- It’s cool, it’s convenient, and it looks like it should store a human corpse.
Where does your mind go if you think about the phrase “human refrigerator?” If you thought of a morgue, I wouldn’t blame you, but that’s not what this story is about.
Instead, allow me to introduce you to Japan’s latest achievement in keeping yourself cool: the Do Hiemon Box personal refrigerator.
This summer has been brutally hot all over the world, including Japan. It’s been so bad that the Japanese government officially invented a new word for extra hot, 95-degree-plus days.
Much like here in the U.S., air conditioning is common in Japan, with most homes and public buildings having a unit. However, the Japanese are thrifty and often turn on their AC only when they absolutely can’t stand the heat anymore. In some places, the public authorities also actively discourage AC use to reduce stress on power distribution.
So, how are the residents of the Land of the Rising Sun to stay cool? By crawling into a creepy, aluminum tank that looks like it belongs in a mortuary instead of an office or, goodness forbid, a home.
Let’s dive into the what, why, and wherefore of the Do Hiemon Box.
Utilitarian Behemoth
The Do Hiemon Box personal refrigerator, launched this past June, is manufactured by the Japanese company Sanden Retail Systems (SDRS). The developer definitely has the know-how to make the things, considering its bread and butter comes from – you guessed it – producing commercial refrigerators and vending machines.
To be sure, the Do Hiemon Box serves a real need. Just on July 15, 48 people in Tokyo alone had to check into a hospital due to heatstroke.
The situation is so bad that, as I mentioned, the government has issued the word kokushobi (“day with cruel heat”) to describe days when the temperature is above 95 degrees.
You can definitely tell that SDRS mostly serves the industrial and commercial sectors, though. The Do Hiemon Box looks extremely utilitarian, which makes it more than a bit off-putting.
The thing is a 6.5-foot-tall bare aluminum crate. Weighing nearly 650 pounds, it has four large caster wheels so the thing can be moved around.
Looking through the transparent glass door, the interior isn’t much more welcoming. The walls and the small bench are covered in all-white plastic panels, with only the refrigeration system’s output vents to break the monotony.
That’s So Cool
But does the Do Hiemon Box work? Well… Yes.
Despite its industrial, morgue-like appearance, the Do Hiemon Box works shockingly well. Inside, it maintains a steady 59-degree temperature, while those aforementioned vents blow 41-degree air onto the user’s head and neck.
This setup quickly lowers the body temperature and provides relief on a hellishly hot day. The shoulder/head airflow further enhances heat dissipation, cooling the user down within minutes.
Sitting at these temperatures for a long time wouldn’t be healthy, and the Do Hiemon looks after the user. After activation, it shuts off after 15 minutes and won’t turn back on for a moment, discouraging users from hogging the cooler.
According to local media reports, the Do Hiemon Box uses only half as much power as the standard mobile air conditioner. Crunching the numbers shows that it has an energy draw that’s just slightly above your average fridge.
Which, in essence, is what this thing is.
However, the Do Hiemon Box isn’t cheap. Its retail price stands at around $9,200, making it quite the investment.
That, however, hasn’t diminished interest in the machine. It has gone viral on Japanese social media, and units have reportedly started appearing in public spaces, offering relief from the hellish summer heat.
Pods for Everything
To be sure, the Do Hiemon Box is a bizarre contraption. However, it isn’t completely out of place in Japan, which has long since demonstrated an affinity for various personal pods.
After all, this is the country that developed the concept of a capsule hotel. If you’re somehow unfamiliar with what that entails, they’re cheap, often one-night-only hotels where you can crawl into a small tube to sleep before heading out in the morning.
Sometimes, though, you might need a nap in the middle of the day (especially with Japan’s frenetic overwork culture). To help tired office workers, Japanese companies have developed upright nap pods, like the GiraffeNap.
But man, all this sleeping in outlandish pods has left you feeling sweaty and gross. If only there was a convenient capsule for washing yourself…
Good news! The Japanese company Science has developed the Mirai Ningen Sentakuki, which literally translates to the “Human Washing Machine of the Future.” Step in, sit down, close the futuristic cockpit, and allow the automated system to get you squeaky clean.
Against this context, a personal cooling box really isn’t that weird.