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Transparent umbrellas
I think I’m starting to be too used to Japan and I’m loosing my capacity to be surprised by “things that make Japan different”. I uploaded his picture to Flickr and many users told me that all umbrellas in the picture except mine are transparent!
Yes, the transparent umbrella is the most common one in Japan. They’re cheap and they break easily, but people does not care because it’s seen as a temporary or emergency umbrella. Many transparent forgotten umbrellas can be found on the streets after some rain,. Also, I call the transparent umbrella the “community umbrella” because when you put your transparent umbrella together with other transparent umbrellas when you enter a shop or restaurant… then when you leave the place you don’t really know which one was your umbrella so you just get one 
It would be interesting to track a transparent umbrella around Tokyo during rainy week, I bet it would have many “owners” until it breaks.
Another advantage is that you can more or less see what it’s in front of you. In fact when riding a bicycle under the rain it is really useful, although I think it is illegal to ride a bike with an umbrella in Japan. I do it all the time and the police never said anything to me.
Japan is the country in the world where more umbrellas are produced during a year, and transparent umbrellas are the most common here. It must have some kind of record, It could the most successful umbrella of all times, maybe the news super-umbrellas will be the transparent ones 
? Do you know which company makes these transparent umbrellas?
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Comments
Ekowc
30 June, 2008
I have never seen transparent umbrella here. Usually they are black or dark blue.
Segata
30 June, 2008
Tokyo seems so beautiful in the rain.
Lots of bijin ladies in the streets;)
Neil Duckett
30 June, 2008
It’s amazing how useful a transparent umbrella is …. vision is so much better than the original kind.
ptm
30 June, 2008
I just came back from my first visit to Japan. The transparent umbrellas were one of the first things I noticed. We were staying in Shinjuku and the first day was rather stormy. The majority of umbrellas that I saw that day were transparent–with white handles. These were carried by both men and women.
Anonymous
30 June, 2008
First thing I noticed is how well everyone in the photo is dressed.
Ricky
01 July, 2008
Nice photos. Very nice!
tornadoes28
01 July, 2008
That is something new I have learned about Japan. Interesting. Now I wonder why you would see any other umbrella other then transparant. Those people in the pictures with other colored umbrellas must be rebels.
kirai
01 July, 2008
yes! I’m a rebel too I guess
Jamaipanese
02 July, 2008
in jamaica it’s the cheap black umbrella -_-
~JeromeFo
03 July, 2008
Unfortunately…my country dun have transparent umbrella >
Edward
04 July, 2008
Wonderful photos! Never thought about it before, but it would be interesting to track one. I guess a little like a message in a bottle. Maybe a blog and ask people to leave a comment and picture…
Guess I’m a rebel too. Always using by white and blue umbrella.
Aybars
05 July, 2008
Great shots, I just love the rain and how lively the life seems in japan.
tofu
05 July, 2008
i like the color of the photo .. is nice …
Windbell
09 July, 2008
I like the transparent umbrellas and also the black ones too.
Funny how everyone looks at the camera. If I do that back at home, people just shun away
susbarg_waterandlife
09 July, 2008
Well done Kirai! That’s what I call “Water and Life”! These rainy photos give a very interesting perspective of everyday life in Japan.
nanachan707
12 July, 2008
what’s really funny is that while transparent unbrellas are used in rainy days, the opaque unbrella has also a wide use during sunny days since japanese people avoid getting tanned like the plague! and so they use opaque umbrellas to block the sunlight - which I don’t really understand since I’m Spanish and love my olive skin.
viki
15 July, 2008
I love transparent umbrellas
Thierry
20 July, 2008
I prefer the transparent umbrella. It let me watch the buildings and the people in front of me.
keeheritage
26 January, 2009
In my country transparent umbrella cost like hell…. the cheap ones are printed in cute design and usually in soft pastel color.. if it rains hard or windy the umbrella will break.. the transparent are of high quality and i got mine stolen damn.. xP…
shorts
27 January, 2009
I went to Tokyo last november. Transparent umbrella was really handy when I got caught in the rain without an Umbrella. Very cheap and they sell them everywhere… In ikebukuro that is…
templeofheaven
22 April, 2009
Clear umbrellas are manufactured in China for very cheap. If I remember the number correctly, Japan buys over 100 million umbrellas a year and most are cheap throw away types. Really bad for the environment.
Mikaela
23 April, 2009
That’s so cool.
Is it true that sharing an umbrella is romantic in Japan?
adriana
08 June, 2009
Hello! i am searching any information about umbrellas, and specially transparent ones.
My name is Adriana, Im from Argentina and i´m studyng industry design. i´m doing an investigation about umbrellas. Please, if you know which company makes this umbrellas, or which was the first in manufactured this kind of umbrellas, i will be very gratefull with you
Thanks.
Adriana.
Chandra Wijaya
13 June, 2009
It must be good business there..
Selling cheap umbrella that easily break…