The Japanese J1-League team Kawasaki Frontale have released a UK-inspired training kit by Puma for the upcoming season, featuring the British television series “Thomas The Tank Engine.”

The training range was initially designed to help foster friendly international relations, specifically towards visiting English athletes during the time that Kawasaki Frontale’s home stadium the ‘Todoroki Athletics Stadium’ was expected to serve as the British Olympic Association's Pre-Games Training Camp at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Puma Kawasaki 2020 training jersey features the logo of Kawasaki City's first aquarium, Kawasui Kawasaki Aquarium, Aqua Live Investment Co., Ltd. on the center, the Kawasaki Frontale badge on the top left, a white Puma logo on the top right, and a Thomas The Tank Engine UK Camp patch on the right sleeve. Collectively, the three badges signify the three ambassadors for the UK pre-camp.

Manufactured from polyester, the football jersey is black with a green, red and blue tartan pattern across the front and back.

The reasoning behind the colours chosen were twofold. On one hand, they match the city of Kawasaki’s own colours, and on the other hand, they resemble the colors of Thomas, Percy and James, the three engines that appear on the sleeve badge.

Despite the event’s cancellation, the range had already been designed, manufactured and released for online purchases. 

The Puma Kawasaki 2020 training jersey is currently available for purchase on the team’s official merchandise store website for ¥17,820 JPY (approximately $167 USD).