Paris syndrome: the disorder of Japanese tourists

Japanese culture offers a multitude of singularities that are difficult to find anywhere else in the world, and the Japanese country is today one of the most industrialized and advanced societies on the planet. Japan It is a highly urbanized country and famous for its technological advances, which mixes its modernity with an ancient past.

Its ancient culture coexists with the capitalist and consumerist model that characterizes it, which can cause pathologies as strange as Hikikomori. Well, in today's article, we will talk about a condition that tourists from this Asian country almost exclusively suffer from: the paris syndrome.

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Paris syndrome: what is it?

The Paris Syndrome It is a psychological condition experienced almost exclusively by Japanese tourists who are very disappointed when they visit the City of Light.i.e. Paris.

In 1986, a Japanese psychiatrist Hiroaki Ota gave a name to a new disease, which according to him occurs because the Japanese tourists are disappointed when they visit this European city and it does not meet their expectations romantic. This condition is considered an extreme case of culture shock, causing symptoms such as anxiety, dizziness, sweating, delusions and even hallucinations, according to medical reports. But,

Why does the Parisian city make the Japanese sick?

According to the French psychiatric journal Nervure, the Japanese feel tremendous disappointment when they visit Paris, caused by unrealistic expectations about the city on the Seine. Paris is the city of love, fashion and glamorous people, and for this reason it is a very popular destination for Japanese tourists. In Tokyo, the capital of Japan, it is possible to find French pastry shops or luxury stores like Chanel or Louis Vuitton due to their great admiration for Parisian culture. Around six million Japanese visit Paris every year.

An idyllic image of Paris that does not correspond to reality

The Japanese media associate the city of Paris with romantic movies such as Amélie, in which romanticism is present in every corner.

They think that French citizens are very friendly and the city is governed by a harmony in which order is part of everyday life. But when the reality of the modern city of Paris does not match the expectations that many tourists have and are able to experience in their own meats, the rude behavior of some waiters or the confusing transport system, they begin to suffer the symptoms of the Syndrome of Paris. japanese tourists they are not able to bear the exhaustion that the language barrier and the culture shock suppose, which causes them serious problems of psychological stress.

An article from ABC newspaper reports that the Japanese embassy in the French capital makes emergency hospitalization services available for the treatment of this syndrome. In fact, the Japanese embassy located in Paris repatriates up to 12 Japanese citizens a year to recover from the shock, the magazine says Very interesting. This institution has a 24-hour helpline.

Causes of Paris Syndrome

Paris is an incredible city, with very romantic cafes and restaurants and beautiful places to visit, such as the Eiffel Tower. Paris is a culturally rich city, but it is far from meeting the expectations that the Japanese have of the city of love. Japanese society is very disciplined, and Japanese citizens are very calm and used to living in a very vertical and hierarchical that values ​​the group above the individual, in this way they alleviate tensions and conflicts and achieve harmony social.

Japanese tourists are greatly impacted by the quality of service in Paris and when they experience the behavior of some French citizens they are unable to understand it. The French can seem rude even without meaning to be..

Also, the level of English is poor in France, so the communication barrier is a reality. The atmosphere in Paris can be tense, Parisians can be really aggressive and verbal abuse is a reality. This is very visible in some metro stops that connect to the suburbs, where the presence of pickpockets and common criminals can be really dangerous. The truth is that unemployment is high in this country and racial conflicts exist, especially at night. This means that Paris can become unsafe, and tourists are easy prey for pickpockets because they always carry money with them and are somewhat clueless.

Visiting Paris: a bad experience for some Japanese citizens

In the idyllic vision of Paris that Japanese citizens have, the streets are full of attractive people, something that is not always the case.

The Japanese expect everything to be beautiful, and traveling through depressed areas of the city (for example, by train) can be very shocking. Paris is a city worth visiting, but for some Japanese it can be a bad experience.