Tokyo Is Burning

I lived and worked in a Japanese office for 3 years. Productivity slowed to a crawl in the summer thanks to Cool Biz. >.<

I AM Asian and I don't sweat. Not nearly as much as my non-Asian friends at least. Hot is hot, and it's not like I particularly enjoy 80+ degree weather, but I will agree that Asians in general sweat less than many other genetic types. Is that a stereotype? What can I say, biology is racist.

Then again, I wouldn't agree that Asians deal better with or enjoy high heat better than non-Asians. Not-sweating just means we don't get damp when it's hot. Instead, I find that my skin tends to overheat sometimes and become very prickly and uncomfortable. Go figure. I'd personally think that Asians in Tokyo can tolerate warmer temperatures because 1) their jobs and status rely on it (honestly, if your CEO was all for raising the office thermostat to save on energy and the environment, would you say no 'cause you're hot?) and 2) they've gotten used to it. Just as how Floridians can tolerate heat better than Canadians and vice versa with cold. And that's not about genetics but adaptation.

I AM Asian and I don't sweat. Not nearly as much as my non-Asian friends at least. Hot is hot, and it's not like I particularly enjoy 80+ degree weather, but I will agree that Asians in general sweat less than many other genetic types. Is that a stereotype? What can I say, biology is racist.

Then again, I wouldn't agree that Asians deal better with or enjoy high heat better than non-Asians. Not-sweating just means we don't get damp when it's hot. Instead, I find that my skin tends to overheat sometimes and become very prickly and uncomfortable. Go figure. I'd personally think that Asians in Tokyo can tolerate warmer temperatures because 1) their jobs and status rely on it (honestly, if your CEO was all for raising the office thermostat to save on energy and the environment, would you say no 'cause you're hot?) and 2) they've gotten used to it. Just as how Floridians can tolerate heat better than Canadians and vice versa with cold. And that's not about genetics but adaptation.

sounds like a recipe for more office sex

Is "foresighted" a word?

Declining population = lower GDP, however, it does not mean lower GDP per capita, which is what actually matters. It would likely raise GDP per capita since more natural resources would be available per person.

I'm sorry, but as much as people like to feign altruism reality has shown me (an particularly in the business world) that the real driver of this is COST, not the environment. I suspect the cost of energy in Japan is higher than it is stateside and that this is the *real* reason for the office meltdowns. It would be more balanced to have a quick summary of comparative energy costs included in the article. Thanks.

As someone who just quit his job working in a high-rise building in Tokyo, good riddance to Cool Biz. I???m all for conservation and reducing carbon emissions but Cool Biz goes too far. Sweating profusely and being uncomfortable kills productivity. The Cool Biz theory incorrectly assumes that every part of a building will have the same temperature. In reality, buildings are not evenly cooled and heat pockets do exist (especially the area around south facing windows). If these heat pockets could be resolved, Cool Biz wouldn???t be so tortuous.

The white Americans, originated from Europe who are bigger in size, eat more food with higher calorie, don't adapt very well in hot environment.

If one experienced it, one would certainly write home about it. I found myself frequently retiring to my room at the Hilton to cool down or risk a heat stroke. The problem is that these office buildings are sealed and have no overhead fans. Conservation and recycling has a long ways to go here in the U.S.

I wish Americans were as capable, as the Japanese to come together, for a greater good and step outside of the partisan circle, working together for a more logical and efficient union.

We westerners can learn much from our Eastern allies.

Interesting how the Japanese can act in unison even if it is a bit uncomfortable, things get done that way.. They are to be admired for a number of things, they are one of the most polite people on the planet, or were when I was there some 40 years ago. But they are the only people who can turn eating into an art form.
I have often wondered just how much of an effect the Japanese economic success as a model had to do with Gorbachev's dismantleing of the Soviet Union in an effort to restart.. It was clear at the time Japan had become an economic power in 35 years when the Soviet economy had failed after 70 years.
We all know Reagan took credit for it but he was reading lines after the play had been written; unless of course you want to give him credit for bringing the us to the economic brink, and pushing the Soviet Union over the edge with defence spending. But that only added to the fact The Japanese economy was the shining star at the time.