Shoei Co., Ltd. Launches Large Sunshade Tent for Workplace Heatstroke Prevention, Industry's First* Easy Retraction/Setup for Typhoons and Heavy Snow Areas (*Based on internal research)

Shoei Co., Ltd. (Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, President: Koji Sakoda), a manufacturer, seller, and installer of tents, will launch the large sunshade tent "Flexible Shade" (trademark pending; application number 2026-045786) on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

Features of "Flexible Shade":
- Heat Index (WBGT) Reduction: Blocks direct sunlight with a high-performance heat-shielding mesh sheet, reducing temperature by an actual measured 5°C.
- Large Size: Maximum width (5m x n units) x maximum depth 25m x maximum height 6.5m.
- No Water Pooling: Rainwater does not accumulate due to the mesh sheet.
(Competitive Advantage) Industry's First*; Based on internal research.
- Easy Opening/Closing: Can be opened and closed by one person using ropes to operate the foldable sheet.
- Easy Attachment/Detachment: In case of typhoons, etc., two people can raise/lower and detach the sheet without tools (Patent pending: Application number 2026-074259).
(138-second video) Short video demonstrating easy opening/closing and attachment/detachment (example of our similar product).

Background of Development (Labor Safety and Health Regulations):
- In June 2025, the revised Labor Safety and Health Regulations were enforced, making heatstroke countermeasures in the workplace virtually mandatory. This applies to work expected to be carried out for more than 1 hour continuously or 4 hours per day in environments with a heat index (WBGT) of 28 degrees or higher, or a temperature of 31 degrees or higher. Violations are punishable by imprisonment for up to 6 months or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.
- Mr. Sone, a salesperson at our company, had harbored the idea of contributing to society by creating original products for over 10 years. Around 2024, Mr. Sone saw a TV news report featuring a large sunshade for a nursery school and thought of creating a similar product, but was too busy to act.

Trigger for Starting Development (Inquiries from Rental Companies):
- Around that time, inquiries about sunshade tents began to come in. (5-6 cases in 2025).
- In August, a temporary material rental company showed us the aforementioned TV news report and said, "We need to transport and inspect materials outdoors, so we'd like to consider this." This became the catalyst for product development.
- More recently, we proposed this product to a pallet rental company that was considering heatstroke countermeasures for washing returned materials outdoors, and they are currently considering it.

Challenges in Commercialization (Typhoon and Snow Countermeasures):
- Large sunshade canopies using mesh sheets have already been commercialized by many tent manufacturers, but they shared common challenges: the risk of damage during typhoons and the inability to install them in snowy regions due to the weight of the snow causing collapse. Therefore, we decided to develop a product that overcomes these issues.
- Our solution was a rope-operated system for easy opening and closing of the mesh sheet, and a mechanism (patent pending: application number 2026-074259) that allows the mesh sheet to be raised and lowered with a winch and detached with fittings, all without tools.
- In October, Mr. Sone proposed this to the president and it was immediately adopted. To conduct various tests after actual production, we installed it at a nearby nursery school in February 2026. As a result, we were able to revise the foundation work, leading to significant cost reductions. It was finally completed on May 8th, and now children can enjoy playing outdoors even on hot summer days.
Easy Sheet Opening/Closing
Spread the sheet with rope operation (notice the top).
Fix the sheet once spread (notice the top).
Easy Sheet Attachment/Detachment
Fold the sheet.
Easy lowering with a winch.
Detach the sheet from the wire.

Applications:
Outdoor receiving, shipping, and packing areas in manufacturing industries, especially food and chemical plants with expected high-frequency small-lot shipments; construction and civil engineering sites; nursery school and kindergarten gardens, sandboxes, and poolside areas; elementary and junior high school grounds and outdoor activity areas; children's centers, parks, and other outdoor facilities where children gather; rest areas at public facilities and roadside stations, etc.

Specifications:
(Material) Mesh Sheet: Polyester / Frame: Steel (Hot-dip galvanized)
(Size) Maximum width (5m x n units) x maximum depth 25m x maximum height 6.5m; expandable with the above as one unit.

Sales Price:
1 unit / 10 million yen (excluding tax) ~ (varies by width) *Sales price is an estimate.

Parts Details:
Polyester mesh sheet, wire, and pulley.
Winch detachment fitting.

Future Direction (Solving Social Issues):
- In the current fiscal year, which is the startup phase, we aim for 3-5 units (minimum 3, ideally 5). For the next fiscal year, we plan for 10 units, primarily for summer use. In three years, we aim to further expand recognition, establish a production system including partner companies, and target 30 units annually. At that point, sales will be 300 million yen (assuming @10 million yen per unit).
- The company's overall sales have been increasing by 100 million yen annually in recent years, reaching approximately 750 million yen in the previous fiscal year. If this pace continues, existing business sales will reach 1.05 billion yen in three years, and combined with the 300 million yen in sales from this new product, the total sales will be 1.35 billion yen. (The sales ratio of this product will be approximately 22%).
- Moving forward, we aim to utilize our company's technology and know-how to develop original products that can solve societal challenges like heatstroke prevention, thereby contributing to the world.