There are people in this world who are afraid of balloons. Irrational fears don’t care about how illogical they are, they just exist.
I think in this case, Japan doesn’t really have circuses the way that the west does. Therefore they don’t have a very large number of people who dress as clowns. So childhood encounters with clowns which could potentially create adult phobias don’t really manifest.
The Japanese have a few unique phobias not found in the west as well. So it’s not as one sided as the article makes out.
I don’t think anyone has made a comprehensive list. The one that was specifically in my mind was their fear of spirits or demons. It’s not anything like western Christian belief, it’s more visceral and ancestral. But hey, here is a list of unique irrational fears from around the world, which includes the one from Japan that you mentioned.
There are people in this world who are afraid of balloons. Irrational fears don’t care about how illogical they are, they just exist.
I think in this case, Japan doesn’t really have circuses the way that the west does. Therefore they don’t have a very large number of people who dress as clowns. So childhood encounters with clowns which could potentially create adult phobias don’t really manifest.
The Japanese have a few unique phobias not found in the west as well. So it’s not as one sided as the article makes out.
Ooh, can you name some unique phobias?
The only one I was able to find is the phobia of embarrassing over displeasing others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijin_kyofusho
I don’t think anyone has made a comprehensive list. The one that was specifically in my mind was their fear of spirits or demons. It’s not anything like western Christian belief, it’s more visceral and ancestral. But hey, here is a list of unique irrational fears from around the world, which includes the one from Japan that you mentioned.
https://listverse.com/2023/12/21/10-bizarre-fears-and-phobias-specific-to-one-culture/