Company develops underwear designed to block infrared see-through snapshots

KUMAGAYA, Saitama -- In a bid to prevent people taking sneak see-though snapshots of female athletes using infrared photography, a sports equipment manufacturer here has developed underwear that blocks out infrared rays.

The underwear was produced by Cramer Japan. The company's president, Takashi Hokazono, said he hoped it would help athletes feel more at ease.

"It will probably release them from the fear of not knowing when or by whom they will next be photographed, and allow them to concentrate on their events, leading to better results," he said.

Infrared rays can pass through many materials, and when taking photographs with special equipment that blocks out visible light, there are cases in which the skin underneath people's clothing can be captured on film.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people using infrared light to take sneak see-through photographs of female athletes and children at school sports events. Sporting groups and school officials have raised concerns about such photography.

Some swimsuit manufacturers have already released products that block out infrared rays, but there have also been calls for the introduction of protective clothing for other sports. Cramer Japan introduced its products after being approached by the Inter-University Athletic Union of Japan over the problem. It spent two years developing the clothing with textile manufacturer Toyobo, and Toyoshima, a wholesaler and trader of fabrics.

The first item in the line of Cramer Japan's "Shot Guard" products is a pair of underpants. By blocking out infrared rays with underwear, athletes can wear their uniforms and school sports gear on top without worrying about being secretly filmed.

The company plans to keep improving the material and is set to introduce new products such as breast pads.

"By introducing conditions that make photography more difficult, the number of malicious photographers will decrease, and we hope that our products will be of some help in eliminating such photography altogether," Hokazono said.

The underwear retails for 2,000 yen apiece. (Mainichi)
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