世論 What Japan Thinks

Sompo Japan DIY Life Insurance (yes, that is a strange name!) recently released a survey of 500 housewives of salarymen from all around the country regarding the 2005 winter bonus and the family finances, performed over three days at the start of December. The respondents were evenly distributed by age, 125 in each decade of age from their twenties to fifties. Thanks to Mari’s Diary for initially writing about it and bringing it to my attention.

To help explain this survey, there are a few cultural notes that are important. First, Japanese women do tend to run the family budget, giving their husbands a usually rather small pocket money allowance. Next, in Japan most companies have a summer and winter bonus for full-time employees, where the employees usually receive two months salary, plus or minus some amount that reflects company performance, so effectively adding about a third onto the average person’s salary. There is often little or no performance-related element within this bonus. Also, many home loans have low monthly payments plus a twice-yearly bonus element that can be up to 6 months-worth of payments in one go. Finally, note that although it is well-known that one does not tip in Japan, there is an established system of giving those who do things for you gifts of money or other items; for example, even after paying hospital fees, it is quite common to give your surgeon a few hundred thousand yen, in addition to gifts to anyone who came to visit you when in hospital. Perhaps it is this point of view that is responsible for one of my pet hates, game shows being packed with celebrities who almost never give the money to charity, even on big money shows like Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Q1: Compared with last year’s winter bonus, how has it changed (after tax)?

Over 1,000,000 yen increase	0.0%
800,000 yen to 990,000 yen increase	0.0%
500,000 yen to 790,000 yen increase	0.6%
300,000 yen to 490,000 yen increase	2.8%
100,000 yen to 290,000 yen increase	11.4%
10,000 yen to 90,000 yen increase	24.6%
No change	34.6%
10,000 yen to 90,000 yen decrease	12.6%
100,000 yen to 290,000 yen decrease	7.4%
300,000 yen to 490,000 yen decrease	2.2%
500,000 yen to 790,000 yen decrease	0.4%
800,000 yen to 990,000 yen decrease	0.2%
Over 1,000,000 yen decrease	0.6%
No bonus last year	2.6%

Q2: How much was this year’s bonus (after tax)?

Up to 190,000 yen	4.6%
200,000 yen to 290,000 yen	6.2%
300,000 yen to 390,000 yen	11.0%
400,000 yen to 490,000 yen	10.8%
500,000 yen to 590,000 yen	14.4%
600,000 yen to 690,000 yen	11.4%
700,000 yen to 790,000 yen	7.4%
800,000 yen to 890,000 yen	6.0%
900,000 yen to 990,000 yen	3.2%
1,000,000 yen to 1,090,000 yen	11.0%
1,100,000 yen to 1,190,000 yen	2.2%
Over 1,200,000 yen	11.8%

The mean bonus was 695,000 yen.

Q3: Which would you prefer, a winter bonus lump sum or spreading the bonus evenly across 12 months salary?

Bonus lump sum (to SQ1)	86.8%
Spread over 12 months	13.2%

This figure was pretty much consistent across all age groups, husband’s rank and whether they had home loans; only those with bonuses less than 500,000 yen (163 people) had a significantly higher percentage favouring dividing the cash over the year, at 19.6%. Perhaps this reflects the impression that a small bonus doesn’t really feel special?

Q3SQ1: Why do you support the winter bonus system? (Sample size=434, free answer, perhaps)

Reason	Votes
It’s fun	103
If we got it every month we’d end up just spending it all	70
We have a loan to pay back	31
I’m happy getting a special payment	28
I treat it as a special payment	20

Q4: What little indulgences do you use your bonus for? (Sample size=500, free answer, grouped into themes)

Indulgence	Votes
Travel	225
Eating out	95
Shopping	43
Concerts, etc	15
Theme park	13
Hotel stay (local hotel, not travel)	9
Esthetics	7
Date with hubby	3
Putting money aside for emergencies	3
Pocket money for children or parents	2
House cleaning	2

Q5: When you were a child, what little indulgences did your father do for you? (Sample size unclear, free answer, grouped into themes)

Indulgence	Votes
Food (eating out or delivery, etc)	89
Being bought stuff I wanted	28
Getting pocket money	18
Going on travel	16

Q6: Who might you like to give a special bonus to? (Sample size=500, free answer)

Person	Votes
Lazer Ramon HG	50
Myself	24
Husband	22
Ai Miyazato (golf)	18
Naoko Takahashi (marathon)	15
Junichiro Koizumi	15
SMAP	14
My mother	10
Takafumi Horie	8
Hideki Matsui	7
Taizo Sugimura	7
Chiba Lotte Team	7

Q6: How much of a bonus do you think you should get for doing the housework?

Less than 50,000 yen	4.5%
50,000 yen to 90,000 yen	10.4%
100,000 yen to 190,000 yen	28.8%
200,000 yen to 290,000 yen	17.4%
300,000 yen to 390,000 yen	15.6%
400,000 yen to 490,000 yen	1.0%
500,000 yen to 590,000 yen	13.0%
600,000 yen to 690,000 yen	1.2%
700,000 yen to 790,000 yen	0.6%
800,000 yen to 890,000 yen	0.8%
900,000 yen to 990,000 yen	0.2%
1,000,000 yen to 1,090,000 yen	2.3%
1,100,000 yen to 1,190,000 yen	0.0%
Over 1,200,000 yen	0.4%
Not even a single yen	3.4%

Q6: What do you want to give your husband with bonus money? (Sample size=500, free answer)

Gift	Votes
A rest	54
Pocket money	48
Holiday	37
Time to relax	28
Wristwatch	23
Suit	20
My love (affection, not lurve!)	18
Golf clubs, etc	17
Car	16
Eating out, gourmet food	15

Q7: Do you feel the family finances need to be sorted out?

Feel the need	40.0%
Somewhat feel the need	52.4%
Don’t feel the need	7.6%

Naturally, those with higher salaries or bonuses were more likely to feel that the finances didn’t need to be sorted out, but even there over 85% of those on salaries over 10 million yen felt some need to review their savings.

Q8: How much money do you have secreted away from your husband?

Nothing	54.4%
10,000 to 500,000 yen	7.6%
500,000 to 1,000,000 yen	5.8%
1,000,000 to 2,000,000 yen	11.4%
2,000,000 to 3,000,000 yen	7.2%
3,000,000 to 5,000,000 yen	6.4%
5,000,000 to 7,000,000 yen	3.6%
Over 7,000,000 yen	3.6%

Of the 45.6% with something stashed away, the average amount was 2,413,000 yen! For those in their fifties, this went up to 4,022,000 yen, about £20,000 or US$40,000. Even allowing for those 54.4% with nothing put away, the average in hidden bank accounts was 1,100,000 yen.

Q9: How much money do you guess that your husband has secreted away from you?

Nothing	76.0%
10,000 to 500,000 yen	9.4%
500,000 to 1,000,000 yen	2.8%
1,000,000 to 2,000,000 yen	5.8%
2,000,000 to 3,000,000 yen	2.2%
3,000,000 to 5,000,000 yen	1.2%
5,000,000 to 7,000,000 yen	1.6%
Over 7,000,000 yen	1.0%

Q10: This New Year, in total how much did you give to your children, nieces and nephews, parents, etc as Otoshidama?

Nothing	18.0%
10,000 yen	19.8%
20,000 yen	16.8%
30,000 yen	15.0%
40,000 yen	3.2%
50,000 yen	13.8%
60,000 yen to 90,000 yen	3.6%
100,000 yen to 190,000 yen	8.2%
Over 200,000 yen	1.6%

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