Paris Syndrome

An estimated 10-20 of the over 1 million annual Japanese visitors to Paris find themselves with Paris Syndrome, a peculiar condition believed to have first been discovered around 20 years ago by Professor Hiroaki Ota.

Symptoms of Paris Syndrome may include anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, sweating, delusions, and hallucinations. A few victims must be sent back to Japan, sometimes under medical supervision.

Paris Syndrome is a form of culture shock manifested in Japanese visitors to the French city. Why does it happen? The harmful condition might be caused by a combination of issues, including travel exhaustion, communication issues, or the death of the Parisian dream tourists left home to find.

Japanese and French culture are inherently very different. People of most Japanese areas are considered to be very polite and considerate, whereas the French are generally viewed to be more passionate, not to stereotype either culture.

It is believed that many tourists headed to Paris are hoping to find the dream city portrayed in cinema: beautiful people, romantic settings, exquisite cuisine, and high fashion. They may find these gems, but visitors might also find cultural differences that are quite shocking. As a very good example, Professor Gerald Seaman has this to say on a French custom often misunderstood by visitors, specifically Americans: "To us, smiling is an indication of harmlessness, sincerity, and friendliness. To the French...smiling immediately and broadly to a perfect stranger says one of two things about you: either you are a lunatic or you are insincere and therefore not trustworthy. A tense drawing-up of the body, a turn away, or a terse muttered comment that is explicitly intended to shake off the stranger are typical French replies to the American icebreaker." Looking at it from this point of view may help to understand the varying customs. After all, no one wants to be followed by a lunatic or a liar. Still, some visitors may not understand such unfamiliar customs. Bottling up the disappointment, confusion, and possible anger might be quite disturbing and such visitors are often negatively affected.

To help avoid such issues, many traveler's articles propose learning French customs before visiting. What may seem fine is some areas is considered rude in others. Also, many former visitors suggest learning a few simple phrases. Imagine someone walking up to you and babbling on in a language that you cannot comprehend. You might try to find someone who can help him, or you might shake your head to signify that you don't understand before walking away. It's generally polite to make an attempt to learn the language of the land before visiting.

Traveling for any reason should be a pleasant experience, so it is a little disheartening that some visitors have such negative memories of their ventures. With any hope, working to bridge and understand cultural gaps will help to prevent such issues in the future.

BBC News: Paris Syndrome

About.com: France, Travel Tips

Gerald Seaman Article

Japanese Politeness