Buzz
During the 1980s, Mariko Aoki wrote to Japan’s Hon no Zasshi, also known as Book Magazine, describing a curious phenomenon: every time she stepped into a bookstore, she felt an immediate urge to use the restroom. Her letter appeared in the February 1985 edition, sparking a wave of responses from readers who shared similar experiences. The magazine seized the opportunity, publishing an in-depth article titled “The Phenomenon Currently Shaking the Bookstore Industry!”
Years later, the peculiar effect bookstores have on some people’s digestive systems remains unexplained by medical science. Though not scientifically validated, the phenomenon has attracted significant media attention and public acknowledgment, earning a detailed entry on Wikipedia. Known as the “Mariko Aoki phenomenon,” it honors the woman who bravely voiced what many bookstore visitors silently experience. (Aoki, reportedly, is unbothered by the association.)
Several small-scale studies in Japan indicate that this condition is widespread across the country, affecting women two to four times more often than men. Those who work in bookstores may have developed a resistance to it, and instances involving children are rare. However, without broader research, these patterns remain speculative and lack definitive evidence.
While there’s little scientific evidence to back the theories explaining the Mariko Aoki phenomenon, they remain intriguing to consider. According to News Lagoon, one theory suggests that ink or paper in book production might contain laxative properties, while another posits that our cultural practice of reading on the toilet has trained our bodies to trigger a defecatory response upon opening a book. Additionally, the physical movements of bending and squatting while browsing shelves could stimulate our intestines. Another hypothesis proposes that the overwhelming amount of information in bookstores subconsciously stresses us, prompting a psychosomatic need to relieve ourselves as an escape.
The next time you find yourself queuing for a bookstore restroom, consider sparking a conversation with fellow patrons about the plausibility of these theories.
