Faced with the heat, Japanese employees take refuge in special refrigerators.

To help their employees cope with the heatwave, Japanese companies are installing refrigerators for humans. Jets of air at 5°C maintain a cool temperature inside.

"I was really able to recover thanks to this. Once you use it, it's incredibly refreshing," Isao Tabuchi told AFP before stepping into a human refrigerator acquired by his company. The goal? To help employees cope with the heatwave gripping Japan .

About the size of a phone booth, this device works by using jets of air at 5°C to maintain a cool temperature. Launched this year, the system has been a runaway success, especially as Japan experienced temperatures exceeding 40°C this summer.

According to industrial equipment distributor Trusco Nakayama, the company has sold over 300 units of the "Do Hiemon Box" since April, at a price of 1.5 million yen (approximately 8,000 euros). Its customers are installing them primarily on construction sites, in factories, and in warehouses.

According to China Yamamoto, a sales manager, golf courses and baseball stadiums are interested in these refrigerators. "It's large, expensive, and not the kind of product you can simply explain with words" to convince customers. "So there was a lot of uncertainty," she explained.

Strict rules

While Japan experienced its hottest summer in history in 2025, the year 2026 saw the birth of a new expression invented by the Japanese Meteorological Agency, which even introduced a new term: "kokushobi" ("cruel heat day").

Faced with global warming, Japanese companies must comply with regulations to protect employees working in the heat. According to a survey by Teikoku Databank published in July, 88% reported having strengthened their measures in this regard.

The human refrigerator, plugged into a standard electrical outlet, consumes approximately 16 yen (0.08 euros) of electricity per hour, according to its manufacturer. To prevent excessive use, it automatically shuts off after 20 minutes. Investing in such a device could even be a way to retain existing employees and attract new ones.

CNEWS with AFP