Women complain of 'leg hair harassment' after men in Tokyo encouraged to wear shorts during heatwave

By KRISTINA WEMYSS, GENERAL NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:56, 22 July 2026 | Updated: 13:56, 22 July 2026 Office workers have complained of ‘leg hair harassment’ - with women appalled at the sight of men wearing shorts. Employees in Tokyo, Japan, have been told to ditch their usual suit and tie in favour of casual clothes including T-shirts and trainers amid heatstroke alerts. But while men are encouraged to wear shorts to the office, etiquette dictates that women are still expected to wear tights. And some have complained of ‘sunehara’ - or leg hair harassment - taking offence at the sight of their male colleagues’ calves. A survey last month found that almost 53.5 per cent of workers were opposed to wearing shorts in the summer, while 46.5 per cent were in favour of the new recommendation. The main concerns for both genders, according to Gorilla Clinic, which conducted the research, were body shape and body hair. There were significantly more women who responded to the survey than men, which, the clinic suggested, could indicate that women felt more strongly about seeing bare legs than the men. Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike introduced the clothing guidance as part of a ‘Cool Biz’ initiative in April. Japan’s weather agency has forecast two days of ‘kokushobi’, meaning ‘brutally hot day’, with temperatures expected to reach 40C in Kumagaya, north of Tokyo Noboru Watanabe, environment spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan government, said: ‘We want to give people more options in the severe heat, not tell them what to wear. He told the BBC: ‘There should be no issue as long as the work attire is not offensive to anyone.’ Japan’s weather agency has forecast two days of ‘kokushobi’, 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, and avoid spending long hours outdoors In recent years more Japanese workers - particularly those working at startups and tech companies - have started to wear casual clothes. But the government’s recommendation this year has made it more socially acceptable.