Tourist in Japan Is Freaking Out Over Fancy Air-Conditioned Jackets

The Gist:

• A tourist in Japan shows off someone's air-conditioned jacket.
• Folks in the comments section commend Japan for the innovation.
• The jackets themselves have been around in the country for years.

People outside of Japan tend to commend the land of the Rising Sun for all sorts of things. Whether they simply enjoy partaking in Japanese cuisine, grew up watching anime or playing games developed in Japan, or simply pointed out a piece of technology that happened to originate in Japan, folks still like to put the country on a pedestal for their culture and their perceived innovations. Japan is perceived to be ahead of its time, especially when it comes to gadgets.

However, it's undeniable that Japanese technology can be rather inventive, especially when it's not something you see anywhere else. For example, Julissa Prado on TikTok (@julissa_prado) took to her social media platform to show off someone's jacket with air-conditioning installed into the garment itself. Here's what folks have to say about this innovative new design as well as a brief history of its invention.

In mid-July 2023, Julissa took to TikTok to share footage about her trip to Japan. She had flown first class on Delta One to travel to Tokyo for a country-wide trip.

Based on her several videos documenting the trip, we can tell she had a blast. But while she recorded plenty of typical vacation footage such as food and travel locations, she took the time to quickly sneak some footage of someone's air-conditioned jacket.

In case you were wondering, it's exactly what it sounds like. It's a nylon jacket with fans built into it and ventilation that's clearly visible on the back of the outfit, all meant to keep the wearer nice and cool wherever they go. In Julissa's TikTok, the local worker wearing the jacket had the outfit all puffed up, likely indicating that it was currently in use.

Folks in the comments section were pretty stunned by this piece of fashionable tech, which certainly hasn't been seen anywhere else.

One person wrote, "Japan has always been ahead of the game."

Another let their envy show a bit, commenting, "that probably feels amazing."

While most folks certainly haven't seen these jackets anywhere else, they've actually been around for longer than you might expect. According to a July 2023 report by The Guardian, the fan jacket has been a popular and necessary response to rising heat and humidity during Japan's infamously hot summers.

The design was first brought to market by former Sony engineer Hiroshi Ichigaya back in 2004, having come up with the idea all the way back in 1988.

After a bumpy launch, the jackets were again launched in 2009 to sales success.

The jackets are typically worn by Japan's outside workers such as carpenters, construction workers, and farmers. While actual sales numbers have never been released, tech manufacturing companies like Makita reportedly enjoy regular success with these jackets that coincide with ever-rising temperatures.

The jackets have become increasingly advanced over the years with "smart cool modes" to detect activity and adjust coolness and extended battery life of up to 60 hours.

Would you consider buying an air-conditioned jacket for the summer? Have you ever even heard of one before?