Meaning:

    Literally translated as “Japanese nap,” this term refers to the phenomenon that people in Japan doze off everywhere from parliament to business meetings. There is even a special term for it — inemuri (居眠), which means “to be asleep while present.” The custom is partly a result of how commitment to a job is judged in Japan. Inemuri is viewed as exhaustion from working hard and sacrificing sleep at night. Strict rules apply to inemuri. These include who are allowed to do it — only those high up or low down in a company — and how you do it — sitting upright to show you are still socially engaged in some way.

    Example:

    A: 昨天开会说什么了？

    Zuótiān kāihuì shuō shénme le?

    What did they say at the meeting yesterday?

    B: 不知道。

    Bù zhīdào。

    No idea.

    A: 你不是出席了吗？

    Nǐ bùshì chūxí le ma?

    Weren’t you present?

    B: 前天晚上加班太累了，昨天上午开会的时候我在日本眯。

    Qiántiān wǎnshàng jiābān tài lèi le, zuótiān shàngwǔ kāihuì de shíhòu wǒ zài rìběnmī。

    I was too tired from the overtime the night before and dozed off at the meeting yesterday morning.