Japan Fights Heat Tooth and Nail—But Not With A/C

The Japanese are waging a painful war against energy consumption, meeting summer needs not with air-conditioning but with business casual clothing and a good dose of grinning and bearing it. The 2-year-old Cool Biz movement, which aims to keep office temperatures at 82 degrees, took off in earnest this summer, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The eco-conscious country has taken Cool Biz to heart. A hotline allows whistleblowers to rat out abusers, and cooling pads and desk fans are catching on. The movement has opponents—a spokesman for an A/C manufacturer calls 82 "an energy-saving environment—not a human environment"—but many cling to Japan’s ingrained formality, refusing to shed suits and ties. (More Japan stories.)