世論 What Japan Thinks

A recent survey from Macromill Research becomes my first look at Christmas 2010.

Demographics

Between the 25th and 27th of November 2010 500 members of the Macromill monitor group resident within Tokyo or the surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The sample was exactly 50:50 male and female, 24.8% were in their twenties, 25.2% in their thirties, 25.2% in their forties, and 24.8% in their fifties.

My Christmas Eve will be spent at home, and Christmas Day is with the parents-in-law, which sounds more interesting than it actually will be. It’s not any Christmas event, but just that we bought them a terrestrial digital-ready television last month and the first available delivery date turned out to be December 25th, so we need to go along to make sure we get all the paperwork to claim back our eco points.

Research results

Q1: How do you plan to spend Christmas this year? (Sample size=500, multiple answer)

Leisurely at home	45.0%
Have a home party	16.8%
Work	15.0%
Eat out	10.8%
Go on a date	9.6%
Go shopping	6.8%
Go drinking	5.2%
Have an overnight trip	4.0%
Stay at a hotel	2.8%
Other	2.4%
Not decided anything in particular, don’t know	18.6%

Q2: With whom do you plan to spend most time with at Christmas this year? (Sample size=500, multiple answer)

Family	64.2%
Boyfriend, girlfriend	10.8%
By myself	8.2%
With friends	5.0%
Other	0.4%
Not decided anything in particular, don’t know	11.4%

Q3: What hors d’ouvres do you want to eat at home at Christmas this year? (Sample size=500, multiple answer, top ten)

Rank	Food	Percentage
1	Cake	61.4%
2	Roast chicken	53.2%
3	Fried chicken	44.6%
4	Pizza	39.0%
5	Salad	35.2%
6	Roast beef	31.8%
7	Ice cream	27.2%
8	Sushi	25.6%
9	Pasta	20.4%
10	Chicken nuggets	20.2%

Q4A: What alcoholic drinks do you want to drink at home at Christmas this year? (Sample size=500, multiple answer, top ten)

Rank	Drink	Percentage
1	Champagne	43.2%
2	Sparkling wine	36.2%
3	Beer	34.4%
4	Red wine	28.8%
5	White wine	20.4%
6	Cocktail	17.4%
7	Chanmeri	16.0%
8	Canned highball	11.8%
9	Happoshu (beer-like drink)	10.0%
10	Plum wine	7.2%

Q4B: What alcoholic drinks do you want to drink at home at Christmas this year? (Sample size=250, male, multiple answer, top ten)

Rank	Drink	Percentage
1	Beer	42.8%
2	Champagne	40.8%
3	Sparkling wine	30.8%
4	Red wine	30.4%
5	White wine	18.4%
6	Cocktail	14.0%
7	Chanmeri	12.4%
8	Happoshu	11.2%
9=	Whisky	9.6%
9=	Canned highball	9.6%

Q4C: What alcoholic drinks do you want to drink at home at Christmas this year? (Sample size=250, female, multiple answer, top ten)

Rank	Drink	Percentage
1	Champagne	45.6%
2	Sparkling wine	41.6%
3	Red wine	27.2%
4	Beer	26.0%
5	White wine	22.4%
6	Cocktail	20.8%
7	Chanmeri	19.6%
8	Canned highball	14.0%
9	Happoshu	8.8%
10	Plum wine	8.4%

Q5A: What do you want for Christmas this year? (Sample size=250, male, multiple answer, top ten)

Rank	Gift	Percentage
1	Wristwatch	19.6%
2	Computer	18.4%
3	Wallet	16.4%
4=	Clothes	16.0%
4=	Bag	16.0%
6	Accessory	13.2%
7	Game software	11.6%
8=	Shoes	11.2%
8=	Smartphone	11.2%
8=	Travel	11.2%

Q5B: What do you want for Christmas this year? (Sample size=250, female, multiple answer, top ten)

Rank	Gift	Percentage
1	Accessory	49.2%
2	Bag	34.0%
3	Clothes	26.0%
4	Travel	22.4%
5	Wallet, purse	20.8%
6	Wristwatch	16.8%
7	Interior item	14.4%
8	Shoes	14.0%
9=	Beauty products	13.2%
9=	Gift token	13.2%

Q6: Do you plan to send a present at Christmas this year? (Sample size=500)

	All	Male N=250	Female N=250
Yes (to SQ)	45.4%	39.6%	51.2%
No	29.0%	34.0%	24.0%
Don’t know, not decided	25.6%	26.4%	24.8%

Q6SQ: To whom do you plan to send a present at Christmas this year? (Sample size=227, maultiple answer)

Children	50.2%
Spouse	45.8%
Boyfriend, girlfriend	22.5%
Other family	10.1%
Friends	8.4%
Other	1.8%
Not decided yet	0.4%

Q7: Do you plan to buy a Christmas cake this year? (Sample size=500)

Plan to buy (to SQ)	50.2%
Don’t know if I’ll buy	26.2%
Plan to make one at home	9.4%
Don’t plan to buy or make	13.4%
Other	0.8%

Q7SQ: About how much are you budgeting to spend on a Christmas cake this year? (Sample size=251)

Under 1,000 yen	7.6%
1,000 to 1,999 yen	18.3%
2,000 to 2,999 yen	43.8%
3,000 to 3,999 yen	23.9%
4,000 to 4,999 yen	4.0%
5,000 yen or more	2.4%

The average cake price worked out at 2,544 yen.

The next two questions were for the unmarried people in their twenties or thirties who said they had previously been on a Christmas date.

Q8: What have you done on a Christmas date? (Sample size=84, multiple answer)

	All	Twenties N=47	Thirties N=37
Watched a night view, illuminations	47.6%	44.7%	51.4%
Went for a posh Christmas dinner	39.3%	40.4%	37.8%
Went for an ordinary meal	38.1%	34.0%	43.2%
Went shopping for Christmas presents	33.3%	34.0%	32.4%
Date at home (home cooking, watching DVDs, etc)	32.1%	31.9%	32.4%
Stayed at a city hotel	15.5%	17.0%	13.5%
Went for a drive	14.3%	10.6%	18.9%
Went on domestic travel	13.1%	14.9%	10.8%
Went to Disneyland	13.1%	12.8%	13.5%
Went to the cinema	8.3%	8.5%	8.1%
Went on an overseas trip	6.0%	6.4%	5.4%
Other	3.6%	4.3%	2.7%

Q9: Excluding presents, who paid for Christmas dates? (Sample size=84)

	All	Twenties N=47	Thirties N=37
Man paid everything	36.9%	27.7%	48.6%
Man paid most	42.9%	51.1%	32.4%
Split the bill	17.9%	21.3%	13.5%
Other	2.4%	0.0%	5.4%

The next question was for the unmarried people in their twenties or thirties.

Q10: What is your ideal Christmas date? (Sample size=146, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=88	Female N=58	Twenties N=95	Thirties N=51
Watching a night view, illuminations	55.5%	52.3%	60.3%	53.7%	58.8%
Date at home (home cooking, watching DVDs, etc)	50.7%	48.9%	53.4%	53.7%	45.1%
Going for a posh Christmas dinner	38.4%	34.1%	44.8%	34.7%	45.1%
Going shopping for Christmas presents	27.4%	23.9%	32.8%	25.3%	31.4%
Going for an ordinary meal	20.5%	19.3%	22.4%	16.8%	27.5%
Staying at a city hotel	17.1%	15.9%	19.0%	12.6%	25.5%
Going on domestic travel	15.8%	12.5%	20.7%	13.7%	19.6%
Going for a drive	15.8%	14.8%	17.2%	14.7%	17.6%
Going to Disneyland	15.8%	12.5%	20.7%	14.7%	17.6%
Going on an overseas trip	11.6%	6.8%	19.0%	11.6%	11.8%
Going to the cinema	8.9%	12.5%	3.4%	9.5%	7.8%
Other	7.5%	6.8%	8.6%	7.4%	7.8%