I think that the Japanese may just find this phobia more 'acceptable' than Americans -but don't believe that there are 'few' Americans with a phobia of thunderstorms -that's quite untrue. Actually, brontophobia is a common phobia -I've interviewed two Caucasian adult patients (one was a male) with this phobia during one of my psychiatry electives. Yes, it is more common amongst children (many phobias are in fact since children are 'permitted' to have these fears versus 'sensible adults') but there are many adults that still have a phobia about thunderstorms (to the point of obsessively checking the weather, hiding, seeking out others, etc...)
Just google 'Brontophobia' and 'common' and I'm sure it'll pop up on all sorts of 'top ten phobia' lists. (of course, good 'ole spiders will usually top the list of phobias every time, and that's one that Americans don't mind exploiting -usually as a 'female phobia' too)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-01-17 05:09 am (UTC)Just google 'Brontophobia' and 'common' and I'm sure it'll pop up on all sorts of 'top ten phobia' lists. (of course, good 'ole spiders will usually top the list of phobias every time, and that's one that Americans don't mind exploiting -usually as a 'female phobia' too)