In many countries, people use umbrellas when it rains. In hot countries, people also use umbrellas to stay cool under the sun. But in Japan, umbrellas have a special meaning. They are not only for sun or rain, but also for spiritual reasons. In Japanese culture, people believe that some objects can have a spirit. These objects are called yorishiro. Umbrellas can be one of them.
A professor in Japan, Tatsuo Danjyo, says that umbrellas have the right shape to welcome spirits. The top is round, like a soul, and the handle is like a pillar from the sky. In this way, the umbrella becomes a place where a spirit can come down and stay. This belief comes from old Japanese religion, where people thought nature and objects have spirits.
Festivals, Folklore, and the Power of Umbrellas
In the past, umbrellas in Japan were not for everyone. Only important people like priests or kings used them. Workers carried umbrellas above them to show their power. These umbrellas were large and beautiful, and people believed they protected the person spiritually.
Later, more people started using umbrellas, but they still kept the spiritual meaning. Today in Japan, you can see this belief in many festivals. For example, in Kyoto, people carry umbrellas with flowers during the Yasurai Matsuri. They believe these umbrellas can take away illness and bad spirits.
In Fukuoka, during the Hakata Dontaku festival, there are large umbrella floats. If you walk under them, it brings good health and good luck. On the island of Okinoshima, families make colorful umbrella homes for the spirits of the dead during Obon festival in August. On the last night, people dance with the umbrellas to help the spirits go back to the spirit world. These traditions show how strong the connection is between umbrellas and the world of spirits.
There is also a famous spirit called Kasa Yokai. It is an umbrella ghost that has one eye, one leg, and sometimes a long tongue. This spirit shows the Japanese belief that even old or broken things can have a soul, especially if they were used and loved. This idea helps people respect objects more.
Umbrellas You Can Visit and Make
If you travel to Japan, you can learn about umbrellas in many special places. For example, the Yodoe Umbrella Folklore Museum in Tottori shows how umbrellas are made and what they mean in culture. You can even try to make a paper umbrella yourself.
Another place is Kyoto Tsujikura, the oldest umbrella shop in Japan. It opened in 1690, and you can visit the workshop to make a mini umbrella using your favorite colors.
In Kanazawa, the shop Matsuda Wagasa still makes strong umbrellas by hand. These umbrellas are made of washi paper, bamboo, and take about two months to finish. They are good for rain, snow, and of course, tradition.
Source: bbc.com
Vocabulary for the Article
Umbrella – A thing that protects you from rain or sun.
Example: I opened my umbrella because it was sunny.
Spirit – A ghost or soul.
Example: They believe a spirit lives in the umbrella.
Tradition – A way people do things for many years.
Example: Umbrella festivals are a Japanese tradition.
Pillar – A tall post or support.
Example: The umbrella handle looks like a pillar.
Illness – When the body is not healthy.
Example: People carry flower umbrellas to stop illness.
Float – A large moving decoration in a festival.
Example: We saw a big float shaped like an umbrella.
Blessing – Something good from a god or spirit.
Example: Walking under the float gives blessings.
Obon festival – Japanese holiday for remembering the dead.
Example: We danced with umbrellas during Obon.
Workshop – A place to learn or make something.
Example: I joined an umbrella-making workshop.
Bamboo – A tall green plant used to build things.
Example: Umbrella frames are made of bamboo.
Ghost – A dead person’s spirit.
Example: Kasa Yokai is an umbrella ghost.
Decorate – To make something look nice.
Example: They decorate umbrellas with flowers.
Protect – To keep someone or something safe.
Example: The umbrella protects people from the sun.
Respect – To treat something as important.
Example: Japanese people respect old objects.
Folklore – Stories and beliefs from long ago.
Example: Umbrella folklore is very rich in Japan.