Japanese beliefs about blood type - why?

Factual Questions
1

So I was playing Princess Maker 2 today, (my daughter’s a fighter with type O blood!) and I got to wondering… I’m somewhat familiar with the existence of the Japanese belief that blood type has a significant effect on personality, but I’m rather curious as to why it came about. I mean, blood types were only discovered in the early 1900s, and that seems awfully late for such a widespread superstition to take hold.

Some Googling has turned up the assertation that this was all caused by a medical report in 1916 that said some things about blood type and personality. (Although this explanation does come mostly from things like Sailor Moon fanpages on Geocities, not normally considered one of the great homes of scholarly research.) It seems to me like there’s GOT to be more to it than that. So… what’s the deal? Why did these ideas about blood type become so popular in Japan if the source was only one report?

2

First of all, let me preface this by stressing just how widespread the belief that blood type determines personality is here. It’s something that’s taken very, very seriously.

It’s a relatively recent belief, though, that has its origins in the works of one Masahiko Nomi. Nomi studied engineering and worked as a radio scriptwriter and even sumo commentator. Possibly inspired by his sister, he formulated a theory that blood types and personality were somehow linked. For some 30 years, he amassed anecdotal evidence to promote his case and, in 1971, published “Ketsuekigata de Wakaru Sosei” (What Blood Types Reveal About Compatibility). He then published several other books, all of them based on anecdotal data and questionaire-based research. The theory caught on with the general public like fire to dry hay.

The attempts by proper scientists to shoot down the theory have been pretty futile - it’s now widely ingrained in the popular psyche. It’s a spectacular example of pseudo-science winning over the real thing.

If you want to read more about Nomi, check out his official website.

3

Its not just the japanese. Koreans also have the same beliefs in blood-type. Its so wide-spread that when you fill out official forms and such you have to include your blood-type. They require this of foreigners as well. When I had to apply for my resident VISA id I was required to give my blood-type.

They believe blood-type reflects personality, who your ideal relation-ship matches are, what foods are better for you to eat…

Now if its true that the wide-spread belief came out of the book Jovan mentions it would be interesting to see how this came about in Korea. Because up until this year, Korea has had a complete ban on any Japanese products.

4

I forgot to add that Nomi claimed that blood-type decides one fourth of a person’s personality; one half of innate traits. You see how simplistic this is: acquired traits are one half of our personality, innate are another, according to Nomi. In fact, it’s a lot more complicated than that.

5

It wasn’t a “complete ban on any Japanese products” it was restrictions on the importation of Japanese cultural goods, like movies and music.

Anyway, books by Nomi are available in Korea, although I don’t know since when. It would be nice if someone with better knowledge of Hangul could investigate this.

Also, I brain-farted and badly transcribed the Japanese title of Nomi’s first book, it should read: Ketsuekigata de Wakaru Aisho. Ugh. How humiliating.

6

[QUOTE=jovan]
It wasn’t a “complete ban on any Japanese products” it was restrictions on the importation of Japanese cultural goods, like movies and music.

[QUOTE]

And books. :slight_smile: The only exceptions were items that won international awards or were products suitable for “all ages”. So Nomi’s book may entered the market in that fashion.

7

And let’s not forget earwax!

My wife routinely chides me on the inferiority of Westerners (i.e. me) as evidenced by my earwax (soft and waxy) as opposed to her clearly superior Japanese earwax, which is dry and flaky.

Jovan? Ever run across this?

8

No, but a quick search of the web reveals that it’s either true or widely believed. The only time someone commented on my earwax was in China. I had been tricked into taking a tour to someplace I did not want to go, and as I sat in the bus fuming after I figured out that I had been ripped off (again), a man leaned, stared deep into my ear and declared that I had too much earwax, and it was best for me to see a doctor.

9

As jovan has stated, this belief is nearly universal in Japan. Many Japanese people have anxiety about questions about blood type, because of negative presumptions about their character based on what is blatantly superstitious. It works the other way around, too. If a Japanese person who buys into the blood type = character traits thing notices a certain tendency in your behavior, they’ll start trying to guess your blood type. Beware if they happen to guess correctly… you’ve just reinforced their superstition!
Many Japanese I’ve spoken with about this topic are surprised to hear that this is not an ‘ancient’ belief (quite the contrary… blood typing is barely a century old).
I also enjoy surprising them with the information that in America (for example) there are eight blood types (O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-), not the mere four recognized in Japan. The Rh factor is either ignored or unknown to the average Japanese person since only about 1% of the population have Rh negative blood. cite

They’re also surprised to learn that many westerners they ask don’t even know their own blood type.

As to “why?”… Why do people ask “What’s your star sign?” and why do newspapers and magazines list monthly horoscopes?
Here’s one list of the ‘traits’ according to blood type. All four of them. Sheesh! At least astrology allows for the possibility of 12 different personality types!

TYPE A - People of this blood type are perfectionist, orderly, detail-oriented, industrious, idealistic, soft-spoken and careful.

Positive Traits - Orderly, Law-abiding, Fastidious, Soft Spoken, Fashionable, & Enduring.

Negative Traits - Picky, Selfish, Secretive, Pessimistic, Inflexible, Gossipy, & Bad Drunk.

Strong Suits - Accountant, Librarian, Economist, Novelist, Computer Programmer, or a Columnist.

TYPE B - People of this blood type are flexible, passionate, creative, unconventional and have excellent concentration.

Positive Traits - Independent, Flexible, Candid, Sensitive, Passionate, & Persuasive.

Negative Traits - Unpredictable, Indiscreet, Lazy, Impatient, & Overbearing.

Strong Suits - Cook, Hair Dresser, Military Leader, Talk Show Host, Journalist, or a Golfer.

TYPE AB - People of this blood type are supposed to be natural leaders, great organizers, diplomatic, rational and imaginative.

Positive Traits - Rational, Calculating, Honest, Diplomatic, Organized, & Strong.

Negative Traits - Unforgiving, Player, Easily Offended, Too Conservative, Nitpicker, & Hard to know.

Strong Suits - Bartender, Attorney, Teacher, Sales Representative, Social Worker, or a Judge.

TYPE O - People of this blood type are powerful leaders, goal-oriented, enthusiastic, optimistic and good at business.

Positive Traits - Healthy, Idealistic, Goal-oriented, Clear-sighted, Athletic, & Sexy.

Negative Traits - Status-seeking, Jealous, Greedy, Unreliable, Obsessive lover, & Can’t shut up.

Strong Suits - Banker, Politician, Gambler, Minister, Investment, or a Baseball Player.

Oh, yeah… and just like with star signs, there are supposedly good and bad blood type combinations when it comes to romance, too.

My ex-girlfriend at first told me our blood types were a good match… and then later told me that she had lied. :rolleyes:

10

Do chinese believe this, too? It might have something to do with the concepts of chi, blood and lymph. Interesting.

11

Nomi’s book is out of print in the U.S., but others have taken up the cause:

The Food Combining/Blood Type Diet Solution: A Personalized Diet Plan and Cookbook for Each Blood Type, by Dina Khader, Irene Toovey is one, but it appears to be a derivative of the many books by Peter J. D’Adamo:

12

SO NOT ME, you’d have a better chance of determining my character if you spit out random adjectives. Unless the + in ‘O+’ means the exact opposite.

13

Positive Traits - Orderly, Law-abiding, Fastidious, Soft Spoken, Fashionable, & Enduring.

Negative Traits - Picky, Selfish, Secretive, Pessimistic, Inflexible, Gossipy, & Bad Drunk.

Strong Suits - Accountant, Librarian, Economist, Novelist, Computer Programmer, or a Columnist.

Well, aside from the shotgun personality approach, they’re about 1/3 right for me:

Soft Spoken, Enduring, Pessimistic, Inflexible, Novelist, Computer Programmer, Columnist.

Of course, hitting me partway with a shotgun of adjectives and jobs isn’t exactly a good showing.

14

I’m an A-positive, and I only see a few things there that really apply to me. It’s like what I tell my mother’s friends who are big into astrology: “I’m a Capricorn, so I don’t believe in all that crap.”
Elfbabe: Princess Maker 2? I haven’t played that in years. But I do remember some things about it, if you need any help or cheats, shoot an email to mmercer22atadelphiadotnet.

15

Look at that! At least half of us are comparing traits and blood type, hoping to fit into the “positive” ones.
Like everyone used to want to be a Leo, and now want to be a monkey.
I’m an aquarius-rooster-AB. :smiley:
Peace,
mangeorge

16

The only thing my blood type (O-) gets me is lots of requests from the Red Cross to donate more blood.

Clearly this blood type trait concept only applies to those originally from Asia, as I fit none of those traits for type O (closer to Type A, actually).
Of course, there is the slight chance that it’s all crapola…Nah

17

My wife routinely chides me on the inferiority of Westerners (i.e. me) as evidenced by my earwax (soft and waxy) as opposed to her clearly superior Japanese earwax, which is dry and flaky.

Yeah - my Japanese husband will swear up and down that people with soft earwax have BO and people with the dry flaky stuff don’t.

Riiiight.

18

I can’t speak for “the Chinese”, but my Shanghai wife definitely believes it as well.

19

How do the Japanese explain when someone is nothing like their blood type’s characteristics?

20

And this is just one more way to tell the difference between American and Japanese RPGs. I have never seen an American-made RPG that has anything to do with blood type. It’s not even a selection choice when you’re making a character D&D style. Of course, I’m not sure why the Japanese mention it in manuals–it never crops up during the game. Though, actually, a set of transfusion items for healing could be interesting–you’d have to have the right blood type or universal donor to use it on a character to heal some amount of health points.