Tell Me Your Blood Type and I'll Tell You Who You Are

The hospital stay in Fukuoka reminded me of one really important thing in Japan: the nationwide belief in an unbreakable link between a person’s character and their blood type. A handful of times during casual chats with Japanese folks, I’ve been asked about my blood type alongside my age (even before they asked about my star sign). It really took me by surprise, and whenever I asked why, the answer was much the same:

— Hahaha, it’s very important for friendship. For example, if I’m group 0 and you’re group A, then it’s OK. If we’re both group 0 it’s not so great, because we’d have the same character. I’m Japanese so for me it sometimes matters, but generally I try to be friends with everyone.

I quizzed a few mates and it turns out it’s strictly historical. It all started in 1916 when a few doctors published a medical report saying people with type A had a very mild temperament while people with type B were the opposite. Further studies in 1925 tried to find a link between blood type and the strengths and weaknesses of Japanese army soldiers, and in 1927 a certain Tekeji Furikawa published a series of articles on studying human temperament through blood type. All this took hold pretty seriously in how Japanese society was sorted. Companies sorted their workers by temperament, and special education programmes were introduced from kindergarten, all built on blood type. Even the Japanese foreign ministry suggested people with group 0 would make better diplomats. The psychology professor Masao Ohmura classified people according to the feudal Japanese classes as:

• 0 — strong will (warriors),
• A — mannered (farmers),
• AB — intelligent and sensitive (artists),
• B — cheerful and sociable (merchants and traders).

Today, 39.1% of Japanese society has blood type A, 29.4% type 0, 21.5% type B, and the remaining 10% type AB. According to what I found in the local paper, the following blood-type compatibility is also believed in: A with A and AB; B with B and AB; AB with AB, A, B and 0; and 0 with 0 and AB.

Thanks to my friend’s (Yuko’s) wonderful help, I can give an overview of the character–blood link as seen through Japanese eyes.

Type A: Calm, composed, balanced and serious. Trustworthy and generally strong-willed. They plan everything in advance and work hard and stubbornly toward their imagined ideal. They give an impression of strength thanks to their reserve in showing feelings. They keep their distance from others. Despite that, inside they’re usually nervous and very delicate. They tend to surround themselves with people of similar temperament.

Type B: Curious and interested in everything. But the range of their interests is enormous — and as quickly as they latch onto something, they drop it. Despite that, they know what matters to them and what to stick with in life. They’re not average, and they usually stand out at what they do. They’re very wrapped up in their own world, rejecting or neglecting other things. Sharp and cheerful, full of energy and enthusiasm.

Type AB: People of this type are sensitive and emotional. They consider others’ feelings with care and attention. Usually very strict with themselves and those around them. They have two personalities: one for the outside and one for the inside. Often sentimental, feeling everything deeply. They have lots of friends but also need solitude.

Type 0: Calm, peace-oriented, carefree types. They can create a harmonious atmosphere. They have an open heart and tend to spend a lot of money on others. Loved by everyone. Add to that incredible stubbornness and a tendency for secrets. Easily influenced by others. They seem sober and trustworthy, but often have careless slip-ups.

So it seems that — despite the lack of any one hundred per cent scientific proof of a link between blood type and personality — the Japanese believe it anyway. The classification above has become an inseparable part of their culture. One of many examples is Naoko Takeuchi’s manga Sailor Moon, in which the characters’ blood types are mentioned often, characterising their personalities up front. They’re introduced to the audience by name, date of birth, star sign, blood type, age and school name.

Quite often you’ll see surprise on Japanese faces when foreigners, asked about their blood type, say they don’t know. Here in the land of miso shiru, everyone knows their blood type and slots themselves into the corresponding category. But then, if there are only four kinds of person by blood, no wonder Japanese society comes across as quite so uniform.