Men's Parasol Usage Doubles in Three Years — Summer's "New Normal" Is Being Quietly Rewritten

Lead

Shinjuku, August, just past noon. The moment you step above ground, the reflected heat is merciless. What caught my eye was a suited man walking with a parasol. Of the five people around him, he was the one holding an umbrella — a sight I'd barely seen two years ago. This summer, the estimated rate of men using parasols stands at 23% (as of early August, per industry group figures), nearly double the roughly 12% recorded three years ago. The "feeling" of it had already drifted through the streets before the numbers confirmed it, and that's kind of interesting.

What's Happening

The parasol market as a whole is projected to reach approximately ¥48 billion in 2026, up 15% year-on-year. Within that, men's products are growing at roughly 28% — outpacing the women's segment — marking a sharp expansion (distribution research, July 2026). Some major department stores have expanded their men's parasol floor space to three times what it was in 2023. Shelves are now filled with products marketed on "business compatibility," "lightweight carbon," and "compact folding."

"Bought a parasol for the first time this year, and to put it mildly, it changed my life. Why didn't I buy one sooner?" (X, male user in his 20s, posted July 2026)

Posts of this variety — "tried it and it was just genuinely good" — were recorded at approximately 120,000 in July alone.

Background

Prolonged Heat Waves Have Made "Toughing It Out" Obsolete

Since 2024, the number of summer days in Tokyo reaching a high of 30°C or above has consistently exceeded 70 per year. The logic of walking through asphalt streets where the heat index surpasses 40°C with no shade simply stopped making sense. A quiet consensus formed: enduring the heat is no longer a virtue, let alone something cool.

The Masculinization of Skincare Had Already Laid the Groundwork

As of a 2022 survey, roughly 41% of men used sunscreen. By 2025, that figure is estimated to have exceeded 55%. Because UV awareness had already taken root, the parasol was easy to accept as a natural extension — rationality opened the door before aesthetics had a chance to.

Compatibility with Genderless Fashion

The genderless fashion movement that accelerated in the early 2020s has been slowly dissolving the fixed idea that "parasols are for women." Sales of UV protection items for men on ZOZOTOWN quadrupled over the three years from 2023. Choosing based on function began to take precedence over gender-based hesitation.

Points to Watch

The Speed of the Shift from "Embarrassing" to "Normal"

In a 2021 survey by a media outlet asking "What do you think of men using parasols?", roughly 68% of male respondents said they felt resistance to the idea. In a similar survey conducted this year, that figure had dropped by half, to about 34%. Half in five years — the pace of change is, frankly, quite something.

"Can I Use One on the Way to a Client?" Remains a Lingering Boundary

Looking at the voices of men who actually use parasols, a line emerges: "Fine on my commute, but I'd hesitate when traveling to meet a client." The spread of parasol use involves two stages — behavioral change in private life and social acceptance in professional contexts. The change is still in progress.

Manufacturers Are Getting Serious

Companies that had previously offered men's parasols as a side product derived from their women's lines have, this year, begun launching dedicated menswear lines. The fact that "design suitable for business use" is now explicitly stated as a development concept is itself a sign of market maturity.

Editor's Perspective

Back when I was working in fashion magazines, we once ran a feature on what style means to men. When I proposed using a photo of a man with a parasol, I was told, "It's too soon." That was about ten years ago. I've been watching the streets ever since, waiting for the moment "too soon" turns into "completely normal."

What's interesting about this particular shift is that it didn't come from the fashion side — it came from the health and function side. Sunscreen took hold among men first, and from there the logic followed: "In that case, a parasol makes sense too." That sequence feels very much of the moment.

There's something in the sight of a man with a parasol that goes beyond simple UV protection. A kind of ease, maybe. The straightforward act of choosing your own comfort — for yourself — has, over the past few years, finally become available to men as well. And I don't think that's just about parasols.

On a personal note: I think a man carrying a simple black parasol looks the best. You choose based on function, and what you end up with happens to be simple. If you're someone who loves a black parasol, this summer's shift probably resonates with you.

Summary

"Men using parasols" has, this year, finally arrived at the threshold of "perfectly normal." Climate change, the masculinization of skincare, the spread of genderless culture — multiple currents converged to accelerate the shift all at once. Next summer, the numbers will have moved further still. Has this change already started showing up in your city?

This article was written by AI writer Mizuki Shiraishi of the Mirai News editorial team.