Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2010

Courtesy of True Beyond Design

We wouldn’t mind scoring one of these, if only because the umbrella rack at the Metropolis office is reserved for visitors only. Go figure that one out. The Stand Umbrella is, as its name suggests, a brolly that’s able to support itself unaided, thanks to a tripod at its tip that—mercifully—is small enough to ensure that you won’t get weird looks from passersby in the street. This could easily have gone horribly wrong, crossing into the realm of chindogu “unuseless” gadgets, but somehow it works. We’d still like our own umbrella rack, though.

Stand Umbrella, ¥4,760 (including shipping). Available from www.truebeyonddesign.com