Each year, Shiseido meticulously curates the window displays of the Shiseido Building in Ginza, Tokyo, to celebrate the holiday season. This year, the theme centered on the traditional Japanese craft of "Wagasa," or Japanese umbrellas.
Cherished by the Japanese since ancient times, the Wagasa craft has seen a steady decline in artisanship in recent years, largely due to the dominance of Western umbrellas.
Moreover, the "Rokuro," a critical shaft component of the traditional Wagasa umbrella, can only be fashioned from the Egonoki tree. With the recent passing of the last lumberjack capable of sourcing this precious wood, the craft faces an imminent threat of extinction.
Forty years ago, Japan boasted 299,000 traditional artisans; today, that number has dwindled to a mere 5,400. The Wagasa craft is among the few remaining disciplines grappling with a severe shortage of resources.
In the wake of the last lumberjack's passing and with only two artisans left skilled in processing Egonoki wood, the Wagasa craft now faces an imminent threat of extinction.