Taijin Kyofusho

Taijin kyofusho (対人恐怖症 taijin kyōfushō, TKS, for taijin kyofusho symptoms), is a Japanese culture-specific syndrome. The term taijin kyofusho literally means the disorder (sho) of fear (kyofu) of interpersonal relations (taijin). Dr. Shoma Morita first described the condition as vicious cycle of self-examination and reproach which can occur in people of hypochondriacal temperament.

Taijin kyofusho is commonly described as a form of social anxiety (social phobia), with the sufferer dreading and avoiding social contact, and as a subtype of shinkeishitsu (anxiety disorder). However, instead of a fear of embarrassing themselves or being harshly judged by others because of their social ineptness, sufferers of taijin kyofusho report a fear of offending or harming other people. The focus is thus on avoiding harm to others rather than to oneself.

In the official Japanese diagnostic system, taijin kyofusho is subdivided into the following categories:

• Sekimen-kyofu, the phobia of blushing (ereuthophobia)
• Shubo-kyofu, the phobia of a deformed body, similar to Body dysmorphic disorder
• Jikoshisen-kyofu, the phobia of eye contact
• Jikoshu-kyofu, the phobia of having foul body odor (osmophobia, bromidrosiphobia)

Taijin kyofusho is not detailed as distinct from social anxiety disorder in the DSM IV. This is under debate, however, as symptoms indicative of taijin kyofusho are sometimes found in patients in the United States.