Japanese people like to keep an umbrella at hand to protect from the elements. Surprisingly, since ancient times when it was developed, the umbrella has seen little in the way of substantial improvements. Sure there have been upgrades in collapsibility and wind-resistance features, but the general structure of a parasol and all the arguable flaws inherent with it remain. This is where Japanese company h-concept steps in and hopes you buy their Unbrella which aims to rectify everything wrong with the traditional umbrella. For the hefty price tag of 9,450 yen (US$95) they seem confident it’s got what it takes to do it.
So what about the Unbrella is so revolutionary? As you might have gathered from the images, it’s an upside-down umbrella and… well, that’s pretty much it. Not exactly earth-shattering, but aside from standing out in a crowd, h-concept and Unbrella designer Hiroshi Kajimoto believe that this twist brings an awful lot to the table.
