Some women argue against the double standards, saying they have to wear stockings to work even in summer
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenJulian RyallPublished: 11:00am, 18 Jun 2026Updated: 11:04am, 18 Jun 2026When 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.
The backlash against the relaxed rules, however, has been swift.
