An umbrella sky on umbrella day

Today, and June 11th annually, is Umbrella Day 傘の日  (Kasa no Hi) in Japan. It was established by the Japan Umbrella Promotion Association (日本洋傘振興協議会 / JUPA) in 1989 to highlight both the importance of umbrellas during the rainy season and the value of safe, high‑quality craftsmanship in the industry.

The date was chosen because June 11th often aligns with "nyūbai", the traditional calendar marker signaling the start of the rainy season, when umbrellas become an everyday necessity for people across the country. The anniversary promotes not only umbrella sales but also better etiquette and awareness around proper umbrella use, something especially relevant in crowded cities during long stretches of rain.

Unrelated to this anniversary, I went to visit an umbrella sky today. I had planned to go since last night, but when I realized this morning that it was also "umbrella day" I was particularly delighted with my choice of outing today!  Umbrella Skies have been very popular in Japan in recent years. A photo of the umbrella sky I saw today: