世論 What Japan Thinks

Following on from yesterday’s survey where we learnt that the Japanese on the whole will be watching the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ at home, MyVoice also surveyed their community at the start of May to find out what they thought about snacking, perhaps whilst watching the football on the TV. 14,171 people responded to their private internet survey. 46% were male, 22% were in their twenties, 40% in their thirties, 25% in their forties, and 13% in their fifties.

The particular type of snacks considered is おつまみ, otsumami, a word that refers to finger food that is consumed with a drink, usually of an alcoholic variety. When exactly a snack becomes an otsumami is one of these mysteries of the Orient; does a biscuit with a cup of tea count? A large slice of cake doesn’t seem to, but how small does it have to be to become an otsumami? An individually wrapped shop-bought cake slice counts but a home-baked and cut doesn’t? Who knows!

For more information about the drinks that might be consumed whilst snacking at home, please consult my earlier translation of a survey into alcohol at home.

Q1: About how often do you eat snacks? (Sample size=14,171)

Almost every day	12.1%
Three or four times a week	12.2%
Once or twice a week	21.0%
Twice or thrice a month	14.9%
Once a month	7.5%
Less than once a month	8.4%
Almost never	23.8%

Q2: Select the snacks you often eat. (Sample size=10,798, multiple answer)

Snack sweets, biscuits	47.2%
Cheese	45.5%
Edamame	40.2%
Sembei, Okaki, etc	39.6%
Grilled chicken	37.7%
Nuts	36.1%
Salami, sausage, ham, jerky	35.9%
Roasted and shredded squid or other processed fish	35.5%
Fried chicken	35.1%
Potato-based	28.0%
Pickled vegetables	26.6%
Chocolate	26.4%
Other savoury items	23.2%
Vegetables (salad, etc)	20.3%
Cartilage	19.3%
Crackers	9.7%
Dried foods	9.3%
Fruit	5.7%
Combu seaweed	3.2%
Other	5.0%
No answer	0.2%

Q3: Where do you often eat snacks? (Sample size=10,798, multiple answer)

At home	83.7%
Izakaya pub	55.8%
At friends’ houses	13.4%
Karaoke box	8.2%
Bar	6.1%
Snack	5.4%
Restaurant	5.3%
Traditional Japanese restaurant	1.6%
Other	2.8%
No answer	0.7%

Q4: Who do you often eat snacks with? (Sample size=, multiple answer)

Spouse	48.1%
By myself	40.7%
With friends	38.6%
Work colleagues	21.3%
Children	13.9%
Parents	11.6%
Girl/boyfriend	9.7%
Hobby circle, etc	6.7%
Brothers and sisters	6.0%
Other relatives	3.2%
Other	0.9%
No answer	0.4%

Q5: What do you often drink with these snacks? (Sample size=10,798, multiple answer)

Beer	65.8%
Chuhai or sour	41.8%
Happoshu or other beer-like drink	41.6%
Shochu, awamori	28.9%
Wine	23.2%
Sake	19.3%
Cocktail	19.2%
Tea	15.4%
Umeshu	13.1%
Fruit juice	9.4%
Western alcohol	8.6%
Water	3.1%
Other alcohol	2.7%
Other soft drink	4.9%
No answer	0.3%