Business: Cool Biz initiative sells shirts in Japan

Japan's 'Cool Biz' dress code, (men don't wear neckties in the hot summer months to save on air conditioning,) has resulted in more shirt sales.

One discount clothing chain for men said June's shirt sales rose about 20 percent compared to 2004, while another said shirt plants are at full operation.

In April, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told his Cabinet ministers and central government bureaucrats to shed their neckties and jackets between June 1 and Sept. 30 to reduce air conditioner use.

The Environment Ministry dubbed this the "Cool Biz" initiative. The name was selected by a nine-member panel out of some 3,200 that were submitted by the general public.