Sleep and Rest in Japan and the World

This week’s class made me think about sleep as a cultural topic, but I also felt that the documentary included some stereotypes. My Japanese classmates and I felt that the film may exaggerate concerns about Japanese people’s sleep. It is true that Japan, and East Asia more generally, tends to have shorter sleeping hours because of stricter work cultures and overtime. However, I do not think this means that most people’s health is seriously damaged.

Sleep deprivation caused by long working hours is a real issue. However, from my personal impression, if Chinese people talk about the stereotype of “not sleeping”, they may think of South Korea rather than Japan. There is even a Chinese meme: 

Japanese do not eat (their portion sizes often look surprisingly small),

Korean do not sleep (distinctive overtime culture, nightlife culture, and mysterious love for Americano),

Chinese do not take any vacations (similarly harsh overtime culture and a lack of public holidays). 

Of course, this is only an inside joke within East Asian cultures, but it reflects how people in the region often perceive each other’s societies.

However, Japanese sleep culture does have some unique points. For example, some people may feel that sleeping is a waste of time. In another short video we watched in class, it was mentioned that falling asleep at work in Japan may not always be seen as laziness. Instead, it can sometimes be interpreted as a sign that the person has worked very hard. I think the reason is not that Japanese society encourages rest at work. Rather, because people usually believe they should not sleep at work, if someone falls asleep, others may assume that the person must be EXTREMELY tired from working hard. This way of thinking is interesting to me. It may also be connected to the Japanese tendency to avoid causing trouble for others and to maintain a proper image in public.

In China, the situation is also complicated. Unlike Japan, where sleep may have been traditionally undervalued in some work contexts, traditional Chinese medicine and culture usually see sleep as important for health. Taking a nap after lunch is also common in many places. However, because of weaker workplace welfare, limited legal protection, and a business culture that often values efficiency over individual well-being, the actual working situation in China can be even worse than in Japan. 

At the same time, as economic growth has slowed in recent years, many young people have started to spend more money on personal comfort, including sleep: even if they cannot rest properly at work, they may buy better mattresses and pillows at home, instead of only spending money on large items such as houses or cars.

I also felt that the interview with the “futon master” was not very connected to the main topic. To me, he seemed like one of the many “masters” in Japan, like a “sushi master” or “rice master”. It felt more like exotic commercial storytelling than real evidence showing that how Japanese care about sleep.

Overall, this class helped me understand that sleep culture is important, but we should also be careful not to turn cultural differences into stereotypes.