At a glance
| Customer | Shonan Landscape Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Landscaping and grounds, turf maintenance |
| Work | Turf management at a professional soccer stadium |
| Heat challenge | No shade, direct summer sun |
| Product | Kuchofuku fan-cooled vests (the Japanese line from the same group as ZIPPKOOL) |
| In use since | Summer 2024 |
About the company
Shonan Landscape started in 1923 growing flowers. Today it covers landscaping, horticulture, turf care, stonework, and even olive farming.
Its turf division maintains fields at sports facilities. Since 2023, it has managed the turf at a professional soccer stadium in Japan's J.League.
The problem
A soccer field has no shade. In summer, turf work happens in direct sun, hour after hour.
The crew already did the basics: sleep, meals, rest breaks, and hydration. Even so, workers were drenched within an hour and changed shirts at lunch.
Why they chose fan-cooled vests
Much of the crew's work is under the summer sun, so the company added fan-cooled vests for heat illness prevention in summer 2024. The company issued the vests to the crew.
What the crew says
On sweat and fatigue:
"A soccer field has no shade, so summer work happens under the blazing sun. I've always paid attention to sleep, meals, breaks, and water. Wearing the vest on top of all that, I sweat less and I'm less worn out."
On the mid-day shirt change:
"Before, I was soaked within an hour and changed my shirt at lunch. I don't need to anymore. It's become something I can't do without."
On first impressions:
"I tried one back in 2019, but teenage athletes found it unusual and I felt a little self-conscious, so I stopped. Now that they're common, that feeling is gone and I wear it comfortably."
— Groundskeeper, Shonan Landscape Co., Ltd.
What this means for a US grounds crew
- The vest worked alongside the basics. The crew kept up water, rest, and meals. Fan-cooled gear supplements those habits and doesn't replace them.
- Expect some hesitation at first. Fan-cooled workwear looks unfamiliar to many US crews, as it did in Japan. Seeing coworkers wear it helps.
- Conditions matter. Fan-cooled gear works best in hot, dry, or moderately humid air, and less well in sustained very high humidity.
Safety note
Fans inflate the garment. Near mower blades, trimmer heads, chippers, or other rotating equipment, switch the fans off and keep the garment zipped.
For US landscaping and grounds crews
The crew in this story wore Kuchofuku vests, the Japanese line from the group behind ZIPPKOOL. ZIPPKOOL brings the same fan-cooling approach to North America.
For crews working near roads or parking areas where hi-vis is required, the ZIPPKOOL HVN-400U is ANSI/ISEA 107 Type R, Class 2. See our Landscaping & Grounds page for what we'd put on a crew.
Talk to us about your crew
Volume pricing, Net 30 terms available for qualified business accounts, and complete compliance documentation for your approval process.
