Japan’s weather agency has given extreme Summer heat its own official badge of honour this summer, coining the term kokushobi (é…·æš‘æ—¥), or “Cruelly Hot Day” — reserved for any day that hits or exceeds 40°C.
On Thursday 23rd July, a record seven locations punched that mark, the highest number ever recorded in a single July day. Places like Mino (40.8°C), Toyota (40.8°C), Kuwana (40.7°C) and Sakuma (an all-time station record of 41.1°C) lit up the Japan Meteorological Agency maps in angry reds and purples.
Yup, Nippon was cooking and with high humidity sweating could do little good. It seems that each summer is always worse than the last one!
But don't worry, Tokyo Metropolitan Government is riding to the rescue with an expanded "Cool Biz" campaign now actively encouraging office workers across the metropolis to exchange their suits for T-shirts, sneakers… and shorts.
But this has led to another problem termed #LegHairHarassment (or sunehara) online. Female colleagues have been bleating that the sudden sight of male shin forests is making the already sticky offices even more unbearable.
Sensing the mood, some men have started booking laser hair removal to improve their social etiquette. Others are simply keeping the long pants on and suffering in silence.
So there you have it. Japan’s first official kokushobi season has delivered both record heat and a brand-new workplace micro-aggression. In Tokyo Metropolis, the temperature isn’t the only thing rising.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to comment. All comments are moderated.