I hate summer in Japan with a passion that burns as hot as the season itself, or at least I would if the heat and humidity didn’t sap away all my energy. I realize, having grown up with milder summers, that I am naturally less adapted to Japanese summers than those who grew up here.
Shortly after moving to Japan and realizing I was completely unprepared for the sweltering misery, I felt it necessary to buy an entire summer wardrobe of light linen and cotton because nothing else was bearable in this hellish heat.
Yet when I have to be outside in the summer and see regular businesswear, sometimes even suit jackets and stockings, I can’t help but wonder why so many Japanese companies require their employees to be so uncomfortable in the worsening heat.
And the conclusion I consistently reach is that we need to radically change how we dress in the summer, particularly at work. I say this with complete sincerity: we need to bring back the yukata.
Why are we only wearing these for fun?
What is a Yukata?
The breezy yukata is the summer version of a kimono. Makers usually use lightweight cotton or linen. The word yukata literally means “bathing clothes,” because people first wore them as bathrobes. Over time, yukata became casual summer wear.
Today, people do not wear yukata every day. However, they remain popular at summer festivals, fireworks displays and other warm-weather events. Thus, the yukata has essentially been regulated to special occasions.
But Yukata are not the only traditional summer clothes. Many people also wear jinbei, a matching set of knee-length shorts and a loose tunic. People usually wear jinbei at home, around town or while running errands in summer.
But the yukata is the most formal traditional summer clothing, and is therefore the most practical candidate to replace Cool Biz.
Summer in Japan
Japan’s climate ranges from subtropical in southern Okinawa Prefecture to nearly subarctic in northern Hokkaido. But throughout most of Japan, temperatures and humidity run high in the summer, and stepping outside often feels like stepping into a sauna.
Mean daily maximum temperatures reach above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in August, the hottest month of the year, and the humidity makes it feel several degrees hotter.
Such weather has been typical of Japanese summers since the 1800s, when weather records began, and the heat is only getting worse due to climate change.
The summer of 2025 was the hottest summer on record, with more than 100,000 people hospitalized for heatstroke, up 3% from the year before.
Cool Biz is Corny
Despite this steady descent into the ninth circle of hell, everything is still business as usual, or “Cool Biz” as usual. Cool Biz is the dress code that many Japanese companies impose upon their employees.
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment initially introduced it to its staff to both save energy and adapt to summer heat. Its promotion eventually caught on at workplaces across the country.
The Cool Biz dress code is basically just corporate businesswear minus the jacket and tie (if you wear one), and with shorter sleeves. Men are still required to wear long trousers, and many companies even require women to wear stockings when wearing skirts.
Despite the geta’s long history as Japan’s footwear, sandals are also not allowed. But Japan has a garment in its past that, if brought back into common use, would make office life in the summer much more bearable for everyone.
If Japan Were Really Cool, It’d Bring Back Yukata
Western businesswear doesn’t at all resemble the practical summer clothing of people who have adapted their wardrobe to hot weather. For millennia, people have relied on loose garments made of light cotton and linen to keep cool.
In contrast, modern businesswear often uses synthetic fabrics. Even cotton businesswear can feel thick and stiff. That is part of the look. Suits traditionally used wool, which works well in cold weather. But copying that style in summer makes little sense.
Japan often talks about “work-life balance” to combat karoshi, or death from overwork. Yet many women still have to wear nylons in temperatures above 30°C. That says a lot about how some workplaces treat employee comfort.
Still, energy saving can drive real change. Cool Biz proves that. It gave companies a practical reason to loosen dress codes during summer.
If the Ministry of Environment is so intent on saving energy, then workplaces that enforce a dress code should have employees wear yukata instead. If employees wear such a loose, breathable garment, companies can keep the office temperature even higher, thereby improving employee well-being!
The usual defense for wearing Western business attire in summer is “tradition.” But in Japan, that argument is more complicated than it sounds. The modern suit is not some timeless workplace uniform. Western clothing, including businesswear, spread during the Meiji era as part of a government-backed push to modernize and Westernize the country. In other words, Japan already had its own summer clothing traditions long before the suit became the default.
Over time, garments like yukata, developed for Japan’s climate and everyday life, were pushed into the realm of festivals, ceremonies and special occasions.
Cool Biz offers some relief, but not enough. If workplaces are serious about comfort, energy savings and Japanese tradition, why not bring yukata back for formal situations in summer?
Beyond the Yukata
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