Japanese Firms Launch New Items to Address Heat Wave

Tokyo, June 15 (Jiji Press)--Japanese companies are introducing new products to help consumers cope with an expected heat wave this summer as the Japan Meteorological Agency predicts that average temperatures will be above normal across the country from June to August.

Items such as clothes with cooling functions and portable multi-function fans are drawing attention, according to a trend forecast by Rakuten Group Inc., based on purchasing data from its Rakuten Ichiba online marketplace.

Twenty-nine companies participated in an exhibition of products designed to address extreme heat in Tokyo on June 5.

Tokyo-based Mechalink Inc., which produces fan-cooled clothing, showcased a backpack-type cooling item featuring a unique cooling unit that lowers body temperature with air that is up to 14 degrees Celsius lower than the outside air.

"It's completely different" from conventional air conditioning wear with only the air blowing function, Mechalink CEO Kiyotake Sugita said. The design of the product aims to protect outdoor workers from heat while also being suitable for daily wear, according to the company.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]