The Culture of Reading the Air That Binds Japanese Society

"You're not reading the air in this situation."

This is a phrase that every Japanese person has either been told or heard at least once. That's how significant the concept of "air" is to Japanese people.

So what exactly is this "air" for Japanese people?

Fundamentally, "air" in Japanese context refers to "the unspoken atmosphere within a group," and being able to "read the air" means "understanding the unspoken atmosphere within a group and being able to take appropriate actions in that situation."

However, I think this ability to "understand a situation and take appropriate action" isn't necessarily unique to Japanese people—it's something people all over the world do every day.

For instance, when I was in New Zealand, I had a conversation with several foreign friends. After the group conversation ended and some people left, those who remained started saying things like "I didn't really understand that earlier talk" or "That boring conversation went on too long." I remember feeling surprisingly moved by this realization that "foreigners also read the air and go along with conversations"—even though it's actually quite obvious.

In other words, "reading the air" isn't limited to Japanese people. However, in Japan, being "unable to read the air" can have such a strong impact on individuals that it can sometimes even lead to death in extreme cases.

That's why I want to reconsider the question: "Why is reading the air so important in Japanese society?"

Why "Air" Carries Such Weight in Japan

First, let's consider why something as intangible as atmosphere has such enormous influence in Japan. I believe there are five underlying factors.

The first reason is the Japanese interpersonal belief that "one should be able to perceive others' hidden feelings from their expressions or actions without being explicitly told."

For example, "starting to prepare to leave when you notice your host looking tired at a house party" or "lowering your voice when talking with friends in a café where others are quietly reading or working" are behaviors that stem from this mindset and result in reading the surrounding air.

The second reason is the Japanese belief that "there is no absolutely correct entity or way of thinking; what's correct changes based on the situation."

This way of thinking likely developed from Japan's religious background—Shinto, the indigenous religion that considers gods to dwell in mountains, seas, rocks, and various other places, and the later arrival of Buddhism, which wasn't adopted exclusively but rather integrated through a syncretic approach called shinbutsu-shūgō(神仏習合), allowing both faiths to coexist.

The third reason is that "Japan has had remarkably few opportunities to experience significant social or hierarchical changes that would drastically disrupt existing values." As an island nation, Japan has lived with few major changes since the 17th century Edo period, except for the defeat in World War II.

When social changes occur frequently, new powers and values emerge to counter existing powers and values. In such a state where "multiple powers coexist," there's a need to compare their ideas and values.

In a world where such "relative comparisons" repeatedly and frequently occur, even if one group's atmosphere tries to dominate a situation, it can be neutralized by atmosphere from another direction, making it harder for a single atmosphere to control the overall social thinking and values.

The fourth reason is that Japan has strong safety nets centered around the country, regional communities, and company communities. For example, Japanese citizens can access a social security system called "seikatsu hogo / 生活保護" (livelihood protection) if they face financial difficulties.

This system not only provides certain subsidies for daily living expenses such as food and rent but also covers all costs for basic medical care through public funds.

Naturally, "the nation is the strongest safety net, and as long as the country protects Japanese people, responding appropriately to its demands" is a strong factor in why Japanese people read the air.

In addition to the country, "being protected by following the demands of a company safety net" and "being protected by following the demands of a specific regional community safety net" ultimately lead to reading the air for the collective.

The final factor is "education." Although weakening over the years, "reading the air" is still embedded in the Japanese educational system.

For example, there are visible systems of collective rules such as "everyone starts eating lunch together," "wearing the designated school uniform," "everyone cleans the school after lunch," and "using honorific language with seniors in after-school club activities."

Breaking these visible systems not only results in punishment from educators, such as "being scolded by teachers in front of other students," but more often leads to "being ostracized by peers."

For instance, a middle school student who cannot use honorific language with seniors would eventually be ostracized from their club group, making collective life difficult.

For more on this, please see the separate article Does Japanese Shame Culture Really Exist? A Japanese Perspective on Understanding Shame.

With so many "visible collective rules" in Japan and the "punishment of ostracism" for breaking them, Japanese people tend to read the air from a young age to avoid such punishment.

Is Being Able to "Read the Air" a Good Thing?

In conclusion, in modern Japanese society, "reading the air" is actually viewed negatively. One factor behind this negative perception is the influence of mass media like TV and social media.

For example, when a celebrity or politician in Japan has an affair, information spreads rapidly through television and social media, with statements condemning their character made all at once. Celebrities whose image has deteriorated this way often have all sponsorship contracts and drama appearances canceled, leading to a state of social extinction. This is similar to the act of "ostracizing an individual who didn't read the air from the group."

These acts, which were previously confined to limited groups, have somehow spread throughout Japanese society through the powerful influence of television and social media, sometimes even driving the individuals to suicide.

I feel that this excessive weight of punishment for not reading the air is one reason why Japanese people now view reading the air negatively.

However, returning to the original definition, being able to "read the air" means "understanding the unspoken atmosphere within a group and being able to take appropriate actions in that situation."

In other words, this inherently means that Japanese people can "cooperate by adapting to those around them to create a greater collective power" and "abandon previous fixations and prejudices when situations change, flexibly taking new actions to adapt to surrounding circumstances."

I personally feel strongly that it would be beneficial if Japanese people could better utilize these positive aspects of reading the air.

How Can We Change "Japan's Excessive Air-Reading Society"?

So how can we maintain the positive aspects of air-reading while changing its negative side—the "excessive binding power of air"?

As I mentioned earlier, I believe that if we can create a world where "relative comparisons repeatedly and frequently occur," we might eventually weaken the excessive force of air-reading and its accompanying punishments.

I think there are two simple ways to trigger this "relative comparison": either "increase the number of Japanese people who encounter foreign values" or "increase the number of foreigners who encounter Japanese values."

Now, the number of foreigners coming to Japan exceeds 3 million in a single month and continues to increase. The number of foreigners working in Japan also exceeds 2.3 million as of October 2024 and continues to grow to address labor shortages due to the aging population and declining birthrate.

However, just increasing the number of foreigners visiting Japan won't change "Japan's air."

I personally started traveling abroad alone in my teens and later lived in New Zealand for a year, experiences through which I strongly felt both the oddities and endearing qualities of Japan. I think I was able to understand this precisely because I could "relatively compare multiple cultures" through interactions with locals.

I feel that if Japan can change into a society that isn't bound by a single Japanese air through increased exchanges of values with other countries and using these new values as points of comparison, Japan will become a better place.

Thank you for reading.