In Tokyo, a growing number of office workers are adopting shorts as part of their professional attire, reflecting broader changes in workplace dress codes amid rising temperatures and energy concerns. Currently, about two-thirds of the male staff at one international news bureau in Tokyo are wearing shorts during office hours and meetings, a notable departure from the traditionally formal dress standards in Japan’s business districts.
This shift is partially driven by sustainability measures and economic pressures related to climate change and energy costs. Tokyo’s governor, Yuriko Koike, who previously served as the country’s environment minister, has played a key role in encouraging this change. Koike, who was instrumental in launching the 2005 Cool Biz campaign—which allowed workers to forgo jackets and ties during summer—has now called for a “change of mindset” by permitting male employees of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to wear shorts at work. She has encouraged private businesses to follow suit.
The Cool Biz campaign originally sought to reduce air conditioning use by loosening strict office dress codes while maintaining a professional appearance, but shorts remained largely taboo. Koike’s current initiative goes further amid Tokyo’s increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves and rising energy prices exacerbated by geopolitical tensions, such as the Iran war. The move aligns with warnings from Japan’s Meteorological Agency, which recently introduced a “cruel heat” rating anticipating more days with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
Despite official endorsement, the wider adoption of shorts in Tokyo’s corporate world remains limited. Observers note that most of the city’s financial district has not embraced this change. Even within the Tokyo Metropolitan Government offices, shorts are still a rare sight, with some employees and members of the public expressing discomfort or opposition—particularly among women who have voiced reservations about seeing male colleagues’ bare legs.
Proponents argue that embracing shorts is both a practical and symbolic response to climate realities. From a practical standpoint, lighter clothing can help reduce reliance on air conditioning, lowering energy consumption and costs during increasingly hot summers. Symbolically, it represents a break from stale norms, challenging entrenched expectations around professional attire that may no longer be appropriate or sustainable. Advocates suggest that continuing to wear long trousers in oppressive heat either endangers personal health or demands additional energy use, thus exacerbating environmental problems.
Critics of the shift caution that the debate over workplace attire remains unsettled and that cultural resistance to dress reforms persists across many global business areas. The conversation underway in Tokyo, however, highlights a broader reckoning with climate change’s impact on everyday life, including workplace practices tied to tradition and appearance.
As the climate continues to change and heat waves become more common, Tokyo’s experiment with office shorts may foreshadow similar adjustments in other urban centers worldwide, underscoring evolving definitions of professionalism in a warming world.