We would like to announce that starting from the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance J1 League Matchday 16 Cerezo Osaka match on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, we will be conducting a demonstration experiment at Kashima Stadium for a project to develop a mask that balances splash suppression and breathability, and to evaluate its infection prevention effects and comfort.
This project is a joint effort by four parties: Keio University, Kao Corporation, and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), with whom we have had a comprehensive partnership agreement since 2017. The aim is to develop a mask that balances splash suppression, which is essential for effective infection prevention, with breathability during wear, for the purpose of safely holding large-scale events. We will evaluate the infection prevention effects and comfort through demonstration experiments.
In the demonstration experiment, several non-woven masks, including prototypes, will be used by hundreds of staff and security guards during home games at Kashima Stadium. We will evaluate comfort under various weather conditions and observe wearing conditions, and from that data, we will evaluate the effect of reducing infection risk during wear.
The demonstration experiment will be conducted approximately once a month at Kashima Stadium after the Cerezo Osaka match. In the future, we aim to evaluate the comfort of masks worn by spectators, and the relationship between comfort and wearing methods, to achieve even safer and more secure large-scale events. Furthermore, the research results of the project will be reported to related organizations such as the J.League and will be announced in the future.