Espace phobo-obsessionnel : le paradigme du taijin kyofusho

Taijin kyofusho, frequent in Japan, is a trouble characterized by fear of offending others by an inappropriate behavior or a physical appearance. We bring out three puzzles that are raised by the clinical elements and the cultural factors involved in this trouble: 1) the anxiety is for other persons and not for the Self; 2) the anxiogenic situations are concerned with a presence of acquaintances and never of complete strangers; 3) those situations are related to the spatialized image of the Self given to the others. To cast light on these puzzles, we use the conceptual framework of representational spaces, which allow to describe the subjective universe that can be displayed from memory. We underline the transcultural value of some aspects of taijin kyofusho.