Around The World In 80 Waves

There exists a popular belief in Japan (and other East Asian countries) that a person’s blood type is predictive of his or her personality, temperament, and compatibility with others, in a similar vein to the use of astrological signs in western countries. However blood plays a much more prominent role in Japanese society.

Discussion of blood types is widely popular in women’s magazines as a way of gauging relationship compatibility with a potential or current partner. Morning television shows and daily newspapers feature sanguine horoscopes. 

It is common among anime and manga authors to mention their character’s blood types, and to give them matching characteristics.

Some video game characters also act according to their published blood types, and users can select blood options when building custom avatars for many games too.

Many people have been discriminated against because of their blood too. This blood type harassment, called “bura-hara”, has been blamed for bullying of children in playgrounds, loss of job opportunities, and ending happy relationships. 

Employers even sometimes ask for a candidate to supply the information during interviews, and children at schools have been split up according to their blood type. The national softball team has customized training to fit each player’s classification, and companies have given work assignments according to their employee’s blood type.

The understood traits by classification are as follows:

Type A

Best traits – Earnest, creative, sensible, reserved, patient, responsible

Worst traits – Fastidious, over earnest, stubborn, tense

Type B

Best traits – Wild, active, doer, creative, passionate, strong

Worst traits – Selfish, irresponsible, unforgiving, erratic

Type AB

Best traits – Cool, controlled, rational, sociable, adaptable

Worst traits – Critical, indecisive, forgetful, irresponsible, split personality

Type O

Best traits – Confident, self-determined, optimistic, strong willed, intuitive

Worst traits – Self-centred, cold, doubtful, unpredictable, workaholic