I alight at Ome Station in western Tokyo on a scorching summer¡¯s day; the pavement is like a pizza stone underfoot as I head east from the station and walk past umbrella shop Hoteiya.
There, last month, I took refuge from a downpour, and ended up buying a fancy umbrella from owner Ryotaro Arai, 77. As Arai kindly etched my name into the handle, he told me about the fabric used in the umbrella¡¯s canopy. ¡°It¡¯s called yaguji, and Ome was once famous for it,¡± he explained.
I¡¯m now in search of Gallery Cafe Hakoya, the place Arai suggested I might learn more about the historical fabric. The cafe is right on the main street and inside I find two delights: air conditioning and gregarious shop owner Kaneko Shizue, 70. I order an ice coffee, and as Shizue prepares it, I peruse the gallery¡¯s merchandise. Hakoya¡¯s offerings ¡ª notebooks, bags and wall hangings ¡ª all feature the same fabric as Hoteiya¡¯s best umbrellas.
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