世論 What Japan Thinks

One thing I feel is very different since coming to Japan is that the insect population is totally different from at home; there we had bees, flies and bluebottles, caterpillars and midges; in our garden now we have praying mantises, crickets, cicidas, big dragonflies, stink bugs, asian tiger mosquitoes(vicious wee black things that bring me out in big allergic bumps) and of course the occasional cockroach, although those do not last long. To find out what the Japanese think of all these various creepie-crawlies, MyVoice conducted a survey on insects.

Demographics

Over the first five days of September 2007 13,734 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 18% in their twenties, 39% in their thirties, 27% in their forties, and 14% in their fifties.

In Q7, I wonder if most westerns are suprised that the Japanese see themselves as ants much more than as bees. Perhaps this is because the word for bee, hachi, covers (I thinks…) not just the honey bee, but wasps and hornets too.

I’ve never actually seen a firefly myself; the closest I come is passing through 蛍池, Hotaru Ga Ike, Firefly Pond, every day, but whatever water-based insect feature that may have been there in the past has, I suspect, long ago been concreted over.

Research results

Q1: Are you interested in insects? (Sample size=13,734)

Interested	5.0%
A little interested	13.9%
Can’t say either way	16.3%
Not really interested	24.7%
Not interested at all	40.0%

Q2: Which of the following insect-related activities, behaviours have you done? (Sample size=13,734, multiple answer)

Kill all harmful insects in the house	23.2%
Looked up information on insects in books, on internet	9.5%
Have book on insects	7.3%
Have tools for capturing insect	6.8%
Watch many insect-related programs on television	6.7%
Keep insects	5.9%
Gone insect capturing	5.7%
Like looking at insects	5.5%
Gone to an insect museum	3.2%
Bought insects	1.8%
Bought goods with insect motifs	1.3%
Battled insects, played with insects	0.9%
Played a video game with an insect motif	0.8%
Have insect specimens	0.7%
Other	3.7%
Nothing in particular	52.7%
No answer	0.5%

Q3: What is your most favourite insect? (Sample size=13,734)

日本語	English	Percentage
ホタル、蛍	Hotaru, firefly	15.9%
カブトムシ	Kabutomushi, rhinoceros beetle	10.7%
クワガタムシ	Kuwagatamushi, stag beetle	8.4%
蝶、チョウ	Chou, butterfly	4.6%
トンボ	Tonbo, dragonfly	4.2%
テントウムシ	Tentomushi, ladybird/ladybug	3.3%
スズムシ	Suzumushi, bell cricket	3.1%
カマキリ	Kamakiri, praying mantis	1.4%
セミ	Semi, cicada	0.9%
アリ	Ari, ant	0.9%
コオロギ	Koorogi, cricket	0.7%
タマムシ	Tamamushi, jewel beetle	0.6%
バッタ	Batta, grasshopper; locust	0.5%
カナブン	Kanabun, drone beetle	0.3%
キリギリス	Kirigirisu, katydid	0.3%
ハチ	Hachi, bee, wasp, hornet	0.2%
ゲンゴロウ	Gengorou, diving beetle	0.2%
カゲロウ	Kagerou, mayfly	0.1%
コガネムシ	Koganemushi, scarabaeid beetle	0.1%
ナナフシ	Nanafushi, stick insect	0.1%
ゴキブリ	Gokiburi, cockroach	0.1%
ガ	Ga, moth	0.1%
カメムシ	Kamemushi, stink-bug	0.0%
ハイ	Hai, fly	0.0%
ハサミムシ	Hasamimushi, earwig	0.0%
	Other	0.6%
	Don’t like any insects (to Q5)	42.3%

Q4: Why do you like that insect? (Sample size=those with a favourite insect, multiple answer)

Healing	27.5%
Feelings of the seasons	27.4%
Cool	24.2%
Nice colours	23.7%
Seem strong	14.7%
Cute	14.4%
Nice shape	13.1%
Nice way of moving	8.8%
Just because	7.9%
Like their calls, noises	7.3%
Just the right size	4.7%
Easy to keep	3.6%
Good names	2.7%
Profitable	1.7%
Can make money	0.4%
Other	3.3%
No answer	0.9%

Q5: What is your most disliked insect? (Sample size=13,734)

日本語	English	Percentage
ゴキブリ	Gokiburi, cockroach	62.4%
ガ	Ga, moth	10.3%
ハチ	Hachi, bee, wasp, hornet	5.8%
ハイ	Hai, fly	4.4%
カメムシ	Kamemushi, stink-bug	4.0%
アリ	Ari, ant	1.0%
カマキリ	Kamakiri, praying mantis	0.8%
セミ	Semi, cicida	0.6%
蝶、チョウ	Chou, butterfly	0.2%
コオロギ	Koorogi, cricket	0.2%
カナブン	Kanabun, drone beetle	0.2%
ナナフシ	Nanafushi, stick insect	0.2%
ハサミムシ	Hasamimushi, earwig	0.2%
カブトムシ	Kabutomushi, rhinoceros beetle	0.2%
バッタ	Batta, grasshopper; locust	0.2%
コガネムシ	Koganemushi, scarabaeid beetle	0.1%
タマムシ	Tamamushi, jewel beetle	0.1%
トンボ	Tonbo, dragonfly	0.1%
クワガタムシ	Kuwagatamushi, stag beetle	0.1%
ゲンゴロウ	Gengorou, diving beetle	0.1%
カゲロウ	Kagerou, mayfly	0.1%
テントウムシ	Tentomushi, ladybird/ladybug	0.1%
キリギリス	Kirigirisu, katydid	0.0%
スズムシ	Suzumushi, bell cricket	0.0%
ホタル、蛍	Hotaru, firefly	0.0%
	Other	3.8%
	None	4.2%
	No answer	0.7%

Q6: Which insects would you feel lonely without? (Sample size=13,734, multiple answer)

日本語	English	Percentage
ホタル、蛍	Hotaru, firefly	54.1%
トンボ	Tonbo, dragonfly	43.9%
スズムシ	Suzumushi, bell cricket	41.5%
セミ	Semi, cicada	40.8%
蝶、チョウ	Chou, butterfly	40.8%
カブトムシ	Kabutomushi, rhinoceros beetle	37.9%
コオロギ	Koorogi, cricket	33.3%
クワガタムシ	Kuwagatamushi, stag beetle	33.1%
テントウムシ	Tentomushi, ladybird/ladybug	32.6%
キリギリス	Kirigirisu, katydid	23.0%
バッタ	Batta, grasshopper; locust	22.2%
カマキリ	Kamakiri, praying mantis	21.3%
アリ	Ari, ant	20.9%
ゲンゴロウ	Gengorou, diving beetle	14.4%
ハチ	Hachi, bee, wasp, hornet	12.2%
コガネムシ	Koganemushi, scarabaeid beetle	12.1%
タマムシ	Tamamushi, jewel beetle	11.4%
カナブン	Kanabun, drone beetle	10.1%
カゲロウ	Kagerou, mayfly	8.9%
ナナフシ	Nanafushi, stick insect	7.4%
ガ	Ga, moth	5.6%
ゴキブリ	Gokiburi, cockroach	5.5%
ハサミムシ	Hasamimushi, earwig	5.3%
カメムシ	Kamemushi, stink-bug	4.9%
ハイ	Hai, fly	4.5%
	Other	3.0%
	None of them	19.2%
	No answer	0.6%

Q7: What insect is closest to the image your own self-image? (Sample size=13,734)

日本語	English	Percentage
アリ	Ari, ant	9.0%
テントウムシ	Tentomushi, ladybird/ladybug	4.6%
トンボ	Tonbo, dragonfly	4.3%
キリギリス	Kirigirisu, katydid	3.6%
ホタル、蛍	Hotaru, firefly	3.4%
蝶、チョウ	Chou, butterfly	2.8%
カブトムシ	Kabutomushi, rhinoceros beetle	2.4%
カマキリ	Kamakiri, praying mantis	1.8%
クワガタムシ	Kuwagatamushi, stag beetle	1.8%
スズムシ	Suzumushi, bell cricket	1.7%
セミ	Semi, cicada	1.7%
ハチ	Hachi, bee, wasp, hornet	1.5%
カナブン	Kanabun, drone beetle	1.4%
コオロギ	Koorogi, cricket	1.4%
バッタ	Batta, grasshopper; locust	1.3%
ゲンゴロウ	Gengorou, diving beetle	0.8%
コガネムシ	Koganemushi, scarabaeid beetle	0.7%
タマムシ	Tamamushi, jewel beetle	0.7%
カゲロウ	Kagerou, mayfly	0.6%
ゴキブリ	Gokiburi, cockroach	0.6%
ナナフシ	Nanafushi, stick insect	0.5%
カメムシ	Kamemushi, stink-bug	0.3%
ガ	Ga, moth	0.3%
ハイ	Hai, fly	0.2%
ハサミムシ	Hasamimushi, earwig	0.1%
	Other	0.6%
	None of them	51.2%
	No answer	0.5%

There was sample reasons why people chose the various answers. The cockroach ones were fun: from a 42 year old man: “Wife says I’m as repulsive as a cockroach. She’s not spraying me with insecticide at the moment but…” and from a 56 year old woman: “Because I scuttle about the kitchen. No-one’s beating me with a slipper, but…”