世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1] [part 2]

goo Research recently conducted a survey to see what people thought about eating out. 2,195 people from the goo Research monitors answered a private internet survey. 48.6% of the sample was male, 18.1% were teenagers, 17.5% were in their twenties, 19.8% in their thirties, 21.5% in their forties, 17.0% in their fifties, 4.6% in their sixties, and 1.6% seventy years old or older.

For me, lunchtime is usually bread from a local bread shop; we have a subsidised canteen, but I have never got used to slurping, and I dislike the school lunch atmosphere of the place! I would personally define my special meals out as either work parties or, if it is with wifey, going out explicitly to eat and spending more than 2,000 yen each, which would put me in the four to five times a year bracket or so. One nice place for special meals is 梅の花, Ume no Hana, “Plum Blossom”, a posh tofu place. The one in Kobe Motomachi (and that part of Kobe has a lovely collection of old solid stone buildings, rather a rarity in Japan) has excellent views over the harbour and mountains, and the private rooms make for a wonderful date!

Q1: How do use usually eat lunch? (Sample size=2,195)

Eat at home	36.5%
Eat bento made at home	22.9%
Eat bento bought at convenience store	11.9%
Eat at work canteen	11.9%
Eat at restaurant, etc (to SQs)	10.4%
Don’t eat lunch	2.1%
Other	4.5%

Here the bento covers not just a traditional boxed lunch, but any take-out food.

Q1SQ1: How much do you usually spend on lunch? (Sample size=228)

Up to 499 yen	7.9%
500 to 699 yen	26.9%
700 to 999 yen	56.1%
1000 to 1499 yen	9.2%
1500 to 1999 yen	0.0%
Over 2000 yen	0.0%

Q1SQ2: Compared with two years ago, how has the average cost of lunch changed? (Sample size=228)

Become much cheaper	4.0%
Become a little cheaper	11.9%
Not changed	54.4%
Become a little dearer	25.9%
Become much dearer	4.0%

Q2: How do use usually eat dinner? (Sample size=2,195)

Eat at home	89.9%
Eat at restaurant, etc (to SQs)	3.1%
Eat bento bought at convenience store	2.6%
Eat at work canteen	1.6%
Eat bento made at home	1.4%
Don’t eat dinner	0.7%
Other	0.8%

Q2SQ1: How much do you usually spend on dinner? (Sample size=69)

Up to 499 yen	1.5%
500 to 699 yen	14.5%
700 to 999 yen	30.4%
1000 to 1999 yen	42.0%
2000 to 2999 yen	8.7%
Over 3000 yen	2.9%

Q2SQ2: Compared with two years ago, how has the average cost of dinner changed? (Sample size=69)

Become much cheaper	2.9%
Become a little cheaper	14.5%
Not changed	52.0%
Become a little dearer	30.4%
Become much dearer	10.1%

Q3: How often do eat out for standard meals? (Sample size=2,195)

Almost every day	8.3%
About two or three times a week	16.5%
About once a week	21.2%
Few times a month	28.2%
About once a month	14.0%
Almost never	11.7%

This Q3 is for finding out about run-of-the-mill eating out, like grabbing a snack at Starbucks or eating dinner at a ramen stall on the way home from work. Q7 deals with more notable eating experiences; a literal translation of the definition is “Special Eating Out is different from regular eating out, it is eating out at a special scene.” Perhaps this implies more dates or parties, rather than just not feeling like cooking or dropping in somewhere for lunch when out shopping.

Q4: How many favourite restaurants do you have? (Sample size=1,938)

Over thirty places	0.8%
Over ten places	7.8%
Over five places	18.4%
One to four places	49.5%
None	23.5%

[part 1] [part 2]

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