Realitysttu.com – Office workers everywhere usually look neat and charming, always wearing trousers and a neat shirt.
The trousers worn by office workers are not levis but neatly tailored cloth trousers.
However, this is different from this country, which allows office workers to wear shorts.
The Tokyo government has begun to relax its work dress code, which has been known to be strict. Now, workers are allowed to wear shorts to the office this summer amid rising temperatures and fears of an energy crisis due to the Iran conflict in the Middle East.
This policy is an update of the “Cool Biz” campaign launched by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment since 2005. If previously employees were only encouraged to remove jackets and ties in the summer, now the rule has been expanded to allow the use of shorts in the work environment.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government also asks workers to maintain energy consumption by regulating working hours, daily habits, and choosing cooler clothing.
According to a report by The Japan News citing Fortune, Tokyo government employees have started working in t-shirts and shorts to deal with the hot weather. Workers are also encouraged to come to work early and work from home if possible.
This step was taken after Japan tightened its heat stroke warning system. In the summer of 2025, more than 100,000 Japanese citizens reportedly had to be rushed to hospital due to extreme weather between May and September.
Apart from being triggered by increasing temperatures, Japan is also facing the threat of rising energy costs due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Japan is known to import around 95% of its oil from the Middle East region, most of it through the Strait of Hormuz which has now become a vulnerable point due to the Iran conflict and the US-Israel war.
For a long time, wearing shorts to the office was considered taboo in Japan, especially for office workers. However, climate change and economic pressures have made the government start to change its approach to work culture.
Not just Japan, a number of Asian countries are also starting to adjust work patterns to save energy. Vietnam asks companies to allow employees to work from home to reduce transportation needs. Meanwhile, the Philippines and Sri Lanka encourage a four-day work week system.
The debate about shorts in the office is still ongoing in various countries. A 2023 Ipsos and Wall Street Journal survey showed that 41% of Americans think it is inappropriate for men to wear shorts to the office under any circumstances.
However, the post-Covid-19 pandemic work culture and the entry of generation Z into the world of work are starting to change formal dress standards. Professor of design and fashion from Parsons School of Design, Hazel Clark said, the younger generation is pushing the trend for more relaxed work clothes.
“The younger generation is dressing more casually and that is having a big impact. Things will change as more young people enter the corporate environment,” he said.
Even so, some work ethics experts still believe that shorts are not completely safe to wear in the office because restrictions on length and model are considered too subjective.***
