, or Gifu Japanese umbrellas, are a special product of the city of

Gifu is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...

Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...

, Japan. They have been labeled as one of Gifu's traditional crafts.

History

In 1639, the

Matsudaira clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan. It originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province (modern-day Aichi Prefecture). During the Sengoku period, the chieftain of the main line of th ...

became rulers of the

Kanō Domain 270px, Remnants of the walls of Kanō Castle was a '' fudai'' feudal domain of Edo period Japan. The domain was centered at Kanō Castle, located in what is now part of the city of Gifu in Gifu Prefecture. History Before the Battle of Sek ...

and brought with them umbrella artisans from their former home in the

Akashi Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Harima Province in what is now the southern portion of modern-day Hyōgo Prefecture. It was centered around Akashi Castle, which is located in what is now the cit ...

(modern-day

Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, an ...

). By 1756, the umbrellas became more fully developed and the modern shapes and designs first appeared. During the end of the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

, approximately 520,000 umbrellas were shipped north to Edo each year. By the beginning of the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, production increased to 12 million umbrellas each year and international sales first began on a widescale. Production continued to increase until its peak during the

Shōwa period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

, which 15 million umbrellas being produced each year, but modern production has dropped to just tens of thousands of umbrellas.

Features

Gifu Umbrellas are made using

Mino washi is a type of Japanese paper created in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Washi is made from the paper mulberry which is a plant that grows in the city of Mino. In 1985, it was designated a Traditional Craft by the Ministry of International Trade and Indus ...

, a strong local paper. A number of natural materials are used in the production process and there are a limited number of people who have the skills to make the umbrellas. Among traditional crafts in Japan, Gifu Umbrellas are particularly difficult to make with over 100 steps involved from start to finish. Because of all the skills required to make the umbrellas, it would be difficult for one person to make an umbrella through each step.Gifu Uchiwa no Page
. Gifu Prefecture. Accessed May 1, 2008. Gifu Umbrella ac (1).jpg Gifu Umbrella ac (2).jpg Gifu Umbrella ac (3).jpg Gifu Umbrella ac (4).jpg Gifu wagasa media cosmos.jpg

References

{{Reflist Culture in Gifu Prefecture Umbrellas

History

Features

See also

References