‘Reading the Air’ in Japanese Culture
- By Joe Turner


When I first arrived in Japan, I already spoke decent Japanese and was familiar with many of the Japanese customs, so I assumed that interacting with people would be the least of my worries. However, I soon found out that language barrier issues stretched beyond verbal communication into a realm I was unfamiliar with.


Back in my home country, we’re taught that we should verbally convey our thoughts and feelings as openly as possible to ensure that our point is made. But in Japan, that’s not how things work.


Kuuki wo yomu, or ‘reading the air’ is a Japanese custom that can be likened to the Western phrase ‘reading between the lines.’ It means to be situationally aware and attentive to the thoughts, feelings, and needs of the people around you without the need for verbal expression.  


It’s a simple notion, and one of the fundamentals of Japan’s nonverbal communication approach. It’s also something that non-natives might struggle to grasp since kuuki wo yomu is a uniquely Japanese custom, at least insofar as its cultural importance.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at this fascinating component of Japanese interaction.










• An overview of kuuki wo yomu

In Japanese culture, social protocol calls for high attention to the mood, atmosphere and ‘air’ of every situation so that an individual can adapt their behavior accordingly.



The custom can feel particularly alien to those who haven’t become acclimatized to it because it’s not something we adhere to very much in the Western world.



For example, I once sat in a meeting room with a team of Japanese colleagues, and at the end of the meeting, we were asked if we had any questions. Well, I did have a question, so I spoke up. But then I was greeted with cold silence.
The mood of the meeting room suddenly transformed.




Later, I was told by a colleague that ‘does anyone have any questions?’ doesn’t mean that at all.
It’s a sign-off for the end of the meeting and nothing more, and to actually respond to it was not a good example of kuuki wo yomu.

Needless to say, lesson learned.

Ambiguity in Japanese communication


Spend any time in the board room of a Japanese company, and you’ll soon learn that ‘no’ isn’t in the Japanese vocabulary.


For a language with such versatility, you’d think the Japanese would have a way of giving a direct ‘no’ with a tone of courtesy.


However, due to the emphasis of politeness within the culture, you’ll often find that a direct ‘no’ is replaced with ‘maybe’ or ‘it’s a possibility.’


This is just one example of Japan’s language ambiguity, and it stretches far beyond the boardroom and into every facet of Japanese life.


For example, I once asked someone in Osaka for directions and I was told sore wa chotto, a phrase which translates to ‘that’s a little…’


A confusing statement to say the least.
However, directness in Japanese culture is considered rude, so by saying ‘that’s a little…’,
this local was telling me he couldn’t help me but was omitting the direct part of the sentence (‘that’s a little inconvenient’, or ‘that’s a little tough for me to answer’).


His assumption was that I’d be able to determine the rest of the sentence for myself through reading the situation.












Collective thinking

One of the reasons for this ambiguity is Japan’s collectivist culture. Japanese society favors conformity over individualism, and direct language goes against this status quo.




So, in order to maintain social harmony and avoid what Japanese people might deem as unpleasant interactions, they have developed the ability to read and react to situations without the need for words; otherwise known as kuuki wo yomu.

While ‘reading the air’ might not be too dissimilar from ‘reading the room’ or ‘knowing your audience’ in the West, Japanese people have become much more sensitive to this custom through demands of their culture.


Truth be told, I wasn’t aware of kuuki wo yomu until long after I’d become accustomed to it, as strange as that might sound.


What I interpreted as just being ‘the Japanese way’ was actually me becoming familiar with the nonverbal cues of the Japanese people.

On a cold winter’s day, Caroline, an American living in Tokyo, was travelling inthe packed underground during rush hour.



She was well wrapped up in her
wool coat and hat. No seats were available and in spite of her being pregnant,no one offered her theirs. She was forced to stand, pressed up against the safety glass of the door that divides the trains.


Her train companions leant
against one another for support rather that holding onto the straps.
With one lurch of the train, the passengers all swayed toward Caroline’s end andpressed against her. Her back went through the safety glass leaving her cov-ered in broken glass.





In spite of her condition people ignored her. When the train came to its station the passengers piled out of the train as the next group piled in.



A few minutes later, a youngish Japanese who was in the carriage with Caroline when the accident occurred, came and knocked out the rest of the glass to minimise the danger.



Another person moved away to offer her a
seat. All these actions took place with no eye contact.


What Caroline came to discover was that she had inadvertently created a scene and the Japanese, by not overtly paying attention to her, were "saving her face".



Their lack of emotional reaction was their way of smoothing over an embarrassing situation for
Caroline, in spite of the incident being an accident.



This behaviour was their way of keeping the situation harmonious without offending Caroline.

Maria, was working in Japan with a Japanese colleague, preparing a client presentation.


She asked him if he was pleased with the work they had done together.


He told her that, yes, he was. A couple of days later Maria heard through the grapevine that her colleague wasn’t happy with the result and wanted to rework the presentation.


When she asked him why he’d told her that it was
all right when it wasn’t, he replied:
"But I told you with sad eyes, Maria."

Ayo13945:
Maria, was working in Japan with a Japanese colleague, preparing a client presentation.


She asked him if he was pleased with the work they had done together.


He told her that, yes, he was. A couple of days later Maria heard through the grapevine that her colleague wasn’t happy with the result and wanted to rework the presentation.


When she asked him why he’d told her that it was
all right when it wasn’t, he replied:
"But I told you with sad eyes, Maria."

The last line took me out.

Reading the room is everywhere. You just need to interpret what that particular room/culture is saying 😊