In Tokyo, employees were encouraged to wear shorts to save electricity

Tokyo residents were urged to abandon business suits in favor of light casual clothes, including shorts, in order to reduce electricity consumption in offices, BFMTV reported, citing a statement by the governor of the city Yuriko Koike.

"We encourage wearing light clothing that prioritizes comfort, including polo shirts, T-shirts and sneakers, as well as, depending on professional responsibilities— shorts," Koike said.

The call was made as part of the Cool Biz campaign launched by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 2005 to save electricity in the business centers of the metropolis.

Against the background of the shortage of energy resources that the country faced after the start of the US and Israeli military operation against Iran, the initiative gained special popularity and was updated. Starting in April, companies in Tokyo have been urged to allow employees to wear shorts, work remotely more often, and start the workday earlier.

Dark Times: How Asia is saving energy due to the war in Iran

Even if the conflict ends soon, it will not be possible to restore energy supplies quickly.

On April 14, the United Nations published a report according to which the states of the Asia-Pacific region could lose up to $300 billion due to the war in Iran, which is leading to a deterioration in the economic situation in the region, affecting food and energy. The largest losses are in South Asia — more than $183 billion, and for East Asia this figure exceeds $108 billion, which is similar to a decrease in GDP by 0.4%.