Rain gear - Amagu

Japanese: 雨具 - あまぐ

A general term for clothing and tools used in the rain or snow. They can be broadly divided into three types: rainwear, umbrellas, and rain boots. In Japan, raincoats (mino) have been used as rain gear since ancient times, as can be seen in various picture scrolls, including the Shigisan Engi. Mino was called "kera" because its shape resembled that of the insect kera. Other rain gear used included oil coats (yui) and paulownia oil paper (touyugami). A major change in rain gear came with the introduction of Nanban clothing culture in the 16th century. Among them, raincoats made of woolen cloth were introduced, and because they form a circle when unfolded, they were called round raincoats or monk raincoats and were used by warlords during the Sengoku period. Since ramie was an imported product, later it was made into a Japanese style raincoat using cloth, and was called mawashi raincoat or mawashi raincoat, and was widely used for travel. Paper raincoats were made by applying persimmon tannins and then coating the paper with paulownia oil, and were called paulownia oil raincoats or red raincoats, and were used by people of lower ranks than foot soldiers. When people were traveling to Edo for alternate attendance, they would carry a raincoat basket containing these on their backs in case of sudden rain on the road.

Maru-kappa was inconvenient to wear with Japanese kimonos, which have long sleeves, so a kimono-style version was invented and called sode-kappa. It was originally made of woolen cloth, but was later made using high-quality fabrics and called hifu. These sode-kappa were called naga-kappa or han-kappa depending on the length of the body, and the length also changed with fashion. At the same time, cloth was replaced by woven fabric, and cotton was often used by people other than the wealthy. The shape of the collar also changed, and those worn by esashi (bird-catchers) were called takasho-kappa, and this collar became the origin of today's michiyuki-eri (falconer collar).

After the ports were opened at the end of the Edo period, Western culture was introduced, introducing a new clothing culture and bringing a breath of fresh air to the world of rainwear. In the early Meiji period, tonbi raincoats (or tonbi for short) were made by combining a waist raincoat and a back raincoat, all made from wool. This was later changed to a double layer, and the round raincoat evolved into a cloak. As Japanese clothing became more Westernized, overcoats were used by soldiers, and raincoats were developed for rain, and Japanese clothing came to be called ame-goats. A variety of materials were used for them, including silk, cotton, synthetic fibers, and even vinyl. A distinctive feature of ame-goats is the doyuki style, with a full length hem, which was initially made from serge or celluloid, but later special fabrics were developed. Fine threads are tightly woven to repel rain, and fabrics such as satin, iridescent weave, tsumugi, and for summer use, gauze, as well as waterproofed kimono fabric are used. The shapes, colors, patterns, and materials seem to change over time to suit the overall taste in clothing.

[Takeshi Endo]

History of Rain Gear around the World

In Europe, where precipitation is relatively low, there was not much need for rain gear solely for protection from the rain. Therefore, outerwear and headgear worn when going out or traveling not only protected against the cold, wind, and dust, but also rain. The need for rain gear increased in the 19th century, when people began to enjoy outdoor life and sports became popular, and it was around this time that umbrellas were invented and became widespread.

Throughout the ancient and medieval periods, square or semicircular woolen cloths were worn over the shoulders to protect people from the cold and rain, and also served as blankets at night. Such cloak-style outerwear, hoods, and shawls were used widely and have a long history. Furthermore, men's coats made of wool or leather, which changed in style over the years, and hats with brims were also used for this purpose as appropriate.

Wool fabrics were certainly suitable for keeping water out, but water penetration was unavoidable. Efforts to improve this point were popular in the 19th century when the demand for waterproof fabrics increased, and in 1823, Charles Mackintosh of England patented a rubberized cloth (India Rubber Cloth) and made a coat. However, rubberized cloth was not breathable, so it was prone to becoming stuffy, had a strong odor, and was uncomfortable to wear. Waterproofing technology continued to improve, and in the early 20th century, Burberry developed a breathable waterproof product. Waterproofing was necessary not only for outdoor sports and driving (initially in open-top wagons), but also for military uniforms on the battlefield. The cotton gabardine waterproof coats adopted by the British Army during the long trench warfare in World War I were called trench coats, and quickly spread to civilian clothing after the war, and are still established today as the basic style of raincoats and duster coats.

[Masumi Tsuji]

Current rain gear

Nylon and vinyl sheets and films, which were born from the development of synthetic fibers, had the drawback of being non-breathable and trapping moisture, but they were highly waterproof, lightweight, and easy to process, so they were used as materials for raincoats, rain hats, rain shoes, and umbrellas. Because breathability is more comfortable, water-repellent processing is the most common method of waterproofing clothing. This processing method involves attaching (temporary waterproofing) or bonding (permanent) hydrophobic substances to the fiber surface, and pyridinium salts, silicone resins, fluororesins, etc. are used. Processing that hardens the gaps in the threads with vinyl or urethane resins makes the material completely waterproof but non-breathable, and is used for bags and canvas.

[Masumi Tsuji]

"Kitakawa Morisada (ed.), Ruiju Kinsei Fuzokushi (Records of Modern Manners and Customs) (1934, Saisei-kaku)"

Rain gear from the Heian period
The man pulling the reins of the horse was wearing a straw hat and a raincoat as rain gear.

Rain gear from the Heian period

Rain gear from the Kamakura period
The Chinese umbrellas and long-handled umbrellas with claws, which were mainly used by monks, and raincoats can be seen .

Rain gear from the Kamakura period

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

雨や雪の際に用いる衣類や道具類の総称。雨着類、雨傘（笠(かさ)）類、雨靴類の3種に大別できる。日本では古くから蓑(みの)を雨具として用いていたが、これは『信貴山縁起(しぎさんえんぎ)』をはじめ、いろいろの絵巻物からも知ることができる。蓑のことを「けら」とよんでいたのは、昆虫のケラにその形態が似ていたことによる。雨具としてはこのほか油衣(ゆい)あるいは桐油紙(とうゆがみ)を用いていた。雨具に大きな変化がもたらされたのは、16世紀に入って南蛮の服飾文化が導入されてからである。なかでも羅紗(らしゃ)製の合羽(かっぱ)が伝えられ、広げると円形をなすところから、これを丸合羽あるいは坊主合羽とよんで戦国武将の間で用いられた。羅紗は輸入品であったので、のちに布帛(ふはく)を用いて、日本的に仕立て、これを引き回し、あるいは回し合羽と称して道中用に多く用いた。また紙製のものは、紙に柿渋(かきしぶ)を引き、上から桐油(きりゆ)を塗って桐油(とうゆ)合羽あるいは赤合羽と称して徒士(かち)以下の低い身分の者が用いた。参勤交代のおりには道中のにわか雨に備え、これを入れた合羽籠(かご)を担いで歩いた。

　丸合羽は、袖(そで)の長い日本の着物には不便なところから、着物仕立てのものが考案され、これを袖合羽とよんだ。最初は羅紗仕立てであったが、のちに高級織物を用いてつくられ、被布(ひふ)と称した。この袖合羽は身丈(みたけ)の長短により、長合羽、半合羽といい、丈にも流行の変化があった。それとともに裂地(きれじ)も布帛に移り、金持ち以外は木綿を用いることが多かった。また衿(えり)の形にも変化があり、餌差(えさ)し（鳥刺し）の着るものを鷹匠(たかしょう)合羽といい、その衿は今日の道行衿(みちゆきえり)の源となった。

　幕末に開港してから欧米文化がもたらされて、新しい服装文化が入り、雨具界にも新風がおこった。明治初頭の鳶(とんび)合羽（略してトンビ）は、腰蓑と背蓑とをあわせて羅紗で仕立てたものである。これはのちに二重回しと変わり、丸合羽はマントに転じていった。また日本人の服装が洋装化するにつれて、外套(がいとう)が軍人の間で用いられると、雨用としてレインコートが生まれ、和服用は雨ゴートといわれるようになった。その素材も絹、木綿、化繊さらにビニルまで各種のものが用いられる。雨ゴートの特色は対丈(ついたけ)の道行仕立てで、当初はサージやセルの素材を用いたが、のちには専用布地ができた。雨をはじくように細い番手の糸を緻密(ちみつ)に織り、繻子(しゅす)、玉虫(たまむし)織、紬(つむぎ)類、夏用には紗(しゃ)などのほか着尺(きじゃく)地を防水加工したものが用いられる。服飾全体の好みにあわせてその形態、色彩、模様、素材は時代とともに変化していくようである。

［遠藤　武］

世界の雨具の歴史

降水量が比較的少ないヨーロッパでは、雨よけのみを目的とする雨具類は、それほど必要とされなかった。したがって、外出や旅行の際に着られた外衣や被(かぶ)り物が、防寒や防風や防塵(ぼうじん)だけでなく、防雨の役目もしてきたわけである。雨具の必要性が高まったのは、人々が戸外生活を楽しみ始め、スポーツが盛んになった19世紀のことであり、雨傘が発案され普及したのもこのころである。

　古代や中世を通じて肩にかけられた四角形や半円形の毛織物の布は、寒さや雨を避けてくれたうえ、夜は毛布がわりにもなった。このようなマント形式の外衣や頭巾(ずきん)やショールの類が活用された範囲は広く、歴史も古い。さらに、時代によってさまざまなスタイル変化をみせた羅紗や皮革製の男性コート類や、ブリムのある帽子なども、適宜この目的に使用されたことはいうまでもない。

　毛織物は確かに水よけに適した材料だったが、水の浸透は避けられなかった。この点を改良するためのくふうは、防水布の需要が高まった19世紀に盛んになり、1823年にはイギリスのチャールズ・マッキントッシュが、ゴム引き布（インディア・ラバー・クロス）の特許をとり、コートをつくった。しかし、ゴム引きは通気性がないために蒸れやすく、においも強くて着心地はよくなかった。その後も防水技術の改良は進み、20世紀初めには通気性のあるウォータープルーフ商品をバーバリー社が開発している。戸外スポーツやドライブ（当初は無蓋車(むがいしゃ)だった）の際はもとより、戦場の軍服にも防水加工は必要だった。第一次世界大戦中の長期にわたった塹壕(ざんごう)戦で、イギリス軍が採用した綿ギャバジンの防水コートは、トレンチ（塹壕の意味）・コートとよばれて戦後急速に市民服に広まり、レインコートやダスターコートの基本スタイルとして現在も定着している。

［辻ますみ］

現在の雨具

合成繊維の開発から生まれたナイロンやビニルのシートやフィルムは、通気性がないために湿気がこもるという欠点はあったが、防水性に優れて軽く、加工もしやすかったために、レインコートをはじめ、レインハット、レインシューズ、雨傘の材料として利用されてきた。衣類の防水加工は、通気性があったほうが快適であるから、水をはじく撥水(はっすい)加工が一般的である。繊維表面に疎水(そすい)性物質を付着させる（一時的防水）か結合させる（永久的）加工法で、ピリジウム塩、シリコン樹脂、フッ素樹脂などが用いられる。糸のすきまをビニル系やウレタン系の樹脂で固めてしまう加工は、完全防水になるが通気性はなく、袋物や帆布に用いられる。

［辻ますみ］

『喜多川守貞編『類聚近世風俗志』（1934・更生閣）』

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平安時代の雨具
馬の手綱を引く男は藺笠をかぶり、蓑を雨具として使用した。『信貴山縁起絵巻』　写国立国会図書館所蔵">

平安時代の雨具

鎌倉時代の雨具
おもに僧侶の間で使われた唐傘や爪折の長柄傘と雨衣がみられる。『一遍上人絵伝』　写国立国会図書館所蔵">

鎌倉時代の雨具

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