An exploration of intimacy and the microcosms we carry within

Every umbrella in the series manifests its own emotional atmosphere—isolating yet protective, ephemeral yet immersive. It creates a momentary boundary against the rain, carving out a pocket of time and space that is wholly distinct. Offering entry into an imagined space, a personal universe that unfolds beneath its canopy.

My Neighbor Totoro

となりのトトロ

My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten.

Inspired by the moment in My Neighbor Totoro, where an umbrella becomes a conduit for unexpected connection, this series highlights the uniqueness of personal spaces within the shared public environment.

Temporary landscape intersecting with the randomness of urban life

As rain isolates us, umbrellas become the visual boundary between the external chaos and the internal calm, transforming the street into a mosaic of fragmented atmospheres. The project invites viewers to reflect on these transient worlds we carry, revealing that even within the most mundane encounters, there is poetry, uniqueness, and the possibility of connection.

Upcycling plus reassembling

Upcycling of garments and materials selected for each world. Hand-sewn to create the regenerated form.

︎  The compass sensor of micro:bit detects how the umbrella is placed.
︎   Rain sound randomly triggered when umbrella is not held upwards.
︎  Rain sound stops when umbrella is picked up.
︎  Bringing the person into the little world under the umbrella that is isolated from the outer world.