Japan has apparently decided that if you can’t beat the heat, you might as well climb into a refrigerator.
The country’s latest answer to increasingly brutal summer temperatures is the Do Hiemon, a personal cooling booth that looks rather like a giant vending machine — except instead of dispensing a bottle of water, it dispenses one considerably cooler human being.
Cool?
Step inside, shut the door and the temperature drops to around 15°C, while air chilled to about 5°C is directed at your head, neck, shoulders and back.
The makers say around five minutes can make you feel considerably cooler, while ten minutes can help relieve heat exhaustion.
There is even a 20-minute safety shut-off, presumably to prevent someone emerging as a human ice lolly.
The machine is aimed mainly at workplaces, construction sites, farms, festivals and other places where escaping into a fully air-conditioned building isn’t practical. It costs around ¥1.5 million — roughly £6,900 — so this isn’t quite the appliance you pop into your kitchen alongside the microwave.
Surreal
And therein lies the slightly surreal bit. For centuries, humans have invented increasingly sophisticated ways of keeping food cold. Now we’re apparently putting the humans in the fridge.
Still, with Japan experiencing increasingly dangerous heat, it isn’t really as bonkers as it sounds. If temperatures keep climbing, the humble fan may soon be regarded as an antique — right alongside the icebox, the handkerchief and the idea of simply sitting in the shade.
Just remember don’t forget which shelf you left your colleagues on.
DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!
THESE ARE SPECIAL COOLING ‘BOOTHS’ AND HAVE EASY TO OPEN DOORS – SIMILAR TO A SHOWER THAT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE!