Why are 'human fridges' being sold in Japan? - BBC News

As Japan swelters through extreme summer heat, BBC Tokyo correspondent Kurumi Mori tries out a new way to cool down.

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CloseJapan is facing worsening summer heat. In the past two months more than 53,000 people have been treated for heatstroke, with 79 reported deaths.

Now, the Do Hiemon - which roughly translates to "The Cooling Box" - is being rolled out in public spaces and sold to businesses. A unit costs 1.5m¥ each ($9,407; £6,973). The company's CEO Testsuya Nakayama told the BBC the design was inspired by freezer vending machines.

The BBC's Tokyo correspondent Kurumi Mori got the chance to try it out.

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