傘 means 'umbrella'

All four kanji symbolize curving objects that have inspired fascinating creative leaps. Umbrella designs made people connect 傘 with domes, mushroom caps, snake eyes, and swords. Land and sea meet in a curvy line, so 浜 helps represent "wavy design" in everything from raked gravel to furniture to dog dishes. As "sickle," 鎌 drives words for crescent-shaped things (e.g., hamachi kama, curving ridges, a dolphin fin, and a dental tool). And the pear influences terms for pear-shaped islands and certain rounded body parts.

The Japanese accessorize in ways that no one else does. Find out about shoes made of rice straw or wood, umbrellas made of paper and oil, and handheld fans in the military. Then there's the figurative take on these items, including expressions about sheltering children, inciting people, padding numbers, and wearing two hats (but in Japan they're shoes!). The shapes of umbrellas, folding fans, and straw sandals have also sparked people's creativity; see what the Japanese perceive as having similar silhouettes!