Delirium, hallucination, dizziness, feeling of persecution, anxiety disorders, sweating… All these symptoms are the result of a phenomenon called “Paris Syndrome”. It would affect tourists, particularly Japanese, disappointed by their stay in Paris which they had idealized too much.
As the Olympic Games approach and the French capital prepares to receive a little more than 15 million visitors (French and international), a rare but very real phenomenon is back at the heart of the news: Paris Syndrome. This disorder, felt by travelers, particularly the Japanese, highlights the excessive idealization of a destination.
A syndrome that would preferentially affect the Japanese
The Japanese maintain a fascination with Paris, perceiving it as a city of captivating beauty, imbued with unparalleled artistic and cultural wealth. This romantic vision is often nourished by idealized representations of the French capital in certain films or series such as “The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain” or “Emily in Paris”. Paris is depicted as a place where elegance, refinement and good taste reign. However, when Japanese travelers arrive in Paris, reality can sometimes shatter these illusions. We then speak of severe culture shock.
According to an article published by psychotherapist and psychoanalyst Rodolphe Oppenheimer, Paris syndrome arises when visitors' expectations do not match the reality they discover. Many Japanese are caught off guard by the challenges faced in the French capital, whether it be problems with public transportation, sometimes neglected streets, or even what they perceive as widespread rudeness on the part of Parisians. .
A very rare phenomenon
Although this syndrome is not officially recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals of Mental Disorders (DSM), it has been observed and documented since the 1980s. It is characterized by various symptoms such as dizziness, anxiety, hallucinations and even heart rhythm disturbances.
The term “Paris syndrome” was first used in 1986 by Japanese psychiatrist Hiroaki Ōta. At the time, he lived in the French capital and worked at the Sainte-Anne hospital center. He notices that Japanese tourists passing through Paris present common symptoms such as anxiety attacks, behavioral problems and hallucinations. In a study published in 2004, he identified around sixty patients suffering from this syndrome since 1988. However, it should be noted that these identified cases very often have a psychiatric history, such as schizophrenia, or psychological disorders.
Paris is not the only city in the world whose name is associated with a syndrome. There is the “Florence syndrome”, also called “Stendhal syndrome”, caused by the overabundance of works of art in the capital of Tuscany. We also speak of “Jerusalem syndrome”, linked to the religious character of the Holy City, or of India, linked, like Paris, to the cultural clash between this country steeped in mysticism and the West.
