While many cultures take sun protection seriously, Japan has surpassed every other in its umbrella and parasol consumption, selling .

They can be a terror at times ¡ª especially when wielded by a shaky elder on a bike ¡ª but daily life in Japan has built itself around their use: stands outside every convenience store, plastic umbrella bags at the entryway of department stores on rainy days, and anti-theft umbrella lockers at some establishments. Umbrella theft is even a major plot point in movies such as Ryosuke Hashiguchi¡¯s 2001 film ¡°Hush!¡±

As summer 2024 heats up with record temperatures, let¡¯s take a look at how umbrellas and parasols came to hold such a special place in Japanese society and how you can optimize your parasol usage to stay (relatively) cool.

Parasols have graced human societies since as early as 2450 B.C., as depicted in , eventually spreading to Europe, China and greater Asia throughout the following millennia. From the start, these rain- and sun-shades were symbols of aristocracy; a fifth century B.C. carving of Persian king Xerxes shows servants holding a parasol over his head from behind.

Parasols gained popularity quickly in China and greater Asia as these areas historically placed great importance on pale skin (a beauty standard now entwined with today¡¯s problematic issues of and racial discrimination). Paleness was a sign of wealth ¡ª a pale, plump person did not labor in the sun and had ample food (a contrast with some of today¡¯s beauty standards). So if paleness meant wealth, wealth meant desirability and desirability translated to beauty, then sun-blocking parasols were the perfect means of signifying all three.

However, as the umbrella¡¯s association with the rich increased, so, too, did the fascination of the common people. By Japan¡¯s Edo Period (1603-1868), bamboo and waterproofed paper kasa (umbrellas) and higasa (parasols) were everyday tools and props in kabuki plays and other performances.

Around the mid-1800s, Western-style umbrellas made with linen and cotton entered Japan. These costly imports became the new luxury parasol, paralleling the silk umbrellas of eons past. Many of upper-class Japanese women show them pairing Western parasols with their kimono. The late 1990s saw the rise of new ultraviolet-blocking fabrics, and Japanese umbrellas attained their modern-day importance in everyday life.

As Japanese summers tend to be a revolving door of heavy monsoon rains and burning sunshine, the most popular parasols are ones with both water-repellent and UV-blocking features.

The ideal two-in-one parasol is sturdy and reinforced (to withstand the strong winds of rainstorms), has thick or multilayered fabric (to offer shade) and advertises UV-repellent coatings that block up to 99% of...