The policy is the latest attempt by Japanese officials to persuade the country\u2019s millions of office workers<\/a> to dress down in the summer to make office life more comfortable, reduce the use of air-conditioning and save energy.<\/p>\n Under the \u201cCool Biz\u201d initiative, the government encourages workers to forgo heavy suits in favor of polo shirts, linen tops and sneakers in hot weather.<\/p>\n But shorts, newly allowed this summer, are a bridge too far for some. The policy has prompted debate in Japan \u2013 and inspired delicate conversations at the office about etiquette and how to deal with the sight of a colleague\u2019s hairy legs.<\/p>\n The Japanese news media has even coined a new term \u2013 sune-hara, or \u201cleg-hair harassment\u201d \u2013 to describe the sense of grievance some women feel when they are forced to observe their male co-workers\u2019 legs.<\/p>\n Ruai Sajiki, 23, an employee at the Tokyo government offices, acknowledged that seeing bare legs in a professional setting could be jarring for women. But she offered her blessing when Watanabe, her supervisor, asked if she minded if he wore shorts in the office.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen my own father\u2019s legs, so I\u2019m personally comfortable with it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt can\u2019t be helped that there are many opinions, and some women who feel resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n SEE ALSO<\/p>\n Some commentators argue that the policy, while officially applying to both men and women, is unfair. While men are rarely judged for what they wear to work, women still face pressure to cover their legs with pantyhose, which are still common in Japan, or long skirts.<\/p>\n Atsuko Tamada, a professor of French literature at Chubu University in Japan and online commentator, said that women were expected to spend much time and money on hair removal, foot care and apparel<\/a>. \u201cIf men are now encouraged to wear shorts or sandals,\u201d she said, \u201cshould the same standards of appearance apply to them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCool Biz\u201d was introduced by Japan\u2019s Environment Ministry in 2005, and has now spread to almost every workplace in Japan, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The initiative coincided with commitments Japan made under the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases.<\/p>\n Yuriko Koike, who led the ministry at the time and was elected Tokyo\u2019s governor in 2016, said it was important because of rapidly rising temperatures and energy disruptions caused by the war in Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have gradually run out of layers to remove,\u201d she said at a news conference in April, \u201creaching a point where we are down to wearing shorts.\u201d<\/p>\n In Japan, government workplaces set thermostats to 28 degrees Celsius, in line with national standards, from May through September. Last summer was the hottest on record, with temperatures about 2 deg C above historical averages.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fabd68b9459e129296ae4fd01bc76fb79132cf63f47caf5dc38390ac261b3835.webp\")
The Japanese Meteorological Agency has introduced a new term for sweltering days above 40 deg C: kokushobi, or \u201ccruelly hot\u201d days. PHOTO: REUTERS <\/p>\n![\"Seeking](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ff37b0e7f1551caa811a8ff04bbd8bf63678f7f5a7d4b462630f52eb7fdd24ac.webp\")
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