Now that’s what you call a cool idea! Japanese firms are selling ‘fridges for humans’ that chill you almost instantly – but they come at a hefty price
As sweltering heat waves become a regular occurrence in summer, two Japanese companies have launched an unconventional way to beat the heat.
The Do Hiemon ‘personal cooler box’ looks like dozens of other vending machines found on a typical Japanese street.
But this is actually the first ‘fridge for humans’ and is designed to cool you down almost instantly.
Customers simply step inside the 2.13 m (7 ft) high and 1.19 m (3.9 ft) deep stainless steel box to feel a powerful jet of cooling air.
The interior of the human refrigerator is maintained at 15°C (59°F), while air cooled to 5°C (41°F) is blown onto the client’s head, neck, shoulders, and back.
Vending machine maker and refrigerator maker SDRS says the user will feel significant cooling after as little as five minutes inside the device.
Meanwhile, spending 10 minutes in the bowl will relieve heat exhaustion symptoms, according to the company.
However, this great innovation comes at a hefty price tag, with each unit priced at £6,862 (¥1.5 million).
Two Japanese firms have created the world’s first ‘fridge for humans’ designed to cool you down almost instantly
The innovation comes as Japan is facing a brutal summer heatwave, with temperatures soaring to 38°C (100°F) and authorities issuing heatstroke warnings.
The idea behind the Do Hiemon human refrigerator is to provide users with rapid cooling so they can get on with their day as quickly as possible.
The machine is even equipped with an automatic timer that shuts off after 20 minutes to prevent overcooling.
The device’s distributor, Trusco, says its personal cooling box is the first device to provide ‘full body cooling’.
The company claims this means they can cool the body faster than traditional air conditioning methods or fans.
Similarly, the compact design also means Do Hiemon can be much cheaper to use.
Trusco says electricity demands are so low that operating costs are only 7 pence (16 yen) per hour; This is more energy efficient than a traditional air conditioner.
Placed on wheels and powered from a conventional electrical outlet, the human refrigerator is designed to be set up quickly and easily, even outdoors.
Users sit inside the stainless steel box and are blasted with a jet of air cooled to 5°C (41°F), providing effective cooling in as little as five minutes.
Its inventors say the box could be used on construction sites and farms to help workers escape intense heat.
Alternatively, the rolling box could find a home in shopping malls, schools, festivals, sports venues or anywhere people need to cool down quickly.
The human refrigerator has proven popular in Japan since its launch in April, appearing in many public places.
Tech fans praised the thoughtful invention on social media, with one commenter calling it ‘a great adaptation tool for factory workers’.
Another commenter on X wrote: ‘This is needed all over the world.’
‘Japan cares about its hard-working people,’ said one enthusiastic fan.
While one added: ‘I need one of these in Florida.’
However, SDRS and Trusco have not confirmed whether they will make the device available outside of Japan.
Inventors say the box could relieve heat exhaustion symptoms in 10 minutes, which could be vital for construction sites and farms in Japan’s fierce summer heat.
This comes as Japan faces a heatwave that has pushed temperatures to 38°C (100°F) and sent 4,500 people to hospital with heatstroke symptoms. Image: People in Tokyo take shelter under cooling fog
This finds Japan grappling with a wave of extreme heatwaves that cause an average of more than 1,500 heatstroke deaths per year. According to the Central Environmental Council of Japan.
Heat-related deaths reached a record high in 2024, with 2,160 deaths due to heatstroke.
This coincided with the country’s hottest summer since records began being kept in 1898, when average temperatures reached 2.36°C (4.25°F) above average.
Temperatures rose above 40°C (104°F) on nine days between June and August, with a new national record of 41.8°C (107.2°F) set in the city of Isesaki.
Japan is currently facing another heat wave that has killed six people and hospitalized 4,500, according to Japan’s fire and disaster management agency.
