世論 What Japan Thinks

April is the start of the new school year, thus is also the time for gift-giving to children starting at new schools, the subject of a survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com. They also looked at starting work, but the data was not reported in the article.

Demographics

Between the 30th of March and the 1st of April 2011 1,082 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.1% of the sample were male, 16.5% in their teens, 18.3% in their twenties, 21.8% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 11.6% aged sixty or older.

I’m a bit surprised that a tablet computer didn’t figure higher within any of the lists – I’ve seen a lot of people rave over the educational uses of an iPad, and even I would consider giving it to any primary school age kids I might have in the future.

Note that the questions were only for people planning to give or who had already given gifts this season. 127 people fell into this category for primary school, 77 for middle school, and 90 for high school.

Research results

Q1: What do you plan to give, have you given as an elementary school entrance gift? (Sample size=127, multiple answer)

Money	50.4%
Pens, pencils, erasers, etc	16.8%
Book token	16.8%
Satchel	11.2%
Games machine, software	8.0%
Wristwatch, alarm clock	5.6%
Mobile phone	4.8%
Thermos flask	4.8%
Books	4.0%
Ball-point pen, propelling pencil, etc set	3.2%
Rucksack	3.2%
Umbrella	3.2%
Smartphone	2.4%
Laptop computer	2.4%
Netbook computer	1.6%
Fountain pen	1.6%
Desktop computer	0.0%
Raincoat	0.0%
Other	13.6%

Q2: What do you plan to give, have you given as a middle school entrance gift? (Sample size=77, multiple answer)

Money	64.9%
Book token	18.2%
Ball-point pen, propelling pencil, etc set	10.4%
Mobile phone	9.1%
Games machine, software	7.8%
Pens, pencils, erasers, etc	7.8%
Wristwatch, alarm clock	5.2%
Smartphone	3.9%
Laptop computer	3.9%
Books	3.9%
Netbook computer	2.6%
Portable music player	2.6%
Desktop computer	1.1%
Tablet computer	1.3%
Fountain pen	1.3%
Rucksack	0.0%
Thermos flask	0.0%
Umbrella	0.0%
Raincoat	0.0%
Other	7.8%

Q3: What do you plan to give, have you given as a high school entrance gift? (Sample size=90, multiple answer)

Money	67.8%
Book token	11.1%
Ball-point pen, propelling pencil, etc set	8.9%
Mobile phone	7.8%
Portable music player	6.7%
Bag	5.6%
Smartphone	4.4%
Laptop computer	4.4%
Fountain pen	4.4%
Shoes	4.4%
Netbook computer	2.2%
Tablet computer	2.2%
Wristwatch, alarm clock	2.2%
Pens, pencils, erasers, etc	2.2%
Books	2.2%
Desktop computer	1.1%
Games machine, software	1.1%
Other	5.6%