LIVER POOL FC


 

Liverpool’s players will wear unique, special-edition shirts for Wednesday’s pre-season fixture with Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan.

Created alongside the club’s official publication partner, Kodansha, the Reds’ jerseys for the game at Nissan Stadium will include names and numbers on the back that are inspired by the art of calligraphy.

The expressive characters to be used for each shirt have been produced in collaboration with Riu Akizuki, a renowned Japanese calligrapher.

“The style for the names and numbers on the tour shirts is Shodō. ‘Sho’ means writing and ‘dō’ means pathway,” explained Akiko Kamiya, the deputy director of Kodansha Ltd, who has overseen this project.

“Japanese has a lot of words with ‘dō’ or pathway in them, such as judō. Shodō is a writing pathway where we use a brush, ink and Japanese paper.
“We put the brush into the ink and then draw the word in a continuous movement, putting our thoughts and our emotions into the word.

“Once you put your brush on the paper, you can’t go back. Shodō is not about drawing a character beautifully. It’s not always perfect but it’s not simply about making letters look beautiful – it’s about writing with intention.

Every stroke carries the writer’s feelings, rhythm and presence in that very moment.

“Shodō does not seek perfection or symmetry. Instead, it finds beauty in movement, balance, space and sincerity.”

Akizuki prominently deploys ancient characters and kana script in her work, which has featured in magazines, books, television, films, commercials and clothing.

Her distinctive creation for Liverpool’s shirts this week will be on display for the world to see when Arne Slot’s side complete their 2025 tour of Asia by facing Marinos.

“This piece is more than just east or west, or writing versus drawing,” said Kamiya. “It is a quiet gesture of respect, imagination and connection – delivered from Japan to Liverpool.

“Each letter and number, unique in form, resonates with the others. Together, they speak with quiet strength and harmony – just like a team.

“We are very happy with the result and excited to see the players wearing the shirts. It is a historical moment for us.

“This is something that really shows off our partnership. Of course there is a sponsorship element involved, but Liverpool really encourage us to get involved and the club returns a lot to us, so it is a very good circle.

“Liverpool has a unique history but they are always trying to do something new. Kodansha also has more than 100 years of history too but we want to do something challenging every time and I think that is a reason why this project has worked.”

The latest venture comes after LFC and Kodansha collaborated on a new collection earlier this year that brings together football culture and Japanese manga artistry.

Launched in April, it includes a mix of clothing and accessories and features manga-style panels that represent real moments from Reds history, capturing the drama and emotion of the game.

And this summer, these items will debut in Japan – available for fans to buy online here and at a retail pop-up store at Jinnan Plaza Building, 1-15-5 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.