世論 What Japan Thinks

One of the top two complaints I hear from other foreigners in Japan is the rather high 1,800 yen (US$19 or UK¤12 or so) per seat, but this survey from RealWorld RealResearch and reported on by japan.internet.com into movies found few taking advantage of discounts.

Demographics

Over the 25th and 26th of June 2009 1,017 members of the RealWorld RealResearch (I never tire of typing the company’s name!) monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 57.9% of the sample were male, 11.5% in their teens, 12.9% in their twenties, 26.5% in their thirties, 15.9% in their forties, 12.3% in their fifties, and 20.8% aged sixty or above.

When I say most people pay full price, the full price is not necessarily 1,800 yen. The first of the month is usually 1,000 yen, one day a week is Ladies’ Day with 1,000 yen for females, and late shows (from 9 pm usually) are often discounted by 300 or 500 yen. However, I usually buy advance tickets; these are normally 1,300 yen, and if you buy from the cinema or convenience stores they often come with a free gift. The third party ticket shops mentioned below usually stock unsold advance tickets or cheap daytime passes, but I find them not worth the bother.

If you go to Toho group cinemas frequently, I also strongly recommend the Toho Cine Mileage card; their credit card version is free, and for every six movies you see you get one free!

Research results

First, 67.9%, or 691 people, watched movies either at the cinema or at home. They were asked the following question.

Q1: How often do you you usually watch movies? (Sample size=691)

Every day	2.2%
Once every two or three days	6.7%
Once a week	16.2%
Few times a month	24.7%
Once a month	30.2%
Less than once a month	20.0%

Q2: Where do you more often watch movies, at a cinema or at home? (Sample size=691)

At a cinema (to SQ1, SQ2)	27.1%
At home (to SQ3)	72.9%

Q2SQ1: How do you purchase your tickets for the cinema? (Sample size=187, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Buy at the box office the day I go	149	79.7%
Book online direct with the cinema	44	23.5%
Buy a discount ticket from a third-party ticket shop	22	11.8%
Buy an advance ticket at a convenience store ticket machine	15	8.0%
Other	4	2.1%

Q2SQ2: How often do you refer to reviews on the internet before going to see a movie? (Sample size=187)

Check every time	16.6%
Only check movies I’m curious about	48.7%
Almost never check	27.3%
Never checked at all	7.5%

Q2SQ3: How do you watch movies at home? (Sample size=504, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Watch movies on television broadcasts	399	79.2%
Rent DVD, Blu-ray	290	57.5%
Watch from movie distribution sites	87	17.3%
Watch on YouTube, other movie sharing sites	86	17.1%
Buy DVD, Blu-ray	81	16.1%
Borrow from friends	56	11.1%
Use file-sharing P2P tool	19	3.8%
Other	13	2.6%