Paris syndrome, myth or reality?

Japanese tourists so disappointed with their trip to Paris that they fell into serious depression. This is the principle of Paris syndrome. A disorder that we talk about a lot on social networks and in the media. The Paris syndrome, that of the disillusionment of a French capital far from the Paris we imagined. Parisians themselves have heard about it: “When we have an image of Paris, it’s not quite the same thing as in the films”. So what does the science say? In reality, it all started with one man, the Japanese psychiatrist attached to Sainte-Anne hospital in the 1980s, Hiroaki Ota. He first published a book on the issue, then a study. Among his Japanese patients passing through the capital, the psychiatrist notices anxiety attacks, even behavioral disorders and delusional attitudes.

An urban legend

In addition to this disappointment, tourists would suffer from the cultural difference with France. But Doctor Ota provides a clarification: patients affected by this syndrome often have a psychiatric history, such as schizophrenia. In the establishment where he practiced, his syndrome is known and highly questioned. The Japanese embassy, ​​which we contacted, does not recognize the existence of this syndrome specific to Paris either. Paris syndrome is therefore very present on social networks and in the media, but its existence has never been demonstrated. An urban legend that has lasted for 40 years.