Overheated Japanese workers have found a new way to cool down amid soaring summer temperatures – by wearing jackets with their own inbuilt air conditioning fans.

a new way to：新途径

amid soaring summer temperatures：在夏季气温飙升之际

inbuilt air conditioning fans：内置空调扇

Sales for clothes with their own personal aircon systems are soaring in Japan, as the country seeks ever more ingenious ways of cooling down while saving energy as the nuclear crisis rumbles on.

be soaring in：在……大热

ingenious ways of：巧妙的方式

rumbles on：仍在继续

One jacket, produced by Kuchofuku Co Ltd, contains two electric fans powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that lasts for 11 hours on a single charge, requiring significantly less energy than conventional air conditioning.

a lithium-ion battery pack: 锂电池组

And what the jacket lacks in the fashion stakes, it more than compensates for in cooling powers: costing from around £87 (11,000 yen), it can draw in up to 20 litres of air per second which then circulates throughout the garment before escaping through the collars and cuffs.

compensates for：补偿

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.

long sleeved outfits：长袖服装

a range of：一套，一系列

patented plastic mesh system：专利塑料网系统

While the Kuchofuku products are not new, the nation's energy saving efforts triggered by the ongoing nuclear crisis at Fukushima has resulted in a surge of popularity for the cooling garments and devices.

ongoing nuclear crisis at Fukushim：持续的福岛核危机

a surge of：高涨的

The company is this summer expected to hit maximum production levels and sell 40,000 of air-conditioning devices such as jackets and cushions this year – more than double last year's figure and only half of potential anticipated demand, according to the company.

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