世論 What Japan Thinks

The average Japanese home often has little of a garden, as with land both scarce and expensive there is little incentive to waste it on such frivolaties as grass; indeed I saw a television advertisement recently for a building company whose USP (Unique Selling Point) was that they could squeeze your new home in with as little as 15 centimetres of clearance from the next house! So, with that in mind let’s look at a survey counducted by DIMSDRIVE Research on a subject that’s close to my heart, that of gardening.

Demographics

Between the 4th and 12th of April 2007 5,949 members of DIMSDRIVE Research’s internet monitor panel completed a private survey. 53.6% of the sample was female, 0.9% in their teens, 14.2% in their twenties, 33.3% in their thirties, 31.0% in their forties, 14.2% in their fifties, and 6.4% aged sixty or older. 47.9% lived in thieir own (or their family’s, etc) home, 17.1% in a purchased flat or apartment, 3.9% in a rented house, and 28.3% in a rented apartment. 2.8% lived in other types of accomodation.

I love my gardening, although I don’t get to do it as much as I would like. Due to the rules where we live, we are not allowed to plant anything bar grass in the ground, so everything gets placed in plant pots. We have a number of fruit trees in various stages of death/insect infestation/general malaise, some very nice roses, assorted flowers and shrubbery, and chives and mint for home cooking.

Research results

Q1: At your home, do you keep a garden? (Sample size=5,949)

Yes, currently (to Q2)	40.3%
Used to, but not now (to Q11)	17.6%
Never (to Q11)	41.3%
Don’t know (to Q11)	0.8%

By age, the older people were the more likely they were to have a garden, from just 15.1% of teenagers to 69.6% of the over sixties. Home owners were the most likely to keep a garden, followed by those in rented homes.

Q2: At your home, do you yourself do gardening? (Sample size=2,397)

Yes	80.5%
No	19.5%

Women were slightly more likely to do gardening themselves, 83.4% versus 76.8%.

Q3: At your home, where you keep a garden? (Sample size=2,397, multiple answer)

Garden	65.3%
Veranda, balcony	36.5%
Approach to front door	31.6%
Window box	9.2%
Terrace, deck	5.3%
Roof	1.8%
Other	2.1%
Don’t know	0.1%

Q4: What sort of plants do you keep? (Sample size=2,397, multiple answer)

Flowers	86.0%
Trees, flowering bushes	53.5%
Decorative plants	38.4%
Herbs	34.8%
Vegetables	32.8%
Fruits	25.1%
Thick-leaved plants (aloe, cactus, etc)	24.9%
Grass, moss, ivy	15.9%
Mountain plants	10.5%
Tropical plants	9.1%
Other	1.1%
Don’t know	0.5%

Q5: About how often do you yourself do gardening? (Sample size=1,930)

Almost every day	17.4%
Three of four times a week	21.5%
Once or twice a week	35.8%
Once every two or three weeks	12.6%
Once a month	7,2%
Once every two or three months	2.5%
Less than that	1.1%
Don’t know	0.6%
Not currently helping with gardening	1.3%

Q6: Why do you do gardening at home? (Sample size=1,930, multiple answer)

Nice to have plants	61.0%
Like plants, flowers	60.5%
To enjoy the passing seasons	56.3%
Healing	53.0%
To create an atmosphere at home	36.5%
To eat	33.9%
Enjoy looking after them	30.7%
I wanted a hobby	11.4%
Received plants or seeds	9.7%
Want to show to visitors or neighbours	8.3%
For children or pet	7.8%
Had the free time (retired, children left home, etc)	7.7%
Neighbours were doing it	3.7%
Friends were doing it	2.3%
Awareness of Feng Shui	1.7%
Other	1.5%
No particular reason, don’t know	2.1%

Q7: How much are you into your gardening at home? (Sample size=1,930)

Very much into it	8.6%
Quite into it	36.1%
Just a little into it	37.0%
Not into it	18.3%

Q8: Where do you buy your home gardening supplies? (Sample size=1,930, multiple answer)

Home centre, DIY store	81.3%
Garden centre, nursery	50.4%
Flower shop	20.2%
Discount store	19.9%
Supermarket	15.5%
Internet	10.0%
Co-operative	8.6%
Farm co-operative	6.0%
Other	2.8%
Don’t know	0.7%
Don’t buy	1.6%

Q9: From where do you obtain gardening information? (Sample size=1,930, multiple answer)

Internet	44.6%
Home centre, DIY store	43.4%
Flower shop, garden centre	29.7%
Television	27.5%
Gardening magazine	26.7%
Friends	20.2%
Newspaper	19.4%
Other magazine	9.4%
Gardening classes	2.3%
Other	1.9%
Don’t know, don’t get information	10.9%

Q10: Why don’t you keep a garden at home? (Sample size=2,460, multiple answer)

No place to do gardening	39.3%
It’s a bother	36.9%
Seems difficult to do	34.0%
Would attract bugs, dislike bugs	26.5%
No time for gardening	25.6%
Everying would just go and die on me	25.1%
Takes money	17.0%
I’d soon get bored of it	14.5%
Don’t like plants or flowers	9.1%
Do gardening somewhere other than at home	0.3%
Other	3.8%
No particular reason, don’t know	13.7%

Q11: In the future, would you like to keep a garden at home? (Sample size=3,552, multiple answer)

Really want to	8.4%
Want to a little	47.2%
Don’t think I want to	34.9%
Don’t know	9.5%