We live our lives feeling the blessings and changes of the seasons. Today, umbrellas are no longer just a tool to protect us from the rain and dew, but are also expected to be functional and stylish. The development of umbrellas has posed a question to us. "Kimono and plastic umbrellas" are both wonderful products unique to Japan. But is there any "iki" in them?
We want to create umbrellas that are "stylish, elegant, and stylish on rainy days and sunny days." This is the origin of Hokusai Graphic. Hokusai's ukiyo-e prints remain fresh in every era and continue to fascinate the world today. Just like this great predecessor, Hokusai, we at Hokusai Graphic use original graphic designs to create umbrellas that remain fresh in every era and fascinate the world.
Did you know that Japanese people are the people who buy the most umbrellas in the world? Japan's annual umbrella consumption is said to be around 130 million, making it the highest in the world. Despite ranking 13th in the world in terms of the number of rainy days per year, the average number of umbrellas owned per person is 3.3. Compared to the global average of 2.4, the number of umbrellas owned by Japanese people stands out.
Japanese umbrellas are said to have become widely known in Japan during the Edo period. In particular, during the time when Kabuki was popular, the folding umbrella used in the play "Sukeroku" gained a reputation for being stylish, and the appearance of "holding an umbrella" became established as a fashionable style. The act of holding an umbrella when it rains may seem completely natural to Japanese people, but it also harbors Japanese culture and consciousness that has been passed down through the generations.
The seemingly black edges used in the prints of Hokusai, the leading figure in ukiyo-e, are actually not the black of ink but an exquisite indigo blue, commonly known as Hokusai Blue.
By varying the amount of water used, Hokusai Blue could produce a variety of blues, from a deep indigo blue that could be mistaken for black, to the beautiful colors of sky and water. This created a unique three-dimensional effect in the flat ukiyo-e prints, adding even more interest to Hokusai's bold compositions. His technique of expressing colors using only shades of indigo, as seen in his masterpiece "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," was so beautiful that it had a profound influence on various overseas painters, including Van Gogh, and was even called the "Hokusai Blue Revolution."
Hokusai's ukiyo-e prints continue to fascinate the world with their stylish and bold compositions and beautiful use of color. Hokusai Graphics has inherited the spirit of this great predecessor, Hokusai, and will continue to create umbrellas that are "stylish, vibrant, and captivating to the world."