Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Japan's 'Human Fridge' Cooling Booth Helps Workers Beat Summer Heat
Japan gets very hot in the summer.
A company there made a special machine to help people cool down.
It is called the Do Hiemon Box, and it looks like a big vending machine.
But instead of drinks inside, a person can climb in and sit down.
The machine blows very cold air, like the air inside a fridge.
It cools the head, neck, shoulders and back.
After about five minutes, people start to feel much cooler.
The machine turns itself off after 20 minutes so nobody stays inside too long.
It can be rolled around on wheels and plugged into a wall socket.
It costs very little to run, so workers who are outside in the heat can use it to stay safe.
Japanese manufacturer SDRS developed the Do Hiemon Box, a human-sized stainless-steel cooling booth sold by industrial equipment supplier Trusco Nakayama.
The booth, roughly the size of a vending machine, keeps its interior at around 15 degrees Celsius and blows air as cold as 5 degrees Celsius.
Cold air is directed at the user's head, neck, shoulders and back, with users feeling noticeably cooler in around five minutes.
The machine runs on casters, plugs into a power outlet, costs about 16 yen per hour, and uses roughly half the energy of a comparable spot air conditioner.
The product went on sale in Japan in April to help people working in high temperatures, such as construction sites, reduce their risk of heatstroke.
- Who
- SDRS, a Japanese refrigeration and vending-machine manufacturer, developed the booth, which is sold by industrial equipment supplier Trusco Nakayama for workers exposed to high temperatures.
- What
- The Do Hiemon Box, a human-sized cooling booth roughly the size of a vending machine that keeps its interior at around 15 degrees Celsius.
- When
- The product went on sale in Japan in April; it drew fresh online attention around August 2, 2026.
- Where
- Japan
- Why
- To help people working in high temperatures cool down and reduce the risk of heatstroke as summers grow hotter.
- Product
- Do Hiemon Box
- Manufacturer
- SDRS
- Seller
- Trusco Nakayama
- Interior temperature
- Around 15 degrees Celsius
- Vent air temperature
- As cold as 5 degrees Celsius
- Dimensions
- Over 2 metres tall, 93 centimetres wide
- Weight
- Around 293 kilograms
- Running cost
- Around 16 yen per hour