Topic analysis

Tokyo workers asked to swap suits for shorts to combat energy costs and heat

The Tokyo metropolitan government is expanding its Cool Biz energy-saving initiative to allow public servants to wear casual attire including shorts this summer, aiming to cut air conditioning use amid sweltering heat and rising energy costs linked to the US-Israel war on Iran. Resource-poor Japan, which depends on the Middle East for 90% of its oil imports, has tapped strategic reserves and is seeking alternative supply routes, while other Asian nations like South Korea and Vietnam have implemented their own energy rationing measures to mitigate conflict-related economic impacts.