JAPANESE BLOOD TYPES: and WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT YOUR

PERSONALITY
AN EASY WAY TO FIND YOUR COMPATIBILITY WITH JAPANESE FRIENDS
APRIL 4, 2017 • 3408 WORDS WRITTEN BY KANAE NAKAMINE • ART BY AYA FRANCISCO 

Do you know what blood type you are? What about the blood type of everyone in your
family?

けつえきがた
I do, and I even know the blood type, or ketsuekigata ⾎ 液 型, of all my friends, too. And I'm
not alone. According to a 2016 survey of 3,355 Japanese people, 99% knew their blood type.

Wow! But why all the blood knowledge?

⾎液型（けつえきがた）
BLOOD TYPE
In Japan, blood types are considered an important indicator of a person's personality. It's
known as the "Japanese Blood Type Personality Theory." Though this may seem far-fetched,
a lot of people believe in it. In fact, the aforementioned survey shows 29% of males and 45%
of females believe.

If you're planning on visiting Japan or interacting with Japanese people, read on.
Understanding Japan's obsession with blood types can help you make new friends and t in
with Japanese groups. Plus, you'll nd out where these beliefs came from and why it has
such a hold on the Japanese consciousness.

Japanese Blood Type Personality Theory

Blood Type A
Blood Type O
Blood Type B
Blood Type AB
Blood Type Personality Compatibility
Marriage Success by Blood Type
Blood Type Personality Theory as a Cultural Movement
Blood Type Books
Blood Type Movies
Blood Type Dating Services
Other Blood Type Products
History of the Blood Type Personality Theory in Japan
Burahara: The Social Problem of "Blood Harassment"
Anti-Blood Type Bullying Movements
Japanese Blood Type Personality Theory and You

JAPANESE BLOOD TYPE PERSONALITY THEORY

Japan's interest in blood types comes from the idea that a person's blood helps de ne their
personality. There are personality traits for each blood type. When someone acts a certain
way, Japanese people like to tease, saying, "Of course you'd do that, you're B," and so on. It
facilitates communication and helps people feel more open with one another.

Blood types also help Japanese people decide if they're good match, romantically or
otherwise. Certain blood types pair well and promote better relationships, or so the
thinking goes.

So when a Japanese person asks:

JAPANESE
けつえきがた なに がた
⾎ 液 型、 何 型？

ENGLISH

What blood type are you?

Don't freak out! No one is asking you to donate blood. The question merely expresses
curiosity about you as a person. If you've ever been asked, "What's your sign?" in English, it's
the same idea.
Now for the fun stuff! Want to nd out if your personality matches your blood type? Take a
look at the chart below to nd out. And don't worry if you're positive or negative. That
matters in medical situations, but doesn't affect you here.

Blood Type Ratio in Japan Positive Traits Negative Traits

A 40% Earnest, Neat Stubborn, Anxious

O 30% Easygoing, Leadership Ability Insensitive, Unpunctual

B 20% Passionate, Creative Sel sh, Uncooperative

AB 10% Talented, Composed Eccentric, Two-faced

To get a clearer idea of how these blood type personalities play out, here's a picture from
Twitter that demonstrates it well.

れぃれぃ（ 西へ東へ）
@leilei010101

“@gdgdtoday: ⾎液型の違う家族がみかんの⽪を剥いたところこ
うなりました。クスッとして思わず共感した⽅、そっとRTで教
えて下さると嬉しいです(笑) photozou.jp/photo/show/286…”
違い過ぎ素敵w
6 1:28 PM - Dec 13, 2012

血液型の違う家族がみかんの... - みんなの写真…
血液型の違う家族がみかんの皮を剥いたところこ
うなりました。クスッとして思わず共感した方、
そっとRTで教えて下さると嬉しいです(笑)
photozou.jp

See れぃれぃ（西へ東へ）'s other Tweets

Mikan (Mandarin orange.) were peeled by four family members with different blood types

Mom, A: peeled the orange cleanly.

The picture poster, AB: peeled artistic shapes.
Dad, B: peeled roughly and wrapped it around a used tissue.
Younger brother, O: broke the peel into small pieces and made a mess.

This is just the tip of the iceberg though. Let's dive deep into these giant pools of blood. If
you know your blood type, try and see how well these descriptions match you.
BLOOD TYPE A

Most of the Japanese population is type A. People with this blood type are described
きちょうめん
primarily as kichōmen ⼏ 帳 ⾯, or well-organized. They like to keep things neat but can be
stubborn and get stressed out easily. They also value harmony with others. Agricultural
people are the root of blood type A, and it's been said working collaboratively on farms
developed these blood type personality traits.

⼏帳⾯（きちょうめん）
WELL-ORGANIZED
 Timid Mild-mannered Anxious Earnest

Sensitive Stubborn Intense Reserved

Patient Responsible Fastidious Tense

Tactful Shy Withdrawn Polite

Perfectionist Stressed Conscientious Wary

Kind Diligent Attentive Composed

Reliable Nervous Neat  

BLOOD TYPE O
 らっかんしゅぎ
Blood type O is often described as rakkanshugi 楽 観 主 義, or optimistic. They are outgoing,
have leadership abilities, and are able to set the mood for groups of people. They don't care
much about little things (as you can see from the mikan picture above), so their behavior
sometimes freaks out more sensitive A types. Though they're often late to events (and
sometimes rude), O types are incredibly resilient and exible, enabling them to roll with the
punches.

楽観主義（らっかんしゅぎ）
OPTIMISTIC
 Optimistic Easygoing Leadership Ability Insensitive

Unpunctual Calm Con dent Self-determined

Strong-willed Intuitive Self-centered Cold

Unpredictable Workaholic Outgoing Energetic

Social Flexible Realistic Financially-minded

Resilient Romanticist Cautious Devoted

Peaceful Carefree Impressionable Insecure

Emotional Ambitious Trendsetter Independent

Loyal Athletic Robust Passionate

Agreeable Arrogant Vain Jealous

Ruthless Rude Imitator  

BLOOD TYPE B
 じこちゅう
Blood type B is generally described as jikochū ⾃ ⼰ 中, or sel sh. They are also known for
their creativity. Blood type B has a strong sense of curiosity, but at the same time, loses
interest easily. Though there are a lot of positives to B types, people tend to focus on the
negatives for reasons we'll get into later. Some say their root is in nomadic peoples who
roamed from place to place.

⾃⼰中 （じこちゅう）
SELFISH
 Sel sh Passionate Erratic Wild

Active Uncooperative Creative Strong

Irresponsible Unforgiving Relaxed Freewheeling

Unconventional Unpretentious Pragmatist Flexible

Curious Cheerful Outgoing Adventurous

Indecisive Unpredictable    

BLOOD TYPE AB
Blood type AB is a hybrid of A and B, two different personalities mixed together. They are
often seen as dual-natured and complicated. For example, they are shy like A types, but also
are outgoing like type B. Blood type AB is the rarest in Japan (and many other places in the
world, too), so they are hard to nd. This reinforces the stereotype that AB people are are
か  もの
kawarimono 変わり者, or eccentric.

変わり者（かわりもの）
ECCENTRIC
Talented Composed Rational Artistic

Aloof Cool Two-faced Controlled

Sociable Critical Indecisive Forgetful

Irresponsible Shy Outgoing Trustworthy

Self-centered Sensitive Dream Chaser Spiritual

Calm Mysterious Vulnerable Complicated

Private Creative Eccentric Charming

Impatient Proud Diplomatic Discriminating

Popular Adaptable    

BLOOD TYPE PERSONALITY COMPATIBILITY

You might be wondering which blood types get along with each other. Compatibility can
differ depending on how the stereotypes are interpreted, so let's dig into how relationships
work in the Japanese blood type personality theory.

A × A: These similar personalities generate empathy and affection, but sometimes

create irritation because both people are so intense.

A × O: Type A and Type O have very different personalities (A is sensitive, but O is not).
They cover each other's weaknesses, but the differences may stress them out.

A × B: Type A envies Type B's ability to enjoy things at their own pace. Type B is
uncomfortable with A's doting. The kindness feels intrusive.

A × AB: This combination depends on the individuals. AB is part A and part B. Type A
wouldn't get along with an AB who is too strong on the B side (meaning they're self-
centered). However, they can build a stable relationship, if the person is an A-ish AB.

O × O: Though their honest attitudes can build a frank and open relationship, they tend
to collide with each other when it comes to competition.

O × B: Type O is patient and they can enjoy and support Type B's free wheeling
personality. A good pairing!

O × AB: Type O are straightforward and honest, so they may have a hard time
understanding AB's complexity at rst. But, Type O is resilient and can be supportive,
especially when Type AB is facing adversity.

B × B: This can be the best combination when their preferences and pace t one
another. But if they don't, this pairing could be the worst.

B × AB: Type B likes to take time to do things and Type AB values privacy. These two
naturally respect each other's wishes. They'll have a good relationship as long as they
don't get in each other's way.

AB × AB: Type AB is pretty rare, so two ABs nd a strong connection and affection for
each other. They can understand the other's complex and unique personality more than
anyone else, so the relationship can get intense.

MARRIAGE SUCCESS BY BLOOD TYPE

Blood type relationship pairings don't have to be romantic. But when they are, boy oh boy,
watch out! A marriage consultancy agency in Tokyo called Celebrity gathered statistics of
successful blood type marriages based on their database of professional matches. They
reveal the matches that are the most likely to result in marriage:

1. O Male × A Female
2. A Male × A Female
3. O Male × B Female
4. O Male × O Female
Do you know any couples who t these pairs? If so, you might get a wedding invite pretty
soon. For more details, check out their page about personalities and tendencies for each
blood type.

BLOOD TYPE PERSONALITY THEORY AS A CULTURAL

MOVEMENT

THERE'S A WHOLE HEAP OF BOOKS,

MOVIES, DATING SERVICES,
RESOURCES, AND CHOCOLATE THAT
REVOLVE AROUND THIS OBSESSION
WITH BLOOD TYPES.

As a modern nation rooted in science and technology, you might expect old-fashioned, non-
scienti c beliefs about blood types to get left behind in Japan. Well, you'd be wrong.
Japanese people, especially women, talk about blood type personality theory quite a bit in
their daily lives, and it's one of the most common topics at goukon (Drinking parties for men
and women, speci cally designed so they can meet and assess their relationship potential.),
nomikai (Drinking parties.), and other social gatherings. Some people are so fanatical that
they won't date anyone they're incompatible with blood-wise.
And that's just scratching the surface. There's a whole heap of books, movies, dating
services, resources, and chocolate that revolve around this obsession with blood types.

BLOOD TYPE BOOKS

Source: cookieeeee18
Many people love to read, so naturally there are a lot of blood-type-related books. One of
けつえきがた じぶん せつめいしょ
the most popular is the Your Blood Type Manual Series ⾎ 液 型 ⾃分の 説 明 書シリーズ ,
which calls itself, "instruction manuals for yourself based on your blood type." These books
introduce a bunch of physiological and behavioral characteristics of blood types explained
with a hand drawn art style. The series was a huge success, and total sales of the series
reached nearly 620 million copies. It's so popular that there are even accompanying mobile
apps and DVDs.

But why stop at relationships? Why not let your blood dictate your meals, too? Blood Type
けつえきがた けつえきがた あ 
Diet: Blood Types Have They're Own Diet ⾎ 液 型ダイエット: ⾎ 液 型によって 合う・
あ       た もの
合わない ⾷べ物がある! is a series of books that recommends speci c meal plans based on
your blood type. The author, Fumiyasu Nakashima, is a chiropractor and author of many
health-related books and articles. His blood type diet theory stretches back through history
and ties each blood type to speci c groups of prehistoric people. For example, blood type A
is linked with agricultural people, so their ideal diet is mainly vegetables and rice.

BLOOD TYPE MOVIES

There are also blood-type-themed movies, shows, and anime. Blood types help to
emphasize the characters' personalities. Plus there's a lot of romance tied in with blood
types, so that works perfectly in stories.

けつえきがた べつ けっこん ほうほう

How Women Get Married Based on Their Blood Type ⾎ 液 型 別 オンナが 結 婚 する ⽅ 法 ♪
is a special romance series of four episodes featuring four women with different blood types
— one for each type. It was broadcasted from Feb 23 - 26, 2009 on Fuji TV.
 けつえきがた
Ketsuekigata Kun ⾎ 液 型くん！ is a short anime based on a comic written by "Real Crazy
Man." The story follows eight characters, male and female for each blood type, all voiced by
actors with the corresponding gender and blood type. Every episode features a certain
topic, like love, careers, or day-to-day life, showing the different ways each blood type
reacts to speci c situations.

BLOOD TYPE DATING SERVICES

Many Japanese dating sites encourage you to show your blood type on your pro le, so it
makes perfect sense that there would be dating services that revolve speci cally around that
concept.
 けつえきがた ごう  
Exciting! Blood Type Goukon わくわく ⾎ 液 型 合コン is a dating party service that groups
men and women based on their blood. The site has a lot of testimonials from satis ed
participants who were successfully matched with partners based on blood.

けつえきがた せいかくはんだん
Blood Type Personality Assessment: Atarimasse ⾎ 液 型 性 格 判 断アタリマッセ is a
website that explains each blood type and gives love advice based on the blood of you and
your partner. If you're having relationship trouble, go get a blood test and then check out
this site.

OTHER BLOOD TYPE PRODUCTS

It doesn't stop there. There are tons of different blood type products in Japan.

ABOBA is a series of blood type condoms. You pick the condom based on your partner's
blood type, which helps… you know, blood. This product also includes brief relationship
advice based on your blood pairing.

けつえきがた べつ
Japanese toy brand, BANDAI, makes blood type chocolate ⾎ 液 型 別 オモイアタルくんチョ
コ！, which comes with a little mascot representing a speci c blood type. The package is
covered in humorous words that make jokes about blood type personalities. There are 10
variations for each blood type.

けんけつ
akiba:F 献 ⾎ ルーム is the coolest (i.e. nerdiest) blood donation center, located in Akihabara.
Non-Japanese people can donate blood too, but the service is only offered in Japanese and
there are some restrictions for foreigners, so be advised. You'll get to know your blood type,
while experiencing the Akiba subculture. There's also free wi- , manga, magazines, snacks,
and drinks to enjoy while you wait. Get your nerd blood tested, you nerd.

HISTORY OF THE BLOOD TYPE PERSONALITY THEORY IN

JAPAN
So where did this blood type obsession come from? And why does it have such a strong hold
in Japan? The answer: someone made some casual observations.

In 1927, Psychologist Takeji Furukawa was a teacher at a girls' school attached to a

university. He began to question the school's entrance exam system, which was based solely
on academic ability. He wanted a system that also considered the applicants' personalities.

Based on this idea, he observed 11 people in his family and noted their blood types. There
weren't any AB types in his family, so he lumped them together with A. And voila! From this
incredibly tiny focus group, he wrote his famous thesis titled, "The Study of Temperament
Through Blood Type." Even though Furukawa's theories were denied by academics in 1933,
the theory was too popular to shoot down completely.

After WWII, discussions about the blood typing theory died down for some time. But in the
1970s, a journalist by the name of Masahiko Nomi, who was in uenced by Takeji Furukawa,
published a book about the relationships between blood types and personalities. This book
became a bestseller and helped spread the theory more widely. By the 1980s, the topic was
popping up in media like music, TV shows, and magazines. Furukawa's blood type theory
had nally hit the big time!

FURUKAWA OBSERVED 11 PEOPLE

IN HIS FAMILY AND NOTED THEIR
BLOOD TYPES. THERE WEREN'T ANY
AB TYPES IN HIS FAMILY, SO HE
LUMPED THEM TOGETHER WITH A.

The trend slowed to a crawl in the 2000s because of anti-blood type movements (more on
that later). So even though people's personal thoughts about blood type personalities are
still fairly strong, there's not as much media about it as there used to be.

It's clear that this series of events created a lot (a lot!) of fanatical believers in the blood type
theory in Japan. But, as I've mentioned, there is no scienti c evidence to support any of it.
So, why do people still believe in this stuff? From a psychological standpoint, this blood type
theory has always been a controversial topic. There have been attempts to gure out the
statistical relationship between blood types and personalities, but so far nothing's been
proven. There has been a lot of research on the social phenomenon itself, with much of it
concluding that con rmation bias is the main reason behind people's beliefs.
It's clear that these blood type theories are not real or based on any science. However, there
are times I personally still feel like they are true, especially when I meet people whose
personalities t their blood types so well. But that is most likely just my con rmation bias
taking over.

BURAHARA: THE SOCIAL PROBLEM OF "BLOOD

HARASSMENT"

The blood type theory isn't all romance and fun times. It also caused a huge social problem
known as burahara ブラハラ, short for "blood harassment." The blood type chart from earlier
looks well-balanced, right? Each type has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. But in
the real world some features get a lot of attention while others are totally ignored.

Actually, I've experienced and witnessed burahara in my life quite a bit. My blood type is B,
the most disadvantaged type in Japan. B types are considered to be sel sh and
uncooperative. We're also thought of as creative and passionate, but generally, those good
traits are overshadowed by the more negative ones. When I tell people I'm B, they ignore the
good traits and start making fun of me, saying things like:

JAPANESE

あーそうだよね！わかるわかる！めっちゃBっぽいもん。
 ENGLISH

Oh, I knew it! I can tell you're B, because you're so B-ish.

The implication here is, "Oh, of course you're B! You're sel sh and uncooperative, now that I
think about it."

It's believed that this discrimination comes from the population ratio.

A = 40%
O = 30%
B = 20%
AB = 10%

ONE OF THE BIGGEST ADVOCATES OF

JAPAN'S BLOOD TYPE PERSONALITY
THEORY IS TV SHOWS. SO IN
RECENT YEARS, THESE SHOWS
HAVE BEEN RECEIVING MORE AND
MORE COMPLAINTS.

B is in the minority and, as is the case in a lot of situations, people in the minority are put at
a disadvantage. Though there are fewer AB than B, in my personal experience, B types are
bullied more often than AB, because AB is so rare (at only 10%). People haven't run into
enough AB types to know if they really t the stereotype.

The second most common blood type (O) gets harassed, as well. I've often heard people
asking if someone is O, when they do something forceful or rough, like tear open a bag of
candy. I've rarely seen situations where A, the most common blood type in Japan, gets
picked on for things, but it does happen. For example, if you say things like, "You're not very
A-like," it can be interpreted as, "You're not organized enough to be A," putting them down
for not meeting the positive expectations placed on them.

ANTI-BLOOD TYPE BULLYING MOVEMENTS

It's not all blood type bullying though. Minority blood types (like B) are starting to push
back.
One of the biggest advocates of Japan's blood type personality theory is TV shows. So in
recent years, these shows have been receiving more and more complaints. In 2004, the
Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization sent requests to television
shows, asking that they stop encouraging people to believe personalities are in uenced by
blood types.. This helped reduce broadcasts about blood type theories quite a bit. And this is
why there are fewer programs talking about blood types than there were 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, burahara can be an issue in your career, too. Blood types have been used as
criteria for job recruitment and school entrance exams. Though companies have been
warned by the government to omit questions about blood types in job applications, the
problem might still affect you, if your would-be boss is a big believer in blood stereotyping.
If you get a chance to interview for a Japanese company or have a Japanese boss, remember
you don't have to answer those questions. You can just say that you don't know your blood
type.

JAPANESE BLOOD TYPE PERSONALITY THEORY AND YOU

Whether or not you believe blood types affect personalities, you can still have fun with this
part of Japanese culture. But don't go testing your blood just because you're about to take a
trip to Japan. Try to participate when people bring up your blood type (but don't become an
offensive burahara bully). And try to read the situation if you're teased about your blood
type. Japanese people tend to pick on others as a sign of affection, so if they tease you about
your blood type, it probably means that they want to get to know you. Think of the Japanese
blood type personality theory as a fun way to strike up a conversation and make new
Japanese friends (and nothing more).

SOURCES
⾎液型性格判断アタリマッセ
⾎液型による性格分析と相性占い
こいぴた
恋する.NET
JAPANESE WIKIPEDIA
JAPANESE WIKIPEDIA (ABO式⾎液型)
JAPANESE WIKIPEDIA (古川⽵⼆)
JAPANESE WIKIPEDIA (能⾒正⽐古)
NIFTY NEWS
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NEWER JAPAN  
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