Heritage Umbrella Manufacturer Fujitaya (est. 1919) Launches Joint Research Project with Shizuoka Design College for Children's Parasols
Fujitaya, an umbrella manufacturer established in 1919, has launched a collaborative project with Shizuoka Design College. Focusing on children's parasols, students will participate in a one-year educational program covering the entire product development process from market research to promotional strategy.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 19:30
- 🔍 Collected: May 22, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 22, 2026 at 12:55 (1h 53m after Collected)
Fujitaya Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Aoi-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture; President: Michikazu Fujita), a long-established umbrella manufacturer in Shizuoka City founded in 1919, has launched a collaborative project with Shizuoka Design College focusing on the development of children's parasols.
Over the course of one year, students will gain practical experience in corporate understanding, industry research, market surveys, interviewing, design proposal, and sales promotion planning. The educational program is designed not merely for aesthetic design but to foster an understanding of 'usable designs' that address social issues, consumer needs, and business viability.
While this initiative is not currently premised on commercialization, the company will consider the possibility of future product development based on the content and feasibility of the proposals generated during the project.
Background of the Project
The project centers on children's parasols. This is driven by the increasingly serious issue of protecting children from heat during their commute to and from school. As summer heat becomes more severe each year, heatstroke has become a familiar and urgent issue in local communities. Children, being shorter in stature, are particularly susceptible to heat reflected from road surfaces, making them more vulnerable to changing thermal environments than adults. Given these circumstances, we believe developing a parasol for children that handles both sunlight and rain is an essential theme to tackle right now.
Furthermore, children's umbrellas must be convincing not only to the children themselves but also to parents and school authorities. Craftsmanship must incorporate multiple perspectives such as safety, ease of handling, practicality during commuting, and a sense of security. We believe this theme provides a highly practical and meaningful subject for students to think about manufacturing from diverse viewpoints.
Significance of Industry-Academia Collaboration
The major significance of this project lies in allowing students to experience the entire flow of product development as an integrated process.
Learning in school can often be compartmentalized by subject area. In the professional field, however, processes like research, planning, design, verification, and communication are not fragmented but proceed in a continuous flow. Through this collaboration, students can trace the product development process practically, connecting and solidifying the knowledge and technology learned in the classroom into learning that is applicable in the workplace.
Moreover, we believe there is a significant social impact. Japan is one of the world's leading consumers of umbrellas. While many are in circulation, many are also discarded. Although umbrellas are essential, the emphasis on price and convenience often obscures the value of using one item for a long time.
In this context, experiencing the actual process of product development and bringing their own ideas to life gives students an opportunity to realize the difficulty, excitement, and dignity of manufacturing. Experiencing that a single product involves many perspectives, ingenious ideas, and trials is not limited to umbrellas; it cultivates an awareness of valuing and using things carefully for a long time.
Program Overview
The project will proceed as follows:
1. Business Understanding: Learning Fujitaya's history, business, philosophy, and future direction.
2. Industry Understanding: Investigating the umbrella industry, market environment, competitors, and consumer needs.
3. Research: Understanding actual problems and usage realities through interviews and surveys with parents and children.
4. Proposal Creation: Concept formulation, design proposal, and specification review based on research results.
5. Communication Strategy: Considering how to convey the value of the proposal, including promotions.
About Shizuoka Design College
Shizuoka Design College offers design education across diverse fields, including graphic, spatial, fashion, and beauty. Through a practice-oriented campus equipped with the latest facilities and a curriculum developed in collaboration with companies and the community, the college is dedicated to fostering talent that can immediately contribute to the workplace.
Over the course of one year, students will gain practical experience in corporate understanding, industry research, market surveys, interviewing, design proposal, and sales promotion planning. The educational program is designed not merely for aesthetic design but to foster an understanding of 'usable designs' that address social issues, consumer needs, and business viability.
While this initiative is not currently premised on commercialization, the company will consider the possibility of future product development based on the content and feasibility of the proposals generated during the project.
Background of the Project
The project centers on children's parasols. This is driven by the increasingly serious issue of protecting children from heat during their commute to and from school. As summer heat becomes more severe each year, heatstroke has become a familiar and urgent issue in local communities. Children, being shorter in stature, are particularly susceptible to heat reflected from road surfaces, making them more vulnerable to changing thermal environments than adults. Given these circumstances, we believe developing a parasol for children that handles both sunlight and rain is an essential theme to tackle right now.
Furthermore, children's umbrellas must be convincing not only to the children themselves but also to parents and school authorities. Craftsmanship must incorporate multiple perspectives such as safety, ease of handling, practicality during commuting, and a sense of security. We believe this theme provides a highly practical and meaningful subject for students to think about manufacturing from diverse viewpoints.
Significance of Industry-Academia Collaboration
The major significance of this project lies in allowing students to experience the entire flow of product development as an integrated process.
Learning in school can often be compartmentalized by subject area. In the professional field, however, processes like research, planning, design, verification, and communication are not fragmented but proceed in a continuous flow. Through this collaboration, students can trace the product development process practically, connecting and solidifying the knowledge and technology learned in the classroom into learning that is applicable in the workplace.
Moreover, we believe there is a significant social impact. Japan is one of the world's leading consumers of umbrellas. While many are in circulation, many are also discarded. Although umbrellas are essential, the emphasis on price and convenience often obscures the value of using one item for a long time.
In this context, experiencing the actual process of product development and bringing their own ideas to life gives students an opportunity to realize the difficulty, excitement, and dignity of manufacturing. Experiencing that a single product involves many perspectives, ingenious ideas, and trials is not limited to umbrellas; it cultivates an awareness of valuing and using things carefully for a long time.
Program Overview
The project will proceed as follows:
1. Business Understanding: Learning Fujitaya's history, business, philosophy, and future direction.
2. Industry Understanding: Investigating the umbrella industry, market environment, competitors, and consumer needs.
3. Research: Understanding actual problems and usage realities through interviews and surveys with parents and children.
4. Proposal Creation: Concept formulation, design proposal, and specification review based on research results.
5. Communication Strategy: Considering how to convey the value of the proposal, including promotions.
About Shizuoka Design College
Shizuoka Design College offers design education across diverse fields, including graphic, spatial, fashion, and beauty. Through a practice-oriented campus equipped with the latest facilities and a curriculum developed in collaboration with companies and the community, the college is dedicated to fostering talent that can immediately contribute to the workplace.
FAQ
藤田屋と静岡デザイン専門学校が開始したプロジェクトの内容は？
児童用晴雨兼用傘をテーマに、学生が企業理解、市場調査、デザイン提案、販売促進策までを実践的に学ぶ1年間の産学連携プロジェクトです。
本プロジェクトは商品化を前提としていますか？
現時点では商品化を前提としていませんが、学生からの提案内容や実現性を踏まえ、今後の商品化の可能性も検討されます。
プロジェクトが児童用晴雨兼用傘を取り上げた背景は？
近年深刻化する子どもの登下校時の熱中症対策として、日差しと雨の両方に対応できる傘が重要であると考えられたためです。
藤田屋とはどのような企業ですか？
1919年（大正8年）に創業し、静岡県静岡市に本社を置く老舗の傘メーカーです。
静岡デザイン専門学校はどのような教育を行っていますか？
グラフィック、空間、ファッションなど多様なデザイン分野において、企業や地域との連携による実践的なカリキュラムを展開しています。