Working in an office during the summer can be an uncomfortably sweaty experience, and Hiroyasu Yamamitsu, president of humorous PC accessories maker Thanko Inc., spotted a business chance there.
The company began selling a USB Cooler Cushion at its shop in Akihabara, Tokyo, in June last year. The device is powered from a personal computer's USB port and comes equipped with a small fan and ventilation holes. The item sold "pretty well" last summer, Yamamitsu, 42, said, adding he expects even better sales this summer.
Yamamitsu loves what he does. He always thinks of potentially amusing goods, travels to China and Taiwan to look for such PC accessories, and checks Web sites to see if the products he is considering are already available on the domestic market. He realized that the idea of using PCs as a power source and controller opened the door wide to creating playful electronic merchandise.
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