世論 What Japan Thinks

Macromill Research recently published the results of their survey into Christmas 2012.

Demographics

Over the 13th and 14th of November 2012 500 members of the Macromill monitor group who lived in Tokyo or the three surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The sample was split exactly 50:50 male and female, and exactly 25% in their twenties, 25% in their thirties, 25% in their forties, and 25% in their fifties.

It’s very interesting to note for men that the iPad mini is the only item named by brand. One reason might be that it is just about the only tablet advertised on television, with regular prime-time spots almost every day. The Japanese manufacturers seem to have given up, but just yesterday I saw my first advert for Amazon’s Fire HD.

Research results

Q1A: Do you plan to go out for something Christmas-related between the 22nd and 25th of December 2012? (Sample size=500)

Yes (to SQ)	52.4%
No, am working, etc	47.6%

Q1B: Do you plan to go out for something Christmas-related between the 22nd and 25th of December 2012? (Sample size=500, per day)

	Go out	Not go out	Work	Other
Saturday 22nd	30.8%	44.8%	17.6%	6.8%
Sunday 23rd	38.8%	42.0%	11.6%	7.6%
Monday 24th (Public holiday)	34.8%	44.8%	13.0%	7.4%
Tuesday 25th	14.6%	43.8%	35.6%	6.0%

Q1SQ: What do you plan to go out to do Christmas-related between the 22nd and 25th of December 2012? (Sample size=262, multiple answer, top ten)

Rank		Percentage
1	View illuminations	43.9%
2	Shop for Christmas presents	27.9%
3	Go for a slap-up Christmas dinner, etc	25.2%
4	Go to a friend’s home party	14.9%
5	Go to a theme park, etc	14.5%
6	Go to a party at a restaurant, etc	9.9%
7	Go on domestic travel	8.0%
8=	Stay at a hotel	7.3%
8=	Go to a concert, other live performance	7.3%
10	Go to an onsen (hot springs)	3.8%

Q2: Which Tokyo-area illumination spots do you want to go to? (Sample size=500, multiple answer, top ten)

Rank		Percentage
1	Tokyo Station Square	28.4%
2	Tokyo Sky Tree	26.4%
3	Omotesando Hills	21.2%
4	Tokyo Mid Town	19.4%
5	Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse	16.8%
6	Roppongi Keyakisaka Doori	14.4%
7=	Maru no Uchi Naka Doori	11.8%
7=	Yokohama Landmark Tower	11.8%
9	Tokyo Tower	11.2%
10	Ebisu Garden Place	8.6%

People were asked what their budget for Christmas was. For the 411 people who said it was more than zero, the average was 22,671 yen. Within that sample, 188 men averaged 26,432 yen and 223 women averaged 19,500 yen. This is almost 10% up from the same survey two years ago.

Q3: Do you plan to buy a Christmas cake? (Sample size=500)

Yes (to SQ)	51.0%
No, but will bake one myself	9.6%
No	15.8%
Other	0.4%
Don’t know	23.2%

For those 255 people planning to buy, between 2,000 and 3,000 yen was the most popular price, with 38.0% thinking of spending that amount.

Q3SQ: Where do you plan to buy a Christmas cake? If you plan to buy more than one, answer for the most expensive one. (Sample size=255)

Rank		Percentage
1	Cake shop	56.9%
2	Department store	17.3%
3	Supermarket	12.9%
4	Convenience store	6.3%
5	Internet, mail order	1.6%
6	Hotel	1.2%
7	Other	3.9%

Q4: What do you want for Christmas this year? (Sample size=500)

Male, N=250

Rank		Percentage
1	iPad mini	17.2%
2	Clothes	13.2%
3	Wallet	12.0%
4	Computer	11.6%
5	Wristwatch	10.8%

Female, N=250

Rank		Percentage
1	Accessory, jewelry	33.6%
2	Clothes	28.4%
3	Bag	24.8%
4	Shoes, boots	17.2%
5	Wristwatch	13.2%

Male, twenties, N=62

Rank		Percentage
1	Clothes	25.8%
2	iPad mini	22.6%
3	Wristwatch, wallet	17.7%

Female, twenties, N=63

Rank		Percentage
1	Accessory, jewelry	44.4%
2	Bag	41.3%
3	Clothes	33.3%

Male, thirties, N=63

Rank		Percentage
1	iPad mini	15.9%
2	Wallet	14.3%
3	Computer	12.7%

Female, thirties, N=62

Rank		Percentage
1=	Accessory, jewelry	37.1%
1=	Clothes	37.1%
3	Bag	24.2%

Male, forties, N=62

Rank		Percentage
1	iPad mini	12.9%
2=	Domestic travel	11.3%
2=	Wallet	11.3%
2=	Computer	11.3%

Female, forties, N=63

Rank		Percentage
1	Accessory, jewelry	31.7%
2	Clothes	28.6%
3	Bag	22.2%

Male, fifties, N=63

Rank		Percentage
1	iPad mini	17.5%
2	Domestic travel	9.5%
3=	Computer	7.9%
3=	Clothes	7.9%

Female, fifties, N=62

Rank		Percentage
1	Accessory, jewelry	21.0%
2=	Clothes	14.5%
2=	Gloves, scarf	14.5%