Built-In Fans Bring Cooling Technology to Office Wear
A Japanese clothing company has introduced a fan-powered business shirt designed to help office workers cope with increasingly intense summer heat.
Yofuku no Aoyama launched the short-sleeved cooling garment in Japan on July 22, 2026. The company developed it using technology associated with FZN’s fan-equipped clothing.
Unlike traditional cooling jackets commonly worn by construction and outdoor workers, the new product is designed to blend more naturally with professional clothing.
It resembles a conventional short-sleeved business shirt but contains two small electric fans.
The fans circulate air inside the garment. This helps evaporate sweat and reduce heat buildup around the body.
Designers positioned the fans toward the sides of the shirt to make sitting more comfortable. The company also developed the garment to reduce the unusual ballooning effect often seen when fans inflate cooling workwear.
The product is aimed particularly at workers commuting during hot weather or travelling between offices and customer meetings.
Japan has experienced growing demand for wearable cooling technology as intense summer temperatures create additional risks for people working and travelling outdoors.
Yofuku no Aoyama said it wanted to combine heat protection with a design that would look suitable in business environments.
Three Fan Speeds Offer Up to 10 Hours of Cooling
The shirt comes with two lightweight fans and a rechargeable mobile battery.
Each fan weighs approximately 95 grams, while the battery weighs around 165 grams.
Users can choose between three airflow settings.
On the strongest setting, which produces approximately 53 litres of airflow per second, the battery lasts around three and a half hours.
The medium setting provides about five hours of operation.
The lowest setting can keep the fans running for approximately 10 hours, although actual battery life can vary depending on weather, usage and charging conditions.
This allows workers to choose stronger cooling for short outdoor journeys or lower airflow for longer periods.
The system is not traditional air conditioning because it does not use refrigerant or actively lower the air temperature.
Instead, the fans continuously move air through the garment to help sweat evaporate and make the wearer feel cooler.
The shirt uses a special pattern intended to maintain airflow without making the clothing appear excessively inflated.
It also includes pockets and other features designed for practical everyday use.
The cooling system could be particularly useful during commuting, outdoor sales visits and other periods when employees are exposed to direct summer heat.
Workers can switch the fans off after entering an air-conditioned office or meeting room.
Cooling Shirt Costs 17,490 Yen
The complete cooling shirt package is priced at 17,490 Japanese yen, including tax.
Customers receive the shirt-style outerwear, two fans, one mobile battery and a charging cable.
The product is available in navy and charcoal grey.
It is offered in medium, large and extra-large sizes.
The garment itself is made from polyester and can be washed after the electronic components are removed.
Yofuku no Aoyama is selling the product through its official online store and stores across Japan.
Fan-equipped clothing is already well established among people working in construction, waste collection and other outdoor professions.
However, those products have traditionally looked more like industrial equipment than formal clothing.
The new design represents an effort to bring the same cooling concept into everyday professional fashion.
As extreme summer weather places greater pressure on commuters and outdoor workers, wearable cooling technology could become increasingly common outside traditional industrial workplaces.
The Japanese company is betting that office workers may now be willing to carry their own miniature cooling system directly inside their clothing.
