Heat Breaks Tokyo's "Dress Code" Rules

Tokyo (AFP) – On a hot and humid day, Noboru Watanabe, an employee at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, overcame his embarrassment and went to work wearing shorts, an unusual step in Japan, where formal attire remains the preferred dress code for the workplace.

Some institutions have begun to relax strict dress codes, particularly for men, as companies reduce the use of air conditioning due to rising energy costs amid the war in the Middle East.

At least five men in Watanabe’s office, aged 50, have replaced their formal suits with shorts, as temperatures in Tokyo reached 34 degrees Celsius.

Watanabe told AFP that he initially felt it was “embarrassing” to show his legs in the office.

He added, “But once you start wearing shorts, you realize how comfortable they are.”

The easing of dress code restrictions in Tokyo workplaces follows an initiative by the city’s governor, Yuriko Koike.