Prime Minister Koizumi would be proud of me. I am completely embracing the Cool Biz campaign by going to work in a bikini top and shorts. And I think Mr. Koizumi would agree after seeing my workplace, which doesn't even have air conditioning. I would support the campaign even more if in addition to the Okinawa-style shirts recommended by the Cool Biz campaign, they had Okinawa-style bikinis for sale.

Of course, this is just because I work on the beach. The Moooo! Bar is an Indonesian-style hut where I serve tropical drinks such as frozen margaritas and pina coladas. (Yes, it's a cow-themed bar, but that's another story.) The bar itself ("hontai") was built in Indonesia, then disassembled and sent to us on Shiraishi Island in the Seto Inland Sea. The bar is extended with bamboo posts and has palm fronds on the roof. Some customers say it reminds them of Thailand. Others say Mexico. No one says it reminds them of Indonesia.

Every year we have to take the Moooo! Bar down at the end of the summer because of typhoons and then rebuild it in the spring. Since the Moooo! Bar must be rebuilt every summer, we also must replace the palm leaves on the roof. The fronds, which we cut from trees on the island, are a point of contention with the locals. No, not for environmental reasons. The reason is much more basic: color. Now, before we go any further, tell me, what were you imagining up until now: a hut with green fronds on the roof, or one with brown fronds?