When Yuriko Koike was Japan’s environment minister in 2005, she was hailed by legions of salarymen as they shed ties and jackets in summer during the “Cool Biz” national energy-saving campaign that she helped to launch.
Now, as Tokyo governor, Koike has taken the idea a step further: shorts in the office.
In April, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said it would allow male employees to turn up for work in shorts, and it urged businesses across the capital to adopt similarly relaxed dress codes.
Tokyo Cool Biz, the city authorities’ update of the original national campaign, is intended to help employees feel more comfortable while potentially reducing electricity consumption amid rising fuel prices.
Temperatures have been rising across Japan in recent days, and weather forecasters warn that last summer’s record-breaking heat and humidity are expected to be surpassed this summer.
The backlash against the relaxed rules, however, has been swift.
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