Japanese firms add cooled toilets and cut shifts to fight extreme summer heat

Japanese companies are installing air-cooled portable toilets and shortening workdays to protect employees from record summer temperatures, following a government heat-illness directive.

Facing unusually hot summers, Japanese employers are deploying a suite of heat-mitigation measures. Daito Trust Construction Co. installed prefabricated toilet units featuring ventilation, mist cooling, antibacterial coating and solar panels at two Tokyo sites, allocating roughly 150 million yen for such safeguards this fiscal year. Obayashi Corp. trimmed its construction schedule to a 7 a.m.-1 p.m. shift for July and August, pledging to extend hours only when temperatures fall or deadlines are threatened.

Imabari Shipbuilding Co. is developing a sweat-activated cooling garment, and food-delivery service Demae-can Co. began distributing beverage tickets to couriers. These initiatives stem from a government order issued in June 2024 that obliges businesses to implement effective heat-illness prevention, with fines for non-compliance. Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare data show 1,803 heat-related deaths in 2025, the highest since records began, with manufacturing (365) and construction (292) leading the toll.