Blood Type?!

Japan has the largest elderly population than any other country in the world. This generation still has a great influence on the culture even with Western influence making changes every day.
One thing that I found interesting was the way you introduce yourself. A Japanese person may introduce themselves by name and then ask you where you are from, how old you are (which takes some getting used to), and your blood type.

You read correctly. Blood type. The Twilight influence has reached Japan! The horror!!

Actually, the Japanese believe that a person’s blood type can tell a lot about someone. It’s not a blue-blood question regarding some caste system, but rather they will use the information to immediately “size you up.”

I searched the internet and found a couple fact sheets regarding blood type personality profiles.

I couldn’t find any science behind the research, but it is big business here in Japan and can be used in dating or match-mating services to being hired by a company.

I guess this would replace the fortune-telling aspects of the zodiac used in Western cultures. Often when we visit shrines there will be little booklets with blood types on the front. Inside they have a fortune for every day/week/month.

I asked around and some people swear by it while others think it is pretty silly. Either way it makes for an interesting pickup line. “Hey Baby, what’s your blood type? I’m O Postive.”