Sleepless in Japan...

I still remember the first time I saw someone sleeping in their car, sitting in the driver's seat, along the side of the road in broad daylight in Japan.  I thought he had had a heart attack and was perhaps dead.  I also recall the shock when my college students constantly fell asleep during an interactive English class.  One time a student even nodded off while I was asking her a question.  Then, there are the many times people sitting next to me on the subway have practically ended up in my lap, as they fell into a deep sleep.  Japanese don't seem to believe in sleeping at night.  Even the children stay up until all hours.  One may think it's because there are no decent mattresses in Japan.  But when I've asked Japanese friends about this, they say that sleeping seems like a waste of time.  So many people are walking around half-awake just waiting to find somewhere to sit down and snooze for a while.  You will hear people say, "I'm tired," much more often here than I ever heard in America.  Consequently, there is a high value on things that make one feel "refreshed," a word also often used.  Perhaps that is why there are an extreme variety of drinks here, why even very short international travel is popular, why going to hot springs frequently is a must, why Disney World is a yearly destination for many, and why reading comics (manga) is a common pastime for adults.  Do you have a product or service that may be "refreshing" to people here?  Are you Sealy or Simmons, for example?  Contact us for help marketing in Japan at www.noah-digital.co.jp/english/.