世論 What Japan Thinks

Today is Mother’s Day in Japan and many other countries around the world, so I present this survey from goo Ranking into when Japan thinks “Thank you Mum!”.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2009 1,043 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 52.2% of the sample were male, 7.8% in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 24.8% in their forties, 11.4% in their fifties, and 10.7% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Looking at the list, number 19 is a bit strange to me. I can see the point behind it, but it just seems an odd thing to highlight. For me, number 20 is probably the one that resonates the most with me – I love baking cakes, yet my wife who is very good in the kitchen cannot bake at all, so it does always impress her. My interest is due to being taught as a kid by Mum.

Since it’s Mother’s Day, the above is for a change a sensible photo from Mothers&amp:Daughters on flickr.
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One very useful number came out of this recent survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com into internet advertising, their fifth regular survey on this subject, how often advertisements in search results catch people’s eyes. You may use the third regular survey as a cross-reference.

Demographics

Between the 20th and 23rd of April 2009 1,071 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were male, 16.1% in their teens, 18.3% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, and 27.7% aged fifty or older.

I think Q1SQ2 is a bit of a confusing result – only 14.8% of adverisement clickers have purchased items, but not all advertisements are selling things, and even advertisements that are are often not directly selling.

I never see search ads, and it’s blocked over 400,000 advertisements in the nine months I’ve had it.
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I’m still looking for a survey on the hottest topic these days, the disease formally known as swine ‘flu, but with no luck yet, so instead you’ll have to make do with a look at an update on last year’s pandemic of mass hysteria in this survey from iShare on the Apple iPhone’s image in Japan.

Demographics

Between the 13th and 16th of April 2009 342 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service who had a mobile phone for personal use completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 55.3% of the sample were male, 36.8% in their twenties, 29.2% in their thirties, and 33.9% in their forties.

In Q2 it is interesting that nearly all of the series mentioned are RPGs, but given the lack of an external keypad, I’m not really too sure how well they would play. As I suspected, if you have a jailbroken phone, the MAME emulator can be downloaded to give access to the older titles, and the touchpanel controls look nice.
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Manga kissa is an abbreviation of manga kissaten, or in English comic cafe, the term I will use from now on. They can be found all over Japan, but I have yet to enter one as I have an image of them being very smokey. However, nearly half of all Japanese have been in one, according to this recent survey by Marsh Inc and reported on by japan.internet.com on the subject of comic cafes.

Demographics

Over the 27th and 28th of April 2009 300 members of the Marsh monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. Exactly 50.0% of the respondents were female, 0.3% in their teens, 19.7% in their twenties, 20.0% in their thirties, 20.0% in their forties, 20.0% in their fifties, and 20.0% aged sixty or older. Don’t ask me why one teenager sneaked in to disrupt the even split!

Searching around I found an interesting concept in comic cafes, Manboo, which, as the name intentionally or unintentionally suggests, appears to be a female-oriented cafe with a suspiciously Yahoo!-like logo yet has Yahoo! search embedded on its home page. I’m confused…
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This recent survey from MyVoice into tea and tea-like drinks, their second on the subject, with the first from two years ago translated here) found actually that coffee was the top drink, replacing green tea at the top of the list.

Demographics

Over the first five days of April 2009 15,578 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 35% in their thirties, 30% in their forties, and 18% aged fifty or older.

Recently when it comes to packaged drinks I’ve been more of a diet coke person, but I drink mostly black tea at work and green and houji (roasted green tea) at home. That’s a good point, does the “other Japanese tea” in Q1 include houji, or does it get counted with green tea? My personal feeling is that it falls under the other Japanese tea category.

In the following questions, “tea-related drinks” covers green tea, other Japanese tea, Chinese tea, black (Indian) tea, and blended tea (either tea tea or other tea-like base) plus other herbs.
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With today being Children’s Day in Japan, I present a survey that is sort-of connected to the theme, a look with goo Ranking at hidden secrets that prevent people rating themselves as proper adults, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2009 1,043 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 52.2% of the sample were male, 7.8% in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 24.8% in their forties, 11.4% in their fifties, and 10.7% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

With these silly goo Rankings I do occasionally get creative with my translation, and I get some feedback from my readers about my less than literal translations, but I hope that since these surveys are just a bit of fun, any creativity (or flat-out errors) can be excused. For example, this survey question would directly translate as – actually, now I’ve started analysing my translation I cannot actually give a good literal translation. Perhaps I shouldn’t have even started this train of thought!

Talking of literal translations, the first number six for women actually reads “I can’t eat sushi without removing the rust“, so I hope you’ll let me off with that change!

I haven’t a clue why closing one’s eyes while washing one’s hair would be scary, barring being traumatised by watching Psycho at too young an age.
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I managed a second translation for today, this time on what people are bad at doing regarding love and relationships, for both men and women. As usual, this survey was from goo Ranking.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2009 1,043 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 52.2% of the sample were male, 7.8% in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 24.8% in their forties, 11.4% in their fifties, and 10.7% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Looking at the male list, I’m poor at the majority of the items, I’m afraid! However, thinking again, I’d say it’s more that I have little confidence in my abilities, but looking at my current situation I seem to have overcome these weaknesses pretty successfully, if I say so myself – I should ask the wife for a second opinion, but I fear the answer, or perhaps she’d just use flattery?
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Here’s a quicky from goo Ranking, as I only have time tonight for this short translation of a ranking survey into what situations people end up using flattery, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2009 1,043 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 52.2% of the sample were male, 7.8% in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 24.8% in their forties, 11.4% in their fifties, and 10.7% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

I’m terrible at all this social lying, but fortunately my wife usually accepts my straight answer or overlooks my artless fibbing…

Apologies for the photograph but it tickled my fancy despite being not quite relevant to the survey! It was discovered by sticking “ugly child” into flickr, and was uploaded to the service by Theremina.
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Once again we have the results of the regular monthly surveys from goo Research and as reported by japan.internet.com into mobile phone upgrade needs, with this being the 45th time around.

Demographics

Between the 13th and 17th of April 2009 exactly 1,000 mobile phone users from the goo Research monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.7% of the sample were female, 1.1% in their teens, 19.1% in their twenties, 37.2% in their thirties, 24.2% in their forties, and 18.4% aged fifty or older.

As a comparison, the fortieth regular survey, translated here, also looked at what was important when choosing what to upgrade to. There design was the key feature, but now it is price, suggesting that the current financial uncertainties are weighing heavy in potential upgraders’ minds.
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Having wondered out loud in an entry a couple of days ago whether people fill their iPods from rental CDs, perhaps this survey from MyVoice into CD, DVD, book, comic, etc rental gives the answer.

Demographics

Over the first five days of April 2009 15,426 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 35% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 19% aged fifty or older.

Note than in the survey DVD would include Blu-Ray, I believe.

It’s interesting that over one in five has tried an online rental-by-mail system, and I also find it perhaps curious that none of the five named services have an obvious English-language (or other foreign languages) page – they stock a lot of English-language movies and there’s a reasonable number of us in far-flung corners of Japan who may be potential customers.
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