Japan’s heatwave fuels portable AC boom countrywide
Japanese electronics makers and retailers are enjoying strong demand for portable air conditioners, with some areas, mainly in the Tokai central region, recently experiencing "kokushobi" cruelly hot days, featuring temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or higher, JIJI Press reports.
Such products are popular because they have relatively low prices and do not require installation work, and some consumers are seeking them as second or third air conditioners for their homes, industry sources say, adding that manufacturers and shops are expanding their lineups.
At major electronics retailer Bic Camera Inc.'s outlet in the busy Yurakucho district of Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, portable models priced at between around 30,000 yen and 50,000 yen are selling well.
Currently, buyers of conventional air conditioners need to wait for about a month for installation work to be conducted, due to a last-minute surge in demand ahead of the introduction of stricter energy-efficiency standards in 2027, which could push up prices, according to an official of the store.
Meanwhile, many portable models, unlike conventional types, do not come with an outdoor unit and only need a duct installed to the window.
Earlier, it was reported that extreme heat had claimed nearly 10,000 lives across five European countries.
