Tokyo government permits shorts at work as part of Cool Biz energy drive

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials, following Governor Yuriko Koike’s expanded Cool Biz programme, have authorized male staff to wear shorts at the office as temperatures rose to about 34 °C. The change, intended to reduce air‑conditioning demand amid high energy costs linked to the Middle East conflict, builds on the original 2005 Cool Biz policy that already encouraged ties‑free attire such as polo shirts and sneakers.

Noboru Watanabe, a 50‑year‑old official, described the shift as initially embarrassing but quickly comfortable. Other employees, like marketing worker Takayuki Deguchi, welcomed the cooler option. Public reaction online is mixed: some view shorts as inappropriate for a professional setting, while others see them as a practical response to extreme heat. The initiative has also sparked commercial interest, with retailer Aoyama Trading launching business‑style shorts designed for office use.

The move reflects broader efforts to adapt workplace dress codes to Japan’s increasingly hot summers, which have seen record‑high temperatures and the recent designation of “cruelly hot” days by the Japan Meteorological Agency.