umbrella
Other award-winning items up for sale include rags that look cuter with dirt and tea that tastes like the cosmos.
How would you like a lovely one-of-a-kind parasol made with material from an authentic kimono?
Just what is it about Japanese style umbrellas that captured Salvador Dali’s heart? HIYOSHIYA may give you a hint or two.
We’ve all experienced this frustrating situation–it’s a rainy day, and as if to add insult to injury, your umbrella suddenly decides to break in what has to be an act of sheer defiance against you.
Net users sympathized with the following clip posted by one such unlucky soul. It certainly looks like the umbrella is doing nothing but mocking him, since it only decides to open after flying clean off the handle!
Japanese inventions have a reputation for being incredibly awesome, incredibly bizarre, and, um, even more incredibly bizarre. And this latest creation is no exception: say hello to the chair-umbrella.
Ever needed a seat but all you had was a stupid, useless umbrella? Well never again! Just turn this amazing invention upside-down, open it up, sit on down, and prepare to be stared at and asked if you need to be taken to a hospital.
Umbrellas have been around for a very, very long time. The oldest record of a collapsible umbrella dates back to 21 A.D. in ancient China. While that in itself is pretty crazy, what’s even crazier is that the core design hasn’t really changed.
Never say never, though! A Japanese company has recently released an umbrella that is backwards to any umbrella you’ve seen before…literally.
It’s raining in Yokohama right now. I’m about to go pick up lunch, though, which means that when I head out the door I’ll need to take my umbrella, which is a cheap collapsible model I bought for 500 yen (US$4.60).
But should I decide to upgrade, a team of engineers in China is developing an umbrella that shields you from the rain not with a sheet of flimsy nylon, but with blasts of air, in the form of the aptly named Air Umbrella.
People from other countries may be surprised by the number of people using umbrellas on a sunny day in Japan. However, after experiencing the scorching summers in many urban centers across the land, it’s not surprising why so many carry their own shade.
Of course there’s the obvious UV protection reasons where people wish to avoid melanoma and maintain that deathly pale complexion that’s all the rage here. There’s also the simpler reason that the sun can be freaking intense during the dog days and shade is a rare commodity on city streets.
In fact it can be so powerful that even with your standard parasol, daylight can manage to creep in and threaten your well-being. That’s why someone developed the next level in umbrella technology with Rain or Shine Umbrella for Use at the Game. With a name that catchy, you know it’s gonna be good!
A couple of years ago, a friend of mine gave me an umbrella with a handle that looks like the hilt of a katana. It’s actually really well-made, while I’ve never had to use the crosspiece to protect my hand from rival swordsmen’s strikes, it does provide a nice bit of extra grip during typhoons and lesser storms with gale-force winds.
There is one problem, though. When it’s closed up, and all you can see is the handle, it looks a little too much like a samurai blade, and I feel a little self-conscious carrying it in public. So maybe it’s time I switched to something a no less unique but a whole lot more innocuous: like an umbrella shaped like a giant Welsh onion.
A white Christmas in Osaka is a rare thing and this year was no exception. All week has been back-to-back rainy days – par for the course in this neck of the world. If you happen to live in a similar climate, then these cold and damp days might have you feeling a little bummed out.
To help turn your mood around is a cute little invention by Ugoita. This umbrella has sensors attached that convert the impact of raindrops into tones. However, that’s just one of many unique electronic creations that worked.
Particularly during the autumn typhoon season but even through all types of weather, Japanese people like to keep an umbrella at hand to protect from the elements. Surprisingly, since ancient times when it was developed, the umbrella has seen little in the way of substantial improvements. Sure there have been upgrades in collapsibility and wind-resistance features, but the general structure of a parasol and all the arguable flaws inherent with it remain. This is where Japanese company h-concept steps in and hopes you buy their Unbrella which aims to rectify everything wrong with the traditional umbrella. For the hefty price tag of 9,450 yen (US$95) they seem confident it’s got what it takes to do it.
Japan is a country that loves their umbrellas. Rain or shine, lolita or businessman, everyone enjoys the security of a swath of plastic or cloth above their precious head. However, this time of year poses a particular problem for parasol lovers, when mother nature flings typhoons at East Asia like so many spitballs at a blackboard of the Pacific Rim.
The result for most pedestrians is a nasty combination of heavy wind and rain where one wrong turn of the corner can instantly result in your umbrella becoming the world’s largest and most depressing shuttlecock.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Millennials in Japan Aren’t F**king 【Video】
Have coffee with adorable piggies at Tokyo’s brand-new micro pig cafe in trendy Harajuku
Japanese men showing an increasing fondness for women they call “penguin girls”
The top 10 hot springs Japanese travelers want to visit this fall
Pikachu and pals dress up as other Pokémon for Pokémon GO Halloween event, and we want them all
Uruguay rugby players accused of smashing up restaurant, injuring employee in Japan
Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli anime are finally coming to streaming with HBO Max deal
Busty blood drive anime girl artwork “not recognized as sexual harassment” by Japanese Red Cross
Japanese women categorise male friends by levels of intimacy, from hugging to bathing
Japan’s craziest, most terrifying video game arcade is going out of business【Photos】
Weekly
Japanese Phantom Cheesecake: A sweet so popular 2,000 sold in ten minutes- Japanese women categorise male friends by levels of intimacy, from hugging to bathing
Man in China says he likes Pokémon’s Team Rocket on social media, company makes him issue apology
World’s #1 Smash Bros. player takes on random kid in Japan’s Narita Airport
Shibuya rats scuttle along streets in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis【Video】
Typhoon Hagibis turns skies in Japan purply pink, makes people fear the end is nigh
Tokyo has a bar that only lets you in if you come alone – No bringing your friends allowed!
Japanese news agency under fire for announcing Nobel Prize goes “to foreigners”
Starbucks Japan releases new limited-edition mugs, cards and travel bottles for Halloween- Japan’s craziest, most terrifying video game arcade is going out of business【Photos】
Monthly
PewDiePie buys house in Japan, calls it “a dream come true”
Naruto’s author Kishimoto reveals what characters’ names would’ve been if editor didn’t intervene- Japanese Phantom Cheesecake: A sweet so popular 2,000 sold in ten minutes
Japanese Mame Shiba Inu banknote design pays homage to nation’s beloved dog
You can now turn your smartphone into a Pokémon Pokédex thanks to Bandai【Photos】
We took advantage of Burger King’s Whopper Jr. sale in an extreme way
Kyoto Animation will use none of its arson donations for business recovery, all of it for victims- Japanese women categorise male friends by levels of intimacy, from hugging to bathing
Pakistani Japanese citizen is tired of the cops asking him for his foreign resident card
Hayao Miyazaki has turned down multiple offers from Hollywood to make live-action Nausicaa movie
Yearly
Which Pokémon are you? Official quiz reveals your Poké-personality, and how to take it in English- PewDiePie buys house in Japan, calls it “a dream come true”
- Naruto’s author Kishimoto reveals what characters’ names would’ve been if editor didn’t intervene
We asked a Niantic insider 30 questions about Pokémon Go, learned a lot of useful information
Japanese woman stumbles on the power of the infamous “gaijin seat” phenomenon during flight
Why do Japanese recycle bins have two openings but dump everything into the same compartment?
Tokyo public schools will stop forcing students with non-black hair to dye it, official promises- Japanese Phantom Cheesecake: A sweet so popular 2,000 sold in ten minutes
Japanese baseball teen refuses walk after getting hit by pitch, follows up with home run【Video】
50-year-old Japanese woman pulls off amazing Love Live! anime idol cosplay【Photos】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Uruguay rugby players accused of smashing up restaurant, injuring employee in Japan
Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli anime are finally coming to streaming with HBO Max deal
Busty blood drive anime girl artwork “not recognized as sexual harassment” by Japanese Red Cross
Japanese women categorise male friends by levels of intimacy, from hugging to bathing
Japan’s craziest, most terrifying video game arcade is going out of business【Photos】
New Starbucks Dark Night Frappuccino debuts at sunset with cup cosplay costumes for Halloween
Japanese Internet thanks the “Underground Temple” that siphoned off Typhoon Hagibis’ torrent
All-you-can-eat yakiniku in Shinjuku for less than 10 bucks!
White Curry Udon: A new take on noodles discovered at a Japanese airport
Japan Travel: Explore a hidden cave on a tiny monorail roller coaster thrill ride in Nara
Japanese pizza chain releases spooky Zombie Pizzas for Halloween
English reactions to A Day in the Life of a Japanese Salaryman video sadden Japanese netizens
How did samurai swords and armor evolve over time?【Part 2】【Photos】
-
