YAMAGATA, Japan >> In response to bear attacks across Japan, Suzuharu, a knitwear manufacturer in the town of Yamanobe, Yamagata prefecture, has developed protective knitwear that is lightweight and tear-resistant.
The clothing utilizes stab-resistant technology honed through the production of security uniforms, and the company is encouraging local governments and hunting associations nationwide to promote their use.
Last year, amid ongoing bear attacks in the prefecture, the company began developing the apparel to see if the stab-resistant fabric — backed by about 20 years of production experience — could stand up to bear attacks.
A jacket and vest, along with a hood and neck guard to protect the face and neck, were completed in June. After the company donated the items to the town government, it requested pants as well. Those were produced in July.
The garments are made by knitting dense, nonstretch fibers derived from synthetic resins and other materials. The jackets are relatively light, weighing less than 2 pounds, and dry quickly.
In durability tests conducted by the Yamagata Research Institute of Technology, the garments withstood about 100,000 friction experiments, about five times that of standard clothing.
“They are strong enough that even scissors cannot easily cut through them. We hope people working in the field will use them,” said Suzuharu Chairman Kazuo Suzuki.
The garments have drawn interest from local governments both within and outside the prefecture.
A government center in Niigata prefecture, which supports efforts to address harm caused by animals, ordered samples of the protective clothing.
“We plan to assess ease of movement and practicality during use, and then share this information with hunting associations and other groups” in Niigata, said a center employee.
