Trusco's Human-Sized 'Do Hiemon Box' Fridge Cools Workers in Japan's Extreme Heat
Trusco, a Japanese company, has introduced the Do Hiemon Box, a walk-in refrigerator aimed at providing relief during intense heat. This stainless-steel unit, measuring 2.1 meters (7 feet), keeps the internal temperature at 15°C (59°F) while delivering air at 5°C (41°F) to users. Users can feel relief within five minutes, with core temperatures decreasing in ten minutes. The device automatically shuts off after 20 minutes to avoid excessive cooling. Targeting outdoor workers, it has been implemented at more than 130 locations in Japan since April 2026. With a price tag of ¥1.5 million (approximately $9,700), it incurs operating costs of $0.0947 per hour. Trusco has also donated one unit to Maebashi City for public access, addressing the challenges posed by rising global temperatures for those without air conditioning.
Key facts
- Trusco designed a walk-in, human-sized refrigerator called the Do Hiemon Box, or The Cooling Box
- The 2.1-meter-high (7-foot-high) stainless-steel unit stays at around 15°C (59°F)
- Inside, 5°C (41°F) air blows across the head, neck, shoulders, and back while users sit on a chair
- Relief is expected within five minutes, core temperature drops at about 10 minutes, and the unit shuts off after 20 minutes
- The box has been used in more than 130 factories, warehouses, and construction sites in Japan since April 2026
- Trusco donated one unit to Maebashi City for free public use
- The Do Hiemon Box costs ¥1.5 million (around $9,700) and runs at $0.0947 per hour, about a third of a toaster's cost
- Japan calls days above 40°C (around 104°F) kokushobi, meaning cruelly hot day
Entities
Institutions
- Trusco
- Maebashi City
- SDRS
- Trusco Nakayama
- NTT Pavilion
- Dezeen
Locations
- Japan
- Maebashi
- Gunma Prefecture
- Tokyo
- Osaka
Sources
- My Modern Met —
- Dezeen —