Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2010

Courtesy of Idea International

There’s a certain predictability to our experience with umbrellas: first we lose the case, then we lose the brolly itself. Yuen’to Design has removed the first of these worries by combining the two together: their Magic Umbrella pops out of a durable plastic case which then serves as a handle as you brave the elements. You might feel a little self-conscious using it, but if it’s a choice between this and getting the contents of your bag soggy, we know which one we’d pick. It’s recommended for “tidy freaks,” “rain bringers” and “people who are tired of the ordinary folding umbrellas.” Guilty as charged.

¥3,990. Available at branches of Idea Seventh Sense and Idea Digital. www.idea-in.com/yuento