Gifu umbrellas

By 1756, the umbrellas became more fully developed and the modern shapes and designs first appeared.

By the beginning of the Meiji period, production increased to 12 million umbrellas each year and international sales first began on a widescale.

Production continued to increase until its peak during the Shōwa period, which 15 million umbrellas being produced each year, but modern production has dropped to just tens of thousands of umbrellas.

Gifu Umbrellas are made using Mino washi, a strong local paper.

Among traditional crafts in Japan, Gifu Umbrellas are particularly difficult to make with over 100 steps involved from start to finish.