The rising temperatures are making the hot and humid summer months in Japan even more intense. A unique invention, the cooling vest, has become a lifesaver for those who have to work outdoors in Japan.
Inside this cooling vest are small fans that keep the wearer cool. Former Sony engineer Hiroshi Ichigaya created this cooling vest while traveling through Southeast Asia in 1988.
Ichigaya believes that air conditioning systems installed in new buildings will lead to a significant increase in energy consumption, which in turn contributes to global warming. Thus, he came up with the idea for an energy-efficient personal cooling system shaped like a vest.
According to Vancouversun, nearly 1,000 companies in Japan use this type of vest, including automobile companies, steel manufacturers, food processing plants, and construction firms.
Mr. Hiroshi Ichigaya, founder of Kuchofuku, is wearing a cooling jacket with fans on the back at the company’s headquarters in Toda, a suburb of Tokyo, Japan. (Photo: Getty Images).
The fans in Kuchofuku’s cooling vests are connected to a lithium-ion battery that lasts for 11 hours on a single charge, consuming only a tiny fraction of the energy compared to conventional air conditioning units.
Ichigaya states that his clothing offers a unique solution: the more layers you wear, the cooler you feel, even more than when you are shirtless. With 20 liters of air circulating every second through the vest and escaping through the collar and sleeves, the fans dry sweat, keeping the wearer cool.
The cooling vest was launched in 2004. Initially, it attracted construction companies, but now the manufacturer is also receiving orders from office workers and homemakers.
A model of a cooling vest in Japan. (Photo: AFP).
Makita is one of the companies that has been producing cooling vests since 2015. A representative from Makita shared with The Guardian that the demand for cooling vests has surged due to extreme temperatures in recent years.
Another popular heat-resistant technology in Japan is the Reon Pocket, a pocket-sized air conditioner that can clip around the neck and be placed under clothing. This product was developed from a startup acceleration program by Sony, with the first model being crowdfunded in 2019.
Equipped with a “smart cooling mode,” the sensors in the Reon Pocket detect activities like walking and automatically adjust the cooling level, helping users feel comfortable while also extending battery life.
