An elegant silhouette from the moment it opens, the tightly stretched fabric and meticulous stitching testifying to quality, careful attention to usability and durability evident from the tip to the ribs. For umbrellas crafted with a level of artisanship that only becomes more apparent with use, look no further than Komiya Shoten.

Founded in 1930, founder Komiya Hosho began making Western-style umbrellas using Koshu-ori fabric, a specialty of his home prefecture of Yamanashi. Koshu-ori is a traditional textile from Yamanashi, woven with extremely fine, pre-dyed threads to create a high-density, uniform fabric that combines a glossy sheen with a sense of weight and substance.

Japan’s umbrella industry reached its peak during the rapid growth period of the mid-1950s to mid-1970s, but since the decade of the 1990s it has lost much of its momentum due to competition from inexpensive overseas products. Heedless of the times, Komiya Shoten has continued to produce authentic Western-style umbrellas, paying attention to every detail. Their artisanship has not gone unnoticed, and in 2018, Komiya Shoten products were acclaimed as a traditional craft by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, receiving the designation of Tokyo Umbrellas. Such recognition comes as a result of specialized skill development by its craftspeople, who work as frame makers, handle makers, and fabric artisans, amongst other roles.

At Komiya Shoten, most processes are handled by a single craftsman. The first step is creating the wooden mold, a crucial process that determines the shape of the umbrella. Next, fabric is cut according to the mold and sewn together based on the number of main ribs. Several traditional methods, such asdabo-makiandrokuro-maki,which involve wrapping and protecting the joints and spindles with cloth, are used for each umbrella. Finally, the handle is securely attached, and the umbrella finished with meticulous craftsmanship.

Nowadays, Komiya Shoten uses various types of fabrics, but their long-selling Koshu-ori dual-purpose umbrellas for both rain and sun, with the Kasane line for women and Tachibana line for men, remain their standout products. These umbrellas are woven double-layered to contrast different colors front and back, with the thread color of the back used as an accent line for the front edge. Other popular products include those using traditional patterns such as Shosoin-gire, which reproduces Japan’s oldest patterns preserved at the Shosoin repository of Todaiji temple through the technique of Nishijin-ori weaving, as well as Isa-monyo, which depicts pines and chrysanthemums throughkatazomedyeing. Through it all runs Komiya Shoten’s desire to create fashion-conscious umbrellas that are built to last, a constant from the company’s foundation right through to the present day.