Wacky Invention "COOLBLAST" Comes to the Rescue for Tokyo Heatwave
by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan 
on 09. 1.08
Tokyo has been hit by a particularly hot summer this year, and according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, this will continue well into late September. As most rented living arrangements in Japan commonly come with built in air-conditioners, that leaves many of us new to the whole concept of self control repeatedly reaching for the switch and generally suffering from withdrawal. To make things worse, Tokyo is extremely humid in summer and tends to suffer from the heat island effect in a major way.
So, what would you expect from Japan but more stuff to the rescue! Continuing the venerated Japanese tradition of wacky inventions is a product (plastic, no less) called “COOLBLAST” that is purported to have the effect of cooling you off with nothing but water and air pressure.
Unfortunately we haven’t tried this ourselves so we can’t vouch for the accuracy of the claims, but basically you fill this 2.5 ounce bottle with water (from the tap, a stream etc.), operate the hand pump on the bottom to build some pressure up in the container, point it at your head, push the button, and Kapow, you are officially cooled. Ok, so not something you should do indoors perhaps, but great if you are navigating the concrete jungle in Tokyo’s peak summer apparent temperatures that approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (close to 40 degrees Celsius). Just watch out for other pedestrians. COOLBLAST can be purchased through an online store for JPY2,680 (approx $25) each (sorry Japanse website only). Of course, this would be great for outdoors activities if you aren’t already overloaded with a plethora of other gadgets of dubious utility.
Note: As we don’t have a sample, we have not verified at this time that this is definitely a Japanese invention, though a cursory Google search didn’t provide any hits in English. Leave a comment if you know more about where this is from.
Brought to you by Chris of greenz.jp
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I have one of those but slightly bigger...its called a shower
So if someone were to combine this with a camelbak in combination with a y junction and a check valve so your drinking nozzle doesn't dribble when you pressurize, we might have a winner here.
Coolblast site:
http://www.mistcooling.com/mistypump.htm
I bought one for my spouse when it was on sale at our local hardware store. It's mildly refreshing. Actually, it's not that "wacky" -- evaporation of the mist has a cooling effect. it's a small-scale version of the misters used on some outdoor patios. It's available in the U.S. on www.mistymate.com. The mail-order price is $16.99, but I paid much less.
That not exactly new idea. I just poll out from under my bad (where I keep all the junk) the "Mist Mate HP" that I got like 5-6 years ego here in NYC. That a battle with head pomp with attached tube with relies valve. Simple , but not particularly effective in humid climate like you can find in NYC (or Tokyo).
By the way they still making them, here is the link:
http://www.shadeusa.com/patio_misting_systems.htm
Why not just use a standard spray bottle set the mist and filled with ice water?
Of course, if that's too simple, you can always fill it with Fiji Water.
Sounds like a good idea to me. Doesn't seem like it would use that much water as it is a very fine mist. Maybe if they only used water from rain gutters then this would be treehugger friendly?
I've seen large versions on tents at our county fair. The hose is around the tent and it is quite cool, this does seem like a waste of water however.
I have to starkly disagree with the comment about Japanese apartments coming with air conditioners. The reality is quite the opposite. Most places make you buy your own and install it. Ok, not most, but I would put the ratio at about 50%.
Can we file this under "Useless Items Destined for a Landfill Near You."
With the amount of energy it would take to make this thing, and the fact that it's just landfill fodder makes this very un-treehugger friendly. It would probably be better just to use your AC, especially since something like a third of Japan's electricity comes from nuclear.
Of course, your best be t is to go to a public place that has AC, or even more fun go find a place to go swimming.