If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of a heatwave with no air conditioning, you’ll have to think quickly about how best to cool yourself off. I grew up in a home that didn’t have AC at all, so on the hottest summer days, we’d go to the mall or the movie theater — anywhere where we could be in cool air without having to spend a fortune to be there. But as technology advances and climate change gets worse, things like air conditioning are rapidly becoming a necessity rather than a luxury.
One company in Japan is innovating with that in mind. According to GadgetReview, the fridge and vending machine manufacturer SDRS recently came out with human-sized refrigerators, known as Do Hiemon Boxes. People on social media have had mixed responses to the initial news, with many joking that you can achieve the same effect by standing in the beer cave of your local liquor store. But these fridges have a very important use-case: preventing heat-related illnesses.
What Is The Do Hiemon Box?
CNN reports that Japan has coined a term for days that are over 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit: Cruelly Hot Days. In an effort to protect workers who must be outdoors in the heat, efficient cooling methods are increasingly necessary. Gadget Review explains that in the Do Hiemon Boxes “the interior ambient temperature sits at 15°C from the moment you step in, with targeted 5°C airflow directed at the head, neck, shoulders, and back — the body’s fastest heat-shedding zones.”
The human-sized refrigerators will automatically shut off after 20 minutes. This way, it ensures the users’ temperatures don’t swing too far in the other direction too fast. But they’re billed as a quick way to protect those who are in danger of succumbing to the heat.
Can Individuals Buy Human-Sized Refrigerators?
Right now, the Do Hiemon Boxes are primarily for commercial use. Per Gadget Review, they’re geared for places like “construction sites, factories, warehouses, [and] outdoor festivals.” They’re also a pricey investment for the average consumer running nearly $10,000 US per device. So unless you’ve got some serious cash you’re unlikely to be able to buy one for your home just yet. But the technology serves as a reminder that summers are likely only going to get hotter from here on out. And as those temperatures climb, we need to have surefire ways to cool down quickly.
Sources
- Japan Built a Human Refrigerator – And It Looks Exactly Like a Vending Machine, Gadget Review, 2026.
- A Human-Sized Fridge to Beat the Heat in Japan, CNN, 2026.
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