Ask John: Does Japanese Society Actually Believe Superstitions?

Question:
Is it just me or does the whole “being out in the cold makes you sick” myth seem unusually common and serious in anime? Colds are caused by a virus. Being chilled or wet has very little to do with catching a cold. In America we have old wives tales like chocolate causing zits, gum takes weeks to digest in your stomach, etc. But these are told in a rather tongue-in-cheek fashion and are said to children who don’t know any better.

However, in anime it seems that people take the “cold giving you a cold” myth very seriously. If a character is a little bit wet or a little bit cold it’s always “we must get you warmed up and dry or you will get a fever!” Characters are even depicted as actually getting sick because they didn’t warm up! Perhaps it is being said in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. They don’t really believe it to be true, do they?

Answer:
Average Americans may be surprised by the fact that Japanese society does maintain belief in many traditional, and sometimes illogical superstitions. The idea that being wet or cold causes a cold or even pneumonia is one. Others include the belief that a cold mid-section causes diarrhea; sleeping with one’s head pointed north will bring misfortune or death; the first dream of a new year will come true; breaking a comb or the cloth strap of a “geta” wooden sandal breaking is an omen of misfortune; if you cut your finger- or toenails at night you will not be with your parents when they die; spread salt at a door to prevent evil from entering; answer a telephone call with the phrase “moshi moshi” to ensure that you’re not a shape-shifting fox in human disguise because foxes can’t say “moshi moshi”; stepping on the cloth border of a tatami mat beings bad luck; one can be free of a cold by passing it along to someone else; blood types determine personality.

Some of these myths are obviously superstition. Some of them are logically or scientifically unsound. But the fact that many modern Japanese residents take these beliefs seriously is no different from Americans that avoid walking under ladders or feel ominous about the number 13. These old-fashioned beliefs are an identifying characteristic of Japanese culture. And the traditional respect for old legends isn’t unique to Japan. While Americans may sometimes perceive some of these beliefs as ignorant or counter-productive, these beliefs are routine in Japan. They don’t interfere with daily Japanese life or productivity. In many cases they’re a natural, unconscious part of everyday Japanese life. Likewise, foreigners can probably cite old-fashioned superstitions in American culture which seem illogical or silly. There’s usually some degree of practical purpose behind traditional superstitions. And common myths often find their way into anime because they’re commonly recognized conventions, and because anime works on the literary concept of exaggeration and recognition of conventions.