This story celebrates the humble umbrella. Its history is uneventful but very long. Ancient Egypt, ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, ancient China ¡ª and via China ancient Japan ¡ª all had umbrellas, as we see from ancient art. Many were works of art in their own right.
One is surprised to find no mention of them anywhere in Japan¡¯s massive 11th-century classic novel ¡°The Tale of Genji.¡± There is a memorable description of a storm, a messenger trudging through it bearing a love poem from his mistress to his master exiled in a remote region; he arrives at last, ¡°a sad, sodden creature. Had they passed in the street Genji would scarcely have known whether he was man or beast.¡± An umbrella might have helped. But such it seems were only for ¡°the good people,¡± the aristocracy.
Centuries later they sparked ¡ª at least symbolized ¡ª a little revolution, a commercial revolution. ¡°In 1616¡± ¡ª Mark Weston tells the story in ¡°Giants of Japan: The Lives of Japan¡¯s Most Influential Men and Women¡± ¡ª ¡°a landless warrior, Mitsui Sokubei, and his thrifty wife gave up their samurai status and began brewing sake and soy sauce to make money.¡± From tiny acorns grow giant oaks. The Mitsui Corporation we know today was centuries ahead, but here is its embryo.
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