世論 What Japan Thinks

It’s coming up to the new year, so naturally there are a number of New Year Postcard surveys coming out. This time it is japan.internet.com reporting on one by goo Research into nengajo, New Year Postcards – hey, wasn’t the last one also by goo Research?

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of November 2007 1,093 members of the goo Research online monitor panel successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% were male, 16.3% in their teens, 18.0% in their twenties, 21.9% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 12.0% aged sixty or older.

I ordered the first half of my New Year Cards last night, featuring Hello Kitty in a rat costume, of course. We bought from FujiFilm; if you are still to order, I’ve found an Amazon coupon for a discount on the basic price, free delivery and a 1,000 yen discount off your next order – we used a Cecile coupon, but it wasn’t as good value. Tonight we tried the second half using Kodak, but the web site is pretty useless and we found it impossible to check out and buy the cards!

Instead of the usual graph pictured at the top of the article I’ve got a picture of a mobile phone strap featuring a commemorative Year of the Rat Cat, Kitty chan herself. This can be ordered and delivered all around the world in time for the New Year from the internet’s finest vendor of… ack, you probably all know the sales pitch by heart by now; it’s just 420 yen from Strapya.

Finally, the kanji for the Year of Rat is 子, read as ko.

Research results

Q1: Do you plan to send New Year Postcards this year? (Sample size=1,093)

Yes (to SQs)	74.2%
No	15.8%
Not decided yet	10.0%

Q1SQ1: What sort of design of card do you plan to send? (Sample size=811)

Illustrated card	65.2%
Photo card	26.9%
Text only	6.0%
Other	1.8%

Q1SQ2: How do you plan to make your New Year Postcards? (Sample size=811, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Design on PC and print (to SQ3)	635	78.3%
Write, draw by hand	136	16.8%
Use shop New Year Postcard printing service	58	7.2%
Use PC internet New Year Postcard printing service	48	5.9%
Buy pre-printed cards	32	3.9%
Rubber stamp, potato prints, etc	24	3.0%
Use portal site electronic greeting card service	10	1.2%
Use mobile phone-targeted internet New Year Postcard printing service	4	0.5%
Use non-portal site electronic greeting card service	3	0.4%
Other	6	0.7%

Q1SQ3: What sort of software do you plan to use to design your New Year Postcards? (Sample size=635)

	Votes	Percentage
Use postcard design software bought last year or earlier	264	41.6%
Use postcard design software bought (or plan to buy) this year	98	15.4%
Use free postcard design software	85	13.4%
Not yet decided	76	12.0%
Use purchased image manipulation software (Photoshop, etc)	33	5.2%
Use postcard design software bundled with book, magazine	27	4.3%
Use free image manipulation software (Paint.NET, etc)	23	3.6%
Use image manipulation software bundled with book, magazine	3	0.5%
Other	26	4.1%