A Japanese company has ordered all of its 2,700 employees to get identical (一模一样的) hairstyles. For men, the preferred cut is short on the sides and back but longer on top. For women, the company prefers a bob with a longer fringe (刘海) that can be swept to one side. This unusual request is its effort to help the country save energy.
The spokeswoman for the Tokyo-based construction firm Maeda Corporation Chizuru Inoue explained, "Our company is eager to protect the environment and we encourage our staff to carry out many environment-friendly actions."
She added, "We are not sure of the data yet, but we believe if people have short hair, they do not need to use their hair driers for so long and they will use less water. If all our employees do this, then we may save a lot of power." Some staff are confused about which style they must have and have been asking which salons (美容院) give the best cut.
The energy-saving move is part of a national campaign to reduce energy consumption (消耗) following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Japan has been struggling to produce enough electricity since the tsunami (海啸) ended production at the Fukushima plants. The disaster resulted in a review of the country's energy policy that now means less than a quarter of its remaining nuclear plants are in use. The government has talked about a move away from nuclear energy towards more sustainable (能持续的) technologies. Many government departments have taken measures to save power, including a reduced use of air conditioning in offices and schools. Many employees cannot turn down the air conditioner below 27 degrees in the hottest summer months.
