Cool Biz is hurting Japan’s economy

I am ecstatic to see more people protesting Cool Biz and the utter exhaustion it brings to office workers in the summer.

I’d take a substantial pay cut to work at a company that didn’t have it!

You’d think that in tough economic times, the first priority would be to make sure workers are comfortable and in an ideal environment to get their work done. 28 degrees is so hot that even in an Okinawan “kariyushi” shirt — I’m wearing one now — you’re still sweating.

I could almost understand it if “Warm Biz” were observed with as much zeal in the winter — and keep in mind that it’s much easier to wear an extra layer when it’s cold than it is to strip down to a T-shirt when it’s hot — but Warm Biz is halfhearted at best, with the recommended temperature of 20 degrees being just 1 degree below the ergonomic ideal of 20-21C, whereas in the summer it’s 7 degrees hotter than comfort would dictate.

And I can’t see enough people agitating to repeal it — like the infamous long working hours for many salarymen, protest will be muted by accusations of the worker not being tough enough. Add in the fact that it’s men who bear the brunt of it (women at my firm come to work in sleveless tops, bare legs, and open-toed shoes; unthinkable for a man), and it’s easy to be pessimistic about pleasant indoor temperatures ever coming back.

Kudos to Mr. Kadokura! Any chance he could get an influential position in a government ministry?

I have seen a lot of absurdities and health risk in typical Japanese offices. I always got a big laugh out of this one. Japanese companies make some of the best A/Cs in the world, but then let them sit idle like museum pieces in their own offices. LOL!!