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psychology

Paris Syndrome: A Psychological Condition that Hits Japanese Hardest

Paris Syndrome: A Psychological Condition that Hits Japanese Hardest

Paris: city of love, romance, food and… mental anguish?

In an article over on Gold Rush, writer Senya talks about the devastating psychological condition that has come to be known as “Paris Syndrome”; a condition that, bizarrely, seems to affect Japanese people in particular, with many visiting the city suffering from symptoms similar to depression that, in rarer cases, results in suicide.

What is it about Paris that has such a debilitating effect on Japanese? What could they do to avoid it or lessen the symptoms?

We delve a little deeper to find out…

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Bus Button Lovers Get Off at Tokyu Hands During Golden Week

Bus Button Lovers Get Off at Tokyu Hands During Golden Week

“Next stop, Shibuya Tokyu Hands!”

That’s what one might have expected to hear at the department store that hosted the quirky Tsugi Tomarimasu Bus Button Exhibit on May 3 and 4. A private collector put his collection of over 100 bus signal buttons on display for the Golden Week shopping crowds.

Anyone who has ever ridden a bus is familiar with the buttons you push to signal that you want to disembark, and we all have a relationship with these buttons. Aggressive people want to initiate action and get where they’re going. Passive people want someone to push the button and take care of their needs. Kids just want to be big enough to reach the buttons! Read More

Tokyo Mob Blocks Ambulance. “You should be ashamed, Japan!”

Tokyo Mob Blocks Ambulance. “You should be ashamed, Japan!”

There’s a shocking video that has people talking. Titled, “緊急走行を妨害する歩行者Unreasonable walkers interfering with an urgent run“, it shows an ambulance with its sirens blaring. But the thing is, when it comes to a six-way crosswalk (likely in Shibuya, Tokyo), the pedestrians just keep walking, preventing it from going through.

And it’s not just one or two people either, but dozens, maybe hundreds of people completely ignoring the ambulance, crossing the street at a normal walking pace. Read More