Summer is here and in Japan that means Cool Biz.
Cool Biz (クールビズ kuuru bizu) is a recent government program advocating energy conservation across the public and private sectors. The program targets air conditioning as the single biggest seasonal energy consumer and proposes a simple strategy for scaling back.
The Ministry of the Environment initiated Cool Biz in June of 2005. Reflecting Cool Biz mandates, all central government offices run temperatures at 28°C (82°F) until September. The Ministry realized these temperatures meant ‘Warm Biz’ for employees, so they drafted a complimentary dress code. Government employees could now shed their jackets, long-sleeved shirts, and ties. The Cool Biz dress code permitted short-sleeved shirts, cotton trousers and skirts.
The Japanese private sector had a chilly reaction to Cool Biz at first. The general reluctance to participate had less to do with boiling office temperatures and more to do with summer dress codes. Japanese business culture places a high premium on conduct, appearance and respect. In this context, wearing casual attire to a meeting could cause real harm to a professional relationship.
In an effort to encourage corporate culture to embrace Cool Biz, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi became an early role model for the initiative. He made frequent appearances without a jacket or tie. He even donned a short-sleeved shirt! This turned out to be great publicity for the program. It provided the private sector with both the confidence and the permission required to allow the Cool Biz dress code to become customary.
Recent tragedies put even more emphasis on the Cool Biz program. After the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, many nuclear power plants have been shut down for safety reasons. As a result, major urban power grids are that much more likely to experience service outages. Starting in summer 2011, Cool Biz was extended by two months. It now starts May 1 and runs to the end of October.
Summer retail promotions provide the last word on the success of Cool Biz. Seasonal Cool Biz design lines are now in high demand. Short-sleeved shirts, washable suits, and 380g, light weave jackets count among some of the most popular items. Now you can turn off your air conditioner without turning off your colleagues.
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