Japan’s Energy Saving Measures: Cool Business: Why are Tokyo workers ditching their suits for shorts?

The corporate world rarely loosens its grip on formal attire, such as crisp linen shirts, sharp tailoring and neat office attire. But Tokyo’s workforce may have found a way out. To beat the heat and reduce electricity use, the city government is now allowing employees to clock in in shorts as rising energy costs due to war in the Middle East add to pressure to save electricity this summer.The decision is part of the country’s “Cool Biz” program, an energy-saving initiative launched in 2005 by Japan’s Environment Ministry. The program initially focused on encouraging employees to wear light office attire, requiring employees to shed their formal jackets and ties during the hotter months, with some even opting for Okinawa-style collared T-shirts.The latest revision, introduced this month, further relaxes the dress code to include shorts, officials said. A Tokyo official who spoke on condition of anonymity said an expected energy crunch related to war in the Middle East was “one of the factors” behind the move.Pictures published by local media earlier this week showed the policy in effect, with some male staff at the Met office wearing T-shirts and shorts.Governor Yuriko Koike, who championed the original “Cool Business” initiative when she was environment minister, has also strongly supported the newer measures.“We encourage the wearing of comfortable, ‘cool’ clothing, including polo shirts, T-shirts and sneakers, as well as shorts depending on job duties,” she told reporters earlier this month, while warning of “a grim outlook for electricity supply and demand.”Koike also said the initiative will go beyond clothing choices and put more emphasis on remote working and earlier office hours.The measures come as Japan faces an increasingly harsh summer. The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded that last year was the hottest since records began in 1898. With temperatures regularly reaching 40°C or higher, the agency last week formally classified such conditions as “scorching” or “kokusho” days.Even before Japan’s move, Thailand had rolled out its own set of energy-saving measures for government workers, encouraging them to take the stairs instead of elevators, choose short-sleeved shirts instead of formal attire, and work from home when possible. Offices have also been asked to maintain air conditioning temperatures between 26°C and 27°C while ensuring that lights and electronic devices are turned off when not in use.Meanwhile, the war in the Middle East continues to escalate and is now approaching the two-month mark. The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a joint strike against Iran.