Take a plane, dream of cobbled streets in Montmartre, views of the Seine… before finding yourself stuck in the endless corridors of the Châtelet metro. Every year, the disillusionment would be the same. Tourists who fantasize about a postcard Paris would not be able to contain their unease when arriving in the capital. Far from the feeling of escape, the shock of discovery would turn into psychological shock. This illness, which is nicknamed “Paris syndrome”, could lead to disappointment, depression, or even delusional or paranoid outbursts, according to rumors. Interestingly, Japanese tourists would be the most affected by these symptoms. But do these psychological disorders even have a basis?
“We cannot really talk about pathology,” immediately warns Olivia Goto-Gréget, clinical psychologist in Paris. But there is a cluster of several well-documented symptoms, ranging from anxiety to discomfort which can sometimes lead to hallucinations or paranoid ideas…” explains the specialist who follows tourists and expatriates suffering from these symptoms every year. “The Japanese have historically idealized Paris a lot, it’s true, but they are far from being the only ones,” she adds. Why then cite them more than another people? The reasons would firstly be historical.
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