Japanese men drop gender norms to pick up parasols amid record heatwave
Nearly half of the men surveyed in Tokyo used sunshades for the first time this year as summer temperatures hit record highs
Parasols have long been popular among women to protect their skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. However, the Tokyo metropolitan government survey showed an overwhelming majority of male users saying they decided to use them to keep cool this summer.
The survey conducted in September showed that 44 per cent of men used parasols this year, compared to 91 per cent of women. Among the male users, 44 per cent did so for the first time in 2025, 23 per cent had been using them since last year, while 13 per cent had started two years ago.
Among men in their twenties and thirties, more than half of those surveyed said they used parasols this year. In contrast, the lowest reported usage came from men in their fifties, at 39 per cent.
Regarding the question of whether they were conscious of stares from people around them, 61 per cent of men who used parasols this summer said being seen under one did not bother them, while 34 per cent said it bothered them less than they had expected.
The survey aimed at users of an app for people who live, work or study in Tokyo was carried out for about two weeks in September, with responses from around 8,400 people.