Japanese Umbrella Heritage Hall

Japanese Umbrella Heritage Hall

The Japanese Umbrella Heritage Hall is located in Yodoecho, Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, Chugoku Region of Japan. It is a museum dedicated to preserving and passing on the traditional craft of Japanese umbrella-making, and is also one of Yonago’s most famous tourist attractions.

In the 4th year of the Bunsei era (1821), Kurayoshiya Shuzo, who came to Yodoe from Kurayoshi, opened an umbrella shop, marking the beginning of Yodoe’s umbrella-making history. Yodoe had abundant bamboo and open sandy beaches formed by the deposits of the Hino River, providing ample space for drying umbrellas. By the Taisho era, there were already 71 umbrella shops in the area, producing 170,000 umbrellas annually, which were sold across the western part of Japan. However, with the widespread adoption of Western-style umbrellas, the production of traditional Japanese umbrellas gradually declined. By Showa 59 (1984), all umbrella workshops in Yodoe had closed down. Today, members of the “Yodoe Umbrella Heritage Association” keep this craftsmanship alive through their hands-on efforts, and the Japanese Umbrella Heritage Hall is one of their most important initiatives.

The Japanese Umbrella Heritage Hall is truly a paradise for Japanese umbrellas. Here, visitors can see a wide variety of traditional umbrellas such as sun umbrellas, ban umbrellas, dance umbrellas, and snake-eye umbrellas, and they can also observe the manufacturing process and even try their hand at pasting umbrella paper.

Wagasa Denho Kan

Must-visit reason: One of Yonago’s most important cultural heritage venues

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Japan

Prefecture/State where the attraction is located: Tottori Prefecture

City where the attraction is located: Yonago