JAPAN NEWS



 

Amid a series of bear attacks across the country, a manufacturer of cut-resistant clothing in Kyoto Prefecture has developed specialized protective gear designed to withstand bear attacks and began selling it in May.

Called “Kuma Tector,” the product’s durability has reportedly been verified through tests using real bear claws. It is intended for use by local government officials on patrol and members of the public.

“We hope it will help save lives when people unexpectedly encounter a bear,” said the company’s public relations official.

The suit was developed by Success Planning Co., based in Yawata City.
According to company President Yukako Kuwahara, 63, the company was founded in 2003 by now Chairman Masafumi Ageno, in the wake of a 2001 mass murder at Ikeda Elementary School attached to Osaka Kyoiku University in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, in which a knife-wielding criminal killed eight children and injured 15 other people.

Ageno established the company with the aim of “contributing to society through products that protect people.”

The company’s main products include coveralls, T-shirts and vests for protective purposes. They are worn in workplaces were sharp tools are used and for personal safety.

In autumn last year, local governments and companies struggling with bear-related problems asked the firm whether its products would be effective against bears, prompting it to begin developing specialized protective gear.

The company’s slash-resistant products utilize materials, such as high-strength special polyethylene fibers and glass fiber, which is made by melting glass into a fibrous form. The firm enhanced Kuma Tector’s strength by layering these fabrics.

Separate garments protect the head and neck, torso and arms. As a result of pursuing a balance between ease of movement and durability, the finished fabric is less than 1 centimeter thick.

Durability testing was conducted in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering at Osaka Sangyo University. A pendulum-type impact tester was used to simulate a forceful, slashing blow from the clawed forepaw of a bear against a person.

A 26-kilogram weight covered with the fabric was dropped from a height of about 1 meter at a speed of 4.9 meters per second onto a taxidermic Asian Black Bear paw with claws.

When comparing the extent of tear conditions of a standard knit fabric and the Kuma Tector fabric, the knit fabric was severely torn by the claws, while the Kuma Tector fabric sustained only minor scratches, according to the company.

The product is intended for use by local government officials and security guards on bear patrol, as well as ordinary citizens who are concerned about bear attacks. “We hope this will help reduce tragedies caused by bears,” Kuwahara said.

The product line includes a protective hood, which covers the head (¥88,000), a protective vest for the chest and abdomen (same price), a neck guard (¥49,500) and protective arm covers (¥35,200). Prices include tax. Sales began in late May through major online retailers and other channels.