Japan's Do Hiemon Box personal cooling chamber marketed amid deadly heatwave
Japanese refrigeration specialist SDRS has commercialised a personal cooling chamber called the Do Hiemon Box. The unit, priced at roughly 8,000 euros (about 9,000 USD), cools the user’s body by around five degrees and begins to show relief after five minutes. Since its launch in April 2016, more than 150 boxes have been sold, with the company targeting factories, construction sites, large public venues and outdoor events.
Japan is enduring an extreme heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40 °C in many regions. Preliminary data from the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency recorded 10,857 heat‑stroke hospitalisations between 13 and 19 July, a doubling of the previous week’s total, along with 14 deaths, 321 severe cases and over 10,000 evacuations in a seven‑day span. A demonstration unit has been donated to the city of Maebashi, where it is available for free public use.
The Do Hiemon Box consumes roughly half the energy of a conventional air‑conditioner, offers three adjustable cooling levels, and automatically shuts off after 20 minutes. SDRS hopes the device will become a common fixture in industrial workplaces and other high‑heat environments.
Entities: Do Hiemon Box · Do Hiemon Box · Japan · Maebashi · SDRS
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] More than 150 units of Do Hiemon Box have been sold since its launch in April 2016. (Do Hiemon Box personal cooling chamber)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The heatwave caused 14 deaths, 321 severe cases and over 10,000 evacuations in a seven‑day period. (Japan heatwave)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Do Hiemon Box provides roughly five degrees of cooling to the user and shows effects after five minutes. (Do Hiemon Box personal cooling chamber)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Japan experienced a heatwave with temperatures above 40 °C in several regions in July 2026. (Japan heatwave)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Between 13 July and 19 July, 10,857 people were hospitalised for heatstroke in Japan. (Japan heatwave)
- [● 4 SOURCES] SDRS developed a personal cooling chamber called Do Hiemon Box. (Do Hiemon Box personal cooling chamber)
- [● 2 SOURCES] A demonstration unit of Do Hiemon Box was donated to the city of Maebashi and is free for public use. (Do Hiemon Box personal cooling chamber)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Do Hiemon Box sells for about 8,000 euros (≈ 9,000 USD). (Do Hiemon Box personal cooling chamber)