Men forced to wear shorts to work sparking accusations from women of 'leg hair harassment'

Men in Japan are being forced to wear shorts to work, leading to accusations of "leg hair harassment" from female colleagues.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is encouraging company employees to ditch their usual suit and tie for more casual attire, featuring t-shirts, trainers and shorts.

Japan's weather agency issued heatstroke alerts for much of the country, forecasting a second straight day of "kokushobi", literally meaning "brutally hot day", with temperatures expected to reach 40C in Kumagaya, north of Tokyo.

Authorities urged residents to use air conditioning liberally, hydrate regularly, avoid spending long hours outdoors and ditch the traditional suit and tie attire.

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The Governor of the Japanese capital, Yuriko Koike, introduced "Tokyo Cool Biz" in April, hoping to expand on her signature cool down initiative which has now become a widely recognised annual summer tradition.

However, not everyone in Japan is open to the more lax office uniform policy.

A poll by Gorilla Clinic found 53.5 per cent of Japanese workers opposed wearing shorts to work in the summer, while 46.5 per cent were in favour of the new recommendation.

The reason most people who were against the poll gave, for both men and women, was the concern over body shape and body hair.

Commentators have argued the policy is unfair to women since they are still expected to wear tights when showing a part of their legs.

A few women describe the experience of "leg hair harassment" or a term coined online as "sunehara", referring to the discomfort of being forced to see their male colleague's leg hair.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government environmental official Noboru Watanabe told the BBC: "We want to give people more options in the severe heat, not tell them what to wear.

"There should be no issue as long as the work attire is not offensive to anyone."

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Ms Koike first brought in the summer wardrobe shift as the national Environment Minister in 2005, launching a national energy-saving campaign called "Cool Biz" to encourage company workers to opt for short-sleeve shirts.

Then-prime minister Junichiro Koizumi was often seen in public without wearing a tie or jacket, helping to spread the message.

After the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, which led to the deaths of 19,759 people, the Government launched the "Super Cool Biz" which expanded the guidelines to help reduce energy use.

Clothes with built-in fans, disposable wet towels, UV and heat-blocking umbrellas, and portable handheld fans have been popular and sold in shops across Japan.

Japan has experienced increasingly severe summers in recent years, with the country recording its all-time high temperature of 41.8C last year.

Even before this week's extreme heat, 4,580 people were taken to hospital between July 6 and 12, including seven who later died, according to the latest data available from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

The weather agency this year introduced the "kokushobi" category for days when temperatures reach 40C or higher, reflecting the growing frequency of extreme heat.

More than 100,000 people were taken to hospital for heatstroke during the 2025 summer season, according to Tokyo data.

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