The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is encouraging male employees to trade traditional suits for more casual attire, including shorts, as part of its "Tokyo Cool Biz" initiative to combat the summer heat. The program, introduced by Governor Yuriko Koike in April, has become an annual tradition aimed at promoting comfortable working conditions during high temperatures.
Despite the intention of offering more options, the policy permitting shorts in the workplace has divided opinions. While some employees welcome the relaxed dress code for enhanced comfort, others argue it creates an unfair double standard for women, who are still expected to wear tights when showing their legs. A portion of women have also voiced discomfort with seeing male colleagues' bare legs, a phenomenon sometimes referred to online as "sunehara" or "leg hair harassment."
Noboru Watanabe, an environmental official at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, stated that the initiative aims to provide options during severe heat, not dictate clothing. "There should be no issue as long as the work attire is not offensive to anyone," he told the BBC.
A survey conducted in June by Gorilla Clinic found that 53.5% of respondents opposed wearing shorts to work in the summer, while 46.5% were in favor. Concerns about body shape and body hair were the primary reasons cited by both genders for their opposition. The clinic noted that women significantly outnumbered men in expressing resistance, suggesting a greater reluctance among women to see male colleagues' bare legs.
While casual wear has become more common in Japanese workplaces, particularly in startups and tech companies, the Tokyo government's recommendation has amplified its social acceptance. This shift has led some men to feel self-conscious about their leg hair, prompting them to seek cosmetic treatments.
Akifumi Funatsu, director of Gorilla Clinic, observed an increase in clients seeking laser hair removal not only for aesthetic reasons but also as a matter of "social etiquette when wearing shorts." He suggested that some women perceive men as having less leg hair, leading to these treatments to avoid causing discomfort.
