世論 What Japan Thinks

The stereotypical Christmas feast in Japan is a bucket of fried chicken from Colonel Claus with a strawberry sponge for afters, but what is the real situation? In particular, Christmas Eve is a holiday this year due to the Emporer’s birthday falling on a Sunday, so the day off has been moved forward a day to the 24th of December, and it is Christmas Eve that gets celebrated rather than Christmas Day. To find out what people’s plans were, Macromill Inc reported on a survey it conducted into Christmas 2007.

Demographics

Over the 5th and 6th of December 2007 516 members of Macromill’s online monitor group resident within either Tokyo or the three surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Saitama or Kanagawa successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The group was split exactly 50:50 male and female, and 24.8% were in thier twenties, 25.2% in their thirties, 25.3% in their forties, and 24.8% in their fifties.

Note that when asked how people plan to spend Christmas, as noted above this refers to Christmas Eve, by chance a public holiday this year, not Christmas Day, a normal workday this and every other year.

The other Japanese Christmas tradition is for couples to go on a date, often ending up with an overnight stay at a hotel, usually a posh one.

Research results

Q1: How do you plan to spend Christmas this year? (Sample size=516, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Relax around the house	43.8%
2	Have a home party	20.0%
3	Work	12.6%
4	Eat out	12.2%
5	Go on a date	10.9%
6	Go shopping	5.8%
7	Go drinking	4.1%
8	Overnight or longer trip	3.3%
9	Stay at a nearby hotel	2.3%
-	Other	3.1%
-	Nothing in particular, don’t know	16.5%

Q2: With whom do you plan to spend Christmas this year? (Sample size=516)

Rank		Percentage
1	Family	61.2%
2	Lover	13.4%
3	By myself	9.1%
4	With friends	3.7%
-	Other	1.9%
-	No-one in particular, don’t know	10.7%

Q3: Which of the following dishes or desserts would you like to eat at home at Christmas? (Sample size=516, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Cake	57.9%
2	Roast chicken	49.0%
3	Fried chicken	39.0%
4	Pizza	34.3%
5	Roast beef	29.8%
6	Ice cream	29.1%
7	Sushi	26.9%
8	Pasta	20.3%
9	Chicken nuggets	17.4%
10=	Roast turkey	15.1%
10=	Stew	15.1%

Q4A: Which of the following alcoholic drinks would you like to drink at home at Christmas? (Sample size=516, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Champagne	46.7%
2	Sparkling wine	35.7%
3	Red wine	34.1%
4	Beer	32.6%
5	White wine	24.6%
6	Cocktail	18.0%
7	Shanmery (non-alcoholic fake champagne)	15.5%
8	Happoshu (beer-like drink)	10.5%
9	Can chuhai (alco-pop)	9.1%
10	Shochu (spirits)	7.0%

Q4B: Which of the following alcoholic drinks would you like to drink at home at Christmas? (Sample size=258, male, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Champagne	43.4%
2	Beer	38.0%
3	Red wine	33.7%
4	Sparkling wine	31.0%
5	White wine	24.8%
6	Cocktail	12.8%
7	Shanmery (non-alcoholic fake champagne)	10.5%
8	Shochu (spirits)	10.1%
9	Happoshu (beer-like drink)	8.9%
10	Can chuhai (alco-pop)	8.1%

Q4C: Which of the following alcoholic drinks would you like to drink at home at Christmas? (Sample size=258, female, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Champagne	50.0%
2	Sparkling wine	40.3%
3	Red wine	34.5%
4	Beer	27.1%
5	White wine	24.4%
6	Cocktail	23.3%
7	Shanmery (non-alcoholic fake champagne)	20.5%
8	Happoshu (beer-like drink)	12.0%
9	Can chuhai (alco-pop)	10.1%
10	Ume-shu (plum wine)	5.8%

Note that the question said alcoholic drinks, but at number 7 is fake fizz.

Q5A: What would you like for Christmas? (Sample size=258, male, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Wristwatch	25.6%
2	Wallet	19.0%
3	Computer	17.1%
4	Clothes	14.3%
5	Book	13.6%
6=	Bag	13.2%
6=	Games machine	13.2%
8	DVD, hard disk video recorder	12.0%
9=	Fashion accessory	11.6%
9=	Game software	11.6%

Q5B: What would you like for Christmas? (Sample size=258, female, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Fashion accessory	49.2%
2	Bag	35.7%
3	Clothes	32.6%
5	Travel	20.5%
6	Shoes	19.8%
7	Wristwatch	17.1%
8	Gift coupon	14.0%
9	Games machine	12.0%
10=	Cosmetics	10.1%
10=	CD, DVD software	10.1%
10=	Scarf, stole	10.1%
10=	Interior items	10.1%

Q6: Do you plan to send any Christmas presents? (Sample size=516)

	All	Male N=258	Female N=258
Yes (to SQ)	45.9%	36.0%	55.8%
No	21.3%	26.4%	16.3%
Don’t know	32.8%	37.6%	27.9%

Q6SQ: To who do you plan to send a Christmas present? (Sample size=237, multiple answer)

Rank		Percentage
1	Own children	48.1%
2	Spouse	44.7%
3	Lover	23.6%
4	Other family member	12.7%
5	Friends	12.2%
6	Other	1.7%
-	Not decided yet, don’t know	0.8%

Q7: Do you plan to buy a Christmas cake? (Sample size=516)

Yes	47.1%
No	15.1%
Don’t know	26.6%
Plan to bake one	9.7%
Other	1.6%