As the Middle East war has driven up energy costs, Japanese officials said on the 24th that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is encouraging employees to wear shorts to work in order to reduce reliance on air conditioning.
This relaxation of dress code rules is an upgraded version of the “Cool Biz” campaign. The Japanese energy-saving “Cool Biz” initiative was launched in 2005 by the Ministry of the Environment, encouraging employees to forgo suit jackets and ties during the summer; at the time, some officials were even seen wearing Okinawan-style open-collar shirts to work.
An unnamed Tokyo Metropolitan official told AFP that energy concerns triggered by the Middle East war is one of the factors that prompted the Tokyo authorities to step up energy-saving efforts and begin allowing employees to wear shorts from this month.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike fully supports this move. Twenty years ago, it was Koike who launched the “Cool Biz” campaign when she served as Minister of the Environment.
Earlier this month, Koike told the media that in light of severe electricity supply and demand prospects this summer, “we encourage a ‘cool and stylish’ look that prioritizes comfort, including polo shirts, T-shirts, and sneakers, and shorts depending on the nature of work.”
Koike pointed out that the updated “Cool Biz” campaign also includes expanding remote work and staggered work hours.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Japan experienced its hottest summer since 1898 last year. As temperatures soaring above 40°C have become increasingly common, the Meteorological Agency last week named such extremely high-temperature days as “extremely hot days.”