Snoozing Japanese

Above, sleeping in a Tokyo subway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Many times while taking a subway or commuter train, I've noticed a number of Japanese citizens snoozing on board. I've always wondered if they miss their stops because they were sound asleep.

Japan Today has an article on how Japanese people seem to be able to sleep pretty much anywhere.

They wrote:

TOKYO —On the train to and from work, sitting down, standing up, at work, at school… in public places, people in Japan (including politicians) are nodding off whenever they can. It’s part of the scenery day and night in Tokyo, a “city that never sleeps”. At least, not for a full eight hours. Naps don’t count. 

The Japanese word for nap (“inemuri”) comes from the combination of two words, “iru” (basically, being in a place or being present) and “nemuri” (sleep), and is often translated as “sleeping while present”. 

To read the full article, go here.