Protecting Elementary School Students' Safety During Commutes with the 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat! Peekaboo Co., Ltd. Wishes for All Elementary School Students Nationwide to Commute Energetically.
Peekaboo Co., Ltd., which develops the UV protection brand 'EPOCHAL,' announces its dream on April Dream day to realize a society where all children nationwide can safely commute to and from school.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 21:00
The 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat is the nation's first school hat with a built-in lightweight helmet.
Peekaboo Co., Ltd., based in Saitama Prefecture and operating the UV protection brand 'EPOCHAL,' declares its dream on this April Dream day to realize a society where all children nationwide can safely commute to and from school.
3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat
Our company has planned and developed a single school hat that helps with UV protection, heatstroke prevention, injury prevention, and disaster preparedness. We hope that all elementary school students nationwide will wear it.
According to an announcement from the National Police Agency, data shows that 500 children suffer serious injuries or fatalities annually. Including minor injuries, more than 10 times that number of children get injured during their commute.
Furthermore, due to environmental and weather changes, we must realize that commuting time has become a period where children are exposed to dangers such as heatstroke and injuries.
In addition to daily skin and body health, it also helps prevent injuries and is useful for disaster preparedness!
■ Our Vision: Mornings at the Entrance of Every Home in Japan
Rather than numbers, imagine a single scene.
Mornings at the entrance of every home in Japan, as families send their children off.
We want to create commute times protected by hats.
Behind the words 'Be careful,' there are many thoughts from the family.
'Be careful.'
How much anxiety is contained in those words every day?
UV rays, heatstroke, traffic accidents, troubles between children.
Unspoken worries about the time on the commute route when parents cannot walk with them.
Our dream is to change those words.
'Have a good day! Make sure to wear your EPOCHAL hat.'
And in the evening, when the child returns home energetically,
'Welcome home. You wore your hat.'
To be able to say that with a smile. That's all we want.
That this becomes commonplace in every home across Japan—that is the dream of Peekaboo Co., Ltd.
■ The Background to This Dream—Four Origins
① Family's Skin, and Towards Founding
It was 24 years ago that our representative, Kimiko Matsunari, who has an atopic child sensitive to UV rays, founded Peekaboo Co., Ltd. with the desire to 'protect skin from harmful UV rays for healthy growth!' for her child and for those with atopic or sensitive skin, to create UV-cut wear. 'Protecting skin from harmful UV rays just by wearing it, and feeling as comfortable as in the shade'—that has been the consistent thought we have put into EPOCHAL's UV-cut wear.
Origin ② 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake
On that day, children at school suddenly had no choice but to walk home on their own. Neither teachers nor parents could rush to them immediately. 'There are times on the commute route when adults' eyes don't reach'—that reality was etched into my heart.
Origin ③ When My Son Was in 5th Grade
In a fight between children, my son's head was impacted. A defenseless head, with no helmet or hat. 'If only there had been something to protect him inside his hat'—as a mother and as someone involved in manufacturing, that thought never left me.
Origin ④ A Friend's Child Was Hit by a Car
When I heard 'he suffered a concussion,' I was speechless. And every time I watch the news, I realize—accidents during commutes are still happening today. The time children walk to and from school alone is also a time when no one is protecting them.
Kimiko Matsunari, Peekaboo Co., Ltd.
When these four origins converged, our dream was set.
'A hat I wanted to make for my child, for all children.' To solve the three major risks during commutes—UV rays, heat, and head impacts—with just one hat. To make the commute route, where adults are not present, even a little safer. That is why the 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat was born. The 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat is the only school hat for UV protection, heatstroke prevention, and injury prevention. It is an innovative hat that integrates EPOCHAL's 3-way UV-cut hat with a lightweight helmet.
Past, Present, Future
What We Have Been Working On [Past] 24 Years of Protecting Kindergarten and Nursery Children from UV Rays
We also produce original wear and hats for kindergartens, children's centers, and nurseries.
The EPOCHAL brand first addressed UV protection in group life at kindergartens and nurseries. Early childhood, with its frequent outdoor play, is when skin damage is most likely to accumulate. In cooperation with kindergartens and teachers, we have developed and provided UV-cut kindergarten hats, UV-cut flap exercise hats (with neck flaps), and UV-cut exercise clothes/uniforms, continuously watching over children's healthy growth. The introduction to approximately 100 kindergartens nationwide and the certification as a recommended product by the Japan School Health Association are testaments to this accumulation.
[Present] The Big Hurdle of Introduction to Elementary Schools
However, in reality, this new school hat has only just begun to be offered, and there are almost no cases of introduction to elementary schools. Children who were protected in kindergartens and nurseries are suddenly exposed to UV, heat, and head impact risks as soon as they enter elementary school, walking their commute routes alone. This 'blank period' is the issue we are most strongly aware of now.
[Future] We want to turn the desire to 'have my child wear it' into a societal force.
Parents who wish to 'have their child wear' the 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat, and school officials who are considering 'introducing it to schools'—their voices are the power that drives this dream forward. By leveraging the power of those who spread information to places that cannot be reached by the efforts of a single company, we want to create a society where 'being protected during commutes is commonplace' with EPOCHAL's 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat, if adults are not present.
Our Current Position Towards Realizing the Dream
We have already begun our journey towards this dream.
The 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat was certified as a recommended product by the Japan School Health Association this year!
Furthermore, we are currently developing a structure that integrates SG standard compliant helmet functions inside the hat.
Our mission is to create a school hat that solves the triple risks of UV rays, heat, and impact with just one hat—a school hat that 'protects just by wearing it.'
To make serious injuries minor, and minor injuries non-existent.
We are starting by making this hat widely known, which protects the most important part of the human body, the head, with a lightweight helmet, and also routinely protects against UV rays and heat that affect the human body due to environmental and weather changes.
■ Request for Cooperation
Parents who wish to 'have their child wear' this school hat, and school/education officials, please spread this information to many people at schools and in your communities. Each 'like' and 'share' will contribute to the safe commute of children, who are important members of society.
▶ Official Website: https://epochal.jp
▶ School Hat Page: https://epochal.co.jp/s48277320/uv-seibou/
[Company Profile]
Company Name: Peekaboo Co., Ltd. https://epochal.co.jp/
Brand Name: EPOCHAL https://www.epochal.jp/
Keywords: April Dream
Peekaboo Co., Ltd., based in Saitama Prefecture and operating the UV protection brand 'EPOCHAL,' declares its dream on this April Dream day to realize a society where all children nationwide can safely commute to and from school.
3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat
Our company has planned and developed a single school hat that helps with UV protection, heatstroke prevention, injury prevention, and disaster preparedness. We hope that all elementary school students nationwide will wear it.
According to an announcement from the National Police Agency, data shows that 500 children suffer serious injuries or fatalities annually. Including minor injuries, more than 10 times that number of children get injured during their commute.
Furthermore, due to environmental and weather changes, we must realize that commuting time has become a period where children are exposed to dangers such as heatstroke and injuries.
In addition to daily skin and body health, it also helps prevent injuries and is useful for disaster preparedness!
■ Our Vision: Mornings at the Entrance of Every Home in Japan
Rather than numbers, imagine a single scene.
Mornings at the entrance of every home in Japan, as families send their children off.
We want to create commute times protected by hats.
Behind the words 'Be careful,' there are many thoughts from the family.
'Be careful.'
How much anxiety is contained in those words every day?
UV rays, heatstroke, traffic accidents, troubles between children.
Unspoken worries about the time on the commute route when parents cannot walk with them.
Our dream is to change those words.
'Have a good day! Make sure to wear your EPOCHAL hat.'
And in the evening, when the child returns home energetically,
'Welcome home. You wore your hat.'
To be able to say that with a smile. That's all we want.
That this becomes commonplace in every home across Japan—that is the dream of Peekaboo Co., Ltd.
■ The Background to This Dream—Four Origins
① Family's Skin, and Towards Founding
It was 24 years ago that our representative, Kimiko Matsunari, who has an atopic child sensitive to UV rays, founded Peekaboo Co., Ltd. with the desire to 'protect skin from harmful UV rays for healthy growth!' for her child and for those with atopic or sensitive skin, to create UV-cut wear. 'Protecting skin from harmful UV rays just by wearing it, and feeling as comfortable as in the shade'—that has been the consistent thought we have put into EPOCHAL's UV-cut wear.
Origin ② 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake
On that day, children at school suddenly had no choice but to walk home on their own. Neither teachers nor parents could rush to them immediately. 'There are times on the commute route when adults' eyes don't reach'—that reality was etched into my heart.
Origin ③ When My Son Was in 5th Grade
In a fight between children, my son's head was impacted. A defenseless head, with no helmet or hat. 'If only there had been something to protect him inside his hat'—as a mother and as someone involved in manufacturing, that thought never left me.
Origin ④ A Friend's Child Was Hit by a Car
When I heard 'he suffered a concussion,' I was speechless. And every time I watch the news, I realize—accidents during commutes are still happening today. The time children walk to and from school alone is also a time when no one is protecting them.
Kimiko Matsunari, Peekaboo Co., Ltd.
When these four origins converged, our dream was set.
'A hat I wanted to make for my child, for all children.' To solve the three major risks during commutes—UV rays, heat, and head impacts—with just one hat. To make the commute route, where adults are not present, even a little safer. That is why the 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat was born. The 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat is the only school hat for UV protection, heatstroke prevention, and injury prevention. It is an innovative hat that integrates EPOCHAL's 3-way UV-cut hat with a lightweight helmet.
Past, Present, Future
What We Have Been Working On [Past] 24 Years of Protecting Kindergarten and Nursery Children from UV Rays
We also produce original wear and hats for kindergartens, children's centers, and nurseries.
The EPOCHAL brand first addressed UV protection in group life at kindergartens and nurseries. Early childhood, with its frequent outdoor play, is when skin damage is most likely to accumulate. In cooperation with kindergartens and teachers, we have developed and provided UV-cut kindergarten hats, UV-cut flap exercise hats (with neck flaps), and UV-cut exercise clothes/uniforms, continuously watching over children's healthy growth. The introduction to approximately 100 kindergartens nationwide and the certification as a recommended product by the Japan School Health Association are testaments to this accumulation.
[Present] The Big Hurdle of Introduction to Elementary Schools
However, in reality, this new school hat has only just begun to be offered, and there are almost no cases of introduction to elementary schools. Children who were protected in kindergartens and nurseries are suddenly exposed to UV, heat, and head impact risks as soon as they enter elementary school, walking their commute routes alone. This 'blank period' is the issue we are most strongly aware of now.
[Future] We want to turn the desire to 'have my child wear it' into a societal force.
Parents who wish to 'have their child wear' the 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat, and school officials who are considering 'introducing it to schools'—their voices are the power that drives this dream forward. By leveraging the power of those who spread information to places that cannot be reached by the efforts of a single company, we want to create a society where 'being protected during commutes is commonplace' with EPOCHAL's 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat, if adults are not present.
Our Current Position Towards Realizing the Dream
We have already begun our journey towards this dream.
The 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat was certified as a recommended product by the Japan School Health Association this year!
Furthermore, we are currently developing a structure that integrates SG standard compliant helmet functions inside the hat.
Our mission is to create a school hat that solves the triple risks of UV rays, heat, and impact with just one hat—a school hat that 'protects just by wearing it.'
To make serious injuries minor, and minor injuries non-existent.
We are starting by making this hat widely known, which protects the most important part of the human body, the head, with a lightweight helmet, and also routinely protects against UV rays and heat that affect the human body due to environmental and weather changes.
■ Request for Cooperation
Parents who wish to 'have their child wear' this school hat, and school/education officials, please spread this information to many people at schools and in your communities. Each 'like' and 'share' will contribute to the safe commute of children, who are important members of society.
▶ Official Website: https://epochal.jp
▶ School Hat Page: https://epochal.co.jp/s48277320/uv-seibou/
[Company Profile]
Company Name: Peekaboo Co., Ltd. https://epochal.co.jp/
Brand Name: EPOCHAL https://www.epochal.jp/
Keywords: April Dream
FAQ
What is the 3WAY & Multi-Guard School Hat?
It is a multi-functional school hat for elementary school students, equipped with three features: UV protection, heatstroke prevention, and head protection (built-in lightweight helmet).
Why is this hat necessary?
According to National Police Agency data, 500 children suffer serious injuries or fatalities during commutes annually, and risks of UV exposure and heatstroke are rising. This hat aims to protect children's safety.
Where can I purchase this hat?
You can find details on the official website (https://epochal.jp) or the school hat page (https://epochal.co.jp/s48277320/uv-seibou/). The company also encourages schools to adopt it.