Boom Before the Opening of Chillweeb

The value of vintage anime T-shirts is increasing day by day. They command unexpectedly high prices, leading to ongoing discussions, but how did Chill come to discover vintage anime T-shirts? 
 
"I’ve always been a collector myself, enjoying and gathering anime T-shirts, band T-shirts, and various archive items.

"As my collection grew significantly, I initially tried selling them in the form of a pop-up for collectors, and the response from customers was much larger than I anticipated.

"At the time, there were almost no stores specializing in anime T-shirts, so I thought it would be interesting to start a specialty shop, leading me to transition from a collector to opening a store."
 
"chillweeb," which opened in May 2022 in Daitabashi and moved to Ura-Harajuku in March 2024, quickly became a hotspot among vintage enthusiasts.

With its prime location in a back street of Harajuku and easy access, it attracts many visitors daily for YouTube shoots and fashion magazine interviews.

Currently, the value of anime T-shirts is widely recognized, especially among fashion-conscious individuals, although it initially remained limited to trades and sales within a small community.

"Back when I was actively collecting, the number of people who liked anime T-shirts was still only a handful. In Japan, there were maybe only four or five people seriously collecting anime T-shirts, myself included. 

"When anime T-shirts first gained attention overseas, it was a genre thriving within a small community of about 20 people, including around five Japanese collectors.

"Now, the number of collectors has grown incredibly. From the original 20, it has rapidly expanded into a large market. While I'm amazed by this scale of growth, I believe it's a positive thing that this culture is spreading." 
 
Among celebrities who love vintage, many are captivated by vintage anime T-shirts, and the pricing has also become a topic of discussion. Recently, not only older items but also vintage T-shirts from 2000s anime have seen a rise in value. 

"‘AKIRA’ has always had a strong connection with skate culture and has maintained high prices for years.

"I believe the value of anime T-shirts began to rise when specialty shops and vintage stores started carrying them. Particularly, works from Kyoto Animation around 2000 have become quite expensive these days.

"For each generation, masterpieces emerge representing the works of that time.

"Our generation watched ‘K-On!,’ ‘Lucky Star,’ and ‘The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’ in real-time, so they don’t feel old to us. However, for today’s teens, they are rather nostalgic finds.

"Presently, the demand from younger generations coincides with the popularity of anime T-shirts, naturally driving up prices."

As Prices Surge, So Do Counterfeits… Key Points When Purchasing 

There are many who, despite not typically indulging in vintage items, are curious about the trending vintage anime T-shirts. While they are now commonly seen on flea market sites, what points should beginners pay attention to when making a purchase?

"The tag is crucial.

"The tag is the name tag that details the product, and the condition of the tag and the rarity of the size can significantly affect the price of the anime T-shirt.

"Prices are determined by supply and demand, so if there are both a Fruit of the Loom tag and a Fashion Victim tag for an ‘AKIRA’ T-shirt, the Fashion Victim tag will generally have higher demand and thus be priced higher.

"However, for beginners, since both T-shirts were produced around the same time, I believe there's no need to focus too much on tags from the very beginning.”

Additionally, one must be careful not to unknowingly purchase counterfeit items.

"In the world of vintage clothing, even if something is not official, it can still hold value simply because it is vintage.

"In fact, this green 'AKIRA' T-shirt was produced in the early '90s, so it holds significant value today.

"For example, T-shirts featuring copyright from AKIRA's Fashion Victim sold overseas were long claimed to be official, but Otomo insists they are bootlegs. In some cases, permissions come from foreign rights holders rather than the author themselves.

"On the other hand, the obvious counterfeit items are a pressing issue.

"Especially in the 2000s and 2010s, the number of counterfeit anime T-shirts has surged recently. There are instances where images from the internet are printed without permission and disguised with old tags.

"Since blank bodies (plain T-shirts) from that era are still easily available, many cases can be found where images from the internet are printed on those bodies, with copyright illegally added to make them appear official.

"Because the era of the anime and the body match, along with the addition of copyright, consumers can easily be deceived.

"Moreover, in some cases, it becomes challenging to identify the counterfeits as they are intentionally processed to look vintage. Such fakes are sometimes sold for prices between 40,000 and 50,000 yen as if they were genuine anime T-shirts produced in the past, so one must be adequately cautious."

The media has extensively covered it, and indeed, anime T-shirts have become trendy items lately. However, Chill believes the market will change in the future.

"I think the market will continue to evolve.

"A recent trend is that T-shirts from newer works from the late 2000s to early 2010s are starting to gain value.

"Although we’re currently in a boom, I believe there will come a time when things settle down.

"However, I don’t think we’ll ever see a world where 'AKIRA' T-shirts are suddenly traded for around 20,000 to 30,000 yen.

"'AKIRA' already has intrinsic value due to its work. Just as with band T-shirts, anime T-shirts that are historically significant seem to maintain universal value as part of the culture.”

We spoke with Chill, who is leading the Reiwa era of vintage culture through his unique take on vintage × anime, about his future prospects.

"I’m considering expanding original product offerings in the future. Of course, I also want to continue selling carefully selected vintage clothing, just like before.
 
"Aside from anime T-shirts, there are many great T-shirts with appealing fronts, and Chillweeb has a wide range of vintage items in store.

"Currently, the focus is on the prices of anime T-shirts, but their value is not just in their vintage aspect, and the appeal of the works themselves is also a significant factor. I hope understanding of this aspect will spread.

"Furthermore, Japanese anime is one of the wonderful cultures, so it would make me happy if people could also develop an interest in the world depicted in these works.

"We welcome those who have loved anime until now, but have recently developed an interest in vintage; even newcomers can start with T-shirts around 10,000 yen, and I would be delighted if they get hooked on vintage from there."

Chillweeb continues to captivate a wide range of audiences from fashion-sensitive youths to industry professionals. The attention surrounding anime T-shirts is likely due to their "newness," which differs from traditional vintage, and their unique world view that sparks our intellectual curiosity.

Anyone with the slightest interest in Chillweeb's anime T-shirts should definitely visit the store; it will surely broaden their horizons.