Japanese umbrellas

Japanese-made folding umbrella for women TwoPly

Japanese umbrellas

Made in Japan
WESTERN
UMBRELLAS

Western umbrellas were introduced to Japan at the end of the Edo period.
It has been refined through Japanese craftsmanship and a unique aesthetic sense.
We will introduce the charm of Japanese-made Western-style umbrellas that have inherited that tradition and continue to live on in modern times.

The beginning of umbrellas and Japanese-made Western-style umbrellas

The origins of umbrellas

The origin of the umbrella is said to date back to around the 6th century BC in ancient Egypt. There are sculptures and paintings of kings with their attendants holding umbrellas over their heads, and umbrellas were used as a symbol of authority to protect the king from the sun. In the 400s BC, "parasols" became common among Greek women.
Further down the line, umbrellas were introduced to France in the 1660s and became popular as a fashion item among upper class ladies in Italy and Spain. A major turning point for umbrellas was when Jonas Hanway used one in London around 1750. After that, umbrellas became a way to protect against the rain and a must-have item for British gentlemen.

Parasols by Senjoko Sakamoto Shoten, founded in 1868 (the first year of the Meiji era) (Related article)

A parasol thought to have been manufactured in the late Meiji period (owned by Komiya Shoten) (Related article)

Japanese Umbrellas and Western Umbrellas

It is said that Western umbrellas were first introduced to Japan during the arrival of Perry in 1854. There are records that state that they were "dark in color and looked like a bat," which is why they came to be called "bat umbrellas."
In the glorious days of modernization and enlightenment, Western-style umbrellas were imported as luxury items that only the upper classes could afford. A major role in this was played by Sakamoto Shoten, which had been manufacturing and selling the popular face powder "Senjoko" since the Edo period. Sakamoto Tomohisa, the fifth-generation owner of the store, began importing and selling Western-style umbrellas and parasols, and is said to be a pioneer in the Western-style umbrella industry in Japan. Sakamoto Yushichi, who took over as the sixth-generation owner, traveled to Europe to learn the manufacturing process for Western-style umbrellas and parasols, and spent five years achieving the first mass production of these umbrellas in Japan.

Japanese umbrellas have declined since the period of rapid economic growth

During the period of rapid economic growth, there were over 70 umbrella-related shops in the downtown area of Tokyo alone, where Komiya Shoten is located, with many umbrella craftsmen and a vibrant industry. Later, in the Heisei era, many umbrella companies moved their main focus of production to Asian countries where labor costs were lower, and many Japanese umbrella craftsmen went out of business and umbrella stores were forced into bankruptcy, and now there are only a few umbrella stores in Tokyo that still make Japanese-made umbrellas.

Deer Roaring Ombre

In 2019, Komiya Shoten completed a replica model based on the original from Senjoko Sakamoto Shoten. We looked into the literature from that time and reproduced the design, shape, and size as much as possible. This replica model is on display and for sale at Komiya Shoten's Higashi-Nihonbashi store as the "Rokumei Ombreru."

A reproduction of the Meiji era parasol, the Rokumei Ombre

Koshu weaving

Koshu-ori

One of the great attractions of Japanese umbrellas is
Traditional textiles from Yamanashi Prefecture with over 400 years of history
The fact that it uses "Koshu weaving"
Woven with yarn dyed with spring water from Mt. Fuji for vibrant colors.
We will introduce you to the charm of lustrous textiles.

The roots of Koshu weaving
Over 400 years of textile culture

"Koshū-ori" is a fabric made in the Gunnai region, centered around Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture, and boasts a history of over 400 years. Its roots lie in a pure silk fabric called "Kaiki."
The roots of Gunnai textile production can be seen in the Engishiki, a collection of laws enacted during the Heian period about 1,000 years ago, where it was recorded as an annual tax offering. The origins of Kai silk itself date back about 400 years, when it was made from fabric brought from overseas through the so-called Nanban trade. Among the textiles and threads imported through the Nanban trade was something called "Kaiki," which is said to be the roots of Kai silk.
During the Edo period, Akimoto Yasutomo, the first head of Gunnai, invited textile technicians from his hometown of Joshu to develop the industry, and by the Genroku period it had become widely known as an expensive textile.
(Reference: The Kaiki Museum)

The temporary woven weft threads are removed and loosened by hand while weaving.

Double-sided fabric woven on a shuttle loom

Characterized by the beautiful luster that can only be achieved through yarn dyeing

The traditional method is "yarn-dyed," in which the threads are dyed before they are woven, resulting in lustrous, vibrant threads. The key to yarn-dyed fabrics is the water used in the dyeing process. The cleaner the water, the better the color will be. The water from Mt. Fuji, which takes a long time to bubble up to the surface through lava layers, gives the fabric a deep, vibrant color. The fabric is then woven into a delicate, dense fabric using extremely fine threads thinner than a hair.

Special "narrow width" fabric

There are two main types of rolls of cloth: wide and narrow. Wide fabric is around 120-130cm wide, while narrow fabric is around 60cm wide. This is made specifically for umbrellas, and is made to fit the size of the ribs. Narrow fabrics are woven using the traditional shuttle loom. A device called a shuttle goes back and forth repeatedly, passing a continuous weft thread through the warp threads. In other words, the key point is that the weft thread remains connected throughout the weaving process, without being broken.
Because there is no fraying, the edges of the umbrella are free of perforations, giving a sharp and very polished finish.
Today, the only remaining factory using shuttle looms to produce narrow fabric for umbrellas is in Yamanashi Prefecture.

The "Two Ply" series features an attractive design that makes use of the narrow width of the fabric, which has no perforations on the edges.

The process of Koshu weaving

Koshu weaving is made in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, through many divisions of labor that have remained unchanged since ancient times. We will introduce the production process that is completed by the hands of many craftsmen, including weavers, dyers, warpers, sewers, and finishers.

The process of Koshu weaving

"Bi-fold" folding umbrella

Two-fold umbrellas

Many Japanese-made folding umbrellas have ribs that fold outward. Komiya Shoten has been making umbrellas with a focus on the "bi-fold" style for a long time, from the time of its founding to the present day. We will introduce the appeal of the "bi-fold" folding umbrella, which has a beautiful silhouette and goes well with high-quality fabrics such as Koshu weave and natural materials.

The appeal of the "two-fold" folding umbrella, a specialty of Komiya Shoten