Japan's answer to deadly heat waves is a human refrigerator

A Japanese company has developed what it calls a human refrigerator — a walk-in personal cooling booth that chills the body in minutes and is already showing up in public spaces across Japan.

Called the "Do Hiemon Box", the product was developed by SDRS, a Japanese refrigeration and vending machine manufacturer, and is distributed by industrial equipment supplier Trusco Nakayama. The design is directly inspired by Japan's ubiquitous vending machines. The refrigeration booth is roughly the same shape and footprint as a standard unit, standing 2,029 mm tall and 931 mm wide, and weighing 293 kg. It runs on wheels, requires no installation, and can be deployed indoors or outdoors.

Mechanics-wise, the booth manages to maintain an interior ambient temperature of 15°C. Once seated on the built-in chair, chilled air at around 5°C is directed toward the user's head, neck, shoulders, and back simultaneously. The company says users feel much cooler within five minutes only, and that ten minutes inside may help relieve symptoms of heat exhaustion by rapidly lowering body temperature. Three airflow and cooling settings are available, and the unit shuts off automatically after 20 minutes to prevent overcooling. Power consumption is roughly half that of a typical spot air conditioner.

The Do Hiemon Box went on sale in April at ¥1.5 million (approximately $9,230) plus tax. Businesses and organizations should benefit greatly from this, instead of individual buyers. One unit has already been donated to Maebashi City Hall in Gunma Prefecture.

The timing also makes sense. Japan recently introduced new official terminology for days when temperatures exceed 40°C, and on July 15 alone, 48 people were taken to hospital for heatstroke in Tokyo.