Filmarks Culture Wear, the apparel brand from Filmarks, one of Japan's largest movie, drama, and anime review services, is releasing an official Swallowtail Butterfly apparel collection to mark the theatrical release of the Swallowtail Butterfly 4K Remaster. Pre-order sales open at 12:00 PM on September 4 (Friday), the film's release day, through the Filmarks Store.
Swallowtail Butterfly, Beloved Even 30 Years Later
Since its release in 1996, director Shunji Iwai's Swallowtail Butterfly has continued to influence generations of creators and film fans. Set in Yentown, a fictional stateless city where languages and cultures overlap, built during an era when the yen was the strongest currency on Earth, the film remains just as vivid 30 years on, still captivating audiences today. Now remastered in 4K with Dolby Atmos sound, it opens nationwide on September 4 (Friday), 2026.
Swallowtail Butterfly × Filmarks Culture Wear Product Lineup
All prices include tax
Swallowtail Butterfly × FCW Steel Tower T — ¥8,800
Sizes: S to XXL
The front print features a cut of the steel transmission tower that symbolizes the film's setting, Yentown, while the back is bold with the typography "The story of Yentowns in Yentown" paired with the film's title — a design built around the movie's most iconic scenery, made easy to wear every day.
Swallowtail Butterfly × FCW Ageha and Glico T — ¥8,800
Sizes: Women's sizes to XXL (a tight-fit tee that recreates the vintage feel of the film's original 1996 release is offered alongside the standard unisex fit)
The design captures Ageha and Glico laughing together on the flatbed of a truck carrying a piano — a moment from their days in Yentown, when the two grow close like family. A scene sure to bring back memories for anyone who knows the film.
View the product / View the women's size
Swallowtail Butterfly × FCW YTB T — ¥8,800
Sizes: Women's sizes to XXL (a tight-fit tee that recreates the vintage feel of the film's original 1996 release is offered alongside the standard unisex fit)
The front features Glico's live scene singing as part of YEN TOWN BAND, combining her on-stage figure with the "Swallowtail Butterfly" typography for a design where music and film meet.
View the product / View the women's size
Swallowtail Butterfly × FCW Ageha Embroidery T — ¥5,500
Sizes: S to L
A one-point embroidery represents the swallowtail butterfly tattoo on Glico's chest, while the back lays out the film's title alongside a caterpillar motif. The compact silhouette evokes the mood of the 1990s, when the film was originally released.
Swallowtail Butterfly Magnet Set — ¥2,750
A set of three magnets using film stills and YEN TOWN BAND artwork. Displayed somewhere close at hand, like a refrigerator or desk, they let fans enjoy the memory of Swallowtail Butterfly in everyday life — a piece that also works well as a collectible.
Swallowtail Butterfly Blanket — ¥19,800
A fringed blanket designed around the "Yen Town Band" sign that Fei Hong (Hiroshi Mikami) sees around town near the film's end. The swallowtail butterfly motif and logo are woven boldly into the fabric, bringing together visuals that symbolize both the film and its music.
Release Details
| Release date | September 4 (Friday), starting at 12:00 PM |
| Sales end date | September 30 (Wednesday) at 11:59 PM |
| How to buy | Pre-order sales through the e-commerce site Filmarks Store |
| Estimated delivery | Early November to late December 2026 (varies by item) |
Swallowtail Butterfly 4K Remaster
©SWALLOWTAIL PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
Synopsis
Once upon a time, when the yen was the strongest currency in the world, immigrants called the boomtown-like city "Yentown" — written with characters meaning "Yen Capital." Japanese locals despised the name, though, and mocked the immigrants in turn by calling them "Yentown" as well, this time with characters meaning "Yen Thieves." This is the capital of the yen, Yentown — a city of dreams, where the yen can make dreams come true... And this is the story of the Yentowns who came to Yentown to dig for yen. After her mother, a prostitute, dies, a girl (Ayumi Ito) who has been shuffled between homes is taken in by Glico (Chara), a Yentown prostitute from Shanghai who dreams of becoming a singer. Glico, who has a swallowtail butterfly tattoo on her chest, names the nameless girl "Ageha." Ageha soon starts working at Aozora, an odd-jobs shop where Fei Hong (Hiroshi Mikami), a man from Shanghai drawn to Glico, and the mysterious Ran (Atsuro Watabe) gather. One night, Ageha is attacked by Sudo, a member of the Katsushika group and one of Glico's clients, but is saved just in time by a former boxer living next door. Sudo falls from the apartment building and dies, and inside his stomach is found a cassette tape holding the song "My Way" — the tape's real contents turn out to be magnetic data for 10,000-yen bills.
Cast: Hiroshi Mikami, Chara, Ayumi Ito, Yosuke Eguchi, Andy Hui, Atsuro Watabe, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Nene Otsuka, Kaori Momoi
Director & Screenplay: Shunji Iwai
Music: Takeshi Kobayashi
Theme Song: "Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta)" by YEN TOWN BAND (produced by Takeshi Kobayashi, vocals by Chara)
Original Novel: Swallowtail Butterfly by Shunji Iwai (Kadokawa Bunko / KADOKAWA)
Distribution: Pony Canyon
Originally released September 14, 1996 / 148 minutes / Japan / Color
©SWALLOWTAIL PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
Official site: https://swallowtail4k.jp
Screening Information
Opens nationwide September 4 (Friday) at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya and other theaters.
Filmarks Culture Wear
Filmarks Culture Wear is a new kind of "culture wear" from Filmarks. Rather than treating films and anime as mere motifs to consume, the designs are meant to resonate with a work's ideas, emotions, and worldview — going beyond simply liking something to become one with its message. It isn't merchandise so much as proof of identity.
To wear a favorite work is to live inside its world — a form of self-expression.
