世論 What Japan Thinks

A few months ago there was a couple of articles in the US press with suspect (or just poorly-reported) statistics on cellphone literature in Japan, but at the time I didn’t have any good data to refute the stories with. However, this weekend not one, but two surveys come along, one from goo Research and one from Marsh, both reported on by japan.internet.com, on this very topic of cellphone novels.

Demographics

For the goo Research sample, between the 22nd and 25th of September 2008 1,074 people from their online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were male, 16.3% in their teens, 17.5% in their twenties, 21.9% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 16.2% in their fifties, and 11.8% aged sixty or older.

For the Marsh sample, on the 26th of September 2008 they interviewed 300 females from their monitor panel by means of a private internet-based questionnaire. 21.7% were in their twenties, 51.3% in their thirties, and 27.0% in their forties.

Very surprising for me is that goo Research’s mixed sample showed a higher percentage of readership than Marsh’s young female group, although the level of enjoyment was relatively similar for both groups. The reasons for this would be interesting to investigate.

Research results

First, the goo Research questions.

Q1: Do you know about cellphone novels? (Sample size=1,074)

Yes	58.5%
Just know the term	35.8%
No	5.7%

Q2: Have you ever read a cellphone novel on your mobile phone? (Sample size=1,074)

Yes (to SQ)	17.9%
No	82.1%

Q2SQ: Compared to ordinary novels, do you think cellphone novels are enjoyable? (Sample size=192)

Very enjoyable	10.9%
Quite enjoyable	44.8%
Can’t say either way	21.4%
Not really enjoyable	14.1%
Not enjoyable at all	8.8%

Next, the Marsh questions, for an all-young female panel.

Q3: Have you ever read a cellphone novel on your mobile phone? (Sample size=300)

Yes (to SQs)	15.3%
No	84.7%

Q3SQ1: Which sites or services do you obtain your cellphone novels from? (Sample size=46, multiple answer)

日本語	Romaji	English	Votes	Percentage
魔法のiらんど	Mahou no i-land	Magic i-land	34	73.9%
ケータイ livedoor	Keitai livedoor	Mobile phone livedoor	5	10.9%
小説提示板	Shousetsu teijiban	Novel bulletin board	5	10.9%
Novel-Line			0	0.0%
Other			7	15.2%

Q3SQ2: What has been your impression of the cellphone novels you have read? (Sample size=46)

All enjoyable	6.5%
Most of them enjoyable	54.3%
Most not enjoyable	19.6%
All not enjoyable	6.5%
Can’t remember	10.9%
Don’t know	2.2%

Q3SQ3: What genres of cellphone novels have you read? (Sample size=46, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Romance	42	91.3%
Fantasy	11	23.9%
Non-fiction	7	15.2%
Comedy	5	10.9%
Mystery	5	10.9%
Drama	4	8.7%
Gay love	2	4.3%
Horror	1	2.2%
Other	4	8.7%

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