Japan is experiencing intense heat, leading companies to adopt "human refrigerators" that blow cool air directly onto users, aiming to lower body temperatures and prevent heat-related harm, with sales already exceeding 300 units.
On 25 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Trusco Nakayama, an industrial equipment distributor in Tokyo, announced that sales of the "Do Hiemon Box," or "human refrigerator," have surpassed 300 units since its launch in April.
The manufacturer stated the Do Hiemon Box plugs into a standard outlet, is portable, and energy-efficient, automatically shutting off after 20 minutes to prevent overuse. It sells for about 1.5 million yen (roughly 320,000 baht) per unit. Most customers are construction firms, factories, and warehouses, with plans to expand to golf courses and baseball stadiums.
Warehouse workers in Higashi-Osaka, Japan, have started using the "human refrigerator" to cool down after enduring intense heat cycling to work. The device is growing popular as Japan faces rising temperatures.
Isao Tabuchi, a 51-year-old worker, said that after feeling dizzy and unwell from heat, he used the newly installed company unit and quickly recovered. The box features a cold air blower to reduce heat.
Kono Yukata, a representative of the manufacturer, said the concept of placing people inside a refrigerator-like unit is new and interesting because it quickly lowers body temperature, prompting the company to install it as a heat countermeasure.
Japanese companies view investing in heat response measures as increasingly necessary to protect current workers and attract new ones amid rising temperatures and growing risks of heat-related illnesses.
Source: AFP