Umbrellas That Pretend To Be Katanas

by 23 Comments

Don’t like getting rained on but still want to look like a total badass? Japan’s got you covered. Here in the Pacific Northwest where Tofugu HQ is, we wear rain jackets (all hail the great REI). But, in Japan, everyone uses umbrellas. Even if you didn’t bring your own umbrella and it starts raining, no worries! Just pop into the nearest convenience store and buy a throwaway one for a couple of dollars. While it’s weird to have an umbrella here in Oregon, it’s strange to not have an umbrella in Japan. That’s why you might as well look awesome while you do it, right? Introducing, Samurai Umbrellas:

Pulls the look off

Doesn’t pull the look off

Rakuten seems to have a good selection of these if you’re in Japan. If you’re outside of Japan, you can actually buy these on ThinkGeek or Flutterscape, and there’s even a tanto version (short katana… er… umbrella) as well. That way you can commit seppuku from your embarrassment of actually buying one of these and then taking it out in public.

Then again, maybe you’re just a badass ninja who doesn’t like getting wet. I totally understand. When I go out on patrols while wearing my cashmere ninja suit, I do everything I can to keep it from getting wet. That’s basic Ninja 101 training right there.

Regretful Ninja sees lightning. Wishes he had brought an umbrella.

Personally, though, if I were to get a katana umbrella (I wouldn’t, let’s stay hypothetical here), I’d want to get something a little fancier than this. Why get something so plain when you could get a katana umbrella that shows your allegiance to your favorite military leader or daimyo?

Where’s your allegiance?

Take that Tokugawa. You may have won the Shogunate, but I don’t see you with an umbrella sword.

Okay, maybe this isn’t your thing. You’re more into Japanese pirates, or something. Totally understandable. Then you’ll like this Roronoa Zoro katana umbrella from the famous manga/anime One Piece.

Roronoa Zoro One Piece Umbrella

Konichiwarrrrr

I’m pretty sure if you want to really be like the rain-hating Roronoa Zoro, though, you’ll have to get your hands on at least three of these. 三傘流!!

I gotta admit though, I’m kind of intrigued. Although I’m almost certain I’d never want to be seen in public with one of these (not to mention all the trouble you’d probably run into with people thinking you’re carrying around a katana), it’s certainly a fun gimmick.

How about you, though? Will you be getting yourself a samurai kasa to strike down the rain where it stands in single combat? Maybe you’ll get both the regular one and the tanto so you can use both at the same time like Miyamoto Musashi? Let me know in the comments below.

Saturday Timewaster is a weekly post that features Japanese videos, music, images, or games that will certainly waste your time (some weeks more than others). We hope you enjoy!

  • nagz

    i wouldn’t mind buying a tanto umbrella. looks like cheap mass-produced fun. more like a kitschy gimmick. anyway, europe is still an umbrella territory so it just fits, although i wouldn’t carry it around unconcealed. i’d hate to be labeled as an otaku nerd while not being one + macho boasting is not my thing :)

  • nagz

    either way, nice post still :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/Lawnmower16 Daniel Fawson

    People actually have gotten in trouble for this before.
    http://gizmodo.com/5615282/swat-team-called-over-umbrella-with-samurai-sword-handle

  • http://twitter.com/Musouka Musouka

    I bought one of the daimyo ones in Kyoto last year… and it’s totally badass! I don’t remember exactly which one but it has a picture of a crescent and the number 11 on it.

    However, one has to be careful when carrying these on train. I almost poked some poor souls on the shinkansen with it! “Abunai!” said one lady.

  • http://twitter.com/WackoMcGoose Kimura Okagawa

    Good to know. That said, I still want one. Probably the tanto-sized one, so I can keep it in my backpack when not using it.

    Wish I had seem these earlier, a full-size katana umbrella would’ve been great for Sakura-Con. I wonder if the security staff have ever had to peacebond an umbrella before…

    Edit: Oh right, the “daimyo allegiance” ones… Do they have one for the Chosokabe?

  • kuyachristian

    Here in Southern California, rain is next to nothing =[. I won’t be able to use a katana kasa in here =[

  • Chris

    I already have the same katana umbrella from ThinkGeek. It’s a bit bulky to carry around, but it’s still awesome when I need it. It also doesn’t break as easily as smaller, cheaper umbrellas.

  • http://profiles.google.com/statueofmike Michael S

    Isn’t that Toshiro Mifune in the back of the “Where’s Your Allegiance” ads? Can anyone use old movie footage in their posters over there?

  • CelestialSushi

    Are you kidding??? A One Piece katana umbrella that looks like Wado Ichimonji???? :D This article could explode from the sheer amount of awesome, and with katana umbrellas as the topic already, that amount was pretty high to begin with :D

  • Dianna

    I would absolutely not mind having one of these. Despite the nerd levels, living in Texas… no one will even know what is.
    Its like a private joke that keeps me dry.

  • Conpanbear

    I remember hearing a story about a college in America going into lockdown because a student was seen carrying his katana-umbrella on campus. Pretty sure the cops had to come check it out, wasted their time, and these unbrellas were then banned from a whole bunch of colleges.

  • ಠ_ರೃ

    Well, beats trying to cut down the rain with a katana that pretends to be an umbrella.

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    hahaa, yeah it is. Maybe the movie is old enough?

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001535919021 Heather Stewart

    I’m pretty sure there are also broadsword- and rapier-handled umbrellas out there for sale as well. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen the tanto ones, though I don’t think I should be surprised.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ChadBling Chado Bokusta

    they have these at the sen en store in otaru, i thought good gift for overseas family

  • Erick Reilly

    They look kinda cool, but I may or may not get one.

  • Axel

    friend got one, almost caused international incident in japan

  • Kiriain

    They all look really cool. But I’ll have to go with the plain black one and go for that Ronin vibe. Nonetheless, I still have my sexy red golf umbrella! It’s my baby.

  • Mashimaro

    One Piece is everywhere in Japan! It confused me, for an anime I never even heard about… Now they have an umbrella sword, of course!

  • Obvious

    Pretty obvious! if this kind of umbrella design is brought into the public area especially in the bank or high-security risk areas, it will be confiscated on the spot by the security/police if they see on sight since it looks almost like a concealed weapon. Most likely, it will be banned by the authority. Use common sense…sigh… – Mr. Obvious Guy

  • Tam

    you don’t do umbrellas over there? lol that’s wierd ;p 
    I’m a girl so I think it would be easier for me to pull one of those off, plus noone in England would really notice that it’s meant to look like a katana *w*

  • http://kendainakita.wordpress.com/ Kenda

    I would so buy this for my husband. Although we are from Oregon and don’t use umbrella’s much the fact that it looks like a katana feeds his love of all things samurai, gimmicky or not.