「今さら感」: The feeling of 'exasperation' when someone is 'late to the party'

You're scrolling online and see a friend suddenly post a story about playing a mobile game that lost its hype 2 years ago, acting super excited about it? 🤨

Or in a meeting, your boss 'discovers' an idea that the whole team had already discussed to death last month?

That indescribable feeling, a mix of amusement and a slight 'mood drop,' where you just want to exclaim "Seriously, at this point...?" – in Japanese, there's a word that perfectly captures it all: 今さら感 (いまさらかん - imasara-kan).

✨ What is 今さら感?

This is the perfect combination of:

• 今更 (ima-sara): Now of all times..., at this late stage...
• 感 (kan): Feeling, sense

今さら感 describes the strange, exasperated, or slightly awkward feeling when an action, statement, or event happens too late, no longer fitting the current time.

It's not necessarily a heavy criticism, but more like a gentle sigh, a 'speechless' moment full of hidden meaning.

💡 How to use it in real life

The Japanese don't bluntly say, "You're so outdated!" They use 今さら感 to express it much more subtly.

Example 1: When friends are 'slow on the uptake'

The group is chatting about a newly released movie. A week later, one friend texts:

"Hey guys, that new movie X is supposed to be great, wanna go see it?"

The rest of the group might look at each other and think to themselves:

「うわー、今さら感がすごい…」 (Wow, the feeling of 'now you're telling us...' is so strong...)

Example 2: To make fun of yourself

This is a very common and endearing usage, showing that you're aware you're 'behind the times' but don't care. 🤣

「今さらだけど、TikTokって面白いね！自分でも今さら感あるけど（笑）」 (I know I'm late to this, but TikTok is really fun! I get that it's a bit 'late to the party' of me to say this haha)

Example 3: In the workplace

When someone proposes an old solution or brings up an issue that has long been resolved.

「その件は先週解決済みなので、今その話を出すのはちょっと今さら感がありますね。」 (That matter was resolved last week, so bringing it up now feels a bit... behind the times.)

✅ The bottom line

今更 simply refers to something being late. But 今さら感 describes the entire atmosphere and feeling that comes with that lateness.

Mastering this word not only adds to your vocabulary but also helps you grasp a very 'real' and modern emotional nuance of the Japanese people. Next time you see your friend showing off a newly bought CD player, you'll know exactly what to think! 😉