[1]. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Vol 46.No.6 pp525-530, Elsevier Science Inc. Understanding Taijin Kyofusho Through its Treatment, Morita Therapy, F. Maeda and Jeffrey H. Nathan (1999) Accessed on June 19,2012.

[2]. The Place of Culture in Psychiatric Nosology Taijin and DSM-III-R. Kirmayer, Laurence J.. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkens. Journal of Mental Diseases (1991). Accessed on June 19, 2012.

[3]. Taijin Kyofusho: A Culture-Bound Syndrome. Dustin Saunders edited by M williams Ph.D..(2012) Accessed on June 19,2012.

(http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=176343).The American Journal of Psychiatry.Vol. 160, No. "Is Taijin Kyofusho a Culture-Bound Syndrome?".KATSUAKI SUZUKI, M.D., Ph.D.; NORI TAKEI, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc.; MASAYOSHI KAWAI, M.D.; YOSHIO MINABE, M.D., Ph.D.; NORIO MORI, M.D., Ph.D. (2003). Accessed on June 25, 2012. (Added By Kellye Green)

http://www.brainphysics.com/taijin-kyofusho.php (added by Mike Wightman). Taijin kyofusho (Japan) A feeling of intense anxiety centered around the dread of hurting or offending others. Taijin kyofusho is divided into four categories: sekimen-kyofu (phobia of blushing), shubo-kyofu (phobia of a deformed body), jikoshisen-kyofu (phobia of eye-to-eye contact), and jikoshu-kyofu (phobia of a foul body odor). <according to DSM IV> rjg42.tripod.com/culturebound_syndromes.htm

The term Taijin Kyofusho means disorder of fear of interpersonal relationships. The criteria to be considered Taijin Kyofusho is: feeling inadequate in social situations, feelings of shame, embarassment,anxiety, and fear, feeling unaccepted despised and avoided, avoids painful social and interpersonal relations. The person believes they have a deformity, eye to eye contact issues,extreme body odor or a repulsive appearance.They believe they give others unpleasant feelings because of defect in themselves. They also believe that others always avoid them due to defect and unpleasant feelings they invoke in others. Taijin kyofusho in essence is an obsession of shame and anxiety.(Maeda and Nathan)

Japanese culture promotes an environment for social phobia like Taijin Kyofusho. Japanese parents raise their children to be aware and responcible for others feelings. Improper conduct reflects on the whole family. In contrast to the United States, eye contact in the Japanese culture is viewed as rude or aggressive.(Kirmayer)

Taijin Kyofusho affects 10-20% of the Japanese Population and more males than females. Treatments include relaxation techniques, desensitization, cognitive work and Morita therapy some also use anti-depressants combined with treatment.(Dustin Saunders)

TKS is believed to emerge out of a childhood history of social inhibition and shyness. The disorder may abruptly follow a stressful or humiliating experience or its onset could be more subtle in nature with the lifetime course of the disorder usually existing on a continuum.

There has been some dissension about whether Taijin kyofusho is a culture bound syndrome for the subtypes and whether those subtypes are actually specific to Japanese culture.The American Journal of Psychiatry.(KATSUAKI SUZUKI M.D.)