Umbrellas in Japan Furled, Those at Tejon Remain a Hit : Art: A typhoon knocks down some of Christo’s structures overseas, and the California section has minor glitches. Meanwhile, the tourists keep on coming.

Environmental artist Christo’s international umbrella project ran into major weather problems Thursday in Japan and minor mechanical glitches in California, but drew thousands of tourists to an “umbrella carnival” springing up in the Tejon Pass, usually one of the quietest backwaters of Los Angeles County.

A handful of umbrellas at the companion site in Japan were blown down in a typhoon. The artist’s wife, Jeanne-Claude Christo-Javacheff, overseeing the Japan segment, ordered the rest of the 1,340 giant blue canopies furled for several days until the storm passes.

No one was hurt in the mishap, which damaged “less than five” of the umbrellas, said Augie Huber, the project’s general contractor.

Prototypes of the umbrellas--which weigh 488 pounds each, are almost 20 feet tall and have canopies 28 feet in diameter--withstood wind tunnel tests of up to 65 m.p.h. The storm winds in Japan have been less than 40 m.p.h., according to WeatherData, a service that provides weather information to the Los Angeles Times. But gusts and turbulence concentrated the wind’s power, Huber said.

The problems in California were a minor cosmetic point. About 30 of the 1,760 yellow umbrellas erected along 18 miles of the Golden State Freeway in the Tejon Pass, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, needed adjustments to the spring-loaded “bayonet” devices that form the umbrellas’ pointy peaks, said Vince Davenport, director of field operations.

The umbrella canopies were cranked down and a worker grabbed the struts. As colleagues cranked the umbrella open again, the worker rode to the top of the 20-foot structure to fix the peak.

For some Christo staffers, the problems in Japan doused jubilation over the local success. “We feel bad because we feel bad for Christo,” said Davenport. “This is his project, he has worked so long on it, and we know this affects him.”

Christo was unavailable for comment. He is scheduled to leave for Japan Sunday and then return to California about a week later.

WeatherData forecasts call for clearing in Japan by late Saturday.

The California Highway Patrol said the number of tourists Thursday was less than the 10,000 that showed up for the umbrella opening Wednesday. But the turnout was still in the thousands. They viewed the spectacle by car, bus, helicopter and even limousine, stopping to buy T-shirts and trinkets from vendors in the little communities of Lebec, Gorman and Grapevine.

By midmorning, traffic on two-lane Lebec Road was slowed to 15 m.p.h. by the crush of sightseers. Many stopped at booths crammed with vendors selling everything from umbrella-decorated sweat shirts, mugs, watches and key chains to larger than life-size fiberglass animals.

Some even had their faces painted with umbrellas for $3 by Bakersfield resident Eva Halley, who rented space in a restaurant parking lot.

“Christo could cure the recession in the United States if he did an art installation in every depressed town,” said Maxine Gomberg of Brentwood, who bought more than $100 worth of souvenirs.

Although the biggest crowds are not expected until this weekend, many of the 10,000 residents of small towns along the freeway are already feeling besieged by umbrella tourists. Some tried to avoid going into town, but had no choice if they wanted their mail, which must be picked up at the Lebec Post Office because the area has no home delivery.

“To get your daily mail, you have to pack a lunch, there’s so much traffic,” said Elizabeth Hutchins, 68, of Frazier Park.

Tourists were also flocking to Gorman, a truck stop four miles south of Lebec. Vendors set up shop along Gorman Post Road, and a San Joaquin helicopter company was selling seven- and 15-minute sightseeing flights over the project for $35 and $60. By midafternoon, more than 300 passengers had gone aloft on more than 100 flights.

“It’s busier today than yesterday, and it’s going to be crazy over the weekend,” said pilot Dan Clark.

But truckers shied away from the throngs.

“I usually stop in Gorman but you can’t even get in there with those souvenir stands and those four-wheelers,” said driver Dan Beber, 55, of Sonora, Calif., referring to the cars clogging the local streets.

Even with the loss of many truckers’ business, sales had increased 30% at the Texaco station in Gorman, said cashier Dave Mason.

Not everyone took the opportunity to cash in. Don Hagner, pastor of Lebec Community Church, usually holds Sunday services for about 30 people. He said he has been deluged with phone calls from outsiders who want him to marry them under an umbrella and from vendors eager to set up booths in the church’s front yard.

“We’re not a wedding chapel . . . we’re not going to do something special just because people think it’s cute that we have umbrellas outside,” Hagner said.