Walking through Tokyo on a summer day, you might notice hand-held fans in abundance. Recently, Eimi Nakayama was seen holding a more advanced version of these fans. Her fan featured a small metal plate utilizing the principles of semiconductors. This technology uses electrical currents to create a cooling effect.
Ms. Nakayama, a 20-year-old university student, described the sensation as similar to holding a cold drink against one’s neck. She noted that the airflow felt cooler due to the metal plate.
Such cooling products are gaining popularity in East Asian cities. A severe heat wave prompted South Korea to cancel baseball games, and Japan introduced a new term, ‘kokushobi,’ meaning ‘cruel heat day.’
East Asia’s summers are increasingly hotter and longer. As personal cooling becomes a staple of daily life, products are evolving. The market, once filled with simple hand-held fans, now offers sophisticated items like air-conditioned clothing and sprays that promise rapid body temperature reduction.
Sales of cooling products are rising sharply. For both employers and governments, these products have shifted from luxury items to necessities.
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