世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1][part 2]

Recently, the Cabinet Office Japan took a detailed look at culture.

Demographics

Between the 11th and 15th of November 2009 3,000 people over the aged of twenty selected at random from resident lists all over the country were approached for interview. 1,853 people, or 61.8% were available and agreed to take part in face-to-face interviews. 52.6% of the sample were female, 8.7% in their twenties, 14.8% in their thirties, 17.6% in their forties, 16.6% in their fifties, 24.0% in their sixties, and 18.2% aged seventy or older.

My two main cultural experiences are movies and theatre, especially musicals. I really should write reviews of what I see and get them published somewhere! I’ve been to one art gallery in the last year, which was in a rebuilt castle and filled with slightly creepy Christian art…

Research results

Additional materials explained the classifications in Q1 to the respondents: music included opera, orchestra, chamber music, chorus, brass band, jazz, popular music, etc; fine arts included painting, woodcuts, scuplture, industrial arts, pottery, calligraphy, photography, etc; theatre included modern theatre, puppetry, musicals, etc; dance included Japanese dance, ballet, modern dance, contemporary dance, etc; cinema was cinema; media arts included manga comics, animation, computer art, video art, etc; traditional arts included gagaku (court music), noh, bunraku, kabuki, etc; entertainment included koudan (storytelling), rakugo (comic storytelling), roukyoku (recitation of stories accompanied by samisen), manzai (stand-up comedy), etc.

Q1: In the last year, which of the following culture-related activites have you attended a venue in order to experience in person? (Sample size=1,853, multiple answer)

Cinema (excluding animation)	37.2%
Music	24.2%
Fine art	24.2%
Historical building, remains	22.6%
Theatre	10.5%
Traditional arts	5.3%
Entertainment	4.5%
Dance	4.3%
Media art (excluding cinema)	2.2%
Other	0.2%
None of the above	36.9%
Don’t know	0.3%

Q2: In the last year, which of the following culture-related activites have you watched or listened to on television, video, CD, DVD, internet, etc? (Sample size=1,853, multiple answer)

Cinema (excluding animation)	57.3%
Music	55.6%
Historical building, remains	27.5%
Entertainment	23.2%
Fine art	20.8%
Theatre	13.5%
Traditional arts	12.4%
Media art (excluding cinema)	10.3%
Dance	7.3%
Other	0.2%
None of the above	13.2%
Don’t know	0.3%

Q3: In the last year, how many times have you been to a museum or art gallery? (Sample size=1,853)

Once or twice	26.8%
Three to five times	11.5%
Six or more times	3.9%
No times at all	57.5%
Don’t know	0.3%

Q4: What do you think should be done in order to make it easier to go to museums and art galleries? (Sample size=1,853, multiple answer)

Build, increase the number of museums and art galleries close to where I live	37.0%
Cheaper entrance fees	35.7%
Offer easy to understand information about exhibitions	24.7%
Hold exhibitions of nationally, internationally famous works, artists	18.9%
Longer opening hours	13.9%
Hold exhibitions of artists related to the locality	11.7%
Reduce crowding	11.5%
Hold explanatory lectures, workshops on famous works, etc, to give people sufficient chances to become familiar with them	8.9%
Make venues barrier free (accessible)	5.1%
Other	5.7%
Nothing in particular	18.5%
Don’t know	1.2%

Q5: In the last year, excluding just viewing, have you participated in, created works, supported cultural events as a volunteer, etc? Choose all of the following which you have done. (Sample size=1,853, multiple answer)

Participated in local entertainment, festival, etc	10.1%
Created, participated in writing, music, fine arts, theatre, dance, cinema, etc	7.4%
Studied music, dance, flower arranging, tea ceremony, calligraphy, etc	7.3%
Supported children’s culture and art experiences events	4.2%
Supported culture facilities (halls, theatres, museums, art galleries, etc)	2.1%
Supported the holding of cultural events (music festival, drama festival, cinema festival, etc)	1.9%
Supported the preservation, development of historical buildings, remains	0.9%
Other	0.5%
Nothing in particular	76.1%
Don’t know	0.2%

Q6: How satisfied are you with the cultural environment in the area in which you live? For instance, opportunities for viewing, creating, or participating, preservation of cultural resources, traditional streets, etc. (Sample size=1,853)

Satisfied	14.1%
Somewhat satisfied	38.0%
Somewhat dissatisfied	22.9%
Dissatisfied	12.4%
Don’t know	12.6%

Q7: In order for you to be more satisfied with the cultural environment in the area in which you live, what do you think is needed? (Sample size=1,853, multiple answer)

Sufficient opportunites for children to get familiar with culture and arts	38.9%
Preservation, continuation of local entertainment, festivals, etc	28.6%
Sufficient halls, theatres, museums, art galleries, other cultural facilities	28.3%
Promote a built environment that keeps historical buildings, remains alive	23.8%
Sufficient cultural events such as performances, festivals	20.0%
Support for activities of artists, cultural groups, etc	10.7%
Proactive use of local artists at cultural facilities, cultural events	9.6%
Other	1.8%
Nothing in particular	14.8%
Don’t know	4.4%

Q8: If there was a sufficient cultural environment in the area in which you live, what effects would you expect to see? (Sample size=1,853, multiple answer)

The raising of spiritually rich children	50.2%
Residents discovering the joy of life	38.4%
Blossoming of residents participation in society, interaction	37.8%
Fostering a love of the area	32.2%
Improvement in the area’s image	28.6%
Heightening of residents creativity leading to an enlivening of the local society, economy	24.7%
Gathering of more talent in the area	18.1%
Increase in visitors from other areas, overseas	9.6%
Other	0.3%
No particular expectations	10.1%
Don’t know	2.3%

[part 1][part 2]