For Japanese, Matchmaking Is In The Blood
A man and woman are talking in a bar, and things are looking up. Suddenly she asks: By the way, what’s your blood type?
There’s a slight intake of breath after he replies. A bit of small talk rounds off the conversation. And then, she’s gone.
Forget Virgo vs. Scorpio, or the alignment of Mars and Venus. In Japan, the letters A, B and O spell out success or doom for many a budding relationship, because of a widespread belief that blood type determines character.
Tomotaka Kajiya, a bartender, has witnessed such encounters countless times among the customers he serves at the “101” bar in the fashionable Naka-Meguro district of Tokyo.
“Say a couple comes in on a first date. They’ll talk about the drinks they like for a while. Then the subject often turns to blood type to keep the conversation moving along,” Kajiya said.
Type A blood is thought to produce nitpickers, while B people are seen as free-wheeling and O’s as driven.
Matchmaking agencies that arrange marriages often weed out potential partners on the basis of blood type.
In tabloids, blood type used to chart the ebb and flow of celebrity fortunes, and it’s the most vital statistic in profiles of up-and-coming stars.
“I would never develop a long-term relationship with a B,” said Yoshiko Yamazaki, a boutique owner with type A blood. “They’re so tiresome. B’s tend to be sloppy, so I’d always have to clean up after their dirty underwear.”
Medical experts have insisted for years that there is no scientific correlation between character and blood type, but to no avail. Many Japanese remain hooked on the idea.
“It’s a modern superstition,” said Hiroyoshi Ishikawa, a professor of social psychology at Seijo University. “But it’s also a powerful social lubricator. Talking about blood type is the easiest way to establish contact with a stranger.”
Although trust in the power of blood type is by no means espoused by all, Ishikawa sees it as an enduring and mainstream belief in a country where fads often flare up suddenly only to fizzle out months later.
“Blood type isn’t just the latest boom. For many years, it’s been a fixed belief in society for young and old alike,” he said.
According to the Japan Red Cross Central Blood Center, about 40 percent of Japanese have type A blood, 30 percent are O, 20 percent are B and 10 percent have AB.
xxxx What’s your type? The finer points of branding by blood type vary, but there is a consensus on its broad outlines: If you’re an A, you probably get uptight when things are out of place. Attention to detail is a hallmarks of this type. Hear a single, raucous voice booming across the room at a party? You can bet it came from one of those pushy B’s. O’s are said to be highly motivated and intent on controlling group situations. AB’s are original but a bundle of contradictions.