The rainy season has arrived in Japan, later than usual. Many people carry foldable umbrellas in their bags to prepare for sudden downpours not mentioned in forecasts. However, even though it's a precaution, some people still seem reluctant to use foldable umbrellas when it rains. Why is that, when they go through the trouble of carrying them around? We listened to the heartfelt feelings of people who carry foldable umbrellas but don't use them when it rains.

A 30-year-old male, Mr. A, who works for an IT company, always carries a foldable umbrella in his bag, but says, "Even if it rains, I try not to use it." "If I think about the hassle after using it, it’s just inconvenient. My hands get wet when I fold it, it's hard to fold it neatly, and even if I take the time to fold it well, it's not easy to put it back in the cover. I also hate the fact that the inside of the cover gets wet." Considering these inconveniences, he finds it easier to "run to his destination" when it's not a heavy downpour. "I can use a long umbrella even if raindrops fall, but foldable umbrellas are too much of a hassle, so I basically run past. A foldable umbrella is really a last resort, like when it’s a torrential downpour and I have no other choice." (Mr. A)

Ms. B, a 20-year-old woman working at a real estate company, also says, "Even when I try to use it, I end up not using it most of the time." "Foldable umbrellas don’t fit in the umbrella stand at stores, so I end up leaning them against the stand. Puddles form, and rainwater keeps dripping onto the umbrella, which makes me feel uncomfortable. Plus, I often lose the umbrella cover. Once I take it out and use it, I develop a habit of not putting it back in, so it's just lying dormant in my bag without a cover. I don’t want to use it, but it gives me a sense of security as ‘insurance.’”

Some people also find them unpleasant to use. Ms. C, a 40-year-old woman who works as a supervisor, carries an "all-in-one" foldable umbrella, but says, "I don’t use it on rainy days." "It can’t really be considered user-friendly. As a parasol, it's convenient for blocking sunlight. But as an umbrella, it's small and I get wet before I know it. The frame of the handle is also short, so I can only barely cover my head." However, Ms. C chuckled, saying that when she gets caught in the rain outside, "somehow, I end up buying a foldable umbrella." "I could buy a plastic umbrella, but I have too many plastic umbrellas at home, and I don't want to keep adding to them. Besides, the frame often bends and becomes unusable. So, I think, ‘Should I just buy a foldable umbrella for a little more money…?’" (Ms. C) Although foldable umbrellas offer portability, lightness, and compactness, which are advantages over long umbrellas, many people seem to find them difficult to handle.

These inconveniences with foldable umbrellas explain why people prefer long umbrellas on rainy days. Long umbrellas are larger than foldable umbrellas, so they are more robust in wind and rain, and they provide better protection from rain. Also, there’s no need to worry about losing the umbrella cover, and there’s less hassle with folding and unfolding.

However, foldable umbrellas have the advantage of being portable, making them easy to carry in a bag. They are also cheaper than long umbrellas and come in a wide range of designs and colors, offering more options.

In conclusion, we can say that Japanese people don’t use foldable umbrellas often on rainy days because of the inconveniences they present. However, foldable umbrellas have portability and price appeal that long umbrellas can’t match. Therefore, it seems that people who use foldable umbrellas do so while considering these advantages.