PM gives up tie for 'Cool Biz,' but gets hot under collar over bureaucrats accepting taxi favors

Friday 06th June, 03:07 PM JST

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Patrick Smash at 04:17 PM JST - 6th June

GW

I'm a Brit. Anywhere that has the Brits beat on pointless bureaucracy and waste wants looking at. The Japanese have us hammered, and then some..
gogogo at 04:34 PM JST - 6th June

That taxi system is such a scam, you see the taxi lining up for hours knowing that they all with use them. I say lock the doors at 8pm and pay NO overtime OR keeps the trains running 24 hours
northlondon at 04:42 PM JST - 6th June

‘‘The prime minister’s blackish wear looked quite chic.’’

Yeah boyz. The man was dropping some serious Nikeez. And a gold chain worth loads man. Respec' !
northlondon at 04:45 PM JST - 6th June

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Friday joined the government’s annual ‘‘Cool Biz’’ energy-saving campaign by stubbornly giving up wearing ties.

Do tell me, what is the difference between giving up wearing ties and stubbornly giving up wearing ties ? Do you give up wearing ties whilst tutting loudly between your teeth ?
northlondon at 04:48 PM JST - 6th June

36 transport ministry officials were known to have received favors in the form of beer, juice and candies from cabdrivers

Isn't it more of a waste of taxpayers money to investigate why a cabbie gave a politician a sweetie during his ride home ?
Altria at 04:54 PM JST - 6th June

Fukuda-san looks like a Chinese gangsta in those fly threadz.

I can't work out if the other 2 look like chefs, surgeons, or leaders of a religious cult.
capone at 04:55 PM JST - 6th June

giving up your tie while still wearing your polyester/rubber suit will probably not cool you off too much....just a guess
Sarge at 05:00 PM JST - 6th June

"so air conditioners can be kept at relatively high temperatures"

That's what sucks! I'd rather wear a damn necktie in a cool office than sweat in a stuffy hot office with no necktie.
Starviking at 06:04 PM JST - 6th June

Air conditions at relatively high settings = energy saving.

Having to do a clothes wash every night because your clothes are sweat-laden = energy loss.

Pointless and uncomfortable.

Mottainai my posterior!
Patrick Smash at 07:54 PM JST - 6th June

Starviking, good point except that half the people on the line I ride in on are definitely not washing their sweaty clothes regularly.
lipscombe at 11:02 PM JST - 6th June

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, also wearing a Kariyushi, telling a press conference later, ‘‘The prime minister’s blackish wear looked quite chic

fellas, get a room already
romulus3 at 11:13 PM JST - 6th June

‘‘The prime minister’s blackish wear looked quite chic.’’

yeah, everyone wants a newhalf
usaexpat at 11:28 PM JST - 6th June

Good for Fukuda but I'll keep my airconditioner where I please home and business. I'm from the north and the Nagasaki summers come close to killing me.
borscht at 11:41 AM JST - 7th June

government officials ‘‘shouldn’t be doing anything whatsoever that might incur suspicions among the people. I wonder why they can’t stick to such a self-evident matter.’

Probably because they see their bosses rake in a couple of tons of money in bribes and kickbacks (Shinginko cough) and jealously want some of the pork, too. If every politician in the land suddenly gave up - forever - accepting bribes, kickbacks, amakudari, and 'entertainment' - then maybe the government officials would think it is a bad idea to do the same. Just a guess.
kinniku at 07:57 PM JST - 7th June

I think cool biz is pretty cool, actually. At least it gives people the option of wearing something else if they want.