Japan’s Tokyo city male workers can wear shorts in summer. Some call it harassment

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…

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.

Don't Miss:

Japan’s Tokyo city male workers can wear shorts in summer. Some call it harassment

Canada will not allow assisted suicide for those with only mental illness

Trump wants to turn Florida golf course into presidential retreat

US proposes US$70,000 fee for foreign students to work after graduation

France halts use of stun grenades in policing of student protests

The Jalisco Cartel: At Its Weakest Point in History