May the best blood type win

For all college students, young professionals, even athletes in the U.S. hoping that their qualifications will lead to that dream job, be thankful you don't live in Japan. There, your blood type can make all the difference. Employers use it when it comes to hiring or promotions. Dating services use it in making matches.

This piece of esoterica is the focus of a New York Times sports story today about Daisuke Matsuzaka, the star Japanese pitcher who just signed a contract to play for the Boston Red Sox. Of the four blood types - O, A, B and AB - the most preferred in Japan is O, the so-called warrior. People with O are deemed outgoing, self-confident, ambitious, passionate and goal-oriented. They make the best bankers, politicians and, yes, baseball players. Needless to say, Matsuzaka is an O. Yankees fans can bask in knowing their star outfielder, Hideki Matsui, is an O, too.

So pervasive is blood typology that 90 percent of the Japanese know their blood type. You can bet the American percentage doesn't come close. Do you know yours?