Faced with soaring energy costs linked to the war in the Middle East, the city of Tokyo is encouraging employees to adopt a more casual clothing style. Objective: limit the use of air conditioning, while the thermometer is expected to rise in the coming weeks.

Published on: 04/24/2026 - 10:39 Modified on: 04/24/2026 - 11:37

The city of Tokyo, the world capital of suit and tie, is now encouraging its employees to come to work in shorts to reduce the use of air conditioning, a city official said on Friday, as concerns grow over soaring energy costs linked to the war in the Middle East.

The relaxation of the dress code is part of a strengthened version of "Cool Biz", an energy-saving initiative launched by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 2005, which encouraged civil servants to do without ties and jackets in summer.

The threat of an energy crisis caused by the conflict in the Middle East is "one of the factors" that pushed the Japanese capital to authorize its employees to wear shorts as of this month, a Tokyo municipal official who requested anonymity told AFP.

“Cruelously hot” days

Already, some male employees have been seen in shorts and t-shirts, according to images broadcast this week by local media.

This summer, "we are encouraging 'cool' outfits that emphasize comfort, including polo shirts, t-shirts and sneakers, and - depending on work responsibilities - shorts," said Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who herself launched the "Cool Biz" campaign when she was environment minister twenty years ago.

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The expansion of Operation Cool Biz also provides for increased use of teleworking as well as an earlier start to the working day, added Yuriko Koike.

Last year, Japan experienced its hottest summer on record since records began in 1898, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Temperatures reaching 40C and above have become so common that the agency last week unveiled a new official term for these extreme heat events, calling them "cruelly hot" days, or "kokusho."

With AFP

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