[Wings of Growth] Kuchofuku® Revolution: The Inventor's Journey

Kuchofuku (air-conditioned clothing) was born from the idea of 'cooling the person, not the whole room,' inspired by Chairman Ichigaya's knowledge from his time at Sony and his observations of the economic boom and concerns over global warming during a visit to Southeast Asia in 1998.

The development process was a series of hardships. The first prototype (1999) was water-cooled and suffered from severe leaks. Next, a mechanism using small fans to exhaust hot air (2001) was tested, but it caused the clothing to stick to the body.

Ultimately, the 'physiological cooler theory' was reached, where fans draw in outside air and blow it parallel to the body to evaporate sweat, leading to the completion of the current prototype in 2004. Although the initial 7,000 units sold out, sales later stagnated, and the company faced near-bankruptcy after being denied bank loans.

However, improvements to lithium-ion batteries and word-of-mouth at construction sites helped the reputation spread, leading to a V-shaped recovery. Today, the technology has expanded beyond workwear into air-conditioned beds, backpacks, and even the Paris Fashion Week, broadening its range of applications.

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