世論 What Japan Thinks

DIMSDRIVE Ranking recently published as part of their 106th ranking survey what award people would like to win. 5,086 people were asked what they thought over five days at the start of December 2006. Note that some of the awards are made-up.

For some reason Japan sticks “-ist” on the end of many of these awards, such as the Best Jeanist mentioned in the headline. Perhaps if Alfred Nobel had been born Japanese, rather than lend his name to those prizes, he might very well have named them “Best Brainist”. Or perhaps not.

In sort-of related news, Tokyo Times covers the recent Best Pearl Dresser award in its own inimitable style.

Q: Given the chance, what award would you like to win? (Sample size=5,086)

Rank	Award	Votes	Current holder (as of January 2007)
1	Best Dresser Award	368	2006: Politics, economy: Takeshi Niinami; Education, culture: Lily Franky; Sports, entertainment: Shizuka Arakawa, Ken Watanabe, Hitomi Kuroki; International: Bobby Valentine
2	Best Jeanist Award	309	2006: Kazuya Kamenashi, Kumi Koda, Shizuka Arakawa, Yumiko Shaku, Hiroshi Nakada
3	Nobel Prize	294	Various
4	Word of the Year Grand Prize	121	Ina Bauer
5	“Effort Prize”	109
6	Akutagawa Prize for Fiction	74	Takami Itou for “Throwing Stuff Away on a Road in August”
7=	“Best Couple”	67
7=	Jewelry Best Dresser	67	2005: Teen: Ayaya Matsuura; 20s: Kyoko Hasegawa; 30s: Yuuki Amami; 40s: Shinobu Otake; 50s: Kumiko Akiyoshi; 60s: Yoko Nogiwa; Men: Shidou Nakamura
9	Naoki Sanjugo Prize for Fiction	62	Keigo Higashino for “The Devotion of Suspect X”
10	Best Glasses Dresser Award	56	2006: Politics: Kouzou Watanabe; Economy: Kunio Takeda; Culture: Rei Nakanishi; Entertainment: Yasuko Mitsuura; Sports: Kouki Kameda; Sunglasses: Katsunori Takahashi; Special Award: Alisa Mizuki

Q: Given the chance, what award would you like to win? (Sample size=5,086, by sex)

Rank	Men N=2,574	Votes	Rank	Women N=2,512	Votes
1	Nobel Prize	245	1	Best Dresser	206
2	Best Dresser	162	2	Best Jeanist	191
3	Best Jeanist	118	3	“Effort Award”	79
4	Word of the Year Award	79	4	Jewelry Best Dresser	64
5	Akutagawa Prize for Fiction	41	5	Best Couple	53
6	Naoki Sanjugo Prize for Fiction	33	6	“Best Mother”	52
7	“Best Father”	32	7	Nobel Prize	49
8=	Academy Award	30	8	“Best Wife”	43
8=	“Effort Award”	30	9	Word of the Year Award	42
8=	People’s Honour Award	30	10	“Best Smile Award”	34

Up to age 49 men would prefer to win a Nobel Prize, but at age fifty or older, the Best Dresser award seems more popular. For women, up to age 39 jeans are favourite, but once over the hill jeans give way to the more general Best Dresser.