Tokyo allows male workers to wear shorts in summer

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced in April that male employees may now wear shorts to work, expanding Governor Yuriko Koike's long-running Cool Biz energy-saving campaign. First launched in 2005 when Koike was environment minister, Cool Biz encouraged salarymen to shed ties and jackets to reduce air conditioning use in summer. The new policy has drawn mixed reactions, with some calling the relaxed dress code a form of harassment toward female colleagues who may feel pressured to dress more casually as well. The city is urging businesses across the capital to adopt similar measures.