The Lord Of Umbrellas. One かさ to rule them all. 晴雨兼用傘 (Dual Use Umbrellas A Must For The Rainy Season)
“One umbrella to rule them all”
The lady with the red umbrella has the latest dual use umbrella. It keeps the UV rays away and it also is structured to keep the rain out as well.
Get out your umbrellas! Just one should do it. May is the start of the rainy season, or tsuyu/梅雨. It is expected to come early this year. It can be so sunny and warm when you leave your home early in the morning, that you go out wearing just a T-shirt. But the danger in this season, is that you can get caught in a rain storm, with thunder and lightning on the same afternoon.
Last Sunday, on the last day of the Japanese “Golden Week”, everyone who was in Tokyo may remember the heavy rain, almost a twister (tatsumaki, 竜巻) that hit the Yurakucho-Tokyo-Akihabara area.
Akihabara, last day of Golden Week 2012 (Sunday). That pink sun umbrella may be fine for keeping the "Gothic Lolita" pale skin look but in a rain-storm...
The heavy cloud broke around 4pm in Akihabara station, and the noisy crowd of people dispersed to take refuge under any thing that could protect them from the sudden rain. Nobody saw the thunderstorm coming. Most of the unprepared people didn’t bring an umbrella to hang around in town on a Sunday afternoon that started with a very warm and sunny morning. (Some of us, Tokyo gaijin reporters, were even having a light and healthy brunch and spicy tomato Bloody-Mary at an outdoor terrace, near the United Nations’ University earlier in the day).
Most of these people know the “300 yen umbrella” you can get at any conbini (convenient store). They are convenient and available anywhere, if a storm breaks. However, the problem is that you might end up with a pile of those transparent see-through umbrellas. They break very quickly due to their cheap frames.
If your country also has a “rainy-unpredictable” season, you should get a “sun & rain umbrella” (晴雨兼用傘/seiukenyogasa), the one umbrella to rule them all. In Japan, we found a store that sells an infinite selection of beautiful and colorful umbrellas. But they are not just ordinary. They protect the modern urban walker from the sun, as well as from the rain. They are UV proof and waterproof.
Although we start to see people protecting themselves from the sun using umbrellas in Europe, when I walked around in Geneva or Paris in a hot mid-summer afternoon, with one of those Japanese “S & R umbrellas”, people looked at me with suspicion. Some children would even tell me: “Are you wet, Madame? ‘Cause it’s not so much raining right now!” In the busy streets of Tokyo, it’s a natural thing. You find many females, younger and older, walking under the sun with umbrellas. They are using them to protect themselves from the radiation of the sun, which can also cause skin cancers and they use them on rainy days as well. Is this marketing, or is it efficient? The explanations about the product are clear: yes, the umbrella cloth is UV proof, and it protects you as well as a usual rain umbrella. (We have tested it personally.)
The Sun and Rain Umbrellas usually have a tag like this. If you can't figure out which is which, just show the shopping guides these words: 晴雨兼用傘
The dual use umbrellas are worth investing in if you can manage to keep ahold of them longer than a few days. Umbrellas in Tokyo tend to vanish as quickly as bicycles.
An umbrella for every taste and occasion.
Editor’s note: These umbrellas are really light and strong, so even if you don’t really care about getting a tan or wouldn’t be caught dead walking around with a sun umbrella–they are pretty good buys. (We all know that men who care about their skin have to wear baseball caps or lots of sunscreen but never, never a sun umbrella.) The only thing that these umbrellas lack is a solid titanium core so that you could use them to club someone into unconsciousness. A hidden blade would also be nice but a violation of the sword and firearms law. Until we have a combat version, the current models will have to do.–Jake
Writer’s note: The cutest Sun/Rain umbrellas can be found at Loft, or Tokyu Hands, but Minipla (the cute shops that are in the subways) are also very cute and useful. The last feature image on this text was taken at Loft Yurakucho by the editor. (They cost between 1900 yen and 2010 yen.) — Nathalie-Kyoko
Which stores were found to sell these – particularly the cute ones pictured at the end? I’m going to Japan next week, and as someone with a sun allergy, the idea of it being socially acceptable to walk around with an umbrella sounds heavenly. I usually just wear Coolibar SPF clothing, but I was hoping to pick up one of these dual use umbrellas while in Tokyo. Are there recommended stores for these?
Thank you~!
The Loft in Yurakucho.
My mom lives in Colusa, a small farm town in California, she occasionally uses a sun umbrella when she walks to the store on hot sunny days. A few other women in town have also started using them.
Giles you need to get her one of these for Mother’s Day. Then she will really love you.
When I was still living in Singapore, I rmebmeer walking under light rain when I was in Orchard Road. A woman offered to share her umbrella with me when I was crossing from Paragon to Takashimaya. I don’t rmebmeer her face, but I do rmebmeer the colour of the umbrella (black) and the mere gesture. I thanked her with a smile, but she didn’t smile back. Perhaps it was her nature to share, and didn’t see it as big of a deal as it did to me at the time. Nonetheless, it was years ago, but I won’t forget it.Umbrellas with such messages at the top would be a good idea. If you do plan to put those words onto the surface of your umbrella, I’d love to see a photo of the results.Also, I like the direction of your current weblog. I read your About page, and I completely agree that people should be doing good things not because they will be compensated in an afterlife, but because it’s a good thing to do. While I subscribe to a religion, I have strong secular humanist tendencies, and therefore believe in that, too. The human race are inherently good people, and it’s good to see a weblog that’s appropriately spirited to emphasising that. Have a good weekend, Desmond. =)
I like that idea. I’l propose it to some people.