By Ken Y-N ( October 6, 2010 at 00:03)
· Filed under Business, Lifestyle, Polls
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Here’s an interesting and lengthy look by iShare at single guys with salaries of over 10 million yen, a rather long-winded title that looks much better and shorter in Japanese. There will be a follow-up later this week or next on single guys with over 10 million yen in the bank!
Demographics
Between the 10th and 13th of September 2010 1,150 single female members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service in full-time employement completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 21.7% of the sample were in their twenties, 39.1% in their thirties, and 39.1% in their forties.
At one point I was really close to 10 million yen a year, but then the economy collapsed about four years ago and my employer cut their bonus payments and got tighter regarding benefits.
Looking down the list, I don’t think I fit any of the highest voted images for any of the questions!
Research results
Q1: What image do you have of the looks of a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year? (Sample size=1,150)
| Shibui style (note that Shibuya style is something very different!) |
26.6% |
| Dark complexion |
23.7% |
| Individual |
23.4% |
| Fresh |
13.2% |
| Plump |
12.8% |
| Cute |
0.3% |
Q2: What image do you have of the body of a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year? (Sample size=1,150)
| Lean and muscular |
39.5% |
| Solidly-built |
17.8% |
| Ordinary |
17.8% |
| Plump |
9.7% |
| Skinny |
3.0% |
| Obese |
0.7% |
Q3: What image do you have of whether a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year wears glasses or not? (Sample size=1,150)
| Wears glasses |
37.9% |
| Doesn’t wear glasses |
62.1% |
Q4: What image do you have of the clothes a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year wears in business situations? (Sample size=1,150)
| Traditional style |
33.2% |
| New British style |
26.0% |
| Elegant style |
22.9% |
| LEON style |
11.7% |
| British traditional style |
6.2% |
Q5: What image do you have of the bag a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year carries in business situations? (Sample size=1,150)
| Leather business bag |
64.3% |
| Attache case |
25.8% |
| Nylon business bag |
6.9% |
| Shoulder bag |
1.9% |
| Rucksack |
0.6% |
| Other |
0.4% |
Q6: What image do you have of where a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year shops for suits? (Sample size=1,150)
| High-class brand store |
63.6% |
| Department store |
18.3% |
| Select shop |
13.0% |
| Fashion building |
2.2% |
| Shopping mall |
0.4% |
| Casual brand store |
0.4% |
| Discount store |
0.0% |
| Outlet store |
0.0% |
| Other |
1.7% |
Q7: What image do you have of where a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year shops for private wear? (Sample size=1,150)
| Select shop |
53.0% |
| High-class brand store |
19.4% |
| Department store |
11.0% |
| Fashion building |
5.4% |
| Casual brand store |
5.0% |
| Outlet store |
3.3% |
| Shopping mall |
1.1% |
| Discount store |
0.1% |
| Other |
1.7% |
Q8: What image do you have of where a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year shops for underwear? (Sample size=1,150)
| Department store |
34.7% |
| Select shop |
20.3% |
| Casual brand store |
14.7% |
| High-class brand store |
14.1% |
| Shopping mall |
7.5% |
| Fashion building |
5.0% |
| Outlet store |
1.2% |
| Discount store |
0.3% |
| Other |
2.3% |
Q9: What image do you have of where a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year shops for accessories? (Sample size=1,150)
| High-class brand store |
42.4% |
| Select shop |
20.7% |
| Department store |
18.0% |
| Outlet store |
4.6% |
| Fashion building |
4.5% |
| Discount store |
3.0% |
| Casual brand store |
2.3% |
| Shopping mall |
1.0% |
| Other |
3.5% |
Q10: What image do you have of the mobile phone that a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year carries? (Sample size=1,150)
| Both basic phone and smartphone |
45.8% |
| Both feature phone and smartphone |
22.5% |
| Smartphone only |
18.1% |
| Basic phone only |
5.7% |
| Both basic phone and feature phone |
5.0% |
| Feature phone only |
2.9% |
Q11: What image do you have of the clothes a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year wears in private situations? (Sample size=1,150)
| Casual style |
38.8% |
| Mode style |
24.7% |
| Elegant style |
27.1% |
| Outdoor style |
5.2% |
| Akihabara style |
2.9% |
| Street fashion |
0.9% |
| Other |
0.4% |
Q12: What image do you have of the hobbies a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year has? (Sample size=1,150, multiple answer)
| Driving |
53.8% |
| Travel |
47.2% |
| Playing sports |
40.4% |
| Eating out |
39.5% |
| Watching movies at cinema or at home |
35.5% |
| Watching sports |
31.2% |
| Outdoor (camping, barbeque, etc) |
30.9% |
| Listening to live music |
24.5% |
| Reading |
24.3% |
| Art appreciation |
17.0% |
| Net surfing |
13.4% |
| Cooking |
13.3% |
| Shopping |
13.2% |
| Photography |
11.8% |
| Gambling (pachinko, horses, lottery, etc) |
10.8% |
| Pet |
7.6% |
| Video creation, editing |
6.9% |
| Computer games |
5.3% |
| Painting, sculpture, pottery |
4.1% |
| Visiting theme parks |
2.7% |
| Karaoke |
2.1% |
| Other |
1.2% |
| Has no hobbies |
6.9% |
Q13: What image do you have of the car a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year drives? (Sample size=1,150)
| Foreign sports car |
27.7% |
| Foreign sedan |
22.4% |
| Domestic sedan |
15.4% |
| Domestic eco car |
8.7% |
| Domestic sports car |
8.2% |
| Foreign SUV |
6.0% |
| Domestic SUV |
3.0% |
| Foreign eco car |
1.8% |
| Foreign one-box car |
1.2% |
| Domestic one-box car |
1.1% |
| Foreign touring wagon, station wagon |
1.0% |
| Domestic touring wagon, station wagon |
1.0% |
| Kei car |
0.1% |
| Compact car |
0.1% |
| Other |
0.1% |
| Doesn’t have a car |
2.3% |
Q14: What image do you have of the sport that a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year most plays? (Sample size=1,150)
| Golf |
55.0% |
| Diving |
11.3% |
| Jogging, walking |
5.1% |
| Tennis |
4.8% |
| Jetski |
4.6% |
| Snowboard |
3.3% |
| Surfing |
3.2% |
| Horse riding |
3.0% |
| Futsal |
1.5% |
| Fishing |
1.0% |
| Grass-lot baseball |
0.3% |
| Ten-pin bowling |
0.2% |
| Table tennis |
0.0% |
| Other |
0.7% |
| Doesn’t play any sports |
6.0% |
Q15: What image do you have of how much a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year would pay for a meal for you on a first date dinner? (Sample size=1,150)
| Go Dutch |
3.8% |
| Up to 2,999 yen |
2.0% |
| 3,000 to 4,999 yen |
9.5% |
| 5,000 to 7,999 yen |
13.7% |
| 8,000 to 9,999 yen |
22.3% |
| 10,000 to 14,999 yen |
16.9% |
| 15,000 to 19,999 yen |
10.2% |
| 20,000 to 29,999 yen |
7.7% |
| 30,000 yen or more |
14.3% |
Q16: What image do you have of how much a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year would spend on a birthday present for you if you were going out with him? (Sample size=1,150)
| Up to 4,999 yen |
2.1% |
| 5,000 to 9,999 yen |
6.5% |
| 10,000 to 19,999 yen |
11.2% |
| 20,000 to 29,999 yen |
25.5% |
| 30,000 to 49,999 yen |
26.8% |
| 50,000 to 69,999 yen |
10.3% |
| 70,000 to 99,999 yen |
6.9% |
| 100,000 yen or more |
10.8% |
Q17: Which of the following is the most important if you were to marry a guy who earns 10 million yen a year? (Sample size=1,150)
| Character |
32.2% |
| Looks |
27.6% |
| Actions |
20.3% |
| Ability |
16.6% |
| Other |
3.3% |
Q18: Which of the following would be befitting of the wife of a guy who earns 10 million yen a year? (Sample size=1,150, multiple answer)
| Attentive |
62.3% |
| Quick-witted |
52.3% |
| Outgoing personality |
49.7% |
| Skilled cook |
43.0% |
| Beautiful |
40.9% |
| Good listener |
38.9% |
| Healing |
37.6% |
| Stylish |
36.6% |
| Boost her husband |
35.2% |
| Be from a good family, of good upbringing |
31.7% |
| Superior educational history |
20.1% |
| Good at housework (other than cooking) |
19.0% |
| Good worker |
17.0% |
| Proactive character |
10.4% |
| Likes children |
9.1% |
| Other |
1.3% |
Q19: From what annual salary would you consider someone rich? (Sample size=1,150)
| More than 5 million yen |
6.5% |
| More than 8 million yen |
34.1% |
| More than 10 million yen |
33.5% |
| More than 20 million yen |
12.9% |
| More than 30 million yen |
6.5% |
| More than 50 million yen |
2.3% |
| More than 100 million yen |
4.2% |
Q20: Where would a single guy who earns 10 million yen a year most display his wealth? (Sample size=1,150)
| Fashion in business situations |
22.7% |
| Hobbies |
13.6% |
| Car |
13.2% |
| Watch in business situations |
10.8% |
| Character |
7.5% |
| Watch in private situations |
5.1% |
| Fashion in private situations |
4.0% |
| When shopping for fashion-related items |
3.0% |
| When chatting up a woman |
2.7% |
| Contents of his bag |
2.2% |
| Face type |
1.9% |
| How much he spends on a first date dinner |
1.7% |
| Sports |
1.6% |
| How much he spends on a birthday present for his girlfriend |
1.5% |
| Mobile phone |
1.2% |
| Hair style |
0.8% |
| Bag used in business situations |
0.8% |
| Body type |
0.6% |
| Skin colour |
0.3% |
| Bag used in private situations |
0.3% |
| Facial hair |
0.3% |
| Glasses |
0.3% |
| Pet |
0.0% |
| Other |
3.1% |
Q21: Would you want to marry a guy who earns 10 million yen a year? (Sample size=1,150)
| Really want to |
10.4% |
| Perhaps want to |
61.5% |
| Don’t want to |
28.1% |
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Now this is an interesting poll, and I’m eager to compare it to the results of the one with men that have a lot of money in the bank! I suspect that they will diverge a lot — you don’t get to Y10m in savings when you’re spending the huge amounts that some of these women seem to think is de rigeur.
The original article also mentions that just 4.9% of men in general make this amount. Surely the vast majority of them are already married (if not because of their riches, then because they’re past typical marrying age). I wonder just what percentage of single men make this much: I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s 2% or less.
Another interesting thing from the detailed breakdowns in the original was that younger women were more likely to expect a rich man to wear glasses (over 40%) than their older sisters. Do younger guys go for the more garish glasses of today more than men did in past decades? Are near-sighted guys abandoning contacts for glasses so that they can read tiny mobile phone screens more easily close up?
I don’t understand why anyone would carry two different kinds of phones, or why a woman would expect a man to, unless she’s expecting that one would be personal and another issued by the company for work.
The possible answers in Q17 are leaving out the most important and most obvious one!
Also, Ken, minor correction in Q14: kusa-yakyu translates to “grass-lot baseball”, but in practice it just refers to amateur baseball in general, and is played on real dedicated fields with proper pitcher’s mounds and dugouts, and not on plain grass fields. It’s one of my big hobbies, so I suppose 99.7% of the women will not be expecting it should I ever reach the super-elite Y10m barrier and reveal my own hobbies to them!
I guess that nerds don’t come across as wealthy. Someone like Bill Gates wouldn’t get a second look.
I don’t call 10,000,000 yen salary ‘rich’ when you look at the cost of housing in urban centres of Japan.
> “I don’t understand why anyone would carry two different kinds of phones, or why a woman would expect a man to, unless she’s expecting that one would be personal and another issued by the company for work.”
I don’t understand this either. Also I don’t understand why anyone other than children and elderly would have a “Basic phone”.
I could see having two phones as one is a company issued phone but seems slightly absurd that this practice continues into the new era of smartphone ubiquity.
If people have their blackberry (or android or iOS or WinMo or WiPho7) smartphone, it is really pointless to have a second phone.
Which one is business? which one is personal? It doesn’t really matter since these smartphones all work with enterprises while at the same time can be used personally.
The rest of the world can integrate into one phone; there’s no reason why Japanese businessmen can’t.
So again, why have a “Basic phone” plus smartphone? (Especially over at least a feature phone plus smartphone)
No matter how the market change in the future, perceptions will likely change much more slowly.
So, perhaps people expect them to have a basic phone for business for contactability and without the notion that smartphones
( and the entire smartphone market for the past 10 years before the iPhone) were carved out specifically for business.
In that case, people would have basic phones for business because business cuts cost and may not be technologically savvy enough to support this century’s mobile communications technology.