世論 What Japan Thinks

[ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]

Continuing on from part one, the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (that seems to be the official title anyway), conducted a wide-ranging survey regarding the people of Japan’s everyday life. This is rather a large survey, so it will be published in three parts on subsequent days. 6,924 people participated in the poll, conducted by face-to-face interviews in various areas throughout Japan. In this section, the Japanese reveal themselves to be rather materialistic, and even though the first part saw people most worried about their old age, living for today takes priority.

Q7: When you have had free time recently, what sort of activities have you performed? (Multiple answer)

Listening to radio or watching television	55.2%
Enjoying hobbies	40.8%
Leisurely resting	37.6%
Reading newspapers and magazines, etc	34.1%
Spend time with friends	30.0%
Enjoying things as a family group	29.9%
Going shopping	26.6%
Sports and other physical activities	19.0%
Going on trips	18.6%
Using computer or mobile phone to find out information, read mail, etc	16.3%
Absorbing knowledge	7.0%
Community or voluntary work	6.3%
Other	2.0%
Don’t know	0.7%

Q8: Compared with the average household, how does your home life compare?

Well above the norm	0.8%
A little above the norm	8.8%
Average	54.2%
A little below the norm	25.1%
Well below the norm	7.3%
Don’t know	3.7%

Q9: How do you think your home like will change in the future?

Become better	8.4%
Stay pretty much the same	59.4%
Get worse	26.7%
Don’t know	5.5%

Q10: In the future, into what sort of areas of your lifestyle do you particularly want to exert effort? (Multiple answer)

Leisure activities	33.2%
Income or salary	27.7%
Food	25.2%
Savings	24.4%
Self-development	20.4%
Home life	19.5%
Car, electrical goods, furniture and other durable consumer goods	7.7%
Clothing	4.8%
Other	2.6%
Nothing in particular	10.2%
Don’t know	3.1%

Q11: In the future, regarding whether to improve possessions or to improve your heart, which of the following two ways of thinking is closest to yours? (Note there is a distinct possibility that I have translated the following options back to front…)

First high quality possessions, then my heart will become richer, or life will become easier is the order I want to place things.	57.8%
First enrich life, then look at the possessions aspect	28.4%
I can’t say either applies	11.7%
Don’t know	2.0%

Q12: In the future, do you want to put effort into saving for the future or effort into enriching your daily life?

Saving for the future	28.4%
Enriching daily life	54.2%
I can’t say either applies	15.5%
Don’t know	2.0%

[ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]