Matsuda Wagasa

Hiroshi Matsuda was born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. He is the second-generation owner of the Wagasa workshop; his family has been creating traditional Japanese Wagasa umbrellas continually since 1896. Following the end of the Second World War, the umbrella industry declined. Matsuda could not take on any more disciples but rather carried out the entire umbrella creation process from start to finish. Even so, it was difficult to generate a profit and the workshop declined. As his son Shigeki grew up, he helped make umbrellas by copying those in the workshop. They were then able to make umbrellas together as father and son, becoming the third generation of Wagasa umbrella makers.

Magnae Chartae Exhibition