This parasol was sold by Senjoko Sakamoto Shoten, a pioneer in Japan's Western-style umbrella industry founded in 1868 (the first year of the Meiji era). Senjoko Sakamoto Shoten was located in Kyobashi Ward, Tokyo City, now Ginza, Chuo Ward, Tokyo, and sold a powder called "Senjoko" and a hair dye called "Bigenko". Senjoko was particularly popular among fashion-conscious women of the time, and was also favored as a base for the makeup applied by Kabuki actors.
The wave of modernization showed no sign of stopping, and imported goods such as cosmetics began to flood the streets day by day. Feeling a sense of crisis that they would eventually be eliminated if things continued this way, Tomohisa Sakamoto, the fifth generation owner of Sakamoto Shoten, began importing and selling Western-style umbrellas and parasols.
During the Rokumeikan era, parasols were luxury accessories and were coveted fashion items in high society at the time, but were rarely available to the average person. They are luxurious and extravagant, and above all, stylish and cute. The bold switch from beauty products to Western-style umbrellas is surprising, but when you think about it, both Senjoko and parasols are must-have items that are indispensable for fashion. Although the products they deal with are different, we can see Sakamoto Tomohisa's desire to respond to women's aesthetic sense, and it could be said that this was an inevitable progression.
Senjoka Sakamoto Shoten (from "Tokyo Photo Album")It is no exaggeration to say that the drive of Sakamoto Yushichi, who took over from Sakamoto Tomohisa as the sixth generation head of the company, was also driven by a belief in beauty on a grander scale than the mere expansion of the business. At the time, travelling to the West was only permitted for a select few, but Yushichi spent five years in Europe, mainly in Paris. His purpose was to learn the manufacturing process for Western-style umbrellas and parasols, which have their roots in Europe, and to become the first in Japan to mass-produce them. His energetic attitude of not only following trends, but also striving to create a new aesthetic sense - an ideal - with his own hands resonates deeply with us today, who are involved in manufacturing.
In 2019, Komiya Shoten completed a replica model based on the original from Senjoko Sakamoto Shoten. We unraveled the documents from that time and reproduced the design, shape, and size as much as possible, and we believe we have crystallized the pride of Komiya Shoten's craftsmanship.
This umbrella is currently on permanent display at the Higashi Nihonbashi shop, and we are grateful to have many customers who come just to see it. The moment when people connect with each other over an umbrella is the greatest joy for the staff working on site. In particular, we have seen an increase in the number of customers who bring their umbrellas in for pre-season maintenance, as well as those who have purchased an umbrella.
"This place is broken."
How can I make it last longer?
Do you have any brightly colored umbrellas?
The atmosphere in the shop is full of energy, with conversations centered around umbrellas.
"A long time ago, my family sold umbrellas."
All the staff present at the scene pricked up their ears.
When asked if they knew which umbrella shop it was, the customer answered without hesitation.
"This is Sakamoto Shoten in Ginza--"
At that time, we never dreamed that a casual comment from a customer would lead us to a new encounter.
To be continued in the next issue
