世論 What Japan Thinks

In Japan too the New Year brings sales, so this survey from the curiously-named RealWorld RealResearch and reported on by japan.internet.com looked at New Year digital home electrics purchases.

Demographics

On the 4th of January 2009 1,201 members of the RealWorld RealResearch monitor panel completed presumably a private internet-based questionnaire. 59.1% of the sample were male, 8.7% in their teens, 7.4% in their twenties, 20.8% in their thirties, 12.8% in their forties, 27.6% in their fifties, and 22.6% aged sixty or older. (That’s a rather unusual age distribution!)

I didn’t buy any digital electronics, although I did get a room humidifier and some blank DVDs. Most of the items I need to buy are very digital on the inside but boring old white goods on the outside, such as a rice cooker as our current one’s non-stick is coming unstuck, and no doubt very soon I’ll also need a new washing machine as it’s on its last legs.

Research results

Q1: Did you buy any digital home electrical items at the New Year? (Sample size=1,201)

Yes (to SQ1, SQ2)	10.6%
No	89.4%

Q1SQ1: What did you buy? (Sample size=127, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Television	25	16.6%
Digital camera	22	14.6%
Computer peripherals	21	13.9%
Computer	18	11.9%
Portable audio player	13	8.6%
Blue ray player, recorder	10	6.6%
DVD, Hard Disk player, recorder	10	6.6%
Portable games machine (PSP, DS, etc)	7	5.5%
Console games machine	5	3.9%
Audio device	5	3.9%
Mobile phone	4	3.1%
Video camera	1	0.8%
Other	10	6.6%

Q1SQ2: Where did you buy these items? (Sample size=127, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Shop	93	70.5%
Internet (to SQ3)	37	28.0%
From a friend	2	1.5%
Other	0	0.0%

Note that although the above was multiple choice, no-one used more than one method.

Q1SQ3: How did you buy from the internet? (Sample size=37, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Shopping site	30	76.9%
Auction site	5	12.8%
Bulletin board, SNS, etc	1	2.6%
Other	3	8.1%