Ten percent of people – in Japan at least – get the urge to poop when they visit bookstores. But it wasn’t until a courageous woman stepped up and became the voice of the phenomenon now named after her that they realized they were part of a movement.
Josh and Chuck dive into the bizarre but real Mariko Aoki Phenomenon - the curious urge some people feel to poop when they enter bookstores. Named after a Japanese woman who wrote about her experience in a 1985 magazine letter, this oddly specific phenomenon apparently affects about 10% of the population. The hosts explore various theories behind why bookstores might trigger this biological response, from the gut-brain connection to the smell of books, squatting to browse lower shelves, and even the calming atmosphere of quiet bookstores.
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â—† 1989
"Wasn't there a Seinfeld where George had to go to the bathroom in a Bookstore?" — Chuck
Chuck references a Seinfeld episode where George uses the bathroom in a bookstore while discussing the Mariko Aoki phenomenon.