I was unprepared for the weather when I first moved here. As a foreign college student from Japan, I took my umbrella to classes every gray day. I was used to the constant rain and humidity of the town I grew up in and was prepared to unfurl it when necessary. My classmates snickered and called me a whimp but I couldn't understand why anyone would go out on a potentially wet day without an umbrella. My roommate finally told me that the gray mornings were simply caused by fog, not rain clouds. Oh.
Nonetheless, I have come to understand that many Americans hate carrying umbrellas and using them, even when it rains pretty hard. Rather than stay dry, they prefer to get soaked. Perhaps the single contributing factor is the quality of umbrella. The ones available in this country seem to double as props for slapstick comedy. Some of the spokes are meant to break immediately upon opening or if the umbrella does open intact, it gets blown inside out as soon as there is wind mixed with rain. I have seen many dead and abandoned umbrellas in the gutters and run over by cars. When so many reliable products can be manufactured economically these days, what makes umbrellas here so frail?
Even at a tender age, I learned to check the hardiness of an umbrella by testing the ease of unfurling and sturdiness of the spokes, making sure that all the tips of the umbrella were securely sewn onto the spokes, and the handle was firmly screwed in. Taken by my mother to the local market several times a week, I loved to pass by the display of seasonal umbrellas which were left open like bouquets of flowers.. I also loved the traditional paper umbrellas with the lacquered wooden spokes and the distinctive scent of oiled paper. These umbrellas were often sold with geta, or Japanese lacquered sandals worn with kimono.
When I go to Japan, I always check out the latest innovations in umbrellas. Tokyu Hands, a department store specializing in crafts, art supplies, stationery, housewares and accessories has a large selection of umbrellas on the main floor. I usually purchase one or two when I am there, mostly the folding types because I travel light. The innovators have tinkered with increasing the number of spokes on an umbrella, achieving a similar effect as the lacquered paper umbrellas. They have also gone the other way, reducing the spokes and creating interesting geometric shapes. Some of the umbrellas fold into rectangular shapes, which are more compact than round, and there are small and extremely light ones that fit into a small handbag. In a rainy country like Japan, these compact umbrellas are useful in case of an unexpected squall. As much as selecting a particular color or seeking the hidden beauty of an unfurled umbrella, I look for the effect of an open umbrella on skin tone. For example, a peach-colored umbrella lights one's complexion in a very flattering way.
Umbrellas in Japan are not just for rain. Summer brings out a huge variety of umbrellas meant to shade one from the sun. My mother was appalled that I wanted one as a 7-year old. She insisted children didn't use them, they were for older women. But I insisted and got one in a pale pink shade made of cotton eyelet. In my opinion, they were more comfortable than wearing a hat and a hundred times prettier. Today the sun umbrellas come in a wide range of colors, including black. Most are UV-coated and can be used in sun and in light rain. This black frilly umbrella can be used for both.
Nearly everyone uses an umbrella in Japan. And it follows that umbrellas are often left behind on public transportation. The Japanese Railway systems hold periodic sales of forgotten stuff. Huge convention center-sized rooms are filled with tons of fabulous objects at miniscule prices. Umbrellas, sunglasses and reading glasses are the most plentiful. I have never managed to be in Japan when these sales are going on, but I have come upon a few "left behind shops." One of the best bargains are umbrellas priced at $15 for designer and $3 for no-name brands. The black umbrella with the lovely striped pattern is a designer folding umbrella that can be used for both sun and rain.
One disheartening note: most people in Tokyo now use the inexpensive clear vinyl umbrellas. Unless you go to Kyoto where fashionable umbrellas are still valued, what you find on city streets are the plain clear $1.50 Daiso umbrellas. I too have these cheap ones on hand for house guests. The spokes are sturdy but the tips are not sewn to the spokes carefully and those that come loose have to be reinserted frequently.
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