Inemuri: Why sleeping on the job is not a bad thing in Japan
To sleep or not to sleep. That is the question.
Can you imagine being able to safely doze off in a train or the steps of a mall? Can you imagine a world in which you sleep at work and are applauded for it?
For most countries, this may sound a bit far-fetched. But if you’ve been to Japan or are aware of the Japanese culture, this idea may not appear that unrealistic. The Japanese have a concept called inemuri (居眠り) which you can see being practiced widely in the country.
Side note: inemuri is not the same as hirune (昼寝), a term that translates to ‘daytime sleep’ or napping, which would be intentional. Adults may choose to hirune over the weekend or during their lunch breaks but, normally, they can only sneak in inemuri at work or in public spaces.
This Japanese phenomenon gives us a different view at the art of sleeping (while not really sleeping) in public.
Sleep While Being Present
The Japanese do not sleep. This is what everyone says. Of course, this is just hearsay.
According to The Culture Trip, the concept of inemuri can be simplified as ‘sleeping on the job’ but a more accurate definition would be ‘being present while asleep’. Obviously…
