世論 What Japan Thinks

On their phones, I hasten to add. japan.internet.com published this much less interesting than it seems fact as part of its report on a survey by Cross Marketing Inc into the use of paid contents on mobile phones. They interviewed 300 mobile phone users by means of a private internet survey; exactly half of the sample was male, and 20.0% were in their teens, 20.0% in their twenties, 20.0% in their thirties, 20.0% in their forties, and 20.0% in their fifties.

I personally only use the buzzer in manner mode, but my phone is in such a mode all day most days. Ah, I’d better explain that manner mode is a 和製英語, wasei eigo, or Japanese-English expression that means silent mode, turning off all audible ringers. A pet hate of mine is people who leave the keyboard beep on!

Q1: At what volume do you usually set your ring tones to? (Sample size=300)

Maximum volume	17.0%
High volume	18.3%
Medium volume	31.7%
Low volume	14.0%
Silent mode	17.7%
Step-up volume	1.3%
Step-down volume	0.0%

Q2: How do you usually set your button push sound? (Sample size=300)

Always off	74.0%
Sometimes on	7.0%
Usually on	6.7%
Always on	12.3%

Note that most phones have a factory setting of key beep on when not in manner mode. Sadly, they didn’t ask (or didn’t publish the results if they asked) why people kept their key beep setting on – is it ignorance of how to turn it off?

Q3: For incoming calls, how do you set your vibrator mode? (Sample size=300)

Only in manner mode	32.3%
Usually off	11.7%
Usually on	39.3%
Setting depends on where I am	16.7%

I also apologise for the title being a blatant attempt to get hits!