You board a quiet train in Tokyo with some friends, laughing and chatting as you take your seats. A few passengers glance your way. Then a few more. Your friends keep talking, but you start to wonder whether the problem is you.
In Japanese, there’s a phrase for failing to notice what everyone else seems to understand: 空気が読めない (办ū办颈 ga yomenai), literally, “unable to read the air.” It’s essentially the Japanese equivalent of “can’t read the room,” combining 空気 (办ū办颈, air) with the verb 読む (yomu, to read). But here, the “air” refers to the atmosphere created by the people and circumstances around you.
For non-Japanese people in Japan, failing to read the air can be an easy gaffe. You might speak when everyone else is listening, make a joke when the mood is serious or raise a subject that everyone has silently agreed to avoid.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.