Japan's heat wave is changing office dress codes — and shorts are winning

A punishing heat wave pushing daytime highs close to 40 degrees Celsius is rapidly normalizing shorts in Japanese workplaces, with government offices and private companies leading the shift. The trend goes beyond casual dress codes, reflecting broader social acceptance of shorts as a practical uniform for extreme heat.

According to the Nikkei Shimbun on Tuesday, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has allowed employees to wear shorts since June as part of the "Tokyo Cool Biz" policy championed by Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko.

Staff at the metropolitan government building have responded positively, saying shorts are more effective at lowering body temperature than long trousers and reduce fatigue during the workday.

Private companies are following suit. Open House Group, a real estate firm, has permitted field sales staff at its Fukuoka sales center to wear shorts since June. The company had long required formal attire given the client-facing nature of its business, but concluded that excessive sweating in extreme heat could itself make a poor impression on customers.

Public attitudes are also shifting. A survey of 512 men and women conducted last month by Nikkei MJ, a retail and consumer trade publication, found that 52.9 percent of respondents said they would accept shorts in the workplace.

Support was particularly strong among workers in their 20s and 30s, with about 70 percent in favor. A majority of respondents in their 40s also approved, though acceptance fell below 50 percent among those 50 and older, suggesting resistance grows with age. The most common reason given for approval — cited by 66.4 percent of supporters — was that shorts are "a reasonable measure against the heat."

The market is moving quickly as well. Men's clothing retailer Aoyama Shoji has launched its first line of business shorts designed to feel cool and wick sweat rapidly. Industry insiders said the key etiquette for wearing shorts to work is choosing restrained colors suited to a professional environment and maintaining a polished appearance — "resort wear is not appropriate," they said.