世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1] [part 2]

DIMSDRIVE recently published the results of a survey into probably the biggest event in the school year (and a minor event in the company calendar), Sports Day. Over a week at the end of September and the start of October they interviewed 6,566 people from their internet monitor group. 60.1% were female, 1.1% in their teens, 16.4% in their twenties, 40.5% in their thirties, 30.6% in their forties, 8.5% in their fifties, and 2.9% aged sixty or older. Since this survey was mainly about their children’s sports day, the additional children-related data was 11.7% had infant-aged children, 13.6% had children in nursery or kindergarten, 9.7% in first or second year of primary (elementary) school (i.e. aged 6 or 7), 9.9% in third or fourth year primary education, 9.8% in fifth or sixth year, 12.9% in middle school, and 14.4% in high school or older. 46.5% had no children at all.

There is in fact a national holiday for sports event, 体育の日, taiiku no hi, Health Sports Day, usually the 10th of October (although this year it was on the 9th, for some reason), celebrating the day the 1964 Tokyo Olympics opened. I’ve once taken part in our company sports evening, which consisted of many childish games, beer, and cheap boxed lunches, all performed with the PA blaring out tunes like Colonel Bogie. Never again!

Q1: Which of the following sports events have you taken part in? (Sample size=6,566, multiple answer)

School Sports Day	84.1%
Local Area Sports Day	47.1%
Company Sports Day	23.7%
Other Sports events	1.5%
Never participated in any (to Q6)	9.3%

The above excludes watching as a parent or guardian.

Q2: Do (did) you like Sports Day? (Sample size=5,955)

Love it	13.8%
Rather like it	33.0%
So-so	23.6%
Rather dislike it	19.2%
Hate it	10.4%

Q3: What Sports Day events do (did) you like? (Sample size=5,955, multiple answer)

Tama ire, throwing balls in a basket	40.5%
Tug-of-war	36.9%
Running	33.8%
Cavalry battle	29.2%
Relay	28.8%
Dance, massed performance	25.1%
Kumitaisou, group gymnastics	22.4%
Ouen kassen, cheering competition	20.9%
Obstacle race	20.1%
Boutaoshi, pushing over a pole	16.8%
Odama korogashi, rolling a big ball	15.3%
Three legged race	14.3%
Karimono kyousou, borrowing things race	13.6%
Pan kui kyousou, bread-eating race	12.9%
Mukade kyousou, centipede race	8.4%
Ball games	6.5%
Suzu-wari, bell-splitting	6.0%
Other	0.8%
None in particular	16.4%

Q4: What is the best month for Sports Day? (Sample size=5,955)

January	0.0%
February	0.0%
March	0.2%
April	0.8%
May	11.8%
June	2.7%
July	0.5%
August	0.1%
September	15.2%
October	64.9%
November	1.2%
December	0.0%
Don’t know, none in particular	2.6%

Q5: What is your most favourite food for Sports Day lunch box? (Sample size=5,955, free answer)

Rank	Food	Votes
1	Onigiri (rice balls)	1615
2	Fried chicken	1523
3	Fried egg	682
4	Inari sushi (rice-filled age-dofu pillows)	458
5	Sushi roll	264
6	Wiener sausage	184
7	Fried shrimp	103
7=	Sandwich	103
9	Octopus-cut wiener sausage	52
10	Sushi	47
11	Hamburger	40
12	Fruit	38
13	Maku no uchi lunch box	37
14	Chestnut rice	33
15	Meat	28

[part 1] [part 2]