Tokyo Metropolitan Government staff are trading ties and button-ups for T-shirts and shorts under a brand new relaxed dress code policy aimed toward combating stifling temperatures — however the shift has birthed the term “leg hair harassment,” a phrase coined to focus on what some say are double standards around workplace appearance.
The change is an element of the “Tokyo Cool Biz” campaign, which goals to save lots of energy by reducing the necessity for air-con and features a rule allowing the town’s government staff to wear shorts to the office.
In keeping with BBC and Latest York Times reports, some say the policy — though it applies to men and girls — is unfair because women face more cultural pressure than men to cover up and are expected to spend money on hair removal.
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In response, in line with each news outlets, Japanese media devised the term “leg hair harassment,” or “sunehara,” to explain the sensation of being forced to see a male co-worker’s legs.
Ruai Sajiki, 23, an worker for the Tokyo government, told the Latest York Times earlier this month that seeing bare legs in an expert environment could possibly be unsettling for ladies. But said she told her male supervisor it was okay after he asked whether she minded if he wore shorts to work.
Government officials in casual dress code, including shorts, tee shirts and sneakers, work within the office of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government constructing, as a part of the capital’s “Cool Biz” initiative, in Tokyo on July 14, 2026.
Philip FONG / AFP via Getty Images
“I’ve seen my very own father’s legs, so I’m personally comfortable with it. It will possibly’t be helped that there are lots of opinions, and a few women who feel resistance,” she told the U.S. outlet.
Atsuko Tamada, a French literature professor at Chubu University in Japan, also spoke to the Latest York Times and argued that if men are being encouraged to decorate down and bare their legs, they must also be expected to shave them.
Despite its mixed reviews, the policy marks a daring endorsement of casual office attire in a rustic where dark suits and white shirts have long been the norm for office staff, even throughout the hottest months.
While the rule change applies to government staff, private businesses have also begun to adopt it.
Retailers corresponding to Aeon have responded by expanding business-casual lines, while apparel makers, including Fast Retailing and Aoki, are promoting lightweight, stretchable and quick-drying clothing aimed toward office staff looking for to balance comfort with an expert look.
The “Cool Biz” campaign also encourages people to create advancements in heat countermeasure goods and has run contests to encourage the ideation of such products.
In May, it awarded 12 contestants for his or her contributions, including heat-checker apps that map shaded areas on walking routes in the town.
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