Toray Donating Advanced Fabric for Canopy Shelters and Hats to Help People Beat the Heat in Kyoto during Japan’s Most Famous Festival

Aug 5, 2019, Tokyo – Toray Industries, Inc., announced today it is joining hands with tent manufacturer Sakura Corporation to donate three Kantantent™*1 canopy shelters incorporating SUMMER SHIELD™, to the Kyoto City Government. The triple laminated structure of this Toray-developed woven polyester fabric shields against heat, light, and ultraviolet rays. The tents will be deployed for the Gion Matsuri (festival of Yasaka Shrine), Japan’s most famous fete, which features grand processions of floats called “Yamaboko”. Toray and Kubota Eight Corporation will donate 350 hats made with SUMMER SHIELD™ to the Kyoto City Tourism Association*2, which will give them to paid viewing seat patrons at the festival.

The tents and hats will provide protection at the Gion Matsuri (festival of Yasaka Shrine), Japan’s most famous fete, which features grand processions of floats. Named after Yasaka Shrine was once called Gion-sha, the festival originated as a purification ritual more than 1,100 years ago. It lasts for the whole of July. A heatwave during the 2018 celebrations forced the organizers to cancel one of the part of the Gion Matsuri, Ato-Matsuri Hanagasa Junko that includes the Maiko dancer parade and Mikoshi carried by kids and so on. In order to pass down the Gion Matsuri and other traditional summer events, the city government announced a range of measures that it will roll out and assess this year as part of a nationwide Ministry of the Environment initiative to help prevent heatstroke.

SUMMER SHIELD™ blocks 100% of light and more than 99% of harmful ultraviolet rays*3. The middle layer is a white film that reflects ultraviolet light. At the bottom is a black film that blocks visible and infrared light. As a result, the temperature under canopy shelters incorporating this fabric is 4°C to 7°C lower than conventional models*3. Everyday applications for the fabric extend from tents to umbrellas, hats, and baby stroller covers. Toray looks to expand the fabric’s usage at sports and other outdoor events to safeguard as many people as possible from the summer heat.
 

*1” Kantantent™” is a registered trademark of Sakura Cooperation.
*2 Kyoto City Tourism Association website;　https://kyoto.travel/en
*3 Based on measurements at the Kaken Test Center, a third-party organization based in Tokyo, for:
 

• Light blocking ： JIS L 1055 A
• Ultraviolet ray shielding ： Unified Evaluation Method for UV Protection Material Processing Effectiveness (standard of the Japan Chemical Fibers Association)
• Thermal barrier property ： Reflector lamp method

Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa wearing hat incorporating SUMMER SHIELD™
Kantantent™ canopy shelters incorporating SUMMER SHIELD™