It runs in the BLOOD

In Japan, you are what you bleed. Blood type is a common way of defining temperament and personality, much like horoscopes in Western countries.

It all started in 1931 in Japan. Furukawa Takeji (1891–1940) proposed that there was a link between blood type and personality after working in the administration department of a high school and observing the temperamental differences between applicants.

Furukawa proposed that we humans are simple beings, only requiring two personality types. His report stated that people of bloodtype A were generally mild tempered and intellectual , while people of blood type B were the opposite, essentially dividing the population into the “good” and the “bad.”

Why so popular in Japan?

38% of Japan's populationis Type A.

Blood type was a contentious issue in the 1920’s and 30’s. The interest in blood types in Japan grew as a reaction against Western racism. Scientists in the west found that type B was common in Asia, but rare in Caucasians. As type B was typical in animals, they argued that Asians were inferior, lower on the evolutionary scale. Japanese scientists were keen to disprove this ludicrous theory, debate continued and it became a popular “ology.”

Masao Ohmura, a professor of personality psychology at Nihon University doesn’t believe that blood type has any bearing on personality. He suggests that the reason for the popularity of blood typology in Japan is because the Japanese are genetically quite a homogeneous race, but don’t want to seem the same. The Japanese population, however, has a fairly even distribution of a number of blood types. Hence, if grouped by blood type, diversity is created, even if it is only the illusion of diversity.

In Europe and America, however, the vast majority of people are type A or O, with only a few type B’s and even fewer AB’s. Therefore, most people would fall into two personality categories, an either/or choice of temperament, possibly explaining why blood typology has not been a big hit overseas in the past.

Interestingly, 90% of the Japanese know their blood type, although whether this is the reason the fad became so popular or a consequence of its popularity is not certain. In contrast, their European and American peers are blissfully unaware of not only their blood type, but also the “blood typology” phenomenon.

Of course, if you are a type AB or O you will probably dismiss all of this blood-analysis out of hand as New Age mumbo jumbo, but the more sensitive type A's or B's may want to discover more…

The Traits

Type O – The Warrior
trendsetter
loyal
passionate
self-confident
independent
ambitious
vain
jealous

Famous O’s
Queen Elizabeth II
John Lennon
Elvis Presley
Liam & Noel Gallagher
Paul Newman

Type A – The Farmer
calm
patient
sensitive
responsible
overcautious
stubborn
unable to relax

Famous A’s
Adolf Hitler
George Bush Senior
Soseki Natsume
Ringo Starr
Britney Spears

Type B – The Hunter
individualist
dislike custom
strong
optimistic
creative
flexible
wild
unpredictable

Famous B’s
Akira Kurosawa
Paul McCartney
Mia Farrow
Leonardo Di Caprio
Jack Nicholson

Type AB – The Humanist
cool
controlled
rational
sociable
popular
critical
sometimes standoffish
indecisive

Famous AB’s
Jackie Chan
Marilyn Monroe
John F Kennedy
Mick Jagger
Alain Prost