世論 What Japan Thinks

Unfortunately what this survey by Marsh Inc and reported on by japan.internet.com into mobile search omits is what search provider people are using, but still it is quite interesting to see what people are searching for.

Demographics

Between the 17th and 19th of February 2010 300 members of the Marsh monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The sample was 50:50 male and female, 1.7% in their teens, 18.3% 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.

I’ve only had a fleeting experience with the default search engine built into docomo’s iMode, but it was pretty terrible. Now I directly use Google and its iMode front-end, although it’s barely once a month that I use it, and then it is always for “<restaurant name> coupon”, which usually gives me a hit in one of the top three entries.

Research results

Q1: How often do you do word search on your mobile phone? (Sample size=300)

Often search (to SQs)	10.3%
Sometimes search (to SQs)	18.3%
Have searched (to SQs)	25.3%
Never searched	33.7%
Don’t know about word search	6.0%
Don’t have a mobile phone	6.3%

Q1SQ1: What kinds of word searches do you do on your mobile phone? (Sample size=162, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Words I’m curious about	94	58.0%
Information regarding my destintion	81	50.0%
Product names	62	38.3%
Coupon, other discount information	36	22.2%
Famous people’s names	32	19.8%
Title of song, book, etc	23	14.2%
Movie, ring tones, other mobile phone contents	15	9.3%
Word from “Search for …” advertisements	11	6.8%
Other	5	3.1%
Don’t remember	11	6.8%

Q1SQ2: How often do you get the information you want from word search on your mobile phone? (Sample size=162)

Always get it	6.2%
Nearly always get it	30.9%
Often get it	40.7%
Don’t really get it	21.0%
Never get it	1.2%