June 1 marked the start of the Environment Ministry's Super Cool Biz campaign, with full-page newspaper ads and photos of ministry workers smiling rather self-consciously at their desks wearing polo shirts and colorful Okinawa kariyushi shirts.
Cool Biz campaigns of previous years, since 2005, had promoted short-sleeved shirts with no necktie or suit jacket for the office, but now, faced with the need to conserve electricity, the new official Super Cool Biz encourages polo shirts, Hawaiian shirts, running shoes and even nice-looking T-shirts, jeans and sandals.
Although it has been a boon for the apparel industry, it remains to be seen how far companies and employees will adopt the Super Cool Biz style of dress.