{
  "id": 160512,
  "title": "Japanese firm sells human-sized refrigerators to beat extreme summer heat",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/japanese-firm-sells-human-sized-refrigerators-to-beat-extreme-summer",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-05T05:09:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3363006/japanese-firm-sells-human-sized-refrigerators-beat-extreme-summer-heat"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japanese company Trusco Nakayama has introduced a novel solution to combat Japan's increasingly severe summer heat through its Do Hiemon Box. This oversized, human-sized stainless-steel refrigerator, priced at approximately 1.5 million yen, provides a cool refuge for those without easy access to air conditioning. Since its launch earlier this year, about 200 units have been sold to various establishments such as steel mills, construction sites, golf courses, universities, and leisure facilities.\n\nThe frequency and intensity of Japan's summer heatwaves, with temperatures often surpassing 35 degrees Celsius, have prompted the country's weather agency to introduce new terminology to describe sizzling conditions. National broadcaster NHK frequently advises viewers of heatstroke risks during the season. Major retailers stock cooling products to offer relief to consumers.\n\nThe Do Hiemon Box, essentially a tall box on wheels with a window and a bench, is designed to maintain a temperature of 15 degrees while blowing cool air at 5 degrees onto anyone inside. Fumiaki Matsubara, general manager of Trusco's product division, explains that the primary purpose is to prevent heat exhaustion or heatstroke rather than to serve as a lounge area.\n\nTrusco, a company valued at around US$1 billion with approximately 3,300 employees, specializes in machinery, tools, and home and office equipment. The company has received inquiries about the human refrigerator from international markets including Germany and the United States. As heat-related health risks escalate, Trusco anticipates growing demand from crowded venues like shopping centers and summer festivals. With stricter regulations to prevent heatstroke being implemented, the need for workplace cooling solutions appears to be on the rise, with demand for Trusco's broader range of products doubling annually.",
  "summary": "The glass door closes, and a curtain of cool air spills over your head, neck and shoulders, delivering instant relief from the punishing summer heat. This is what it is like to chill in the Do Hiemon Box, an oversized stainless-steel refrigerator that looks big enough to fit a human being, because that is exactly what it is designed to do. Trusco Nakayama has sold about 200 of the 1.5 million yen…",
  "key_points": [
    "Japanese firm Trusco Nakayama introduces Do Hiemon Box refrigerators.",
    "Units sold to steel mills, construction sites, and leisure facilities.",
    "Designed to prevent heat exhaustion, not as lounge area."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "SoraNews24",
        "title": "New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/new-japanese-vending-machine-at-shinkansen-station-sells-cups-of-ice",
        "published": "2026-08-08T01:00:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}