Have you ever come across a video or image of a Japanese person sleeping in an extremely unimaginable way on a train in Japan? In this article, we will talk about Inemuri, the famous Japanese nap.
The word Inemuri can refer to any nap taken by Japanese people in public places, at work, and especially on trains, which is very common and frequent. I have even had the chance to experience this nap myself.
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The Meaning of Inemuri
Inemuri [居眠り] is a Japanese word that literally means sleeping while present. It can be translated as sleeping awake, taking a nap, sleeping sitting, or taking a snooze.
Inemuri mainly refers to the act of sleeping during an activity. This word involves closing your eyes without losing attention to your surroundings, whether at work, in class, meetings, events, or on trains. Not that this is always the case.
The inemuri is a light nap, the simple act of closing your eyes, sleeping sitting or standing. It mainly refers to polyphasic sleep, short naps of 20 minutes that, if taken several times, amount to a good sleep.
Some words can be derived from Inemuri, such as the word for sleeping while driving, which in Japanese is inemuriunten [居眠り運転]. The word can also be a verb inemuru [居眠る] which means to doze off and delay.
Japanese People Sleeping in Public Places
Being seen sleeping in public is not a problem in Japan; this practice has been common for thousands of years. People sleep anywhere, from trains, stores, restaurants, cafes, and even on benches and sidewalks.
In some cases, it is not just a quick nap. Most cases of Japanese people sprawled out sleeping on the street involve drunk individuals or those who missed the last train. In the worst cases, it could be a homeless person.
Still, the Japanese simply do not mind sleeping in any public place. Other Japanese people present at the location usually do not disturb them and just ignore it.
Can you believe that some can even sleep while getting a haircut? In some schools, it is common to find children sleeping during class, and the most that happens is a tug on the ear from the sensei or a poke.
At school, you are not usually teased by your classmates nor do you typically go to the office to receive a warning for sleeping. Of course, there are limits to how and when you nap; snoring is already a big problem.
Japanese People Sleeping on Trains
It is very common to find people sleeping on trains in Japan. Some sleep standing, while others seem to be focused with good posture but are actually sleeping.
Others go beyond the limit and end up stretching out, lying down, and rolling around inside the train, necessitating a poke. Most people practice inemuri on trains, now and then; I have done it myself.
Train journeys are quite relaxing and tend to make you sleepy. Regardless of having slept all night, I have kind of dozed off on a train. It almost feels like riding a train in Japan is like watching ASMR videos.
The practice of Inemuri has been decreasing more and more, especially on trains, thanks to the popularization of smartphones. Now young people are sleeping less and less, browsing social media or playing games.
Still, it is very common to come across hilarious scenes of people sleeping on trains. The compilation in the video below shows very well how Japanese people sleep on trains and in public places.
Japanese People Sleeping at Work
Some have heard that in Japan it is allowed to sleep at work; is that true? In some jobs, the answer is yes. Some Japanese people have the audacity to sleep even in meetings at work.
Taking a nap during work can be seen as a sign that you are doing your best. It may be that the person is exhausted from working too much or simply stayed out late at a bar.
Unfortunately, not everyone can have this privilege of sleeping at work; only high-ranking individuals or those in important jobs have this privilege. Others simply sleep hidden if the job allows it.
Factory workers or subordinates cannot nap at work; if this happens, they could even lose their job. Of course, it all depends on your boss, job, position, conditions, working hours, etc.
You can work and see your boss napping, but you cannot do the same. In any case, practicing inemuri does not mean that the person is lazy. Just make sure it is not a problem.
What do you think of Inemuri?
We know that for the sake of our health, it is necessary to sleep at least 8 hours a day and at most 10. Unfortunately, almost 40% of the Japanese population sleeps less than 6 hours a night.
Not because they are working, but they like to spend the night on the street and in bars, or browsing the internet and social media. The Japanese friends I talk to are up past two in the morning on social media.
Some work too much, which ends up generating mental and physical stress, affecting their health. Remembering that we should not generalize, thinking that Japanese people work themselves to death; I have already talked about this in another article.
The brief periods of sleep from inemuri help relax the mind, improve concentration, and even rejuvenate and clarify ideas. Perhaps this is one of the great reasons for Japanese intelligence.
In some places, the rule is to relax without being seen; the person must show themselves physically present and socially engaged. Unfortunately, not everyone can follow the rules.
Overall, Inemuri is considered a matter of pride in Japanese culture, while it is seen as shameful and strange in other parts of the world. What do you think about it?
If you liked the article, I hope you share it with friends and leave your comments. Thank you very much, and see you next time!
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