An innovative product born from twists and turns

　 Japan is the world's largest consumer of umbrellas, and inexpensive disposable plastic umbrellas account for the majority of the market. White Rose was the first company in the world to develop plastic umbrellas and even now continues to draw out their maximum effectiveness as a distinct, high-end manufacturer. Founded in the mid-Edo period, White Rose developed a portable, foldable raincoat made of oiled paper that proved to be a hit with samurai. Around 1950, they invented a vinyl plastic cover to go over cotton umbrellas, which were the norm at the time. The covers were a huge hit and the idea caught on quickly as it greatly improved the water resistance of cotton umbrellas. However, when nylon came onto the scene, the umbrella industry began switching to the more water-resistant material over cloth fabric, and the vinyl plastic cover for cotton umbrellas gradually lost demand. Well aware of the water-resistant properties of vinyl plastic, White Rose came up with the idea of attaching the vinyl plastic directly to the frame. Around 1960, the world's first plastic umbrella was born. At first, the Japanese umbrella industry did not pay much attention to White Rose. But they did catch the eye of an American broker and became popular in New York. When "mod" culture hit Japan, plastic umbrellas were chosen by up-and-coming fashion designers as new and unique pieces for their outfits and became loved by the general public.

A favourite of the imperial family

Gradually, transparent plastic umbrellas were popularized amongst the general public, regardless of age or gender. However, the popularity also led to fierce competition in pricing. In the end, inexpensive umbrellas were imported en masse from overseas and White Rose became the only remaining plastic umbrella manufacturer in Japan amongst more than 50 companies. Speaking about this shift, White Rose's CEO, Tsukasa Sudo, said, "We wanted to preserve the technology of authentic plastic umbrellas. So we searched for other ways to survive and began creating products other than umbrellas with vinyl plastic." This is why White Rose has continued to pour their energy into fulfilling the occasional orders of transparent, sturdy, quality plastic umbrellas. In particular, when making umbrellas for the Empress of Japan, they combined their skills and knowledge to meet a number of stringent demands. These included ensuring that the umbrellas were not only easy to hold but also resistant to wind and allowed her face to be always clearly visible. The resulting product was a feature called "water and wind dispersal" that prevents the wind and rain from coming inside the umbrella while allowing the wind that blows inside to escape. Knowing the ins and outs of vinyl plastic, this idea was something only White Rose could conceive.

　 The three factors that go into selling umbrellas are said to be "colour, pattern, and price." But White Rose's umbrellas are colourless, patternless and on the higher end of the price range. Mr Sudo proudly states, "Our plastic umbrellas are not for selling, but for using." White Rose's strong, long-lasting, and repairable plastic umbrellas, made with the goal of being sustainable, provide protection to the users from the moment they leave home to the moment they return.