世論 What Japan Thinks

Given the quality of public transport and the concentration of the population in urban areas, I was surprised by the results of this survey by MyVoice into car life, where almost four in five rated it necessary to some lesser or more degree.

Demographics

Over the first five days of March 2009 15,391 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 14% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 28% in their forties, and 19% aged fifty or older.

For me, owning a car is not needed in the slightest. I do rent a car twice or thrice a year when we need to visit various cemetaries, but outside these times I can manage shopping either just carrying stuff or getting home delivery; our speciality is going to a nearby Conan home centre and buying two or three trolleys full of kitchen and bathroom items, which we can get delivered to our door for just 800 yen. Add in the train tickets at 1,020 yen and it’s still under 2,000 yen once every six weeks or so, far cheaper than a car could ever be.

Research results

Q1: Do you or family living with you own a car, and if so, what model? If you have more than one, choose the one you use the most. (Sample size=15,391)

Toyota	26.7%
Honda	13.0%
Nissan	12.2%
Suzuki	5.5%
Daihatsu	5.4%
Mazda	4.7%
Mitsubishi	4.5%
Subaru	3.3%
Isuzu	0.1%
Other domestic maker	0.1%
Overseas maker	5.2%
Don’t know the maker	0.3%
Don’t have a car	18.9%

Q2: Do you think a car is necessary for your everyday life? (Sample size=15,391)

Definitely needed	36.3%
Needed	26.2%
Perhaps needed	16.4%
Not really needed	12.9%
Not needed	6.0%
Definitely not needed	2.2%

Q3: For the car you use the most, how long have you used it? (Sample size=car owners)

Less than a year	9.2%
One or two years	16.5%
Three or four years	23.2%
Five or six years	17.5%
Seven or eight years	11.8%
Nine or ten years	8.7%
Eleven or more years	10.0%
Don’t know	2.3%
No answer	0.8%

Q4: For the car you use the most, for how long do you plan to continue using it? (Sample size=car owners)

Less than a year	4.2%
One or two years	12.8%
Three or four years	17.3%
Five or six years	12.4%
Seven or eight years	5.0%
Nine or ten years	3.6%
Eleven or more years	3.7%
Don’t know	40.1%
No answer	0.9%

Q5: When do you use your car? (Sample size=car owners, multiple answer)

When going to the supermarket, doing other regular shopping	77.6%
When I have lots of luggage, buying large items	69.9%
When moving family, etc around	69.2%
When going to eat	60.1%
When going for a drive	59.0%
When going on holiday	56.5%
When going to hospital	56.3%
When going out with friends	39.0%
When going to work	31.9%
When going on a date	14.8%
When just aimlessly crusing around	9.2%
When I want to be alone	4.8%
When going to school	4.5%
Other	6.2%
No answer	0.7%

Q6: What do you do in your car? (Sample size=car owners, multiple answer)

Listen to music	57.9%
Chat to passengers	41.7%
Listen to the radio	33.8%
Only do what’s necessary to get to when I want to go	24.1%
Eat, drink	11.9%
Watch television	11.8%
Sleep	10.8%
Use mobile phone email, voice calls	4.7%
Surf the internet	3.3%
Read a book	3.1%
Play a computer game	1.9%
Read a newspaper	1.2%
Other	2.9%
No answer	0.8%

One hopes that watching the television, using a mobile, etc is restricted to when one is a passenger!

Q7: Would you like to try car sharing? (Sample size=15,391)

Definitely want to do	2.8%
Perhaps want to do	10.3%
Can’t say either way	24.3%
Perhaps don’t want to do	23.3%
Defintely don’t want to do	18.9%
Don’t know what car sharing is	19.7%
No answer	0.7%