Tokyo promotes shorts for men at work, igniting 'leg hair harassment' debate

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government introduced its renewed Tokyo Cool Biz initiative this year as part of a broader effort to promote energy conservation while helping people stay safe during increasingly severe summer heat. Building on the original Cool Biz campaign launched in 2005, the updated initiative encourages a year-round lifestyle that combines smart energy use with comfort.

Rather than focusing only on lighter clothing, Tokyo Cool Biz promotes three areas: creating cooler workplaces, cooler living environments, and cooler ways of dressing. Measures include flexible work arrangements such as teleworking and early morning shifts, using heat monitoring tools, and wearing clothing that is appropriate for the weather and workplace while reducing the need for excessive air conditioning.

The metropolitan government says employees should choose clothing flexibly according to the temperature, their duties, and the occasion to balance comfort with energy savings. As part of the campaign, Tokyo has showcased male employees wearing shorts while working in government offices.

The push has generated mixed reactions, with critics arguing that the policy creates a double standard because women are often still expected to meet more formal appearance standards. Some women have also used the internet-coined term "sunehara," or "leg hair harassment," to describe their discomfort at seeing male colleagues' leg hair.

A survey conducted by men's cosmetic medical provider Gorilla Clinic suggests public opinion is similarly divided. Among 800 men and women aged 20 to 59 surveyed online on June 17, 53.5% opposed wearing shorts to work during summer, while 46.5% supported it.

Among those opposed, the most common reason, cited by 45.5%, was concern about body shape or body hair, ahead of concerns about cleanliness and workplace etiquette. Women were more likely than men to say visible leg hair was off-putting.

The survey also found that appearance mattered as much as clothing itself. Respondents were more than twice as likely to approve of business outfits featuring shorts when the model's legs appeared hair-free. A jacket with shorts and no visible leg hair was considered acceptable by 58% of respondents, compared with 24.1% for the same outfit with visible leg hair.

Despite growing discussion around more relaxed office attire, only about one-third of respondents said shorts were permitted, or likely permitted, in their workplace, suggesting many employers have yet to update their dress codes.

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