Among recent customers was Ryo Igarashi, 33, who said: "I work in a very hot place and have to wear long sleeved outfits, so I came over to buy this to stay cool and to prevent heat stroke." Describing how the idea of "personal air-conditioning" came about, Hiroshi Ichigaya, the president of Kuchofuku, added: "It came to me that we don't need to cool the entire room, just as long as people in it feel cool." It is one of a range of popular cooling products made by the company – including cushions and mattresses, containing their patented plastic mesh system allowing the circulation of air.