When the earthquake struck the north-east coast of Japan in March, the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and several other thermal-generating plants triggered a drop in energy output. As a result, electricity companies have been scheduling power cuts and businesses have been cutting usage by dimming lights and turning off heated toilet seats, as well as installing low-energy bulbs. In April the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, suggested that the city's many vending machines be unplugged, saying: "Why can't [you] just cool these kinds of products in your refrigerator at home?" Coca-Cola Japan has already announced that it will be turning off the refrigeration of its machines between 10am and 9pm over the summer.
Building on the "Cool Biz" summer campaign that started in 2005 as part of the government pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto protocol, the government has extended its original guidelines (turn down air conditioning, wear short-sleeved shirts to work, etc) even further. Workers, Japan's famed "salarymen", are now being urged to wear cotton trousers, sandals, T-shirts and even the casual Friday staple of loud Hawaiian shirts. It's been dubbed "Super Cool Biz".
The change in sartorial direction will probably take a bit of getting used to. Back in 2005, workers unused to such relaxed rules reportedly came in with jackets in their hands and ties in their pockets. Those people will be relieved to note that shorts and flip-flops are still banned under the new and improved guidelines.
