Tie makers turn up heat on Cool Biz

A group of tie manufacturers and wholesalers asked Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa on Wednesday to halt the Cool Biz energy-saving campaign, claiming it has hurt their sales.

"Since the start of the Cool Biz campaign in 2005, necktie sales have dropped around 35 percent, with those on Father's Day falling during the June-September campaign period," Takeshi Kobori, who heads the group, said after meeting with Ozawa.

Ozawa responded by saying he will seek to strike a balance between the environmental aims of the campaign and the interests of the tie industry.

In summer, the government wants office workers to wear lighter clothing and thermostats set higher at 28 degrees.