The corporate world rarely loosens its grip on formal attire, such as soft linen shirts, fine tailoring, and refined office attire. But Tokyo’s workforce may have found an escape.
In an effort to beat the heat and cut down on electricity use, the D.C. government is now allowing its employees to wear shorts, as rising energy costs linked to the Middle East war increase pressure to conserve energy this summer.The decision comes as part of the country’s “Cool Biz” program, an energy-saving campaign launched by Japan’s Environment Ministry in 2005. The campaign initially focused on encouraging light office wear, asking employees to ditch suit jackets and ties during the hotter months, with some even opting for Okinawan-style collared T-shirts.The latest revision, rolled out this month, goes further by relaxing dress standards to include shorts, officials said. An official in Tokyo, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the expected energy crisis linked to the Middle East war is “one of the factors” behind the move.Photos published by local media earlier this week showed the policy was already taking effect, with some male employees in urban offices seen wearing T-shirts and shorts.
Governor Yuriko Koike, who championed the original Cool Biz initiative during her time as environment minister, has thrown her weight behind the updated measures.“We encourage ‘cool’ clothing that prioritizes comfort, including polo shirts, T-shirts, sneakers and — depending on the job responsibilities — shorts,” she told reporters earlier this month, while warning of a “severe outlook for electricity supply and demand.”Koike also said the initiative will extend beyond clothing choices, with a greater focus on remote work and early work hours.These measures come as Japan faces increasingly harsh summers. The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded last year as the hottest since records began in 1898. With temperatures often reaching 40 degrees Celsius or higher, the agency last week introduced an official classification of such conditions, calling them “extremely hot” days, or “kokushu.”Even before Japan’s move, Thailand rolled out its own set of energy-saving measures for government employees, encouraging them to take stairs instead of elevators, choose short-sleeved shirts instead of uniforms, and work from home where possible. Offices were also instructed to keep air conditioners between 26-27 degrees Celsius, making sure to turn off lights and electronic devices when not in use.Meanwhile, the Middle East war has continued to escalate, and is now approaching the two-month mark. The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran.
