The Japanese never sleep. They practice “inemuri” (translated as “to be present and sleep”) - a very peculiar art. It is the ability to make up for a lack of sleep at work, in transport, in a supermarket, on the street or any other public place.
Anthropologist Bridget Steger recalls how she first encountered this phenomenon when she arrived in the Land of the Rising Sun in 1980. During this period, the Japanese economy entered the phase of a "soap bubble" - an incredible speculative excitement. The daily life of the Japanese was just as hectic. People filled their schedules with business and personal meetings so tightly that there was no time left for sleep. Businessmen tried to win as much time as possible from sleep and were proud of these "victories".
At this time, the Japanese subway resembled a "sleepy kingdom" - streams of sluggish, half-asleep people entered the carriages, attached themselves somewhere and instantly fell asleep. Some managed to sleep standing up and nobody was surprised.
This is how the positive image of the Japanese "hardworking bee" was forged, which neglects night rest, does not allow herself to bask in bed in the morning, but "gets" the lack of sleep with the help of "inemuri" - the ability to take a nap at every opportunity: in transport, during a work meeting or lectures.
If a Japanese man, woman or child suddenly feels the need to sleep for ten minutes in any place and any position, he can do it with peace of mind, without fear of sidelong glances or condemnation.
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In this curious phenomenon, according to Dr. Steger, there is a strange contradiction: if sleeping in bed is considered a sign of idleness, then why is sleep at the height of the working day not perceived as a sign of laziness? What is the point in encouraging children to sit late in the night over their lessons if they sleep in class the next morning?
But that's not the only oddity about Japanese sleep
As you know, in many countries, almost from birth, parents teach their children to sleep alone - each offspring is entitled to his own room and a strict sleep and wake schedule. The Japanese have a completely opposite approach. Here, both parents and doctors are convinced that, at least until school age, children should not sleep alone in order to grow up as independent and socially prosperous adults. Perhaps this is partly why many Japanese adults admit that they are more comfortable sleeping in the presence of other people than alone.
Besides, in a sense, inemuri is not a dream at all. It is very different both from a normal night's sleep in bed and from an afternoon nap. The whole trick lies in the term itself. It consists of two seemingly opposite words: "and" means "to be present," and "nemuri" means "to sleep."
Each of us is familiar with this situation: we are physically present at some meeting (lecture, meeting), but our thoughts are somewhere far away (plunging into the warm sea, composing a family dinner menu). We somehow feel that nothing very important for us is happening at this time and are always ready to “go down to earth” when needed. Roughly the same thing happens with the Japanese sleeping at work meetings. They are physically present, albeit in an unconscious state and can always be involved in work if necessary. In addition, meetings often take several hours and consist of boring reports.
And if a person came to the meeting in spite of extreme tiredness, it means that he is very responsible and deserves all respect. So let him sleep.
