Japanese too like 午休(after-lunch nap)

When I was in Japan, one of "notoriety" of Chinese known to everyone in Japan, besides spiting in public, is

午休(After Lunch nap). Japanese coworkers like saying to me in my face, "How can you guys go to sleep right after lunch?” with their faces filled with surprises, as if Chinese are E.T. from outside space.

It is not surprising that Japanese got so surprised, because worldwide known for a nation of workaholics, Japan just CANNOT handle someone who appears sleep so much.

However, this is changing. In a Washington Post article, titled "Nation of Workaholics Sleeps on the Job", Japanese executives and students start taking naps after lunch. The result, fewer students now sleep during classes and test scores have gone up.

The reason for the change, it seems not sleeping enough is not only hurts Japanese people's health, it also harms the Japanese economy in general. Sleeping deprivation costs Japan's Economy 30 billion dollars per year, according to a news story reported by AFP.

During my whole periods in Japan, I was shocked to see so many people sleep on the Subway trains, AND, how easy to fall asleep on a packed train. After I stayed in Tokyo for a while, I was one of the sleepers on the trains, one time, I slept all the way from Chiba city in Chiba Prefecture to Yokohama, and forgot waking up to get off.

How I wished I could have an after lunch nap while I was in Japan!