Wagasa - the traditional Japanese umbrella

Wagasa 「和傘」, the traditional Japanese umbrella made from bamboo and washi (Japanese paper), is renowned not only for its beauty but also for the precision open/close mechanism. 

The first folding umbrellas appeared in Japan around the year 1550 (before that, the only defense against rain were straw hats and capes) and they were initially luxury items. Later during the Edo period, wagasa became more accessible and people started using it not only for protection against rain or sun but also as a fashion accessory. Many ukiyo-e and vintage photos from Japan show women dressed in kimono assorted with matching wagasa.

Actually, wagasa is so popular in the Japanese tradition that it has its own… spirit. This is Tsukumogami, a kind of Japanese spirit said to appear from an object after 100 years, when… it becomes alive. The spirit of wagasa is called Karakasa Obake, umbrella ghost, a monster looking like a folded wagasa, with a single eye and a single foot wearing a geta.

Still known today as a center for the production of traditional Japanese umbrellas, manufacture of wagasa began in the Kano district of Gifu City in the middle of the 18th century. At that time, the state had feudal organization and the local lords had a great deal of economic and political autonomy within the domains to which they were assigned. The feudal lord who was transferred in to rule the feudal domain around Gifu had to contend with a local economy that was devastated by floods. He saw an opportunity to stimulate local industry and to provide the means to supplement the living of the impoverished lower samurai (warrior elite) by encouraging them to make umbrellas.   

The local area had a long history of paper making. Mino-washi, a local product, which was a strong handmade paper due to the long fibers it contained. Good quality bamboo was to be found in the valley of the Kiso River, and it was easy to obtain sesame oil and lacquer from the local mountains, indispensable for water proofing. These advantages made the area well suited for umbrella making, since the basic construction of Japanese umbrellas involves affixing paper over a frame of bamboo-strip ribs, and then applying oil and lacquer for waterproofing.   

Production peaked at the beginning of the 20th century, when over a million umbrellas per year were manufactured. Since then, the metal-and-cloth Western-style umbrella has become generally used, and the number of people who use Japanese umbrellas has dwindled. These days, the local craftworkers make only few tens of thousands of wagasa a year.   

The traditional Japanese umbrella uses only natural materials and, requiring several months to undergo the various separate processes that are needed for completion, the skilled hands of a dozen seasoned craftworkers contribute to the finished item. In addition to the usual type of rain umbrella, Gifu Wagasa also comes in various other types including large red outdoor parasols that are used to provide shade on outdoor occasions, such as tea ceremonies. Then there are smaller colorful buyo-gasa that figure in performances of traditional Japanese dance. Gifu Wagasa are an indispensable part of traditional Japanese art and culture.   

Wagasa’s paper is coated with oil to make it waterproof and at the same time, the coated paper becomes more solid. On the contrary, some Wagasa parasols are not coated with oil and thus they cannot be used during rainy days but only as protection from the sun.

 

The Bangasa umbrellas are usually bigger and thicker, with more ribs and they tend to be heavier, so they are mostly used by men. The colors are also simpler. However, there are no restrictions and women can also use Bangasa. Another type of Wagasa is the Janome Kasa, which on the contrary have less ribs and are lighter while colors can be very varied. These are mostly used by women.

The production process of Wagasa is completely handmade and takes a long time:

1. Prepare the material (bamboo, Washi paper, lacquer…)
2. Build the frame around a wooden core to create the structure
3. Match the size of the Washi paper to the structure
4. Attach the paper covering to the bamboo structure with glue and let it dry
5. Painting and lacquering of the Washi paper
6. Coating of the paper with linseed oil to make it waterproof
7. Drying of the coating which can vary from 4 to 15 days
8. Threads stitching and final decoration

Each part of a Japanese umbrella has a name and a function. For instance, the Nokizume (see picture below) are the parts of the ribs sticking out from the umbrella. These are often lacquered in red because of an ancient Japanese tradition. Indeed, at the beginning the very first umbrellas were only used by the Imperial family and aristocrats and they were said to be magical objects that could protect one from evil spirits and bad events and from this belief came the color red that was said to help prevent bad things from happening.

To preserve your Wagasa and insure its longevity you should store it untied and loosened in a well ventilated, dark place. It is also important to dry it well, for instance with a towel, after using it. It is best to let it open in a dark place until it is completely dry. Once dry, you can close it loosely and store it in a dark, well-ventilated place.It is important to not let the Wagasa in the sun to dry since the colors and patterns might tarnish.

Finally, it is possible to have your Wagasa umbrella repaired but, depending on its state, the reparation cost might be higher than the cost of a new umbrella. The number of artisans being able to do this reparation is also very limited. When the ribs of the umbrella are broken, it is then impossible to repair.

The western type of umbrella was brought to Japan during the Meiji period and, over time, completely replaced the wagasa, because of the higher resistance and much lower costs.
However, there are still several workshops producing wagasa in Gifu, Kyoto, Ishikawa, Tottori and Tokushima and wagasa is still used in traditional activities like tea ceremony, kabuki theater, Japanese dances or festivals.