A Japanese clothing company has introduced a formal short-sleeved shirt fitted with built-in cooling technology, allowing office workers to stay cool while travelling outdoors in scorching heat, 24NewsHD TV reported on Saturday.
Yofuku no Aoyama, a well-known Japanese apparel company, has developed the shirt in collaboration with FZN, a manufacturer of fan-equipped clothing.
The shirt looks like a conventional office garment but contains a small cooling system with two fans.
The fans are fitted near the waist at the back of the shirt and circulate air inside the garment when switched on, helping cool the wearer’s body.
Air-cooled clothing has become increasingly popular in Japan in recent years, particularly among construction workers, waste collectors and event security staff.
Such products have traditionally been designed as jackets or vests and have had a strong workwear appearance.
However, rising summer temperatures have increased demand for cooling clothing among ordinary citizens and office workers as well.
The new shirt is designed to look more suitable for office environments.
It comes with two fans and a rechargeable battery pack, with the company focusing on keeping the cooling system as light as possible.
Each fan weighs about 95 grams, while the rechargeable battery pack weighs 165 grams.
Although the fans are visible from the back, designers have tried to make them less noticeable from other angles so that the shirt maintains a formal appearance.
The company has not provided specific information about the noise level of the fans, suggesting that they may not operate completely silently.
The shirt is expected to be particularly useful while travelling rather than during office meetings.
Since meetings and client appointments are generally held in air-conditioned rooms, there may be little need to operate the fans indoors.
Instead, the cooling system is aimed at employees travelling between meetings, walking outdoors in extreme heat or using public transport.
The shirt could help them remain comfortable and reduce the need to change clothes after arriving at their destination.
The complete initial package, called the Kuchou Wear Short Sleeve Shirt, is priced at 17,490 Japanese yen (PKR 31,000).
The package includes the shirt, two fans, a rechargeable battery pack and a charging cable.
The shirt is available in blue and grey and comes in medium, large and extra-large sizes.