A Not all Japanese think that blood type has a bearing on personality. However, to some extent, a great number of people show some interest. There are probably many non-Japanese who, upon setting foot in Japan, are asked their blood type and go to have their blood type checked for the very first time.

The reason why the Japanese fall for fortune telling by blood type is because Japan has traditionally maintained a patriarchal family system that places importance on bloodline that will be inherited by the family. From the Meiji period (1868-1912) onward, nationalistic influences subjected the Japanese to be under the illusion that they were a racially homogeneous group of people, which further promoted the importance placed on blood.

It is understandable why the theory linking personalities to blood types that was formulated in 1916 was such a big hit in Japan. Blood type was discovered in the late nineteenth century and the theory, based on modern scientific principles, was very convincing.

The fad was later generated in the 1930s and also from the 1970s to the 1980s. There were many other types of fortune telling fads already in existence in the 1970s to the 1980s. Generally, A-type people are said to be nervous, B-type people careless, 0-type people tolerant, and the AB type cool. What is your blood type?