Portable device aims to reduce heat stress in workplaces and public facilities
TOKYO: Japan has introduced an innovative cooling booth designed to help people recover quickly from extreme heat as the country experiences increasingly intense summer temperatures.
The product, called the Do Hiemon Box, resembles a large refrigerator or vending machine but is built to cool one person at a time. Developed by Japanese refrigeration and vending machine manufacturer SDRS and marketed by industrial equipment supplier Trusco Nakayama, the booth draws inspiration from Japan’s widely used refrigerated vending machines.
The compact unit maintains an interior temperature of around 15 degrees Celsius. Once seated inside, users are exposed to cold air of approximately 5 degrees Celsius directed at the head, neck, shoulders and back. According to the manufacturer, users can feel significantly cooler within five minutes, while a session of about 10 minutes may help relieve symptoms of heat exhaustion by lowering body temperature.
Designed for high-temperature workplaces
The Do Hiemon Box is intended primarily for construction sites, factories, warehouses, outdoor event venues and other environments where workers spend prolonged periods in high temperatures.
The booth offers three cooling and airflow settings and automatically shuts down after 20 minutes to minimise the risk of excessive cooling. Additionally, it requires no permanent installation, can operate both indoors and outdoors, and is mounted on wheels for easy relocation. The manufacturer also says it consumes roughly half the electricity of a conventional spot air conditioner.
Demand grows as summers become hotter
The product went on sale in Japan in April and is available through industrial equipment distributors for approximately $9,326 before tax, positioning it as a commercial rather than household product.
Meanwhile, one unit has been donated to Maebashi City Hall in Gunma Prefecture, where visitors can use it free of charge during operating hours.
The launch comes as Japan records increasingly severe heatwaves. Authorities have recently introduced new terminology for days when temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius, while dozens of people were reportedly hospitalised with heatstroke in Tokyo earlier this month.
Experts say technologies such as the Do Hiemon Box could become increasingly common as businesses and public institutions seek practical ways to protect workers and visitors from extreme heat.
