Tokyo Government Workers No Longer Have to Wear Pants
Commuters walk in a passageway during a rush hour at Shinagawa Station on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)
Government employees in Tokyo are being encouraged to ditch traditional office attire and dress for the heat. Facing another intense summer and concerns about power consumption, city officials are promoting lighter clothing such as shorts, T-shirts, polo shirts, and sneakers in the workplace.
The change expands on Japan’s “Cool Biz” initiative, introduced in 2005 to cut back on air conditioning by loosening dress codes. Until now, the campaign mainly allowed lighter tops but still favored more formal lower wear. Some workers say the shift feels unusual at first but ultimately makes them more comfortable and productive.
Energy concerns are adding urgency to the move. Ongoing conflict involving Iran is creating instability in global oil supplies, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for fuel shipments. Japan, which depends heavily on Middle Eastern oil, is feeling the strain. Other countries in Asia, including Vietnam and South Korea, have already begun limiting energy use or adjusting work schedules.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike pointed to a challenging outlook for electricity supply and demand as a key reason for backing the relaxed dress policy. The change also comes as Japan enters its heatstroke warning season, following a record-breaking summer in 2025. The country’s meteorological agency has even introduced a new term to describe extreme temperatures: “cruelly hot.”
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