The Japan Times22h ago
Japan is responding to increasingly extreme summer heat with cooling technology, expanded air-conditioning and more casual office attire, though the push to allow shorts at work has sparked a backlash. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/06/01/japan/tokyo-wants-work-shorts/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #coolbiz #globalwarming #jobs #sanaetakaichi #climatechange
Tokyo wants you to wear shorts to work. Say no.

While the image of the suit-and-tie salaryman endures, in recent years summer office fashions have become much more casual.

The Japan Times
David B. HimselfMar 31, 2025
A revolution in Japan?

I just got a university-wide email (so it's a ministry directive) that ends "Cool Biz!"

Now, every employee should dress according to their needs and to the actual temperature!!!

Japan is changing!

For those who don't know, "Cool Biz" is a policy that started in 2005 to use less electricity. Air conditioning in the country's offices shouldn't be set lower than 28°C and office workers were allowed to wear more "relaxed" outfits (i.e. short sleeve shirts, drop the jacket of their suit, etc - nothing fancy, shorts were not allowed).

The only change to the policy came a couple of years ago when they started to acknowledge climate change. Cool Biz was from July to September, it was extended from June to October.

And apparently, that's the end of it. Japan is starting to realize that to know if it's hot or cold, you check a thermometer and not the calendar.

It doesn't affect me directly, as I'm not an office worker, but I wonder if the engineering campus will realize that starting A/C in July only (and blocking the thermostat too high) is not a good idea anymore in this day and age (classrooms facing south have become unhealthy in summer over there, I'm not joking - students have fainted in the past)


#Japan #CoolBiz #ClimateDiary
CelloMom On CarsJul 17, 2023

"In #Spain businesses are leading the way and mandating workers finish (and start) their gig earlier.

[#Japan] launched its “#CoolBiz” policy almost two decades ago.
As well as asking workers to don short sleeve shirts, the government’s recommendations include keeping office #thermostats to 28°C or above, getting staff to come into work earlier, allowing workers to take longer #holidays in the summer, and banning #overtime."

#ClimateAdaptation
https://fortune.com/2023/07/17/workers-ditch-9-5-for-6-2-climate-change-university-oxford-study/

Workers might have to ditch the 9-5 for the 6-2 because of climate change, Oxford study says

Businesses may need to switch up their staff’s working pattern to cope with 'uncomfortable' heat levels, according to researchers from Oxford.

Fortune
marweJan 16, 2021

#Coolbiz was a society changing campaign in Japan to raise the temperatures at work together with a relaxation of dress code. Goal was the reduction of electicity consumption by air conditioning due to electricity shortages, but it had positive effects on the emissions. This finally arrived at home, too.
More countries and work places should adopt it!
Here it would be the reduction of heating, which is #warmbiz for the winter times.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_Biz_campaign

Cool Biz campaign - Wikipedia