Mysticism surrounds umbrellas in Japan

Japanese culture attracts curious people all year round, with peculiarities that differ from what can be seen in the West. One of these is the use of umbrellas even on days when the storm is still far from arriving. But those who think that it is only used to protect themselves from the sun are wrong.

It is interesting to note that in Japan, umbrellas and parasols are also transformed into yorishiro, objects capable of attracting or hosting divinities and spirits.

In this sense, it is an animistic vision, described by professor emeritus Tatsuo Danjyo. Associate the circular shape of the umbrella with the soul and its handle with the pillar through which the entities descend.

This idea transforms the everyday object into a spiritual receptacle with a symbolic presence in ritual and popular life.

It is worth noting that, between the 9th and 11th centuries, umbrellas emerged in Japan not as a means of protection from the elements, but as a symbol of religious and political authority.

This item was considered a long sashikake-gasa, used in ceremonies and events, including weddings, with both functional and symbolic purposes and held by attendants of elites and dignitaries.

From the 12th century onwards its use also spread among the common people of Japan. However, the spiritual dimension remained, in which the umbrella coexisted with its practical function, as well as a sign of protection, status and connection with the sacred.

Currently this dimension survives in celebrations in which the umbrella acts as a ritual vehicle. One of these is the Yasurai Matsuri in Kyoto in April, when participants use flower umbrellas to draw out diseases.

Another celebration is Hakata Dontaku, in Fukuoka. There, every May 3 and 4, the imposing kasaboko guarantee health and luck to anyone who passes under these objects.

In Okinoshima, during Obon from August 13 to 16, umbrella structures are decorated to house the spirits of the recently deceased. Every two years they are brought back to life through a processional dance.

The umbrella is part of the cultural and social imagination of the Japanese. So much so that the kasa yōkai constantly appears in paintings and scrolls such as “The Night of the Parade of Myriad Demons”, where old and discarded objects awaken and wander.

Traditional umbrellas made of paper and bamboo, known as wagasa, are still popular in ceremonies, decorations and as arts and crafts.

About 3,400 years ago the first objects were used to protect kings and nobility from the sun. They were made of palm leaves, feathers and papyrus and had religious and status significance.

The Chinese developed a similar item about 4,000 years ago, initially to protect themselves from the sun. The invention of a rain model is believed to have occurred in the 11th century BC, initially focusing on royalty.

Umbrellas reached Greece and Italy via trade routes, but were initially seen as a women’s accessory.

The umbrella arrived in Europe via trade routes, initially coming from Asia and Egypt with the aim of protecting from the sun. This object became popular as rain protection only in the 18th century, especially with the Englishman Jonas Hanway.

There was a culture that the item would be an ornament for women, especially because they were filled with lace and decorations. The men, in turn, used folders and newspapers as protective objects on rainy days.

Jonas Hanway was an English merchant, writer and philanthropist. The first Londoner to use an umbrella and was a well-known opponent of tea drinking.

The invention of lighter, more durable umbrellas, such as those made with steel ribs, further increased their popularity.

Its evolution came with a change in materials, from whalebone to steel and fiberglass, and from silk fabrics to materials like nylon, culminating in foldable pocket models and other innovations.

A type of umbrella that allows the user to see what is happening around them is transparent, without losing protection from the rain.

The upside-down one is a more modern model, which opens and closes backwards, ideal for not wetting the car or the inside of the house.