Hairy legs in the office: Japan's heatwave sparks dress code debate

Tokyo is grappling with a severe heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius and prompting widespread heat advisories. In response, local authorities have encouraged businesses to ease rigid dress codes, suggesting that office workers wear t-shirts, sneakers, and shorts.

However, this proposed relaxation has created a divide, particularly within office environments. While men may welcome the comfort, many female employees find the sight of hairy male legs in the workplace deeply offensive. This discomfort has been dubbed "sunehara," or "hairy leg harassment," on social media. The disparity is further highlighted by the fact that women are still expected to wear pantyhose in the heat.

Noboru Watanabe, an environmental official for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, stated that the aim is to offer more options in the extreme heat, not to dictate attire, provided it is not offensive. A public opinion poll revealed a split, with 53.5 percent opposing shorts in offices and 46.5 percent in favor.

The extreme weather is taking a toll, with one day this week seeing 287 people hospitalized in Tokyo for heatstroke, the highest figure this year. This underscores the growing impact of increasingly hotter summers in Japan.

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We want to give people more options in the difficult heat, not tell them what to wear. There should be no problem as long as the clothes are not offensive to anyone.