{"id":26831,"date":"2024-10-23T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/?p=26831"},"modified":"2025-07-09T18:06:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T09:06:43","slug":"blood-types-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/blog\/blood-types-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the meaning of blood types in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Japan is a country that traditionally loves to give meaning to intangible things. Be it the <\/span>Rokuy\u014d<\/a><\/span><\/i> (\u516d\u66dc, traditional six-day Japanese calendar) which decides your fortune for the day, or the <\/span>Omikuji<\/span><\/i><\/a> (\u304a\u307f\u304f\u3058, fortune slip) which tells you various things about how the coming year is going to be. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another example of this is the meaning of blood types in Japan. Blood types are an important cultural phenomenon<\/span> and some Japanese people believe that a person’s blood type is related to certain personality traits, habits, and even romantic compatibility. This idea is so widespread that blood types are frequently included on personal profiles on online dating sites, job applications, and even on business cards.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how did blood types come to have such a large role in Japanese society? Read on to understand more about the meaning of blood types in Japan<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tiny<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

History of the meaning of blood types in Japan<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The idea that blood types in Japan could predict personality traits first started becoming popular in the 1920s. This was a time when the country was experiencing a rapid expansion in medical knowledge imported from the West. In 1927, the concept of blood types was first introduced to the general public by a psychologist named Takeji Furukawa<\/span> (\u53e4\u5ddd\u7af9\u4e8c), who published a paper called <\/span>Ketsuekigata ni yoru  Kishitsu no Kenky\u016b<\/span><\/i> (\u8840\u6db2\u578b\u306b\u3088\u308b\u6c23\u8cea\u306e\u7814\u7a76 “The Study of Temperament Through Blood Type<\/a>“).

The paper suggested that each blood type had specific personality traits, and despite a lack of credentials, it quickly became a popular topic of discussion within the public sphere. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During World War II, the concept of blood types in Japan became even more widespread, as the Imperial Army began using it to screen potential soldiers. The army believed that people with Type B blood were more aggressive and difficult to control, while those with Type O were good leaders, more cooperative, and docile.

Today, the concept of blood types in Japan<\/span> remains popular and has even spread to other parts of East Asia, including South Korea and Taiwan. It is not, however, treated with the same seriousness as before. It is more of a fun thing to talk about, although there are still some hardcore believers out there and people being harassed for their blood type.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What your blood type tells you about your personality<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The meaning of blood types in Japan is a way to tell your personality traits, habits, and romantic compatibility. Due to the popularity of blood types in Japan, it is a common topic to talk about. If you want to know someone’s blood type you can ask them:<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span>\u8840\u6db2\u578b\u306f\u4f55\u3067\u3059\u304b
<\/span>ketsuekigata wa nan desu ka?<\/span><\/i>
<\/span>What is your blood type?<\/strong>
<\/span>
<\/span>However, depending on your answer, some people may straight up judge you since some features get a lot of attention while others get completely ignored. Below is a summary of what features are believed to be associated with each blood type.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s worth noting that these stereotypes are not necessarily accurate or scientifically supported<\/strong>, and people with the same blood type can have very different personalities. However, the belief in blood types remains a popular part of Japanese culture and can be a fun way to connect with others.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group A<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People within <\/span>A-gata<\/span><\/i> (A\u578b, Group A) are said to be organized, sensitive, perfectionists, and responsible. They are also believed to be introverted, easily hurt, and dislike when something does not go according to plan.<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span>Group A people are said to be a good match for O and AB, but not B due to conflicting personalities. Matching personalities (A-A) also don\u2019t go well together, it is said.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group B<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

B-gata<\/span><\/i> (B\u578b, Group B) are thought to be independent, free-spirited, creative, and flexible. However, because of their independence, they are also unpredictable and sometimes seen as selfish or irresponsible. Unfortunately, these negative traits sometimes make them a target for <\/span>burahara<\/span><\/i> (\u30d6\u30e9\u30cf\u30e9 blood harassment).<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span>People with Group B blood tend to connect well with O and AB, but not as well with A and B.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group AB<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who are <\/span>AB-gata<\/span><\/i> (AB\u578b, Group AB) are said to have a mix of Type A and B traits. They are often seen as empathetic, calm, and rational, but can also be indecisive and difficult to read. Due to the rarity of AB type blood, and having a mixture of conflicting traits from the A and B groups, they are also said to be eccentric.<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span>Since Group AB is a mixture of both A and B they get along well with both A and B, but don\u2019t work as well with O or AB.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group O<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Those with <\/span>O-gata<\/span><\/i> (O\u578b, Group O) blood are often described as outgoing, confident, and optimistic which makes them great leaders. They are not fazed by setbacks and rarely get emotional. However, they may also be impulsive and lack attention to detail.

Group O people tend to get along well with most people, including themselves. They don\u2019t get along with group AB though.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Find out your blood type in Japan<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you get asked which blood type in Japan you are<\/span> and don\u2019t know the answer, people may actually be surprised because it\u2019s such common knowledge in Japan. It\u2019s kind of like saying you don\u2019t know your own age or which Zodiac sign you belong to.

If you want to find out your blood type in Japan, you can easily do so by visiting the hospital. The cost varies but is usually between \uffe51000 to \uffe53000. If you go to the hospital you can say:

\u8840\u6db2\u578b\u3092\u691c\u67fb\u3057\u305f\u3044\u3093\u3067\u3059\u304c\u3002
<\/span>ketsuekigata o kensa shitain desu ga.<\/span><\/i>
<\/span>I want to examine my blood type<\/strong>

What are your experiences regarding blood types in Japan? Feel free to comment below!<\/span> If you want to learn more about Japanese culture or life in Japan, feel free to follow our blog<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Japan is a country that traditionally loves to give meaning to intangible things. Be it the Rokuy\u014d (\u516d\u66dc, traditional six-day Japanese calendar) which decides your fortune for the day, or the Omikuji (\u304a\u307f\u304f\u3058, fortune slip) which tells you various things about how the coming year is going to be.  Another example of this is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":109768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[400],"tags":[693,671],"class_list":["post-26831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japanese-culture","tag-culture","tag-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26831"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":184119,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26831\/revisions\/184119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}