Do you know what Paris syndrome is?

This syndrome was actually identified by a psychiatrist named Hiroaki Ota. Although it is mostly suffered by people of Japanese or Asian origin, it can also occur in travelers from other parts of the world. especially in those whose culture is very different from that of Paris.

In the specific case of the orientals, what happens to them It is a deep shock that can cause trauma or physical symptoms, as well as nervous breakdowns. Why is this happening? Basically due to the “clash” of customs and the expectations placed on the trip.

The Japanese Embassy in France has decided to offer a care service to tourists suffering from Paris Syndrome. Although it is not a significant amount (taking into account that more than a million Japanese visit the “city of light”), the truth is that More and more people are suffering from this problem when stepping on the same ground as the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe.

Most of those who suffer from Paris Syndrome are women over 30 years old. His idea of ​​Paris as a magical, romantic place, ideal for finding love, etc. comes from movies and books, as well as from the popular imagination.

Although all tourists, from any country, They can be surprised by the real Paris and the difference between what they had imagined (what they expected due to an idealization of the place), the Japanese have shown to have more intense symptoms. The impact of the culture shock is such that they are traumatized and even need medical assistance. It may seem extremist, but it is true.

The idyllic vision of Paris is due to what they saw in movies such as the example of Ameliewhere you can see the romantic Champs Elysees, the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine River, the picturesque Montmartre neighborhood and of course, the fabulous Eiffel Tower. In Paris there is much more, as they show us in the movies, such as fashion, traditional cafes and beautiful women… but also, hustle and bustle, bad manners, pushing, noise, people from here to there, dirt, pollution…

The character of the French is typical of the Mediterranean and totally different from what happens in Japan, a very calm and cordial culture. Parisians tend to be extroverted, they raise the tone of their voice, speak loudly in the street, have no problem arguing in a cafe, etc. Quite the opposite happens in the cities of Japan, even in the overpopulated Tokyo. There people are more educated, more helpful, more measured, less “emotional” and more rational.

So, A Japanese tourist who arrives in Paris encounters behavior that is foreign to him. If we add to that the fact of imagining the French capital as something out of a fairy tale, the picture worsens. For any traveler, arriving at a place where people shout, horns are heard from traffic, residents are not courteous or helpful to the visitor (this is not a generality but it happens), it can be a great shock.

For Japanese people affected with Paris Syndrome, The reality of this metropolis overwhelms them and the body says “enough.” Likewise, as indicated by the Embassy (which has a hotline enabled 24 hours a day), this shock occurs during the first day and does not last more than 48 hours. After this stage, visitors can easily enjoy all the wonders that the “City of Light” has to offer.

Something similar can happen with other important and well-known cities.. The example that most closely resembles what happened in Paris is New York, since in the movies we see the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and the snowy streets at Christmas, but upon arrival, another reality greets us.