Italian Serie A side SSC Napoli is bringing a little bit of Japanese culture to Italy with their newly unveiled third kit for the 2024-25 season.
Napoli unveiled the new kits on Saturday, November 2, and wore them the following day in a match at home against Atalanta. The predominantly dark grey kit is inspired by Japanese culture and the twinning of Naples and Kagoshima, Japan, which have been sister cities since 1960.
The tonal pattern on the kit is a mixture of Japanese and Italian artistic styles. It includes several Samurai objects — including the kabuto (helmet), the menpo (mask) and the katana sword — while melding a Japanese wave motif with a Neopolitan baroque style. Down the right side of the shirt are Japanese characters representing the seven Bushido virtues that are the principles of the Samurai: righteousness, respect, courage, honor, compassion, honesty and loyalty.
Despite being so far away from each other, the twinning of the two ports is a symbol of their affinity and the unique characteristics that they share, from the gulfs to the volcanos that dominate the landscape: Vesuvius in Naples and Sakurajima in Kagoshima. The friendship between the two cities has led both of them to dedicate street names to each other: “Napoli-dori” (Naples street) in Kagoshima and “Via Kagoshima” in Naples.
The collar, side panels and sleeve cuffs feature black trim, while the Napoli crest and sponsor logos on the chest are light blue. The kit was designed in collaboration with the Ten Shin – Cuore di Cielo Puro Soto Zen Temple in Naples and the Samurai Academy Naples.
“The third kit perfectly places itself at the heart of our project ‘From Napoli to the World,’” said Tommaso Bianchini, the club’s chief revenue officer. “Starting in Naples, we arrive at the Japanese city of Kagoshima to tell the story of the relationship between these two distant cultures that are linked by a warrior’s spirit. With this shirt, we celebrate strength, respect and loyalty, which are values that we proudly bring onto the pitch.”
Napoli’s next Serie A match is on Sunday, November 10, when they travel to the San Siro to face defending champions Inter Milan.