世論 What Japan Thinks

With the biggest stories in Japan this week being pesticide poisoning from Chinese gyoza, which is looking like a deliberate case of tampering with the packaging line, according to an expert on NHK news tonight, this recent survey from MyVoice on the image of Chinese products is most timely, although given the figures here China’s image can hardly sink any lower.

Demographics

Over the first five days of January 2008 12,669 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 38% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 16% in their fifties.

I personally try to avoid as much Chinese foodstuffs as possible. One problem, though, especially for prepared foods, is that although the preparation might happen in Japan thus meriting a Made in Japan label, the ingredients may be imported. For instance, I have heard that some brands of instant noodles use cabbages from China. I saw a program on food safety in the Chinese domestic market, and if that is anything to base tourism decisions on, if you are going to the Beijing Olympics, you would be best advised to bring your own food and make sure your travel insurance is up to date!

On the other hand, I do a lot of shopping at the 100 yen shop, and the vast majority of their brands are made in China, but a laundry net or a calendar is hardly going to kill you! It is also pretty difficult to avoid Made in China clothes, as retailers from UniQlo to Aeon use the country as their primary source.

Research results

Q1: Do you feel worried about or aversion to using Chinese products? (Sample size=12,669)

	Now, Jan 2008	Oct 2005
Yes	88.2%	50.4%
No	11.8%	49.6%

Q2: How has your image of Chinese products changed? (Sample size=12,669)

Become better than before	2.5%
No particular change	21.8%
Become worse than before	75.7%

One might presume that within the “no particular change” group there must be some people whose answer meant “it couldn’t get any worse”!

Q3: Which of the following categories of Chinese products have you purchased? (Sample size=12,669, multiple answer)

Clothes	71.0%
Processed foods	53.1%
Vegetables	52.2%
Shoes, bag	49.1%
Household items	44.4%
Tea	41.7%
Meat, fish	40.2%
Electrical products	28.7%
Beverages, alcohol	22.8%
Pottery, ceramics	18.9%
Watch, glasses, accessories	18.7%
Furniture, bedding, interior	18.4%
Computer items	14.5%
Beauty, health, cosmetics	9.1%
Medical items, drugs	5.1%
Movie, DVD	4.3%
Music	3.6%
Car	1.0%
Other	6.7%
Don’t know	10.1%
Never bought any Chinese goods	1.4%
No answer	0.1%

Q4: From the following categories of foodstuffs, medical items, and other items that directly affect one’s body, which China-made products would you not want to purchase? (Sample size=12,669, multiple answer)

Meat, fish	87.1%
Vegetables	84.1%
Processed foods	80.9%
Medical items, drugs	74.0%
Beauty, health, cosmetics	65.5%
Beverages, alcohol	60.7%
Tea	56.7%
Other	18.0%
None in particular	4.1%
No answer	0.2%

Q5: Why would you not want to purchase the items from Q4? (Sample size=12,669, multiple answer)

Poor safety	90.8%
Untrustworthy	73.2%
Poor quality	54.4%
Not technically advanced	23.2%
Break easily, not long-lasting	19.5%
Poor aesthetics	8.1%
Unoriginal	5.9%
Expensive	0.6%
Other	3.7%
Nothing in particular	0.2%
No answer	0.2%

Q6: From the following categories of items, which China-made products would you not want to purchase? (Sample size=12,669, multiple answer)

Electrical products	56.5%
Computer items	53.1%
Car	52.5%
Watch, glasses, accessories	36.2%
Movie, DVD	33.0%
Music	31.3%
Shoes, bag	30.1%
Furniture, bedding, interior	28.4%
Clothes	27.5%
Household items	24.7%
Pottery, ceramics	24.4%
Other	10.7%
Nothing in particular	16.3%
No answer	0.2%

Q7: Why would you not want to purchase the items from Q6? (Sample size=12,669, multiple answer)

Untrustworthy	69.7%
Poor safety	62.2%
Break easily, not long-lasting	52.3%
Poor quality	52.3%
Not technically advanced	46.6%
Poor aesthetics	17.5%
Unoriginal	12.8%
Expensive	2.4%
Other	5.3%
Nothing in particular	0.4%
No answer	0.2%