Tokyo officials try shorts at work during hot summer weather

Some Tokyo metropolitan government officials are wearing shorts at work under a loosened summer dress code aimed at helping offices reduce reliance on air conditioning.

On Tuesday, with temperatures in Tokyo around 34C, at least five men in one metropolitan government office replaced suits with shorts. Noboru Watanabe, a 50-year-old official, said he had initially felt embarrassed about showing his legs at work, but found shorts comfortable once he wore them. He said he still wears a formal shirt when needed, though it feels hot.

The change comes as Japanese offices try to limit air-conditioning use because of high energy costs linked in the source to the Middle East war. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced the shorts initiative in spring, citing a challenging outlook for electricity supply.

The policy is an expanded version of Cool Biz, an energy-saving campaign that encourages government workers to stop wearing ties and jackets in summer. Koike began that campaign in 2005 when she was environment minister. In April, she said officials were encouraged to wear comfortable clothing, including polo shirts, T-shirts and sneakers, and shorts depending on their job responsibilities.

The initiative has drawn interest from some workers outside the metropolitan government. Takayuki Deguchi, a 30-year-old marketing company employee whose workplace still requires suits, said shorts could help people regulate their temperature in hot weather.

It has also prompted debate over whether shorts are suitable for the workplace. Sachie Koike, a 52-year-old realtor, said she accepted men going without ties or jackets in summer, but thought shorts went too far because she associated them with days off and did not consider exposed legs neat at work.

Japan had its hottest summer on record last year, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, whose records date back to 1898. The agency in April introduced an official term for days of 40C or higher, calling them "cruelly hot" or "kokusho" days. The source also said scientists say human-driven climate change is making extreme weather more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense.

Takuya Ozawa, a 38-year-old Tokyo government worker, said the trip home from work is especially hot in long trousers, but feels cooler in shorts.