Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010

When you’re reduced to going out wearing a cap with a solar-powered fan incorporated into the visor, it’s probably time to think about heading to somewhere like, ooh, Antarctica for the duration of the summer. The Solar Cap (¥979) is just one of the alternately brilliant and batty gadgets sold at Atsusa Taisaku (literally, Heat Countermeasures), a quite sublimely ugly website that specializes in heat-abating gizmos. Some of the products are featured elsewhere in this very article, but you’ll also find everything from cooling wipes and sweat pads to industrial-strength window blinds and temperature-regulating bedding developed for NASA.

www.atusa-taisaku.com