The Tokyo Revengers jacket is part of the uniform worn by the Tokyo Manji Gang in the popular Japanese anime series “Tokyo Revengers”. The jacket and series were recently involved in a scandal due to a prominent Swastika-like symbol visible on most merchandise and in the series itself.
The symbol has since been censored in the anime series despite not being linked to Nazism in any way. More on that later, including the meaning of the manji symbol.
The Tokyo Revengers jacket and other merch from the popular anime series is still available with and without the manji symbol. In this article we’ll showcase some popular versions of the jacket along with other merchandise.
Regardless whether you’re looking to buy a revengers’ jacket or are just curious about the incident and censorship surrounding the manji symbol, this article is for you.
Tokyo Revengers Jacket Meaning: What Does the Manji Symbol Mean?
Merchandise from the popular anime series popped up on Twitter recently. Some users were voicing concerns over the official Manji gang symbol.
First of all, the Manji gang is a completely made up phenomenon. This gang doesn’t exist in real-life. The Manji gang appears in Tokyo Revengers as one of several violent gangs fighting for their turf in Tokyo.
Members of the Manji gang wear black jackets with Japanese symbols. One of the symbols that often appears on the jackets as well as flags and other gang-related items looks like a Swastika.
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The Swastika was the symbol used by the German Nazis. Before the rise of the Nazis it was used by the Freikorps on helmets in Weimar Germany. The Swastika became known as a symbol of hate, destruction and mass murder.
It’s burnt into the memories of people and has appeared in many movies and series. In many countries, particularly in Germany, display of the Swastika or other Nazi-related symbolism is prohibited.
The Manji gang symbol, faces the opposite direction than the Nazi’s Swastika. It’s a symbol from ancient Buddhism that represents the footprints of Buddha. In east-asian culture the manji symbol stands for positive things such as good luck.
A Tokyo Revengers Jacket Without Manji
In preparation for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, the Japanese government decided to censor the Manji symbol in the popular Japanese anime series.
When manji gang members appear on Tokyo Revengers, the manji symbol is censored using bright light. In other places, the manji symbol has been removed in post production from carpets, flags, walls and other items.
So what does the Tokyo Revengers jacket mean? We already established that it has nothing to do with Nazism. According to a Japanese Quora user called Hara Shidho, here is what the Japanese symbols on the Tokyo Revengers jacket mean:
The words “東京卍會” on the back of the jacket stand for Tokyo Manjikai. This is the gang’s name, often also called Toman.
The symbols “暴走卍愚連隊” on the right arm stand for “run hard a gang of fools”. The left arm of the jacket contains the gang member’s personal rank inside the Toman gang.
The symbols on the chest are “天上天下唯我独尊”. These are the words Buddha supposedly said when he was born. Japanese gangs use the term to say “I’m the best in the world”.
This shows that the symbols have nothing to do with Nazism. They rather borrow from buddhist culture, some real gang slang in Japan and unrelated Japanese words related to Tokyo Revengers.
Can You Buy the Tokyo Revengers Jacket Without Manji?
After the backlash due to the Swastika-related symbol, the Japanese anime series began censoring its merchandise. All scenes in which the symbol appears have also been censored to avoid association with the symbol.
But can fans still purchase the jacket with and without the manji symbol?
Here you can see the highest rated Tokyo Revengers jacket on Amazon. It contains the controversial manji symbol. If you like the controversy and want to make a statement, or use the original jacket from the series, this is the jacket for you.
Here is a version without the manji symbol.
Fandomaniax also has a jacket without the manji symbol. However, instead of being a long jacket it’s a bomber jacket.
This jacket is better suited for real-life occasions while most Tokyo Revengers jackets on Amazon are best suited for cosplay parties or Halloween.
There are also kimonos and cardigans.
If you’re a fan of Ryuguji Ken, a popular character in Tokyo Revengers, you might enjoy the following kimono or cardigan that doesn’t contain any of the controversial symbolism.
You can easily wear this in public without drawing any unwanted attention or seeming like you’re associated with Nazism in some way.
Tokyo Revengers Jacket Made of Leather
Most of the jackets available online are made of cloth. However, some of the Tokyo Revengers Jackets are made of leather. Maybe you’re looking for something more solid that you can wear in colder weather or even riding a motorcycle?
Then the following leather jacket might be for you. This jacket comes without the controversial manji symbol. Instead of the manji symbol, it features a “Valhalla” symbol on the back.
It also contains a removable hoodie which means you can wear this jacket in cold and warm weather.
Unfortunately there aren’t many leather jackets available though.
Want a Tokyo Revengers denim jacket instead?
Check out this Mikey denim jacket with a hoodie on Amazon. It looks like denim but is made out of cotton for the most part. The manji symbol is removed which means you don’t have to worry about any negative associations.
The Golden Ant Revenge Jacket
Golden Ant announced a Tokyo Revengers themed jacket called “Revenge Jacket”. This one is slightly more unique than the other jackets reviewed in this article. It deviates most from the original jackets worn by the Toman gang in the series.
Nevertheless, it might actually be a nice jacket to wear for everyday occasions.
This jacket was created with the look of a Tokyo Manji Gang’s bosozoku jacket and is aimed to make you feel like you’re part of the upper echelon of the manji gang.
The manji symbol is creatively censored and replaced with two hands, one of them displaying a red scar. The back of the jacket contains the words “Revenge” and “A New Age”. The left and right sleeves say “Tokyo” and “Gang”.
When the jacket is hit by a bright light or camera flash the words “Tokyo” and “Gang” light up bright, creating a cool effect. However, you might want to think twice walking around with a jacket that displays the word “Gang” in English.
While the jacket looks premium, you might find something cheaper and more in line with the original look of the Tokyo Revengers jacket.
Which Tokyo Revengers Jacket Is Right For You?
Now that you’ve seen a few options, let’s figure out which Tokyo Revengers jacket is best suited for you.
If you want to stick as close as possible to the original, want to make a statement and don’t care about the manji symbol (which after all isn’t associated with Nazism but stands for positivity in Buddhism), you should go with the full cosplay jacket set.
This will look as authentic and close to the original jackets from the series. Perfect for cosplay parties and halloween.
If on the other hand you are looking for something more casual that you can wear in everyday settings without drawing too much attention to controversial symbolism, get the Yunbei jacket.
It’s not a full set, only the jacket. It looks more casual and is slightly less long. And it doesn’t contain the manji symbol. This makes it probably the most authentic looking Tokyo Revengers jacket for day to day use.
For fans of Ryuguji Ken, get the neutral looking cardigan.
You can wear this casually knowing what it stands for without drawing unwanted attention to your outfit.
If you want a jacket that isn’t as long, consider the denim jacket with hoodie, but make sure you choose “Style 8” on Amazon if you want it without a manji symbol.
Summary
Tokyo Revengers is an extremely popular Japanese anime show.
The story centers around Takemichi Hanagaki, who’s ex-girlfriend is killed by the Tokyo Manji Gang. Through certain circumstances he is able to travel 12 years back in time before his girlfriend is murdered.
He decides to infiltrate the Toman gang to prevent the murder and rewrite the past. Through this process, viewers of the show are drawn into gang fits on the streets of Tokyo.
The series features prominent symbols, including the famous Tokyo Revengers Jacket with Japanese letters and the controversial manji symbol that resembles the swastika used by the Nazis.
Fans of the show have a variety of options when choosing from jackets and merchandise. Some merchandise features the manji symbol while others don’t. We shared our top picks in this article, so you can explore which revengers jacket is right for you.
We hope you enjoyed the article and found it helpful.
