The basics of handling and maintaining Japanese umbrellas - (1)
Learn more! Basic course on how to handle Japanese umbrellas - Part 1
"I wonder how I should handle Japanese umbrellas..." "I'm worried about whether I can use them properly..."
When you become interested in Japanese umbrellas, the first thing you probably wonder about is how to use them.
Here, we will introduce the basics of how to handle Japanese umbrellas, which we introduced in a separate article ( Caring for Japanese umbrellas), that you might want to teach someone about, using photos and videos to make it easier to understand.
This time, we will talk about how to handle common umbrellas and parasols!
Please take a look, not only for those who are new to Japanese umbrellas, but also for those who have used Japanese umbrellas in the past.
First, understand the materials of Japanese umbrellas.
The main materials of a Japanese umbrella are bamboo and washi paper, and important parts are made of wood. We hope you understand that it is made of natural materials before using it.
[Umbrella and parasol common] How to open and close
Japanese umbrellas don't have a button to open them like Western umbrellas do. So how do I open it?
The key is "don't touch the washi"!
How to open
(1). Hold the umbrella with one hand and spin it around.
(Use your wrist to roll it. Parasols are easy to open right away, but since umbrellas are made of oil paper, the washi paper may stick to some umbrellas. In that case, try rotating your wrist a little wider!)
(2). Once it is opened to the point where it does not touch the washi paper, hold the potter's wheel inside with your other hand and slowly open it upwards. If the umbrella has two levels of latches, raise it to the second level where the umbrella will be taut. (Janome umbrella etc.)
Check it out in the video↓
How to close
(1). Push the repellent (stop) that stops the potter's wheel at hand and lower the potter's wheel.
(If you have a two-stage umbrella such as a Janome umbrella, lower the lower stage in the same way.)
(2). Once you can narrow it down to a certain extent, remove the hand that was holding the potter's wheel from inside and gather the umbrella from the outside.
*When using an umbrella, be careful not to turn it upside down (head facing down) when it is wet. If water collects inside the raincoat, it may affect the head.
Check it out in the video↓
How to stand up
The basic posture of a Japanese umbrella is ``head up, hands down.''
Sometimes they are placed upside down, but please remember that a Japanese umbrella is the opposite of a Western umbrella. The appearance when propped up is similar to the umbrella ghost that appears in folk tales.
Japanese umbrellas don't come with anything to keep them together when closed. So if you turn it upside down, the umbrella will simply open.
Additionally, a potter's wheel, which is the core of an umbrella, is used at the head of a Japanese umbrella. If a shock is applied to this part, the potter's wheel may crack, chip, or the umbrella rib may come off, making it unusable.
So be sure to be aware of the direction you are placing it.
If you want to know more about potter's wheel, check here ↓
How to hold it
When holding a Japanese umbrella, hold it with your head up, just like when leaning it against it.
You can hold it slightly below your head, or if your raincoat has a handle or string attached to it, such as a Japanese umbrella, you can also hold it there.
If you carry a Japanese umbrella by hand, you'll end up using one hand, so having an umbrella bag for your Japanese umbrella will come in handy!
If you are looking for a Japanese umbrella bag for your rain umbrella, please check out the Japanese umbrella CASA online shop.
- CASA original Japanese umbrella bag (for Janome umbrella)
- CASA original Japanese umbrella bag (combined for Janome umbrella and Japanese umbrella)
summary
This time, we introduced how to handle common umbrellas and parasols.
Learn the basics of how to use them and enjoy life with Japanese umbrellas♪
In the second article, we will introduce important points on how to handle and maintain umbrellas and parasols.
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