Japan heat drives demand for human fridge

A phone-booth-sized cooling machine for workers is drawing buyers in Japan as employers look for ways to protect staff from extreme summer heat.

Tokyo-based industrial equipment distributor Trusco Nakayama said it has sold more than 300 units of the Do Hiemon Box since April. The machine costs 1.5 million yen, or about $9,400, and uses jets of chilled air to cool people who step inside.

Customers include construction sites, factories and warehouses, and company sales agent China Yamamoto said golf courses could be added in future. She said some people at the company had been unsure whether such a large and expensive product would sell.

At a wholesaler in Higashiosaka, warehouse worker Isao Tabuchi said he used the machine after cycling to work in the heat and feeling dizzy and unwell. Another worker, Taichi Konishi, said he uses it about three times a day.

Japan saw its hottest summer on record in 2025. This year, the weather office began using the term kokushobi, or “cruelly hot day”, for temperatures of 40C, urging the public to treat extreme heat like a natural disaster.

Tokyo recorded almost 120 heat-related deaths in the month to mid-August, while close to 63,000 people nationwide needed emergency care this summer.

Japanese businesses have faced tougher legal requirements since last year to help employees working in heat. Building sites, for example, must provide measures such as suitable clothing, air-conditioned break rooms and shade.

A July survey by Teikoku Databank found that 50 percent of companies said intense heat had disrupted their operations, while almost 88 percent said they had upgraded efforts to help workers cope.