Japanese Parasols

Woman with umbrella in Poppy field Showakinen Park in Tokyo.

It’s another sunny week in Dublin and I have been enjoying the glorious sunshine here on Baggot Street. A few weeks have past since Japan and I have had some time to digest all my adventures. A story came to mind today, while walking the sunny streets of Dublin, about how the Japanese use their umbrellas. What I discovered in Japan was that umbrellas double up for rain and for sun. As a pale celtic skinned girl in Japan I was intrigued and delighted to find the custom of using umbrellas for the sun- and these were no picture perfect paper parasols- although some were very pretty, they were sturdy sun shields. I caught on camera Japanese women with pretty umbrellas which they used for sunshade. It was wonderful to be in a country which revered and took care of pale skin. Japanese women even wear long gloves in the sun to protect their skin on the forearms and have little attachments on bikes to have their umbrellas up, protecting them from the sun as they cycle- ingenious. I even got brave and decided to pop my (not so pretty black Boots umbrella) up too, when in Rome and all that! Do you think I could get away with it Dublin?  Here are some favourite Japanese parasols I spotted in Tokyo and Kyoto. And look out for more Japanese updates (from my loot of 3,000 photographs) coming soon.

Images above: Woman with umbrella in Poppy field Showakinen Park in Tokyo. Woman with  black lace trimmed parasol crossing the Kamo-gawa river in Kyoto. A host of umbrellas outside the Emperor’s Palace with the skyscrapers of Tokyo in the distance. Red Paper parasols on Pontocho (the Geisha street) in Kyoto.

All photos taken by Ruth on Canon EOS 600D.