About
Founded in the late Edo period (1600-1868) in Kyoto, the Hiyoshiya workshop specialised in the production of the finest traditional Japanese umbrellas and is the only producer of this kind of umbrellas in Kyoto today.
Japanese umbrellas made of bamboo and washi paper have long played an important ceremonial and symbolic role in traditional forms of culture, such as the Japanese tea ceremony and the No and Kabuki theatre. Today, they are popular as an accessory to promote Japanese inns, high class Japanese restaurants, hotels and shops. They are also appreciated as an object for interior design and continue to be a favorite souvenir choice among tourists.
Kotaro, the present fifth-generation head of Hiyoshiya, still produces with excellent craftsmanship the wagasa umbrellas in the traditional way but has also spread the business into the fabrication of innovative interior design products.
Wagasa, the traditional washi paper umbrella on a bamboo frame has been an integral part of Japanese culture for centuries. The KOTORI lamp collection inspired by the wagasa reproduces the warm atmosphere of sunlight passing through the delicate washi paper. Manufactured with the same traditional technique and mechanism as the Japanese umbrella, the KOTORI lighting collection was presented with great success at all the important international craft exhibitions in Europe.
Made with technical perfection, the Kotori lamps are available as pendant, side or floor lamps in different sizes and color schemes. They are perfect fit for contemporary interiors and if needed, can be folded and stowed like an umbrella.
