From the sixteenth floor of a glass office building in Tokyo, the street below looks like a sea of umbrellas. They do not protect against rain, but against the bright sun. It is 33 degrees Celsius, and men and women in suits and leather shoes are still walking to work.
"We chose years ago to relax our dress code to protect the health of our employees," says Sari Kuroda of internet company GMO Media. "But in Japan, many companies still hold on to old habits, including the idea that you must wear a neat suit to work."
The Japan Meteorological Agency warns of dangerous heat this summer. Last year, Tokyo had 25 days with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. Normally, there are only four or five. In Kyoto, 52 hot days were counted, almost three times as many as usual. In several places in the country, temperatures already exceeded 40 degrees.
Overheating
The Japanese weather service introduced a new name this year for such temperatures: kokushobi, meaning a 'cruelly hot day.' Because temperatures above 40 degrees are occurring more often, the weather service said a new category was needed.
The consequences of kokushobi are serious. Since early May, nearly 60,000 people have been taken by ambulance with heat complaints. In the first week of August alone, there were more than a thousand per day.
The heat is also becoming an increasing problem in the workplace. Last year, nearly 2,000 workers overheated so severely that they were absent for at least four days. Nineteen of them did not survive the overheating. That is the highest number since Japan began tracking this phenomenon in 2005.
Leg hair
Work dress codes are therefore no longer only about good taste and freedom of movement, but also about the health of employees. "We advise airy clothing where comfort is paramount: no tie or blazer, but polos, T-shirts, sneakers and, depending on the work, even shorts," said Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike earlier this year. The city government calls on companies to relax their dress codes.
As environment minister, Koike launched the Cool Biz program in 2005: employees were encouraged to leave their ties and jackets at home so offices could set air conditioning to 28 degrees to save energy. Due to energy shortages after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, the government went a step further: polos, sneakers and other informal clothing were also encouraged.
It was a revolution, but shorts remained a step too far in many workplaces. Only this spring did the Tokyo administration officially allow its own civil servants to wear them, hoping others would follow.
However, this immediately led to considerable discussion. Online, the term sunehara, loosely translated as 'leg hair intimidation,' arose to express annoyance at visible male leg hair. Others point to a double standard for women, who are still often expected to wear pantyhose at the office.
At GMO Media, that discussion is already a thing of the past. "I really can't stand the heat, so I am very happy about this," says Daiki Suzuki cheerfully. In gray sneakers, black shorts and a blue linen shirt, he cools off in the air conditioning. He realizes his workplace is an exception. "People are often surprised that I can come to the office so casually."
According to Kuroda, managers must take the lead themselves. She sits behind her computer at GMO Media wearing shorts, a shirt and white sneakers. In the meeting rooms around her office, hardly a long sleeve is to be seen. "If we wear lighter clothing, it becomes easier for other employees to follow that example," she says.
Outside, the bright sun slowly disappears behind dark clouds. Japan has endured several storms and heavy rain showers in recent weeks. They bring temporary relief, but a real weather change is not expected. According to the weather service, it will likely remain warmer than normal until mid-September. Even during rain showers, the thermometer regularly stays above 30 degrees.
Kuroda is therefore happy with the official call from the Tokyo governor to companies to relax their dress codes. According to her, that can give the final push. "That makes it easier for companies to take the first step and allow cooler clothing."