In Tokyo, a measure intended to combat the heat ended up opening a discussion about clothing, gender, and the office. The metropolitan government allowed its workers to wear shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers as part of the Cool Biz program, created to reduce the use of air conditioning.
The change was not well received everywhere. Some women began talking about sunehara, an expression that translates as harassment over leg hair, to describe the discomfort of seeing male colleagues in shorts with hairy legs in a professional environment.
The discussion also exposed a double standard. While men are allowed to dress more lightly, many women still feel pressure to wear stockings, remove body hair, or cover up.