
The “Fantastick” Mr. Jonas is a real keeper!
If you’ve ever lost an umbrella (is there anyone who hasn’t?), then you’ll be able to understand immediately what a boon this “smart umbrella” really is.
The digital accessories company Fantastick is releasing the world’s first smart umbrella on August 8, 2016 and it can be yours for the low, low price of 10,778 yen (about US$105).
“$105? For a single umbrella? Why, I could buy 5 umbrellas for that price!” is what you must be thinking, and you would probably be right. Consider, though, why you might need to buy 5 umbrellas instead of just using the same one for the rest of your life (or until it outlives its usefulness). In 2014, Sunnycomb, a weather-related blog, conducted a “Global Umbrella Survey” and found that on average, people lose roughly 3 to 5 umbrellas throughout the course of their lifetime.
▼ The need for a smart umbrella might be more applicable to men…
Since these stats say you are pretty likely to end up spending about $100 on umbrellas anyway, you might as well have one that’s totally cool, and Jonas promises to stay by your side forever.
Once you’ve installed the associated app and connected Jonas to your smartphone via Bluetooth, he will let you know if you’ve been cruel enough to leave him behind by sending an alert to your phone. It also works in reverse; if you leave your smartphone behind, Jonas will vibrate and notify you with an alarm.
▼Left Jonas behind? He won’t let you get too far without him!
Jonas does more than just keep you out of the lost-and-found. The umbrella downloads the weekly weather forecast so that one look at Jonas before you head out the door will help you decide whether he needs to come along. You’ll also get incoming call, message, and email alerts from your smartphone through the umbrella!
Not only is Jonas a handsome lad, he’s classy too. Made of a premium pongee cloth, an aluminum handle, and available in an array of sophisticated colors, Jonas gets his juice from 4 AAA batteries.
If you are ready to make a lifelong commitment to one umbrella and one umbrella only, you can pick one up at the official Fantastick store or pre-order online at MiNDEPA.
Check out the video below to find out more!
Fantastick
Address: 4 Chome-29-7 Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku, Tōkyō-to 150-0001
東京都渋谷区神宮前4-29-7 原宿V-1ビル1
Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Website





Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Drink vending machines disappearing in Japan as number drops to lowest in 30 years
14 tips for visiting the Mt Fuji Shibazakura Festival, where beautiful “lawn sakura” blossom
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Studio Ghibli celebrates the magic of movie theaters with short video, Hayao Miyazaki illustration
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Drink vending machines disappearing in Japan as number drops to lowest in 30 years
14 tips for visiting the Mt Fuji Shibazakura Festival, where beautiful “lawn sakura” blossom
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Studio Ghibli celebrates the magic of movie theaters with short video, Hayao Miyazaki illustration
You can control your air conditioner with a Game Boy Color, genius inventor proves【Video】
Japan’s prime minister exchanges Dragon Ball kamehamehas with president of France[Video]
Official Evangelion emergency rations, with curry and beef bowls, are now on sale【Photos】
You can now visit Evangelion’s Misato’s apartment dining room in real-life Tokyo
Pringles Chocolate, but with a Japanese twist, is the snack hack you should be trying right now
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
You can control your air conditioner with a Game Boy Color, genius inventor proves【Video】
Japan’s prime minister exchanges Dragon Ball kamehamehas with president of France[Video]
Official Evangelion emergency rations, with curry and beef bowls, are now on sale【Photos】
You can now visit Evangelion’s Misato’s apartment dining room in real-life Tokyo
Pringles Chocolate, but with a Japanese twist, is the snack hack you should be trying right now
Which of Japan’s Big 3 convenience stores has the best keema curry? 【Taste test】
Japanese government says country needs more women’s room toilets to meet modern society’s needs
Let’s eat some official Evangelion emergency rations!【Taste test】
Ginza hotel serves up one of the best breakfasts in Tokyo
Rage against the smoothie machine with this 7-Eleven drink hack【Taste test】
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
In Kyoto, “Hey, you’ve got a really nice watch” is NOT a compliment, Japanese businessman says