JAPAN NEWS


 

 
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Department stores are promoting umbrellas for use in both sunny and rainy weather as gifts for Father’s Day on Sunday.

They are banking on a campaign by the Environment Ministry to encourage not only women but also men to use parasols as protection against heatstroke.

Products on store shelves are mainly folding umbrellas that are easy to carry and convenient for daily use, including for business, with emphasis on functionality such as light weight and quick opening and closing with a push button.

They are also effective enough as parasols for protection against ultraviolet rays and sunlight, enabling users to feel as if they are in the shade even in the strong sunshine after the end of the rainy season.

J. Front Retailing Co.’s Matsuzakaya store in Tokyo’s Ueno district this year added dual-purpose umbrellas to the list of gifts for its Father’s Day campaign for the first time.

“Not only items in black and navy but also those with cool-looking bright color and with patterned designs are selling well,” a Matsuzakaya official said.

Sogo & Seibu Co.’s flagship store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district sells umbrellas for men, including dual-use ones, in women’s umbrella section.

The unit of Seven & i Holdings Co. expects women to give dual-use umbrellas to men as gifts or to encourage men to use them. “We believe men still find difficulty in buying parasols for themselves,” a Sogo & Seibu official said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency expects the weather this summer to be hot as usual and have more rain. Still, protection against heatstroke is needed.

The mercury rose to as high as 39.5 C in Hokkaido on May 26, a record for the month across the country.