Japanese turn to wearable tech to beat the heat

How high tech those items? Only electric motor and a fan that no really Japanese it must made in china.

sakurasuki

Better that than some “tech” that turns out being bad for you.

Those fan jackets have been around for quite a while now. Also, Kansai has seemed to be about average this summer. Less humid than usual if anything. Not sure why.

￥５０００?

That's a bit of a cash-in for uneccesary goods.

all those little fans headed for Autumn landfill.

"Wearable tech" Lol, these fans in the work jackets have been around for years! This is "analog" being used in a positive way to keep those who have to work in the heat cool!

I have noticed more construction workers and outdoor workers wearing cooling jackets. The better ones are battery-powered. For the winter there are heating jackets.

I am wondering if all those construction companies or engineers are working on some better concrete, less absorbant to the heat. The heat from the concrete is really a killer. My building really keeps the heat. It is good in winter but not at all in summer. Also, the lack of shutters does not help. Old houses had shutters, not new ones. And more trees, real trees in cities do also help.

Restart with the basics, which would be called optimization, then you can work on those extra products

I think this is stupid... wearing fans. Keep your body well covered with lighter clothing, wear a large hat and stay hydrated. Your human body will do the rest to keep you motoring along.

I think this is stupid... wearing fans.

What is stupid about it?

That's a bit of a cash-in for uneccesary goods.

This is ONLY said by someone who works or spends their entire day in an air conditioned environment and is totally ignorant of what it's like to work outside, or in a hot environment like a warehouse.

Those jackets are 100% necessary, particularly in the semi-tropical sun and heat and humidity of Okinawa, and they are worn by nearly all constructions workers now a days, and other people who work in environments where heat stroke is a real threat!.

￥5,000 is actually a decent price for the jackets here, as many will run over ￥10,000

I would suggest learning about the necessity or not, before commenting, as it really makes you look ignorant otherwise!

Many of these items have been around at LEAST a decade or more as well, and you are just learning about it now.

I've heard construction workers love those jackets. They are working outside all day long every day.

Construction companies require the necessary safety equipment, like hard hats. I would call cooling jackets safety equipment. I have worked in construction and it's hard physical work.

The jackets also help to keep you dry.

Some of you should try working outside for a day in the sun.

YubaruToday  07:35 am JST

That's a bit of a cash-in for uneccesary goods.

This is ONLY said by someone who works or spends their entire day in an air conditioned environment and is totally ignorant of what it's like to work outside, or in a hot environment like a warehouse.

Those jackets are 100% necessary, particularly in the semi-tropical sun and heat and humidity of Okinawa, and they are worn by nearly all constructions workers now a days, and other people who work in environments where heat stroke is a real threat!.

￥5,000 is actually a decent price for the jackets here, as many will run over ￥10,000

I would suggest learning about the necessity or not, before commenting, as it really makes you look ignorant otherwise!

Many of these items have been around at LEAST a decade or more as well, and you are just learning about it now.

I actually don't use air conditioning- So your assumption is wrong.

Grew up in Hong Kong, so I'm fully aware of the issues of humidity.

Hard to believe this story would be met with disdain from several posters.

Keep your cool!

Yes! Great!! But ? Why? Black?

White is Always Cool!

I actually don't use air conditioning- So your assumption is wrong.

Grew up in Hong Kong, so I'm fully aware of the issues of humidity.

You still dont understand the difference and meaning of "necessary" vs "unnecessary" when it comes to these jackets and working in the heat and humidity of summer.

The better ones are battery-powered. 

The jackets with fans ALL are battery powered! lol

The fact so many outdoor workers are now wearing cooling jackets shows how good they are.

Tokyo Lenses did a review of a lot of these contraptions and spoiler alert: most are useless (no surprise).

https://youtu.be/WXN-SypWnOA?t=1m42s

Worse is how hot these gadgets get. Mini death traps (more and more cases of exploding contraptions, especially the ones with lithium ion batteries). How ironic the contraptions themselves can't handle the heat. STGs indeed.

Why not instread restrict and even ban the use of concrete in construction, retake the streets back from cars and crreate green belts, and design a city and dwellings that actually suits the conditions? Tokyo has the lowest amount of greenery out of any mega city in the world by far, and it's only getting worse.

Yubaru

   The better ones are battery-powered.

> The jackets with fans ALL are battery powered! lol

I think some of them are different. Some have ice packs others have gel.

https://www.amazon.com/cooling-vest/s?k=cooling+vest

As long as we're trying to actually deal with the situation of climate change while also trying to adapt then I say have at whatever keeps you cool. What's the carbon footprint or whatever on making these products, though, and are they made in Japan? How about the fact we need power to charge them (even if you are just refrigerating the thing)?

Ok but how about doing something about the bigger problem of the heat island effect by dissuading driving/encouraging cycling so we can reduce the amount of blacktop/concrete, plant shade trees, and put in a network of bike lanes?

There are also cooling jackets for dogs.

As always, not wanting to go against the grain, but I don't believe this statement is true. I have tried looking for this information (the Japanese Meteorological Agency seems to have as much info as you want, as long as it is in the future) and the highest temperature I could find listed was 41.1 degrees in Saitama in 2018.

Are you under the impression that the way they calculate the hottest month is by looking for the hottest individual temperature within the area during that month?

It isn't.

I saw these devices long before climate change became a religion. IT.IS.SUMMER, not a strange event

N

YubaruToday  08:27 am JST

You still dont understand the difference and meaning of "necessary" vs "unnecessary" when it comes to these jackets and working in the heat and humidity of summer

Necessary? The world has managed completely well before these popped up.

Lived in South India too, where the temperature gets up to 50 degrees, and nobody uses or needs those jackets.

The only question should be, why is ANYONE wearing a jacket in the summer?

Never mind the fans or the "tech."

DON'T WEAR JACKETS!!

shogun36

The only question should be, why is ANYONE wearing a jacket in the summer?

> Never mind the fans or the "tech."

> DON'T WEAR JACKETS!!

I guess you have never worked all day on a summer construction site. They are cooling jackets.

Another product category that will add to the mountains of e-waste we are already producing.

The jackets work. So does shade, but the people wearing the jackets don't have a choice to stay in the shade. I like both shade and cooling equipment.

I really like the photo used here. It could be a blown up promotional display, but I think the photo is using extreme perspective to make real fans appear ten times their actual size. The fans are smaller than your hand, and not the same size as a shopper. 18V and 96l of air sounds like high power, so they may sound like a helicopter on full blast.

Could they also invent the anti-parasol so I don't get jabbed in the head and face or practically have to cross the street to get around someone because their parasol is so huge.

When I go into the garden for weeding or watering 20-30 minutes is my limit.

Construction companies require the necessary safety equipment, like hard hats. I would call cooling jackets safety equipment. I have worked in construction and it's hard physical work.

The jackets also help to keep you dry.

Some of you should try working outside for a day in the sun.

Could not agree more. When I had lost my job during Covid, I worked in construction for a month before finding my next job in the scorching summer. I wasn't able to splurge extra money on equipment like this since I was on unemployment, but it would have been nice to have something like this provided by the construction company for safety measures.

Japanese summers are known to be hot and humid, but this July Tokyo really sweated

..,

They would not be so bad if more shade was available and less concrete around to soak up the heat

I rather have concrete/asphalt roads especially during rainy season. I don't want mud soiling my shoes.

Here's a suggestion:

How about not cutting shade-giving trees back to skeletal stalks every summer, and letting this nature thing "we Japanese" love so much cool the concrete streets down?

You'd save a fortune on not hiring teams of 8 blokes to stand around each tree, encouraging passers-by to walk around the foliage carnage with magic pointing sticks.

Why can't we just have a little shade?

They sound like a great idea if one has to wear a jacket for work, not so sure about just walking around though. My motorcyle jacket has the opposite to this, it has built in heat pads... Now if only the technology on those could be adjusted and the pads taken out and frozen for when riding a bike when its hot, as I some times have to stop riding and take my jacket off because I am just so hot underneath it, and dripping wet.

kurisupisu

   Japanese summers are known to be hot and humid, but this July Tokyo really sweated

> ..,

> They would not be so bad if more shade was available and less concrete around to soak up the heat

None of that helps workers on a construction site or any outdoor workers.

No @Strangerland, but that is the statement that both these journalists signed their names to in the published news article.

The article stated that the highest individual temperature in the area is how the hottest temperature is calculated?

I'm skeptical. Are you sure?

Also, if you knew that's not how it is calculated, then what was the relevance of bringing up the temperature you brought up in the first place? Are you sure I didn't just catch you out for not knowing how the temperature for a month is calculated?

Derek GrebeToWhicday  12:50 pm JST

Here's a suggestion:

How about not cutting shade-giving trees back to skeletal stalks every summer, and letting this nature thing "we Japanese" love so much cool the concrete streets down?

You'd save a fortune on not hiring teams of 8 blokes to stand around each tree, encouraging passers-by to walk around the foliage carnage with magic pointing sticks.

Why can't we just have a little shade?

Which is what they're doing in most European countries-they're trying to make their cities greener.

Sadly, in Japan it seems to be the opposite.

Only the other day I noticed in Osaka Minatomachi they removed (Cut down) all the trees, about 15 I think, for a new building project.

In my West Hyogo location, there is more open ground than concrete and they don't cut down the trees. Many rivers and lakes absorb the heat. But it's still hot and construction workers and outdoor workers are wearing cooling jackets.

Good for the workers, but not best solution indeed.

First, don't work in mid afgernoon in the scorching sun.

Second, white and light cloving, no uniform colored ones.

Then if needed those jackets why not but remember it consumes some energy. The more used, the higher electric consumption. The more heat is brought into city. Exactly like airconditioning. Is there a solar rechargeable version at least ?

If it can keep some safe, like construction workers indeed, I am ok but if it becomes trendy for all, then there will be indeed some waste.

Japan with skin-tone-conscious women protecting against a summer tan

this is a obsessions called 美白(bihaku) meaning white beautiful and is the reason they don’t want dark skin from the sun tan. Not because they fear skin cancer. Been around for decades.

A pair of shorts, no shirt and crocs works well for me.

Rodney

A pair of shorts, no shirt and crocs works well for me.

No one walks around Hapan shirtless, it's not acceptable unless on the beach.

Those jackets are trying to compete with my gaming Desktop Computer with the same looking fan. They need to add neon lights to their fans in the coat

shockingly most of these products are run by batteries that are not rechargeable. Japan has yet to figure out USB recharging.

Only the other day I noticed in Osaka Minatomachi they removed (Cut down) all the trees, about 15 I think, for a new building project.

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Wow, somebody votes me down for pointing out obvious ungreen policies- You must be proud of your secret internet identity.

Shoganai they love concrete more than nature and trees

リッチToday  03:08 pm JST

shockingly most of these products are run by batteries that are not rechargeable. Japan has yet to figure out USB recharging.

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Nope they are rechargeable, I own two.

Name a country that isn’t more hotter and humid than Japan and isn’t suffering from heat strokes

リッチ

shockingly most of these products are run by batteries that are not rechargeable. Japan has yet to figure out USB recharging.

They are USB rechargeable and cost less than ¥1000 per year. Less than your smartphone.

nosukeToday  04:07 pm JST

Name a country that isn’t more hotter and humid than Japan and isn’t suffering from heat strokes

India, Bangladesh, Pakistan to name but a few- There are so many countries suffering from much higher heatwaves than Japan.

Very cheap. You can find these kinds of devices in all primary schools at South East Asia. Buy at Taobao @USD1 or USD2.

Ping AnToday  06:22 pm JST

Very cheap. You can find these kinds of devices in all primary schools at South East Asia. Buy at Taobao @USD1 or USD2.

Sales pitch for China, eh?

Doesn't it make sense to first ditch the face masking? Those are useless, not to mention making the face hot. Just wondering...

Nice to see it's "summer heat" and not climate change.