Author Topic: "Paris Syndrome" leaves Japanese tourists in shock (Read 3438 times)

Foxy Brown · « **on:** October 25, 2006, 11:54:41 PM »

Around a dozen Japanese tourists a year need psychological treatment after visiting Paris as the reality of unfriendly locals and scruffy streets clashes with their expectations, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Masabi · « **Reply #1 on:** October 26, 2006, 03:13:43 AM »

That's really crazy. I think that there should be a "Japanese syndrome" for Americans as well xD

ferrar1 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 26, 2006, 03:46:01 AM »

Those tourists are just too naive.

shadowstar · « **Reply #3 on:** October 26, 2006, 04:40:32 AM »

Yet many Japanese people still practically 'worship' the country :neutral:

楊枝君 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 27, 2006, 08:44:59 PM »

You'd be surprised just how fast you get used to that (and honestly, I'd be more shocked at the sheer amount of dog poo and bad driving than the buses

)

HiME · « **Reply #5 on:** October 27, 2006, 08:50:15 PM »

Lmao... Culture shock.

emifebruary · « **Reply #6 on:** October 27, 2006, 09:10:26 PM »

I'm french and 2 years ago I've received my penfriend in Paris. She doesn't say anything but I saw that she was really unconfortable in this town.
I know that french people especially in Paris are really unfriendly, selfish and laugh a lot about japanese tourist (and steal them too) but nevertheless it's a nice place to visit if you pay attention. The problem is that japanese are not accustom with this way of living, they think that Paris is the stereotype everyone imagine, a romantic place were everybody smile.
I love Paris and I often think that I have a lot of chance too live here but like in all big town it's a little bit inhuman.

楊枝君 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 27, 2006, 09:50:02 PM »

Paris is fine if you have no human contact and stay on the main avenues

Actually what I like most is the métro, cause Rouen's métro is nothing like it

chera · « **Reply #8 on:** October 28, 2006, 02:20:02 AM »

First time I went to Paris I thought it was the prettiest city in the world. Very fashionable people, spontaneous chats at the cafe, wonderful food, cheap wines, cheap concerts inside churches hundreds of years old, and of course, excellent museums packed with art. And this was in the summer, during the tourist season. And I hardly spoke any French.

The only cultural miscommunication came when I ordered iced coffee. The waiter gave me coffee with an ice cube in it.

anythursday · « **Reply #9 on:** January 12, 2007, 02:32:41 AM »

lol this is actually pretty funny. i've never been to europe so i would never know...

ShoujoHino · « **Reply #10 on:** January 12, 2007, 08:27:52 PM »

A lot of the Japanese that come to Hawaii seem to think that Hawaii is part of Japan, and they also don't research anything and ask the hotel people, people working in the mall, etc about everything, they can't even count their own change and always ask if they can use yen. Maybe they should start researching a little more on places they want to travel instead of just researching what gifts they can buy and tourist traps they can visit.

Regal Shocker · « **Reply #11 on:** January 13, 2007, 02:02:14 AM »

Reading this thread gave me an idea on a video featuring Fist of the nOrth Stars 'You wa Shock.'

StreakInTheSky · « **Reply #12 on:** January 13, 2007, 03:51:26 AM »

some of the conditions they were in are pretty sad yet hilarious.

Jsmurf · « **Reply #13 on:** January 13, 2007, 03:57:14 AM »

they should have watched "National Lampoon's European Vacation" before they travelled to france

tamatron · « **Reply #14 on:** January 13, 2007, 09:36:53 AM »

WTF, wusses.

Quote

People using public transport all look stern, and handbag snatchers increase the ill feeling.

Oh, I see. They were just shocked and disappointed that no one was grabbing anyone's butts and boobs in the metro.

Paris wasn't really a dream city, Parisiens could be pretty rude sometimes. But I've been there more often than any other cities in the world and I loved it.

len.chan · « **Reply #15 on:** January 13, 2007, 07:02:42 PM »

I love Paris too but I understand the shock that have to be for a japanese tourist to find that the city isn't so idilic as in the movies. I'm from Barcelona and because of that I'm more used to the real image of Paris (both cities are similar), but Japan is totally diferent and they can't even imagine that someone could be rude with you when asking something or that there could be a thief in every corner... But, as I said, I love Paris and I think it's a great city to visit

Hakai · « **Reply #16 on:** January 13, 2007, 07:14:18 PM »

Venice is also too idealized by many people and once you are there, you think: it´s me or this city stinks?

I didn´t need psychological treatment, because I already knew what was the city going to be like. And I loved it anyways.

Paris sindrome could be pre-treated with some real and non-idealized information.

sid_coz · « **Reply #17 on:** March 13, 2007, 12:49:41 PM »

Paris is great and parisians as well. Just that they have a hang up with English speaking people or more rightly with any tourist who uses English as a common medium of conversation. Try talking to them in your mother tongue (other than English of course!) and see how they respond back to you. You would end up conversing in English only but now the thing would be different coz in the void of a common language to converse you chose your mother tongue over English. I have tried it a million times and its just amazing how friendly they become after that.

thatguy · « **Reply #18 on:** March 13, 2007, 06:06:57 PM »

i think the same goes with any city in the world, when compared to japan. i recently went with some friends to other cities in asia and they couldn't help but notice how dirtier the cities were, how much louder and more impolite the people spoke, etc etc.

it may be particularly strong in the case of paris because of the stereotypical romantic image. but in general, just about every big metropolitan area has thieves, pollution, etc, while in japan people retain an amazing level of honesty of sense of community. i have friends here that have lost their 6-month bus passes (that cost US$300+), their cell phones, even entire wallets, and anonymous citizens have returned them to the police station, etc.

thesku11s · « **Reply #19 on:** March 15, 2007, 12:36:27 AM »

Quote from: chera;222724

The only cultural miscommunication came when I ordered iced coffee. The waiter gave me coffee with an ice cube in it.

ROFL!! :panda_haha: :panda_haha:

Did you drink it?

Quote from: tama-chan;281755

WTF, wusses.
Oh, I see. They were just shocked and disappointed that no one was grabbing anyone's butts and boobs in the metro.

Yeah they must miss home:

http://www.filecabi.net/video/1120576707.html

Man, I aint been to Paris but spent a while in Italy,

I have to say the most interesting cultural experience I got in Rome was watching Japanese tourists - they are a spectacle

Like another breed, filing about in their hundreds with their matching sun visors. All looking so homogenous in their exhaustion in the insaneley busy and hot city > following a flag held up by their tourguide. They all seem to be exactly the same age, have the same clothes, look the same

I never saw any of them leave their groups, but I dont they would have appreciated the blatant pickpockets on the buses.