Sketch holds 80% of Japan's window coating market, has sold in over 40 countries, and their product has been applied over 1.4 million square meters worldwide. Its newest product for international markets is the UV Shield PU, a clear UV coating that goes on with a roller.
TOKYO, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- There are outstanding products, services, and technologies in Japan that the rest of the world has never heard of.
Unity Service Co., Ltd. is a media company based in Taito City, Tokyo, dedicated to highlighting outstanding Japanese companies that remain insufficiently known to international audiences. Through its coverage, the company introduces Japanese products, services, and technologies to both domestic and global markets. In this feature, Unity Service Co., Ltd. presents Sketch, a Tokyo-based company engaged in the research, development, and manufacturing of nanotechnology coatings, along with Sketch Business Management, the exclusive global distributor of Sketch products. Together, they are introducing their latest product to international markets: UV Shield PU, a transparent UV-protective coating that can be easily applied using a roller.
This time it's Sketch, a company based in Tokyo that develops and manufactures nanotechnology coatings. Sketch Business Management is the sole international distributor for its products, including the IRUV CUT COAT and the Super Glass Barrier. Sketch also develops and manufactures its own aliphatic polyurea, which is included in their products such as the Heat Shield PU, a high-performance reflective coating for roofs.
We spoke to Ryotaro Yamagishi of Sketch Business Management about their newest product for international markets, the UV Shield PU.
— Please tell us about the UV Shield PU.
The UV Shield PU is a clear coat designed to protect the surface underneath from UV without adding coloring on top. It's a great way to increase the service life of exteriors and signs. It doesn't require any heavy machinery and can be applied with just a roller. It utilizes our aliphatic polyurea with UV absorbers, which have strong resistance to UV and doesn't yellow. We've put it through accelerated testing and seen that it lasts for over 15 years.
— This isn't your first product aimed at UV.
We've been fighting UV through window coatings for years. The IRUV CUT COAT holds 80% of the window coating market in Japan and has been sold to over 40 different countries.
Currently, it's been applied to over 1.4 million square meters worldwide.
We have proven results that when applied, it cuts UV by 99%, and it maintains the rate at 95% even after 18 years.
We took what we learned from windows and applied it here.
— And signs? How long does one last if nothing is done to it?
Depending on where the sign is, it is around 3 to 7 years.
The UV reaching the sign gets significantly stronger the closer it gets to the equator. In America, a sign in Arizona or southern Florida will fade quicker than one in the northern states. Further south into Mexico, considerably more.
It also depends on altitude. Places at high altitude, such as Denver, have stronger UV exposure and are more prone to fading.
— What's already on the market to deal with that?
Mainly urethane, silicone, and fluoropolymers at the high end.
Urethane and silicone start to show signs of chalking after 5~7 years.
Fluoropolymers perform very well, but elongation is the trade-off. They don't move with the substrate the way ours does, and the coating can crack as it contracts and expands with temperature.
But there's a more basic problem with all of them. They might survive UV, but they don't stop it. The coating can be perfectly intact while the paint on the surface underneath it fades. Our coating stays intact while preserving and protecting for over 15 years.
— And where has it been applied so far?
Due to a high demand from chain stores, it's mainly been applied to signs. Everything from the small ones at the front of the store to the big ones you see on the side of the road. We've also applied it to the signs at train stations as well as restaurants.
From our application, we've also seen that it works great on the exterior of buildings and parapets, numerous types of wood, and car headlights.
Its main strength is that it's clear so that it can protect a lot of things without ruining the integrity of the coloring.
— Were any of those already faded when you got to them?
Yes, and it brings the color back rather than only stopping it from going further.
On one sign, we coated half and left the rest, so both states sit side by side.
The side that was coated had its colors restored, while the uncoated side looked cloudy and dusty.
But there is a technical limitation. Wipe the surface with water. If the color comes back while it's wet, we can recover it. If it doesn't, then it needs to be replaced.
— And putting it on?
Clean the surface, apply the primer, mix the two parts, and roll it on. No advanced skills or machinery are needed.
Most polyurea can't be handled this way. It sets in seconds, so it has to be sprayed hot under pressure by an operator with a certificate. Ours sets slowly enough to mix by hand.
The pot life is approximately 30 to 60 minutes depending on the environment. This leaves plenty of time for recoats and dealing with mishaps should they occur.
— Who's it aimed at in the US?
My guess would be multi-location brands and the people who maintain their sites. Retail and restaurant chains have a brand standard to hold, and it'll be great for the sign and facility companies that look after those buildings.
Coating contractors who want something in their catalogue that lasts longer than what they have without having to buy any extra equipment would love it too.
— Why design it that way?
High-tech product, low-tech application. That's our CEO's philosophy.
When we limit the usage of a product with machinery or licenses, the countries that need it the most won't be able to access it.
With the UV Shield PU, you only need the materials and a roller so that anyone in any country can start using it.
Postscript
The UV Shield PU does more than stop UV damage.
It's clear, so it doesn't change how anything looks. Signs, building exteriors, wood, and car headlights all keep their original appearance because the UV protection lasts for years.
Applied by a hand with a roller, so there's no heavy equipment and no special machinery because of their philosophy.
"High-tech product, low-tech application"
That makes it straightforward to adopt where equipment and working conditions are limited, putting it within reach almost anywhere in the world.
A combination of the UV expertise Japan has built up over many years and Sketch's own aliphatic polyurea. What they developed is a new option for anybody trying to maintain the integrity of exteriors and signs.
Technology from Japan crossing seas and borders to protect exteriors, signs, and all kinds of products.
The future UV Shield PU aims to achieve and there's every reason to expect it will.
For more information, visit the company's website.
Website: https://www.sketch-english.com/
Sketch Business Management Co., Ltd.
Chacopaper Bldg. 2F, 2-25-10 Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0053, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5829-9661
info@sketchbm.co.jp
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From Asakusabashi, Tokyo, to the world
