Have you ever seen in an anime or dorama someone tell a nervous and anxious person to write the kanji for people (人) on their hands and then say to swallow them? In Japan, nervous children are taught to do this. In this article, we will understand the history behind this belief of swallowing people in the hand.
In Japan, students nervous about a performance are advised by friends to draw the kanji of people (人) 3 times on their palm. Drawing can be done mentally, people must pretend they are swallowing or eating drawing in hand.
Just swipe your finger in the kanji form of (人) three times and then place your hand in front of your mouth. This belief is used to relieve anxiety and nervousness. By doing this you are insinuating that the people drawn in your hand is the cause of your nervousness. By eating them you make them seem irrelevant and unworthy of your anxiety.
Anime like Shokugeki no Souma show a nervous Tadokoro doing the same thing:
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Why write people and eat them?
The name of this popular belief is hito wo nomu (人を飲む) which translated is swallowing people, but metaphorically means dominating someone. This movement is used to oppress the audience and calm oneself. It's like swallowing before being swallowed by nervousness and shyness. Perfect for those who are afraid of the stage and have social anxiety disorder (agarishou - あがり症).
It is not known how this superstition arose. Probably it was a mother who told her son to do this before a school presentation. Until it eventually became common for parents, teachers, and classmates to teach students who are very nervous about some speech, lecture, or talent show at school.
Although the kanji (人) is used both in singular and plural, writing it 3 times refers to a large crowd that is making you nervous. This is strange since just 2 kanji together (人々) already means people or everyone. If you are feeling shy or anxious about just one person, simply write it once.
Does hand swallowing really work?
Does this attitude really help? It can help yes, since there are connections in our hands capable of controlling our feelings and anxiety. In addition, this attitude also works our mind in order to gain confidence and determination. A tension caused by fear, can easily end through this technique, if you believe!
This is what we call the Placebo effect. Many people were calm before performances using this method, which is why it became popular among young people in Japan. Some also claim that the 2 longest lines on our hands come together, thus automatically forming the kanji for hito (人).
Westerners have something similar when they say "Imagine your audience naked!" to someone who is nervous. In Japan, they also suggest imagining the audience, but as pumpkins or potatoes.
The Japanese also have other methods of dealing with stress. See the articles we recommend below:
- Japanese practices and techniques to relieve stress and relax
- Different types of onsen hot springs and their benefits
- Are the Japanese depressed? Is Japan an unhappy nation?
Have you seen this scene in any anime? What do you think about the matter? We appreciate the comments and shares.
