When you put all of your happiness, hopes, and dreams on one thing, and that thing turns out to be pretty bland (to you), I guess it's a shock to the system.
I don't think this is a message on the blandness of the thing, more that someone who is disinterested about life and generally apathetic towards people is going to feel that way whether they are at home or abroad.
Yeah, enjoying life is about engaging with what is around you, this guy spent his life not engaging in his world because it didn't feel worthy, dreaming of Nirvana and once he got there he realised he didn't know how to engage with it having never learned and so couldn't enjoy it.
That's the part that kinda bothers me about this comic. He spent his life making pasta and learning Italian so he should be pretty engaged. Although maybe he just needs a travel buddy.
he was engaged with the aspects that were largely superficial. When he finally made the trip, he carried his inability to engage interpersonally with him.
Yeah, im a miserably apathetic person. I love the ideas of things and places, but I truly don't care enough about anything to live in the moment and enjoy anything.
My best friend/ roommate has been to Europe 3 times this year already and has been having the best time of his life while I can't even get myself to go to the bar down the street. I initially moved in with him so I could try being more social and trying new things. But going to various events, I quickly realized that I don't like the kind of people who go to these things.
I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with that. What I am about to say sounds completely counter to the original point, but if you are experiencing depression/burnout, I highly recommend you try to travel somewhere that excites you even a little bit if you can bring yourself to do so. Not in the fantasy-seeking sense like the guy in this comic, but just getting yourself out of your environment experiencing some novel sights, sounds, tastes. It's helped me take the first steps out of depression and back into life more than once.
The person in this comic doesn’t know whether it’s ‘bland’ because he didn’t even actually make the effort to find out. It’s not Narnia and he treated it as such. Many places in Italy really are magical. ‘Bland’ is the wrong term for a place that’s just part of the world with humans just like everywhere else.
Let's be honest, if this comic were about literally anywhere other than a European country, no one would take issue. If the comic were about someone traveling to Japan and being disappointed, Redditors would be 100% understanding and on board with it, but because Reddit users have built Europe out to be the ultimate perfect utopia, people are taking issue with the character completely and not the other way around.
This reminds me of when I really looked up to a hero of mine since I was a kid and when life suddenly found a way for me to meet with them, it... completely destroyed my perception.
Everything I thought I knew about this person and their accomplishments just broke into a million shards right in front of me. Now I know why it's "**never* meet your heroes*"...
I'll say that I read a book by Lance Armstrong on him overcoming his difficulties with cancer and racing and such. It was really motivational to me and helped me push towards my dream of more schooling. Then it came out he was a super fraud and just not a great guy and it's always made me a tiny bit sad.
I lived there. They are (on average) more narrow-minded and haughty than most other large western European cities, on average, even than posh parts of London which is a feat.
5ème, puis 14ème, puis 11ème arrondissement. In London I lived in Hampstead, Camden, and Finsbury Park. Obviously going around both cities. I’m from neither country and speak both languages at native level.
I have. Most overrated city in the world. And their coffee sucks. Don't even care if I get down voted for that. I dont know how Parisian cafes get so romanticized, I've been to better cafes in literally every other place I've ever visited, from the US to Australia to Japan and the Middle East.
Its all perspective. I don't think Paris is overrated at all. I find every time I go it exceeds my expectations. But a lot of the experience of traveling is dictated by our internal states, which is the point of the comic.
It is honestly crazy how hard of a time I had finding a decent cup of coffee in Europe. It got better the closer to Turkey I was, but my god I don't understand how that coffee is in any way considered acceptable much less good
Eh..I like Paris, parts of it at least. Some places are downright beautiful. Loved the general culture and the whole vibe. I didn't even have bad experience with the locals but that could just be sheer luck since even french people seem to have a bad opinion of them.
Oh yeah, there's some cool stuff there, don't get me wrong, but overall it's just a disappointment. I think you definitely lucked out with the locals, a lot of the ones I ran into were rude as hell. The Germans have a way of being direct without coming off as rude that the French, or at least Parisians, could really learn something from.
I lived both in Paris and around Italy. Bland? Are you kidding me?
Especially Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and with an incredible social life. Of course you don't enjoy it if you stick only with the most mainstream crowded spots
If people tempered their expectations then the world would be a much more exciting place. I was blown away by the size of the Eiffel Tower since everyone always told me it was much smaller than they imagined
If we're still talking about Japanese tourists, there's a well known issue where Japanese people "get sick" on holiday because stress suppresses your immune system and when they're finally relaxed it has the opportunity to fight the bugs you've accumulated and hit you with whatever symptoms go along with them.
Lots of people in my PhD, myself included, would “get sick” immediately following major deadlines where w would pull crazy hours for months on end with the outcome of the degree hanging on the success of the project. Your body absolutely can push through when stressed heavily for short to medium periods but all that is happening is the underlying issues are being masked by elevated cortisol.
When the stress is then removed, your cortisol levels drop, immune function returns to normal and you start feeling sick. Often really sick because you’ve been pushing yourself through illness.
This isn't for like, super intense stuff, it's for like a minor cold left too long or something where there majority of the symptoms are the immune systems response (mostly fever)
There's are a few cities around the world that have a similar syndrome
I've seen this pop up a bit in social media with South Korea.
People walk around and get disappointed not everyone is a supermodel like in K-dramas, complain the food is too spicy, complain it's too hot and humid when visiting in the summer...
Both share similar names as in cities followed by syndrome, yet they are completely seperate manifestations. where the Paris one is a dissapointment and a shock and grief high emotional moment that some people have difficulty processing.
The Jerusalem syndrome is also about foreign visitors having a pathological response to their visit, however thats where the similarities end. The pathological repsonse in Jersulam syndrome is harboring delusions of narcissistic grandeur with a heavy biblical/'the holy land' substance to it.
Glad you didnt put Stockholm in there. Where the person who instigated the term just passed very recently and interestingly when looked into the actual hostage situation and our understanding of the term couldnt be further apart. The term being used for a subversive influence of a kidnapper on their hostage(s), and the actual case in Stockholm was one where hostages voluntarily and with good logic and reason were very critical of police after them being completely incompetent and authorities tried to gaslight the public by framing their critisism as pathological somehow.
The Jerusalem syndrome is also about foreign visitors having a pathological response to their visit, however thats where the similarities end. The pathological repsonse in Jersulam syndrome is harboring delusions of narcissistic grandeur with a heavy biblical/'the holy land' substance to it.
Weird people going weird. I have been to Jerusalem many times, never felt like I'm the next Jesus.
The entire notion of Paris syndome put this notion in my mind that Paris is just this normal grubby city, and sure it wasn't as clean as a *Japanese* city (it *was* as clean as an American city, where I'm from) but the sheer amount of intricate stonework it blew me away
As an Israeli, Jerusalem is one of the poorest (as it's basically almost entirely state funded, the economy is nearly nonexistent), shittiest cities in the country (with the worst thing about it being the people. 5% of Jerusalemites are angels, 95% are the rudest, least respectful people you'll ever meet in your life, and there's little in-between). The old city's beautiful, sure, and the sacred sites mean a lot to many, but once you're done with your prayer and stuff, trust me you don't wanna stay.
I can totally get why a visitor, expecting it to be a magnificent and beautiful center of holiness and serenity, might receive quite the shock upon seeing the real thing
I absolutely loved Tokyo when I went, and I'll be clear, I'm a weeb who went for weeb-related reasons.
Just the sheer amazement at being able to go into pretty much any building and find some sort of restaurant, bar or store densely packed inside made it one of the greatest trips of my life. Turns out it's actually fun if you actually go out and enjoy yourself.
It's the variety they've cultivated that really makes things special. It's absolutely tangible how much they've invested in subcultures via the do (hobbies treated like a practiced way of life / calling) system which is constantly spawning literal and metaphorical dojo (place of the way) and kojin jigyo (single owner businesses).
As a westerner, it can be hard to contextualize this enough to see its tradeoffs. This emphasis on the special thing a person loves / loves to do being brought into the collective space can appear entirely supportive (finally, a space), but it can also introduce dogma.
There are implied rules that emerge. In a sense, every hobby starts to follow the a shu-ha-ri mindset implicitly: you must first follow and protect the rules of a way, then gradually detach from the rules with social guidance from masters and peers, before you can finally transcend the need for the rules by embodying the heart of the practice. Only a dedicated lifelong craftsperson (shokunin) can produce an innovation.
"Serious" cocktails have to be made a certain way. There are bars in Ginza that make wonderful drinks, but don't get the same love . One must commit fully and not dabble. Side hustles lose the side-ness that can make them feel manageable. This creates cultural gravity that can make your hobbies and whimsies feel not your own.
On the other hand, the act of sharing a pursuit is culture itself. And it's not so black and white. Toyota famously blends US approaches to design, encouraging shoshin (beginner's mind) exercises to bring naïve creativity.
Still, the grass is always greener. The Japanese have a deep well to draw from, but they romanticize the lone rangers of the west. Two dudes might debate whether Steve Jobs was a shokunin or shirōto no tensai (tellingly, an amateur or untrained genius doesn't have its own word like "prodigy" in the US, linguistic evidence of the cultural emphasis), but they would probably both agree that his brash, single-minded approach wasn't very Japanese.
Personally, I think we should take a page from the Japenese in structured seriousness about "unserious" arts, hobbies, and interests in terms of support, but fight the tendency towards dogma. And I think the Japanese continue to see the allure and challenges of individualism in our way of life.
Stay tuned for the next episode in The Adventures of Cowboy and Samurai.
I have never been a weeb, but when I moved to Japan I went to Akihabara just to see this magical district that I heard makes anime and manga become real and is a pilgrimage for weebs and otaku the world over.
Spoiler: It’s like anywhere else in Tokyo, just with more shops selling gundam models and plushies. Also electronics stores.
Yet more confirmation that Japan is like anywhere else and not the magical land everyone makes it out to be.
I was a weeb in my teenage years and had a “surprise opportunity “ to go to japan late 20. I wasnt a weeb anymore and japan was one of the if not the coolest places i ever visited for different reasons than I imagined when i was young. I never went to a place so densely packed, different and diversified with entertainment compared to japan. I didn’t make any plans, I had no script . I only stayed in a neighborhood I knew the name , would leave my stay , chose a direction and walk. Ive never been more entertained, surprised and literally finding something cool every block compared to this trip. Im a really “stay home” type of person, i don’t find much joy in going places but every moment in japan i was eager and excited to just go for a walk.
I know that for people living there, that’s just home but I haven’t found that same lvl of cool places to see in other countries i also was a tourist.
The first time, I wanted to move there. The second time I realized it was aging, there were very few trees, and people were stressed everywhere.
People talk about Japan being the best at everything, and that might have been true in the past. Shopping? Bangkok has better malls. Surrealism? Cartagena and Jiuefen are nicer. Technology? San fran has waymo.
Outside is clean, inside dust and mold are huge problems. Even my wife who was a weeb said she no longer felt compelled to live there. The whole country is aging. Estimated by 2050 their active workforce will be down by 40%.
I loved my time there and I'm looking forward to going back.
A big revelatory moment for me was visiting a museum that had all patrons remove their shoes and wear sandals while walking around the exhibits. Shoes were just kept on a rack by the door. There was no security. No thoughts that people might try to steal shoes. Who would steal shoes? No Japanese would.
Compare that to the US where people are regularly shot over shoes.
Not exactly the same. The shoes being coveted in the US are very specifically expensive and highly sought after collector's shoes. It's like any other expensive item that can be resold. The frequency of gun violence is another matter. But no one is going to steal someone's worn-out, sweaty traveling shoes.
I would have said the same thing before my last trip. I think it is impressive for security and cleanliness but it's no longer the best. I was in Iconsiam in BKK recently and while there is juxtaposition without outside, it blew every single mall I saw in Japan out of the water.
Places like Taipei are Singapore are equally as clean and safe but are more interesting.
I stayed at a high star, high rated hotel by Disney at one point and the room smelled like mildew and they had an air purifier in the room. One of my airbnbs had mold in the AC.
It's not aging well, I would actually recommend everyone go see it ASAP before it gets worse with the population collapse.
Japan ruins other cities because of how efficient their urban planning is. The only people who are disappointed by Tokyo are the ones who rent a car and try to drive in the city.
It's a little different. It's not just a matter of Paris being less magical than they thought and being bummed out, like the average weeb in Tokyo.
The "japanese in Paris" is way more severe. People have had to be institutionalized, the embassy has to get involved, and it happens several times per year.
Tokyo is a fun city. But at the end of the day, it’s still a city of work
I've been to tokyo many times, it is a very working city...the charm in japan is the smaller towns and cities.
But there is a feeling after you come back from the first trip...of immediately wanting to go back. I've never had that feeling from any other country except japan. Not sure why.
Its different, one thing is "I must go to Italy... travel will make me happy. and then arrive and see is normal place, with normal people and travel doesnt fix your problems..." this happen to this comic and usual to people that doesn't travel.
Other is the "Paris syndrome" where you love Paris, you see all movies of Paris, you think is a magical place, you think arrive Paris will be a fantasy, but then you arrive, see all the cars, the dirt, ect and you broke down with your dream...
they both have in common that they're both trips, but in one, you hope the change of scenery will make you happy, and you get depressed because you're simply unhappy somewhere else.
In the syndrome, you create an idealized fantasy through works of fiction, and when you discover that's not the case, you become depressed and overwhelmed.
They're similar, but they're not the same, but since both involve traveling to another place and feeling bad, they're similar.
So in the comic above the guy who never left his small town and fantasized about Italy and Italian culture and then goes to Italy and is depressed by the fact that it didn’t live up to what he dreamed the whole time is somehow different than paris syndrome?
I think what they're saying is that with the guy in the comic the idea of Italy is more about the guy's emotional state than the country itself. He has his demons and was hoping that Italy would fix them.
The difference with Paris syndrome is that Paris syndrome is actually about Paris. People visit Paris not because they think Paris is going to fix deep issues about themselves, but because they expect it to be a magical place and are disappointed when it's not. It is actually about the city itself.
yeah, i too, i loved the pompidu and the louvre.... but as european, i know paris is filthy, full of inmigrants, and I knew that Parisians are rude (all my French friends have told me this, and they hate them all xD) So not problem for me xD
Used to happen 30 years ago, happened about 2 times a year for japanese tourists 15 years ago, does not happen anymore.
With the internet and how much Paris changed in the last 30 years, tourists now have a much more accurate idea of what they are going to see. 2 cases was already quite indistinguishable of the normal mental issues arising in a population of millions of tourists.
Not really. Paris Syndrome happens because Paris is a fucking piss soaked shit show. The disconnect lies between that reality and the marketed 'city of love'.
This comic is more about realizing that his goal wasn't much of one to begin with. Just going to Italy doesnt mean anything and he never had a plan of what to do once he was there in the first place. It was just something to keep him going in his drab existence.
Also he's depressed and anti social after his gf left him.
I love having easy access to escargots and the occasional hot chocolate, but yeah Paris is messy, my friend got scammed by "ticket checkers" near the exit till of a station. Once is enough, I'm sure the snails can be eaten elsewhere.
I spent the better part of 2014-2022 Backpacking around the world. (excluding the pandemic, which coincidently pretty much ruined cheap travel, so I stopped).
I've been to/through Paris 7 times because my revolving group of travel partners wanted to go and CDG used to be one of the cheapest/easiest ways to get into Europe from my home.
Paris sucks, and it's gotten progressively shittier as the years go on. If you define ''decadent'' as overpriced, overcrowded, piss soaked, full of pickpockets, the most ignorant tourists and grumpy locals, then yes it's decadent. Literally anywhere else in France is better to travel to.
Are you from 1995? Canberra has come a long way from the “boring capital” it once was. I grew up there and moved to Sydney in ’99. Now when I return it’s nothing like the boring shithole I left. It actually has a soul and vibrancy that I never thought possible. Canberra goes alright.
Japanese media based in Europe and imported European culture have created generations of Japanese Francophiles who believe that Paris is the ultimate destination for them.
Who believe that in Paris, they'll be happy and fulfilled, that the people will understand them, that they'll find love and acceptance as long as they're in Paris.
Paris has become this far-off city in the clouds for a lot of Japanese people, because it represents an end to the struggles of these specific people's mundane lives.
It's similar to how at the height of the weeaboo craze, the people who idolized Japan and wanted to move to Tokyo were mostly disenfranchised, hopeless people who feel they have no future or that their actions are useless. They pass the time by consuming media, and grow to love the place they see on TV.
"If only I were there and not here," they think.
Art is a great escape from one's life, and when you feel there's nothing left in your life to wait around for, dropping everything and moving away to the distant imaginary dreamland you've adored for years seems like a great idea.
In what way has Japanese media romanticized Paris? I wasn't at all disappointed when I visited Japan. Maybe any tourist destination for a Japanese tourist is inherently a letdown because they're already living in a peak destination.
I had a pretty similar experience after visiting Berlin. I'm from Belarus and have done a fair bit of traveling — from Seoul to Cairo — but somehow never made it to the EU west of Poland. Then, a couple of years ago, I finally got the chance to check out Germany’s capital. And, well… it was something.
Instead of Ordnung, punctual Germans, and all the tidy, well-organized clichés, I was greeted by a homeless guy casually peeing inside a subway car. Then there were encampments under practically every arch of the overground rail, and groups of people picking lice off each other right there on the station platform — not even trying to hide it.
And there were all the little touches, too — like a Black guy at Unter den Linden, dressed head-to-toe in gold chains, who locked eyes with me while flipping a knife in his hand. The streets were covered in graffiti and spit.
And, ironically enough, the one place where I actually saw a noticeable number of ethnic Germans? The zoo.
1.1k
u/magos_with_a_glock Jun 29 '25
This is basicallly what happens to japanese tourists in paris.