Asia heatwaves drive surge in cooling technology demand

Increasingly extreme heatwaves across Asia are driving a surge in demand for specialized cooling products. In East Asian cities, residents are increasingly relying on high-tech items such as handheld fans equipped with semiconductor-like metal plates to provide instant cooling, as well as UV-protective umbrellas and cooling neck rings.

In Japan, the phenomenon has become significant enough to prompt new terminology like ‘kokushobi’ to describe extreme heat days. The market for heat-mitigation goods is expanding rapidly; for instance, the e-commerce platform Rakuten reported that its ‘heatwave response’ product category has grown more than sixfold since 2020, with approximately 800,000 items currently listed.

Technological innovations are also being applied to worker safety. This includes advanced cooling jackets featuring integrated fans and metal cooling plates, a technology originally pioneered by a former Sony engineer. These devices are increasingly used by outdoor laborers in regions such as Chongqing, China, to combat rising temperatures.