Japan Turns to 'Human Fridges' as Summer Heatstroke Deaths Mount

Japan is in the grip of a brutal summer heatwave, and the human toll is mounting. In just the past two months, more than 53,000 people have been hospitalised for heatstroke, with at least 79 deaths recorded. As the country searches for solutions, an unusual product is gaining attention: a walk-in cooling booth that some are calling a "human fridge."

Meet the Do Hiemon — Japan's Cooling Box

The device is called the Do Hiemon, a name that loosely translates as "The Cooling Box." Units are being installed in public spaces around Japan and sold to businesses seeking ways to protect employees and customers from dangerous heat. Each unit is priced at 1.5 million yen — approximately $9,407 (£6,973).

Tetsuya Nakayama, the CEO of the company behind the product, told the BBC that the design concept was inspired by Japan's ubiquitous freezer vending machines. The Do Hiemon operates on a similar principle but is scaled up to accommodate a standing person, allowing them to step inside and cool down rapidly.

Testing the Human Fridge

BBC Tokyo correspondent Kurumi Mori put the Do Hiemon to the test, experiencing first-hand what it feels like to step into one of these human-sized cooling chambers. Her report provides a vivid look at how Japanese ingenuity is responding to a public health emergency that grows more severe with each passing summer.

Innovation in the Face of Extreme Heat

Japan has long contended with summer heat, but recent years have seen conditions worsen dramatically under the effects of climate change. The country has already tried various measures — from encouraging office workers to wear shorts and lighter clothing to setting up public cooling centres — but the scale of this summer's crisis is pushing inventors and businesses toward bolder interventions.

The Do Hiemon represents the latest in a line of innovative, if expensive, responses to the heat crisis. At roughly $9,400 per unit, these machines are unlikely to become household items, but their deployment in public locations could provide fast-access relief for people caught outdoors in extreme temperatures. With global temperatures continuing to rise, the line between novelty and necessity may prove a short one.