YOUNG Japanese going for job interviews face questions about their grades, experience and – their blood type. Many believe that one's blood type determines one's character traits. Now there's a fear that this is causing workplace discrimination. Popular bestsellers describe people with Type-A blood as "perfectionists but over-anxious". B's are "cheerful but eccentric and selfish". O's are "generous but stubborn"; AB's are "arty but unpredictable". Matchmakers, schools and even Japan's Olympic softball team rely on these characterizations. But Shinshu University psychology professor Satoru Kikuchi likens this practice to racism. "It encourages people to judge others by blood types without trying to understand them as human beings," he told the AP.