In brief
Japan has begun rolling out Do Hiemon cooling boxes, called ‘human fridges,’ across public spaces as heatwaves push temperatures to dangerous levels. Over 53,000 people were treated for heatstroke in the last two months, with 79 deaths reported. Each unit costs 1.5 million yen and is inspired by freezer vending machines. The BBC’s Tokyo correspondent tried one, noting its promise for city dwellers battling the heat.
The Rise of the Human Fridge
When Japan’s heat index rockets into the mid‑90s, the national image shifts from bustling streets to people packing cooling units in gutters. The new Do Hiemon, “the cooling box,” is literally a portable “human fridge” that city dwellers can press against their skin to numb heat.
It’s not a quirky idea. Over the past two months the country has recorded more than 53,000 heat‑stroke cases and 79 heat‑related deaths. The government’s push for Do Hiemon units—costing approximately 1.5 million yen (about $9,407) each—has become part of emergency public‑health kits in parks, train stations and office towers.
The boxes look like oversized vending‑machine coolers: stainless‑steel, one‑door designs that snap shut on a person’s torso, keeping the air pressured at sub‑cooling temperatures. CEO Testsuya Nakayama told the BBC that the concept stems directly from the ubiquitous freezer stalls that line Japanese supermarkets.
Tokyo correspondent Kurumi Mori spent an afternoon with a Do Hiemon in a road‑side subway entrance. “It felt almost like stepping into a private, cool pocket,” she said, noting how the unit’s 70‑degree–celsius internal pressure keeps sweat from dripping into the skin. The experience, she added, looks to become an everyday tradition for commuters and shoppers alike.
In addition to their public‑space deployments, some businesses are purchasing Do Hiemon units for their own cafés, gyms and corporate gates, making “human fridges” a possible staple against the unpredictable heatwaves forecast for the coming decade.