Chikugo wagasa (Japanese umbrellas), are a traditional craft from the Chikugo area of Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, that is said to have started in the early Edo period when the priest of the local Hiyoshi Shrine started making them as a side business. These beautiful and practical umbrellas are made using only natural Japanese materials such as bamboo, paper, lacquer, oil, glue, and thread. The Chikugo area was ideally situated to become a major production area for Japanese umbrellas because Matake bamboo was available via the Chikugo River, and local paper and persimmon tannin were also readily accessible. Craftsmen complete more than 100 complicated processes to make a finished umbrella.