Original T-shirt Festival 2026 to be Held in Tsukuba on May 23, Featuring Ori-T Koshien x 24-Hour Television Charity Goods

The Japan Original T-shirts Association (JOTA, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Keitaro Mori) will host the 'Original T-shirt Festival 2026' (commonly known as Ori-T Fes) at Tsukuba Center Square on Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 10:00 to 16:00. It is a festival celebrating original T-shirts, featuring an exhibition of art T-shirts drawn by children from special needs schools and classes nationwide, along with self-printing experiences.

## Commemorating 'Original T-shirt Day'
To encourage consumers to pack three 'M's—Message, Memorial, and Mind—into a unique, one-of-a-kind T-shirt, the association designated March 1st as Original T-shirt Day, playing on the numbers 3 and 1.

## Welcome to the Original T-shirt Theme Park!
See, touch, make, and wear original T-shirts. This one-day festival allows visitors to enjoy everything about original T-shirts. This year, it will be held in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture for the first time. Why not walk the streets of Tsukuba wearing a freshly made original T-shirt?

## Event Details
- Date and Time: Saturday, May 23, 2026, 10:00-16:00
- Location: Tsukuba Center Square (Rain or shine; cancelled in severe weather)
- Address: 1-10-1 Azuma, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture
- Access: Approx. 3-minute walk from Tsukuba Express 'Tsukuba' Station, Exit A3
*Visitors arriving by car are advised to use nearby private parking lots. Multipurpose restrooms and nursing rooms are available in the adjacent Corridor facility.

## Exhibition Corner
### 8th Ori-T Koshien Award-Winning Works
The festival will exhibit 50 award-winning and selected works from the '8th Ori-T Koshien - Draw Your Only One!', an art T-shirt contest for special needs students nationwide. The theme for the 8th edition was 'My Dream.' The designs were selected from 1,159 entries across 137 schools.
Exhibited works will be sold as T-shirts and bags and shipped to buyers' homes at a later date.
- T-shirt (White): 3,000 yen each (including shipping, 10 sizes available)
- Tote bag (Natural color): 1,500 yen each (including shipping)
A portion of the sales proceeds, excluding manufacturing costs, will be donated to the 'NISE Foundation' of the National Institute of Special Needs Education.

### 24-Hour Television Charity Goods Special Preview
Eight entries from the 8th Ori-T Koshien have been transformed into tote bags made from recycled cotton from 24-Hour Television's 'Chari-T Shirts'. These original tote bags, scheduled for order taking in June, will have a special preview at the venue. Recycled hoodies featuring characters from 'Detective Conan' will also be exhibited, alongside an introduction to 24-Hour Television's recycling initiatives.

## Experience Corner
1. **Choose a Design & Silk Print**
Select from 8 designs and self-print on a white or tie-dye T-shirt.
- T-shirt (White): 2,500 yen
- T-shirt (Tie-dye): 3,000 yen
- Tote bag: 1,500 yen
2. **Ori-T from Smartphone**
Using RISO's 'MiScreen a4', you can silk-print photos or illustrations from your smartphone on the spot.
- T-shirt (White): 4,000 yen
- T-shirt (Tie-dye): 4,500 yen
- Tote bag: 2,500 yen
3. **Indigo Dyeing Experience**
Experience traditional Japanese indigo dyeing using a T-shirt you bring to the venue.
- Dyeing a brought-in T-shirt (under 200g): 3,000 yen

## Food, Stage & Shops
Food trucks offering fried chicken, dessert waffles, and curry will be at the venue. The event also features stage performances by University of Tsukuba students, an area with vintage T-shirt shops, custom-engraved accessories by Hyakushokai (from 500 yen), and a transfer print workshop by Tsukuba Made.