Have you ever heard of Paris Syndrome? It's a psychological condition that was first named by the Japanese psychiatrist Hiroaki Ota in the late 1980s while he was working in the French capital.

Ota was encountering an increasing number of Japanese tourists whose mental health had been adversely affected by visiting Paris.

In the most extreme cases this condition could manifest symptoms including an increased heart rate, anxiety, vomiting, and even hallucinations.

To this day, the Japanese embassy in France and even hallucinations.

To this day, the Japanese Embassy in France reports that on average, about 20 Japanese tourists

every year report this strange and distressing experience.

What brings on Paris Syndrome?

Well, it seems to be a combination of things.

The most mundane cause seems to be exhaustion. It's a long trip from Japan to France and the

lack of sleep caused by jet lag can be legitimately disorienting.

This is compounded by a feeling of culture shock.

Perhaps goes without saying that Japanese and French culture are quite different. Importantly, they have two very different

ideas of what is considered polite. I would argue that the stereotype that Parisians

are rude and that French servers are impatient

is actually an unfair exaggeration. But when you consider that in Japan smoking on the street is considered rude?

Well, then you might see how Paris street life might come as a shock to uninitiated Japanese.

But the most significant cause of Paris Syndrome

is an overwhelming feeling of disappointment.

Paris has a romantic reputation the world over,

but this seems to be especially acute in Japan.

There, the French capital is presented as being the home of all things

fashionable refined and delicious. In Japanese media Paris can be idealized as the home of everything that is assumed to be good

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