We’ve heard a lot of bizarre “first-world problems” here at I’m A Useless Info Junkie but, hands down, the most insane one has to be the Paris syndrome.
Here’s what Paris syndrome is.
Japanese people who visit Paris sometimes have to be sent back to Japan because they suffer from extreme shock as they were completely unprepared for the reality of Paris not being the greatest place on Earth! (the article continues after the ad)
Like most places, the image of Paris as presented on Hollywood and your local tourist agency is just a deceptive facade. Yes, it’s lovely, it has wonderful landmarks, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the all those small cute bistros, but, it also faces the same problems as every big city: it’s dirty, crowded, loud and pretty much indifferent with the rest of Europe.
But, even though Japanese can accept the flaws of a city like Rome or London, it’s impossible for them to accept the fact that Paris is not what they anticipated. And when we say that this is a syndrome we don’t mean that Japanese are simply let down: they suffer from hallucinations, dizziness. sweating, acute delusions and panic attacks.
The syndrome was identified at around 2000 and since then hundreds of incidents have been reported each year. For example, in 2006, Japan’s embassy in Paris had to flew back home four visitors who believed that there was a plot against them and their hotel room was bugged.
Previous cases include a man who was convinced he was Louis XIV and a woman who believed she was being attacked with microwaves.
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: This Is How A Japanese Interpreter Made Everyone Burst Into Laughter By Translating Jimmy Carter
Photos: skeeze / Pixabay, japantimes.co.jp
Photoshop: I’m A Useless Info Junkie
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