世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1][part 2]

I haven’t been to karaoke for years, mainly due to being tone deaf and preferring to go home rather than staying up boozing until all hours! A Swiss friend of mine used to go to sing enka on the whole, and take full advantage of the all-you-can-drink offer they ran at Jumbo Karaoke by knocking back at least five pints of Asahi in two hours! To find out how the average Japanese views karaoke, DIMSDRIVE Research conducted a survey on this very topic.

Demographics

Between the 12th and 20th of December 2007 9,271 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 54.9% were female, 1.5% in their teens, 15.5% in their twenties, 36.1% in their thirties, 28.6% in their forties, 12.7% in their fifties, and 5.6% aged sixty or older.

There’s no good data to graph here, so instead let’s have a Hello Kitty Karaoke Party!

Research results

Q7: What sort of opportunity often takes you to a karaoke box, karaoke venue? (Sample size=6,035, multiple answer)

“Second party” or other drinking session	58.9%
Usual hang-out	41.8%
For the sake of good relations	23.3%
When stressed out	18.9%
To fill free time	15.3%
When I want to sing a song	12.5%
Birthday, end of year party, other event	10.5%
On a date	7.7%
When I want to practise my singing	6.2%
When there’s nowhere else to go	5.8%
When meeting online friends in real life	5.0%
When I miss the last train home	2.5%
For a meeting	1.5%
Other	0.9%
Don’t know	1.5%

Q8: What sort of usage plans do you often use at a karaoke box, karaoke venue? (Sample size=6,035, multiple answer)

Drink-inclusive plan	24.4%
Weekday night-time free time	23.5%
Weekday daytime free time	23.1%
Weekend night-time free time	20.5%
All-you-can-drink plan	18.6%
Weekend daytime free time	16.2%
Room rental plan	3.9%
Party plan	2.8%
Dinner, lunch inclusive plan	2.2%
Seasonal special plan	0.4%
Other	0.4%
Don’t know, none in particular	24.7%

Note that the first plan usually means one free drink, sometimes just a soft drink, on entry or once per hour, whereas the all-you-can-drink implies alcohol.

Q9: Which karaoke chain do you like the most? (Sample size=6,035)

Shidax	27.1%
Big Echo	12.0%
Jumbo Karaoke	4.6%
Utahiroba	4.0%
Karaoke-kan	3.9%
Pasela	1.7%
U-BOU	1.2%
Karaoke no Testujin (King of System)	1.1%
Utaunda-mura	0.5%
Karaoke Rainbow	0.4%
Karaoke Bam-bam	0.2%
Karaoke 747	0.2%
Day Tripper	0.1%
Other	4.3%
Don’t know, no favourite chain	38.7% (to Q12)

Q10: Why do you like that karaoke chain? (Sample size=3,710, multiple answer)

Easy to get to location	67.7%
Cheap	40.3%
Has membership scheme	23.5%
Lots of parking	22.8%
Lots of songs	19.1%
Easy to use plans	16.1%
Clean, odour-free rooms	13.9%
Easy to find songs	13.0%
Varied food, drink menu	12.6%
Has karaoke machines I like	12.2%
Big rooms	12.1%
Delicious food, drink	11.9%
No queues	10.0%
Good discount coupons, point service	9.1%
Has songs I like	8.5%
Good customer service	5.3%
Good sound	5.0%
Makes new songs available quickly	4.5%
Lots of videos with original artists	3.8%
Has kids’ room	2.8%
Has wide selection of tambourines, costumes, etc	1.2%
Other	2.0%
Don’t know, no particular reason	2.6%

Those answering the above question then proceeded to Q12.

Q11: Why don’t you go to karaoke box, karaoke venue? (Sample size=3,236, multiple answer)

Don’t like karaoke	33.7%
Don’t have a chance to go	32.7%
Not interested in karaoke	30.6%
Not good at singing	25.4%
Embarrassing to sing in front of others	20.7%
Don’t have anyone to go with	15.0%
Don’t know many songs	14.0%
No karaoke venues nearby	9.3%
Karaoke booths are dirty, smelly	8.7%
Expensive	8.3%
Have small children	7.7%
Food, drink is not tasty	4.7%
Think it damages public morals	4.3%
Can do karaoke without having to go to a karaoke venue	1.6%
Other	2.7%
Don’t know, no particular reason	10.3%

Q12: Which of the following do you think are bad manners? (Sample size=9,271, multiple answer)

Forcing people to sing	56.7%
Not passing the mike	49.6%
Chatting about something else with other people	32.6%
Touching mike to mouth while singing	32.2%
Smoking without asking for permission	29.4%
Singing the same song over and over	29.2%
Not waiting for one’s turn	27.4%
Searching for the next song rather than listening to the singer	22.6%
Forcing people to clap, cheer	20.2%
Singing the same songs as me	19.4%
Joining in with other people’s songs	16.7%
Not singing	16.2%
Sleeping	15.3%
Enforcing strict rules	14.2%
Fiddling with the volume, echo controls	13.2%
Singing songs no-one knows	3.3%
Other	0.8%
Nothing in particular	8.1%

[part 1][part 2]