世論 What Japan Thinks

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Following up on the earlier survey on the Baby Boom generation, this time MacroMill interviewed 515 members of their online monitor group who are part of the Baby Boom generation, that is born between 1947 and 1949. All 515 were male, currently working for public or private employers.

Q4 is quite illuminating, in that almost two-thirds are worried about their financial security. While I suppose it is only natural that people hold concerns about losing all their earning powers, I still feel it seems excessively high. Why people worry would have been an interesting follow-on questions; is it a lack of pension provision, health care costs, NEET children to support, or even just an unwillingness to economise.

I think Q5 would have been more informative if they had also collected the data as a multiple of their final salary, not just a raw figure, as it is difficult to relate to the numbers without this information. Also, I’m not sure where one’s pension comes into the figures – I think even the earnings-related portion is separate from any lump sum.

Research results

Q4: Regarding how much pension plus savings you have, do you think you have enough to live without worry? (Sample size=515)

Have enough to feel secure	1.8%
Perhaps enough to feel secure	10.3%
Can’t say either way	23.4%
Perhaps feel a little uneasy	25.1%
Feel rather uneasy	39.4%

Q5: About how much are you due to receive as a retirement lump sum? (Sample size=515)

Up to 3 million yen	9.7%
3 to 5 million yen	4.5%
5 to 10 million yen	7.8%
10 to 20 million yen	15.7%
20 to 30 million yen	19.4%
30 to 40 million yen	4.9%
40 to 50 million yen	1.4%
Over 50 million yen	0.8%
Nothing at all	14.2%
Don’t know, don’t want to say	21.7%

Q6: About how much do you have in savings, excluding shares and bonds? (Sample size=515)

Up to 3 million yen	17.7%
3 to 5 million yen	10.5%
5 to 10 million yen	14.0%
10 to 20 million yen	14.2%
20 to 30 million yen	9.7%
30 to 40 million yen	4.5%
40 to 50 million yen	1.9%
50 to 60 million yen	1.4%
60 to 70 million yen	0.4%
70 to 80 million yen	0.2%
80 to 90 million yen	0.4%
90 to 100 million yen	0.8%
Over 100 million yen	1.0%
Nothing at all	4.1%
Don’t know, don’t want to say	19.4%

Q7: Regarding your life after retirement, which of the following expectations do you have? (Sample size=515, multiple answer)

Have free time	66.4%
Can leisurely spend time with wife	55.1%
Can indulge in my hobbies	46.4%
Can study non-work related things	27.8%
Can leave behind the responsibilities of work	23.1%
Can spend more time with my family	21.9%
Can increase friends outside of work	21.4%
Can start some new work	16.5%
Other	0.6%
No particular expectations	8.5%

Q8: Regarding your life after retirement, which of the following do you feel uneasy about? (Sample size=515, multiple answer)

Financial worries	71.5%
Health worries	48.9%
Rhythm of life worries	28.7%
Whether or not I can find a new job	20.4%
Having a sense of loss regarding employment	12.6%
Whether or not I can fit into a new workplace	8.9%
Don’t know how to spend my time	8.0%
Other	0.6%
No particular worries	6.6%

Q9: Regarding your life after retirement, which do you feel more, hopes or worries? (Sample size=515)

Hopes are greater	9.3%
Hopes are perhaps greater	37.9%
Worries are perhaps greater	41.2%
Worries are greater	11.7%

Q10: What do you want to do after retirement? (Sample size=515, free, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Domestic travel	72.0%
2	PC, Internet	54.8%
3	Overseas travel	49.5%
4	Exercise for health (jogging, etc)	41.4%
5	Share or bond dealing	35.9%
6	Sports (golf, tenis, hillwalking, etc)	26.6%
7	Gardening	26.6%
8	Allotment vegetable growing	24.7%
9	Volunteer activities	24.1%
10	Reading	23.3%
11	Home renovation	18.6%
12	Cooking	18.4%
13	Environmental activities	17.5%
14	Build new circle of friends	17.3%
15	Live in the country	16.7%
16	Arts (painting, play instrument, etc)	12.2%
17	Move overseas	10.5%
18	Start a business	9.1%
19	English lessons	7.6%
20	Start investing in shares	7.2%

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