Tokyo Metropolitan Government civil servants are being encouraged to change their usual look “suit and tie” for cooler clothing, such as shorts. The US-Iran war has a hand in this.
The objective of the initiative is to reduce electricity consumption and face the approaching intense heat in a more sustainable way, at a time when energy costs are soaring around the world — and Japan is not far behind — due to the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, which has been putting pressure on oil prices and security of supply in several countries for several weeks.
The initiative is inspired by the Japanese program Cool Bizlaunched by the Ministry of the Environment in 2005, which promoted the abandonment of ties and jackets in the warmer months to reduce dependence on air conditioning. But in those 20 years, notes , the campaign had never gone so far as to encourage employees to show their legs in the workplace.
Concern about a possible energy crisis has grown across Asia. Resource-poor Japan is particularly vulnerable to prolonged disruptions in the Middle East as it depends on the region for about 90% of its oil imports, much of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea is also exposed: around 20% of the natural gas it consumes follows the same route.
Several countries in the region, as reported last month, have already started taking measures — many of them highly original — to reduce energy consumption.
Japan has already used its strategic oil reserves and, according to local media outlets, is preparing to release another 20 days of supply from May 1st. The country is also looking for suppliers that do not depend on passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the British newspaper, some employees have already been seen working in shorts, t-shirts and short-sleeved blouses. Governor Yuriko Koike defended “cool clothing that emphasizes comfort”, including polos, sneakers and, depending on the role, shorts.
Last year Japan recorded the hottest summer since records began in 1898, and temperatures of 40°C or more are no longer rare.
