The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.
© Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.In Japan, you are what your blood type is
TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
65 Comments
Login to comment
synalle
Of course this is silly. But in other parts of the world, people are obsessed with horoscopes based on astral signs, either determined by month or year of birth. That's equally silly, but as long as you know that it's nonsense, it can in fact be a source of entertainment or amusement. (I definitely enjoy reading horoscopes for myself that are totally wrong.) It sounds a bit like it's going beyond mere fun, though, which is unprecedented in my experience in the rest of the world - I can't imagine someone not hiring me for a position based on my sign.
ykata
No. It's the same as UFO or any paranormal nonsense. Some people sell books about it and make money, but the general lack of critical thinking in Japan lets this superstition survive.
realist
Personally, I think that Aso is a B. The fascination with blood types in this country is amazing. Personally, I couldnt care less what someone`s blood type is, and I dont think it has relevance to our lives. Blood is blood, end of story. Could this be connected in some ways to Japanese xenophobia, and nihonjinron (the origins of the Japanese people theories)? Are they just trying to say that they are different from the peoples of the rest of the world, and unique, because of their blood groups?Whatever. I just think the whole thing is baloney.
ykata
It's just another pseudo-science. It seems this "theory" was introduced to Japan in 1927 and has been in existance since then. I grew up in Tokyo, and always hated some airhead girls asking my blood type. People asked my blood type, then I ansered, then the reaction was usually some kind of disbelief, like "うそ。絶対O型じゃない".
Stupid, indeed.
johnnyboy73
Just plain silly
BrightEyes
The hilarious thing about all of this is that the only matter of importance in blood types when dealing with relationships is the rh factor. If an rh positive man has a baby with an rh negative woman and that baby is also positive, then the woman can develop antibodies which will create problems for later children who are also rh positive. This can now be handled medically without too much difficulty, but it is something that people planning to have children should know.
Nevertheless, many Japanese who are obsessed with their ABO types don't have any idea about the one protein in their blood which actually could have a bearing on their relationships.
sf2k
Google "blood type japan" and the first link is a Wikipedia link. Debunked as scientific racisim from the 30s, it got revived by a publisher in the 70s. Sober reading.
nath
@otakki,
all the scientific papers I've found on the topic show no link between blood-type and personality at all.
What is probably happening in Japanese studies is the old 'self fulfilling prophesy' thing. People who are told that they should be outgoing act outgoing, those who are told that they should be reserved are reserved, etc.
drink_more_milk
SmithUS, That's ridiculous. Astrology has been defunked time and again. Acupuncture was not considered a sham but rather ignored, under researched by most modern medical practitioners. Body energy is a sham (there's no such thing as "heaty" food). Blood type personality has already been proven by science to be a fallacy. People attracted to Japan for many reasons such as culture and people. Japan doesnt have a blood type so I cant really see your point. I would advice you not to put too much stock in nonsense.
whyamiinjapan
I tell people "I don't know" when they ask my blood type. The reaction is always "Hayyyyyyy???" I think that's funny. But I do know and have a card in my wallet in case of emergency.
SmithUS
Acupuncture and the idea of body energy was supposed to be a sham but now it is an accepted medical practice so never say never. Astrology is similarly considered a sham but it does seem to apply in describing people’s personalities and what behavior will compliment or contrast with your own. But there is a limit to how far something like astrology can or should dictate everyone’s lives. For instance, I think daily/monthly/yearly astrology is a sham. Me and a friend are polar opposites according to our astrological signs and believe me we are conflicting personalities but we are friends. So even if blood type personality is true, there are obviously many other factors that make people get along or not - at least in the West.
As far as Japan being a society influenced by myth and superstition, I find that interesting rather than childish or unsophisticated. If it is stupid behavior then what does that say about us for being attracted to Japan.
otakki
If you see some of the things they did to study the subject, you will find that the result is actually quite astounding. It looks like there is actually a close relationship between personality and blood type.
Maff
I didn't use to believe it, but the longer I live here the more I realize that blood type really does relate to personality. I can usually guess someone's type correctly now once I've got to know them a bit. And other people can guess mine more often than not.
nath
I'm amazed at the people above who think this is all harmless. If blood type appears on a job application form people could well be rejected if their answer is /wrong/ or not answered at all.
nath
Reminds me of "Divided Kingdom" by Rupert Thomson, in which the whole kingdom is separated into the four medieval humours; sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic. People are shipped out of their homes and families into areas designated for each humour, in the same way as kindergarten kids are separated according to blood type. Needless to say, the kingdom is a distopia, much like Japan.
Disillusioned
So, you believe in this crap. Maybe he is just a donkey's butt. Japan is run on urban myths. They'll believe anything their neighbor tells them.
geboren1900
It says it was imported from "Nazi race ideologues". Did they imply that one blood type is better than another?
silverwind20
Jeez, one mention of nazis and everybody goes balistic, Frankly I have no clue what my blood type is but according to this article I could have any blood type, well maybe not type A, I'm cheerful (or at least I think I am) I'm deffinitely eccentric and selfish, I'm curious, not so much generous but as stubborn as an ox when I want to be, and I like to think I'm arty, mysterious, and unpredictable. Heh, I'm gonna laugh so hard if it turns out I'm type A.
Frankly I think it's just fine for the Japanese to have this type of thing, at least they're judging you by what's on your inside instead of what's on the outside like some people.
Also according to wikipedia (not the best source but I still rely on it) the swastika was used all over the world before the nazis particularily in India.
PuffinMuffin
by their definitions, that is
PuffinMuffin
I don't know about other people's blood types, but strangely enough, mine's not too off the mark, basically.
OhioDonna
Point of fact, Nazi's took the 'swastica' from Japanese culture, not the other way around.
It was also part of the Native American culture.
Potsu
Just part of a very shallow childish culture.....
Betting
This classification by blood type reminds me of early last century (not that I was around at that time mind you) when some idiot tried to classify people by skull shape, just a load of rubbish that was eventually used for discrimination. As with most things in Japan it gets taken to an extreme and real, innocent people suffer for it due to this stupid garbage.
butterfly1
Its annoying when people try to guess my blood type - they have a one if four chance to begin with/plus I think its a load of cr@p. I cant believe the money spent on the books on this topic...
JoiceRojo
Two things: Japanese people are boring, just thinking that there are only four types of person, at least in the zodiac and the chinese zodiac there are 12!
A couple of Japanese friends once asked me "what is yout blood type?" they where astonished when I told them that I didn't know, and it didn't matter because I'm unable to donate blood (Viral hep when I was little) I asked my mother because when I was sick with the hep, the doctors typed my blood and my mother told me "it's universal" so I guess it is type O...
Wakarimasen
Except for the discrimination part, not much different from horoscopes
whitepocky
would that be the sixth personality trait......a muppet??
Coolasapool
so, according to people who read into this shizer.. there are only 5 types of personality in the world.. muppets
ThonTaddeo
I'm a Type O and we Type Os don't believe in this superstitious nonsense!
(Seriously, there might be one redeeming thing in knowing people's blood types, and that's that it can assist in revealing unfaithful parents. That, and blood transfusions. But for personalities it's hogwash.)
SushiSake3
This thread rocks! LOL!!! :-)
helloklitty
seems like something lemmings would believe
bamboohat
this kind of stuff is popular because it gives people a reason for their shortcomings, without having to face the possibility that their choices are at cause. Horoscope, race, blood type, class are much more accepted to keep people within their own comfortable box than to discriminate others.
Just another form of self accepted area of social proof and conformity, which Japan has slightly more of due to it's racial homogeneity.
whatever
calderstrake
Point of fact, Nazi's took the 'swastica' from Japanese culture, not the other way around.
Moderator: Back on topic please.
hannari
I think the ambiguity... the 'not proven and set in stone as fact'-ness of it all is what makes it so acceptable as a question that can be asked by anyone, to anyone - older or younger or whatever. People realize that as well you might NOT be what a typical blood type is like... that's why it doesn't reach the 'too personal for comfort zone'.
Also, the Japanese conversation is about kyo-kan - ie. identifying with each other. The four blood types are an easy start line. The conversation usually continues on to explain just how "A-ish" you actually are or aren't. How I tend to be a perfectionist at work, but at home; "Oh no! I'm not an A at all!" (ie. you can say my room's a mess! without really saying so). Then, you see the other person's reaction to that, and continue elaborating as appropriate.
I say it's just a conversation/get to know ppl tool. Foreigners need not be so exasperated or alarmed...
cleo
When my daughter was born the MIL wanted to know her blood type, so I asked the doctor. He said wasn't about to go drawing blood from a newborn just to satisfy an old lady's curiosity. I thought that made sense.
But anyway, I reckon that's why they don't put it on the birth certificate.
NuckinFutz
Just one more way for Japanese to label and discriminate within their own society!
Shiree McCarver
I use to wonder when I saw profiles of Japanese men what the bloodtyping to because we don't do that in America and unless you donate blood you never know what your type is. I had surgery and asked my doctor once and he told me he didn't know it wasn't on the chart I laughed and told him well it's good I didn't need any for surgery. I always assume typing for surgery would be a necessity I guess they don't think so. But I do wish it was something they put on our birth certificates. For some it could solve alot of paternity issues and confusions when mom's lie or don't know for sure who your father is. LOL
whitepocky
I guess the case for this nonsense can be summed up pretty easily in the quote below.
The fact that he's made so many blunders of late suggest one of two things. A) He couldn't possibly be a type A as it contradicts what the book. or, B) Aso needs to fire his doctor and have another blood test!!
omarbabilon
me, my parents and brothers... we all are O and we all are absolutely different from each other... What kind of idiot would believe its true?. Oh sure... i forgot in Japan people wont believe westerners eat french fries with mustard and mayonaise isnt it?... Sure... now you know what kind of idiot.
omarbabilon
What a stupidity!!!
tkoind2
This is silly. I've been asked many times since coming to Japan. For years I just said I don't know, "We don't care about blood type beyond medical considerations in my country." That usually resulted in a "Hummm?!?!?" response followed by a stream of guesses.
Because I am artistic people say. "You must be a AB." Other friends were dead certain I was an A. Turns out I am a B. I finally made note of my type during a medical check up. Now everyone says "I always knew he must be a B, some artists are genki and eccentric."
This stuff is silly coctail talk. But when companies start asking it is dangerous profiling based on nothing more than popular mythology and should be made illegal and punishable with stiff fines.
Leave it to Japan to imbed a Nazi racialist program into popular culture. Too many things, swastikas on visual kei kids for example, are popularized here with zero idea of what they mean. This kind of thing can become very dangerous if people believe in it too much. Before long you have the popular and most loved A Types putting all those odd AB types in camps run by selfish B types and protested by caring O types. Creepy and a little too possible.
gogogo
Wow a market around something that is complete crap, sounds like sciencetology.
seesaw
lol. i am the same. I'm B and my J colleagues think I'm an O...whatever gave them that impression...:)
John Shiomi
Hmmm... makes me think... in America we use race as "an excuse" to categorize someone and judge them. race is such an obvious feature. however, with japanese people everyone generally looks the same so perhaps this is japanese peoples people's way of categorizing and judging someone. for some reason people find the need to do this (which can be good and bad i suppose). my guess is that people find some sense of security when they can categorize someone... it takes them out of the "unknown" category. the problem with all of this is "the self-fulfilling" prophecy i think... once we had categorized and judge someone we tend to see them that way and treat them in that way so they stay that way.
samsarks
my wife does not believe am blood B-type.i say cos am"gaijin"
Freddy5
Unless, for example, you're turned down for a job based on this Nazi nonsense.
Number11
The blood-type thing is all pretty harmless, though. People aren't dying from blood-type genocides.
We all know that horoscopes are much more accurate, since it's based on real science.
seesaw
I hope those with AB type blood are not like my boss. He's an AB blood type. A real pain-in-the-arse. Greedy, power-crazy and he uses his 'brainless' Assistant to carry out all his dirty tactics to get rid of people who are not his favourites. And he always got what he wanted. No one dares to go against him.
But as for me, I'm just sitting here, smiling at the company's business downfall as a result of my 'less' cooperation. Thank God the Labour Law in Japan is employee-friendly....
SushiSake3
I saw some bloodtype bath salts last weekend in a department store.
A, B, etc. wow...!
GW
people in Jpn are utterly dumbfounded when I answer I dont know, dont care, red when exposed to the atmosphere..........
last Dec I did the ole ningendoku thing & they asked me there gave the above answer minus the snide bits & the guy cudnt raise his dropped jaw LOL
Richard_the_First
oreoreda,
In Japan,yes...
oreoreda
Proof you can fool some people all of the time.
DoctorLady
A few years ago, someone tried promoting a diet book based on different food for different blood types. It didn't work, either. Why do some people believe this, astrology, and other obviously false stuff? It seems people want a shortcut for judging other people without bothering to get the facts.
medievaltimes
It is shocking how many people regard this as truth.
Beelzebub
Wow, it looks like the AP bureau here is so broke, it's forced to dust off and recycle "news" stories it filed 20 years ago. What next? Maybe a piece on rebellious schoolgirls wearing loose socks?
zaichik
'tis if you spent any time in the UK. Nobody wants our British blood....
Moderator: Stay on topic please.
borscht
Sham science is popular because it requires no education and is lots of fun! Hence the Ghosthunters show on US TV using radios to prove the existence of ghosts. How? Well, it made a noise didn't it?
On topic: I had three Japanese guess my blood type after a short conversation. And it only took them three guesses to get it right. After which they all said, yappari.
Stonefish
"......and no amount of scientific debunking can kill a widely held notion that blood tells all."
Just another sad reflection on the state of Japan's education system.
ichinensei
Wow, funny.. I read this article in the Metro in Toronto today.. Same article. Just not of all it. I am A+ But I'm sure gaijin blood would be different from Japanese A blood. Haha..
noborito
Something else pointless to talk about.
saborichan
I revel in not knowing.
NeoJamal
Mine is not gaijion.
some14some
"chi mo namida mo nai" (cold blooded).
Disillusioned
My blood type is, red. What's yours?
neverknow2
Yeah just like if you walk backwards around your house on a full moon you will live a long life.