'Kuuki o yomu' means 'Reading the air', it is the art of identifying and acting upon those social nuances and unspoken cues that most people have th eability to pick up on.
I guess in the west we would call it, social situational awareness, understanding and acting upon a situation without any direct communication but in Japan its a very important part of of both business and social life.
This an fascinating piece and another great peek inside Japanese culture which might appear quirky and overly formal to me, but is simply accepted as normal in Japan.
Well worth a few minuted of your time to read, hence the share!