Tokyo Government Allows Shorts for Office Workers as Record Heat Tests Japan’s Cool Biz Drive
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 19
Tokyo Government Allows Shorts for Office Workers as Record Heat Tests Japan’s Cool Biz Drive
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 19
Summary
Tokyo last week began letting government employees wear shorts and T-shirts at work, widening Japan’s summer office dress-code loosening after successive record-breaking heat.
The policy aims to make offices more bearable while cutting air-conditioning use and saving energy, extending the long-running “Cool Biz” campaign beyond ties and jackets.
Noboru Watanabe, a 53-year-old Tokyo environmental official, said the change made him feel more approachable, illustrating how the shift is challenging the traditional salaryman uniform.
The move has stirred debate because shorts remain unusual in Japan’s buttoned-down workplaces, even as hotter summers push officials to normalize lighter office wear.