Umbrellas. We all have them. We all use them. But to really appreciate it like I do, you must come along with me on this research journey.

Let’s start off with the famous superstition that it’s bad luck to open an umbrella inside.

An explanation of this superstition is that both umbrellas and buildings protect you from rain, by opening an umbrella inside, it’s almost as if you are saying to the building that you are not good enough for me. And this apparently angers the household spirits. So don’t do it, folks!

Superstitions differ from culture to culture, so we naturally arrive in Kyoto, Japan for a different kind of umbrella.

Kyoto is the heart of Japan’s geisha world. A common prop used by Geisha is the oil paper umbrella, however, they originate in China. They can even be seen on top of the terracotta warrior carriages.

These umbrellas are stronger than the modern umbrellas but they also require more care and proper storage. Traditional handmade umbrellas require 90 to 120 different steps, however, nowadays there’s fewer and fewer craftsman who can make oil paper umbrellas from start to finish.

Here’s the animation that I made showing the different uses of umbrellas at different ages…

Why aren’t there more people willing to learn how to makes these beautiful umbrellas you ask? Find out in the next assessment! (Hopefully)