The EPOCHAL product range started off with our strong desire to protect
UV PROTECTIVE CLOTHING FROM JAPAN
Shade you can wear.
EPOCHAL protects skin of every age from ultraviolet rays.
Our brand began with a single piece of clothing made for a baby. Today it covers every generation, from newborns to adults, and people who must avoid sunlight for medical reasons.
EPOCHAL means “epoch-making.” It is a Japanese brand that specializes in UV protection, with clothing, hats and accessories for babies, children, women and men.
We call our products “preventive-medicine wear”: instead of relying only on sunscreen, you put on a garment and the protection is there.
The protection is in the fiber
Our fabrics are made from Japanese special fibers with titanium oxide (ceramic) kneaded into the yarn. The UV-blocking performance is not a surface coating, so it does not decrease with repeated washing.
91% to 99.99% UV blocking
Our brand standard is a UV-blocking rate of 91% or higher from a single layer of fabric, and up to 99.99% for our full-shielding materials. Fabrics are tested by external laboratories and with our own UV measuring equipment.
Design is function
Every item is designed by women who have raised children. We aim for the comfort of standing in the shade of a tree, even in the hot season, with breathable mesh, light weight and shapes that cover the areas that burn most easily.
Peekaboo Inc. is the company that plans, manufactures and sells the EPOCHAL brand. It was founded in Saitama, Japan, in 2002 by a mother whose child had been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. A dermatologist told her that her child needed protection from the sun, and at that time she could not find clothing made for that purpose in Japan. So she started making it herself.
More than 20 years later, Peekaboo Inc. is still run by an all-women team. Alongside product development, we give lectures on ultraviolet rays and sun protection at kindergartens, schools and universities, and we run the UV Protection Association for Children, which shares information for parents.
- Our school series (gym wear, hats and swimwear) is recommended by the Japan Society of School Health.
- Our UV protective suit has been tested by ARPANSA, the Australian Government’s radiation protection agency.
- In January 2024 we were selected for a JETRO program in Silicon Valley, with the aim of bringing our UV protective suit to people around the world who need it.
For babies
A newborn baby’s skin is only about half as thick as an adult’s. It is delicate, and it needs to be shielded rather than exposed.
EPOCHAL started with one garment for a baby. We make soft UV-blocking hats, outerwear and swimwear, so that a baby’s first outings can be gentle on the skin.
For children
Children should play outside, and play hard. The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and we want it protected while they do.
Our hats with neck flaps, breathable mesh parkas, swimwear and school items let children stay active outdoors without thinking about it. The protection stays in the fabric however often the clothes are washed.
For adults
Keeping your skin youthful and beautiful starts with what reaches it every day. Ultraviolet exposure is a major cause of spots, wrinkles and sagging, known as photoaging.
For women and men we offer wide-brimmed hats, light outerwear, stoles you can put on in a second, parasols, sunglasses and more, including items made with EPOCHTEX®, our own original fabric.
For some people, sunlight is not a matter of comfort. People living with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), lupus erythematosus and other connective tissue diseases, photosensitivity or sun allergy have to avoid ultraviolet rays in daily life. Covering up completely is safe for the skin, but it is hot.
Our answer is a UV protective suit that combines full-shielding fabric with battery-powered fans. The fans draw outside air into the garment and release heat and moisture, so the wearer can be protected and cool at the same time.
- Garment fabric: 99.99% UV blocking. Clear face guard: 99.6% UV blocking.
- Hood with a soft, transparent face guard that covers the face, neck and head while keeping a wide field of view.
- Three fans: two in the jacket and one in the hood, which releases heat and humidity around the face.
- The front-opening jacket and the hood can be separated and worn on their own.
- For orders from outside Japan, the suit comes with a battery box that takes four AA batteries, because rechargeable lithium-ion batteries cannot be shipped overseas.
Adult and children’s models are available. This is protective clothing, not a medical device. Please follow your doctor’s advice about sun exposure.
See the UV protective suit with fans >
We ship from Japan to the world
EPOCHAL will gladly send any of our products to any destination that can be reached from Japan. If you are not sure whether we can deliver to your country, or which item is right for you, please ask us.
EPOCHAL is a brand of Peekaboo Inc., Saitama, Japan.
