Koizumi's modest proposal
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is leaving his suit jacket and tie at home this summer so his office can spend less on air conditioning, and he wants other Japanese offices to do the same. This doesn't go far enough! Plus, some skeptics feel he will not convince people to change longstanding habits. What he needs to do is appeal to Japanese patriotism. Suits and ties are not traditional Japanese dress anyway!
As reported earlier, Japanese teenagers who compete in sumo wrestling are unwilling to wear the traditional mawashi, which they feel is immodest. If the Prime Minister really wants to set an example, and really reduce the need for air conditioning, why not encourage traditional sumo attire across society?
For some reason, the BBC article doesn't mention what the Prime Minister suggests for women office workers. As there are no women sumo wrestlers, they couldn't follow his example. I guess it would be inappropriate for the Prime Minister to suggest that professional women should wear less clothing.
Update: There are indeed women sumo wrestlers, and they seem to wear cycling bibs. (Thanks, Todd!) So Koizumi ought to recommend cycling attire, which would make everybody happy. Then Japanese office workers could ride their bikes to work, which would save more energy even than the reduced air conditioning bills. Plus, lycra probably wicks better than whatever mawashi are made out of.
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