Summer in Japan is hot and humid. Newspapers wilt. Mold flourishes. Even non-electrically heated toilet seats feel pre-warmed.?Subways set the air conditioning to arctic or just blast the fans to stir the muggy air around.

The Japanese government¡¯s Cool Biz initiative launched in the summer of 2005 by then-Prime Minister Koizumi encourages workers to cope by taking off their ties and ditching their jackets. To cope, that is, with a carbon-emission reducing and sweat-increasing thermostat setting of 28 degrees Celsius. (Farenheit friends, let me save you a second. That¡¯s an indoor temperature of 82 degrees.)

The jury may be out on how significant the emissions cut is and whether the initiative has . But in the prospect of the workforce stewing in steamy offices all day, retailers have seen a great opportunity to push clothing lines with coolness built in. also saw a ready-made tagline; its budget-conscious and Mira-kool clothes are all categorized as ¡°Cool Biz goods.¡± The company is just one of many retailers taking advantage of new fabric technology ¨C anti-bacterial! anti-odor! ¨C from manufacturers such as Toray and Asahi Kasei. They even say that washing won¡¯t dilute the funk-busting properties.

Just in time for summer, Wacoal has put out a line of bras and other underthings made of a breathable fabric meant to reduce sweat. The bras are called ¡±suusuu,¡± a word that hints at the idea of an absorbent fabric and invokes the feeling of a breeze. They have strategically placed strips of open mesh for ventilation. The Web site has a rollover ¡±¡± accompanied by infographics reflecting how people surveyed feel about sweat: the number one concern is shirt stains, followed by smell.

Uniqlo is following up the success of its slick winter Heattech layers with innerwear for men and women. The women¡¯s line of ultra-thin ¡°air-conditioned¡± unmentionables is called Sarafine. Some of the camisoles come with removable underarm pads. For men, there are tops and bottoms made of slippery, stretchy Silky Dry. Both the men¡¯s and women¡¯s lines claim anti-odor, anti-bacterial properties.

In addition, Uniqlo has rolled out a . The UV Cut line is a collaboration with , a sunscreen from cosmetics maker Shiseido.

Can these fabrics really stand up to the heat and humidity that makes showering feel all but futile? It hasn¡¯t been quite hot enough yet this year to fully test these. On those days when walking to the train in the morning feels like a full-on workout, any promise of coolness will probably find some sweaty takers.

Have you found any high-tech fabrics that actually help you keep cool? Any traditional tactics that work better?