世論 What Japan Thinks

I too would love an extra hour in bed at weekdays, but unfortunately one extra hour then would mean both a crowded train and extra overtime, so it’s at 5:30 am I must wake on weekdays. Recently MyVoice conducted a survey to find out how the Japanese feel about the matter, looking at the topic of mornings.

Demographics

Over the first five days of September 2007 13,641 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private internet survey. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 40% in their thirties, 27% in their forties, and 15% aged fifty or older.

In Q2SQ and Q4, only 1.8% and 2.1% selected doing the other if they had time in the mornings, which no doubt goes some way to explaining the low birth rate in Japan…

Research results

Q1: An average workday morning for you is from when to when? (Sample size=13,641, multiple answer)

1 am to 2 am	0.3%
2 am to 3 am	0.3%
3 am to 4 am	0.5%
4 am to 5 am	4.7%
5 am to 6 am	24.3%
6 am to 7 am	63.1%
7 am to 8 am	76.2%
8 am to 9 am	67.0%
9 am to 10 am	47.4%
10 am to 11 am	29.6%
11 am to noon	10.9%
Noon to 1 pm	1.2%
1 pm to 2 pm	0.1%
2 pm to 3 pm	0.1%
3 pm to 4 pm	0.1%
4 pm to 5 pm	0.1%
5 pm to 6 pm	0.1%
6 pm to 7 pm	0.1%
7 pm to 8 pm	0.0%
8 pm to 9 pm	0.1%
9 pm to 10 pm	0.0%
10 pm to 11 pm	0.0%
11 pm to midnight	0.0%
Midnight to 1 am	0.0%
Don’t have a time I could call “morning”	0.6%
No answer	0.1%

Note that it is not clear if commuting time is counted as “mornings” or not, although I suspect it was not. How housewives measured the morning is also unclear. Also note that if one woke up at 5:30 am then left the house at 7:30 am one would select all three time options, 5 am to 6 am, 6 am to 7 am, and 7 am to 8 am.

Q2: How much more time would you like for workday mornings? (Sample size=13,641)

10 minutes more (to SQ)	2.0%
20 minutes more (to SQ)	5.8%
30 minutes more (to SQ)	24.1%
40 minutes more (to SQ)	3.3%
50 minutes more (to SQ)	1.1%
1 hour more (to SQ)	11.0%
More than 1 hour (to SQ)	15.6%
Have enough time in the mornings	31.5%
Don’t know	5.5%

Q2SQ: What have you given up due to lack of time in workday mornings? (Sample size=those who want more time, multiple answer)

Reading the newspaper	33.3%
Sleeping a little more	32.4%
Watching television	23.2%
Breakfast	23.2%
Just lazing around	19.9%
Internet surfing	19.7%
Cleaning, washing	14.4%
Drinking coffee, tea	11.2%
Making a bento lunch box	8.2%
Updating blog, checking mail, SNS	8.2%
Cooking	8.1%
Doing hobbies	7.7%
Reading books	7.3%
Make-up	6.8%
Jogging, walking	6.3%
Listening to radio, music	5.4%
Taking bath, shower	5.4%
Skin care	4.9%
Studying	4.5%
Exercises	4.2%
Stretching, yoga	3.8%
Gardening	2.6%
Playing computer games	2.3%
Going to cafe, restaurant	2.0%
Going to the gym	1.0%
Work	1.0%
Going to morning market	0.9%
Doing golf, other sports	0.6%
Going fishing	0.5%
Driving, touring	0.4%
Other	1.8%
Nothing in particular	6.9%
No answer	0.7%

Q3: An average day off morning for you is from when to when? (Sample size=13,641, multiple answer)

1 am to 2 am	0.3%
2 am to 3 am	0.2%
3 am to 4 am	0.5%
4 am to 5 am	2.9%
5 am to 6 am	10.3%
6 am to 7 am	27.5%
7 am to 8 am	50.4%
8 am to 9 am	68.7%
9 am to 10 am	70.5%
10 am to 11 am	56.7%
11 am to noon	26.4%
Noon to 1 pm	5.2%
1 pm to 2 pm	0.9%
2 pm to 3 pm	0.4%
3 pm to 4 pm	0.1%
4 pm to 5 pm	0.1%
5 pm to 6 pm	0.1%
6 pm to 7 pm	0.1%
7 pm to 8 pm	0.1%
8 pm to 9 pm	0.1%
9 pm to 10 pm	0.0%
10 pm to 11 pm	0.0%
11 pm to midnight	0.0%
Midnight to 1 am	0.0%
Don’t have a time I could call “morning”	1.1%
No answer	0.1%

Q4: What do you want to do on mornings when you don’t have work? (Sample size=13,641, multiple answer)

Sleep a little more	38.4%
Watch television	37.2%
Read the newspaper	31.9%
Surf the internet	30.4%
Breakfast	29.9%
Just laze around	28.7%
Drink coffee, tea	22.8%
Clean, wash	21.3%
Do hobbies	17.9%
Update blog, check mail, SNS	11.9%
Read books	11.4%
Listen to radio, music	10.3%
Jog, walk	9.1%
Take bath, shower	7.7%
Cook	7.3%
Go to cafe, restaurant	6.9%
Garden	5.4%
Play computer games	5.3%
Skin care	4.9%
Stretching, yoga	4.7%
Make-up	4.5%
Study	4.3%
Exercise	3.7%
Go to morning market	3.4%
Drive, tour	2.9%
Go to the gym	2.8%
Do golf, other sports	2.3%
Go fishing	1.9%
Make a bento lunch box	0.7%
Work	0.7%
Other	2.1%
Nothing in particular	8.3%
No answer	0.1%