Consisting of an 80-gram battery-operated fan attached to a breathable mesh, the device circulates cool air around the animal’s body. Rei Uzawa, president of maternity clothing company Sweet Mommy, said she got the idea after seeing how tired her pet chihuahua got when she took it for a walk. Moco goes for a walk in Tokyo wearing one of the portable ‘pet air conditioners’. Photo: Issei Kato/Reuters While experts have advised owners to skip walks or take their pets out too early in the morning or late at night during Britain’s recent record-breaking heat wave, high humidity levels in Japan are keeping temperatures above 25 C throughout the night, according to public broadcaster NHK. . Tokyo experienced its worst heat wave on record since late June, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius for nine straight days after the rainy season ended early. “There was almost no rainy season this year, so the warm days came early,” said Uzawa, who worked with a veterinarian to make the jackets. Mami Kumamoto, who has a miniature poodle named Purin and a terrier named Moco, said she tried to keep her pets cool with dry ice packs during walks. “But it’s easier to walk my dogs with this fan,” he told Reuters. The Cool Dog line, which is also suitable for cats, appears to be based on fanny jackets that have become increasingly popular among Japanese construction workers and others who must spend long periods outside. Demand is not expected to decrease anytime soon. Temperatures rose again over the weekend after a high pressure system arrived across much of the country. Of the 914 observation points, 725 recorded a maximum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius or higher, the Mainichi Shimbun reported, adding that the mercury in the northern Japanese city of Kushiro had reached 33.5 degrees Celsius – the highest temperature there since records began in 1910. Although slightly less wild weather is forecast for Thursday and Friday, temperatures are expected to rise again over the weekend, staying in the mid-30s for much of next week. Forecasters have warned not to go outside unless absolutely necessary and to exercise during the day. They have also urged people to set their air conditioners to “appropriate” levels, drink water at night and remove their masks outdoors, provided they practice social distancing.
