Japan has created a special cooling booth called the Do Hiemon Box to help people cool down quickly during very hot weather. Two companies, SDRS and TRUSCO Nakayama, developed it. It looks like a large vending machine or fridge and is about two metres tall.
A person sits inside on a built-in chair. The air inside stays at about 15°C. Cold air of around 5°C blows onto the head, neck, shoulders and back. Users often feel cooler in just five minutes. Ten minutes inside can lower body temperature and ease signs of heat exhaustion. The machine turns off by itself after 20 minutes so people do not get too cold.
It uses less electricity than normal portable air conditioners and costs about 16 yen per hour to run. The unit has wheels, so it can move easily to factories, building sites, warehouses or outdoor events. No special installation is needed. It works indoors or outdoors.
Each unit costs about 1.5 million yen. It is mainly sold to businesses and local governments rather than homes. One has already been placed at a city hall for free public use.
