Japan's heatwaves are driving the need for ways to stay cool, from face masks to neck fans and vests.
Face masks remain ubiquitous in Japan, even outdoors on muggy 35C days, so I'm testing out some that promise to provide relief from the heat.
The concentration of tall buildings limits shade and intensifies the urban heat island effect, which is where buildings and roads absorb and retain heat and become significantly hotter than surrounding areas with shade or green space. Dr Oka is in charge of work on health impact and adaptation at the Center for Climate Change Adaptation, part of the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Tsukuba.While we speak at his institute, a technician is repairing the lift. He is wearing a jacket containing two fans.
Personal cooling devices could help with that. In general, cooling people rather than cooling rooms with air conditioning can reduce electricity at least tenfold. Dr Oka believes that cooling jackets could be a useful way of adapting to higher temperatures, which of course also need to be curbed. But he emphasises that the technological measures are not silver bullets.
One test of cooling towels, which are meant to be wetted and then worn against the skin, found that skin and body temperatures immediately fell by 1.8C to 2.8C - so they can provide some immediate relief.
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