世論 What Japan Thinks

Mi-te, an illustrated book community aimed at parents with pre-school children recently conducted a survey on traditional Japanese fairy tales.

Demographics

Between the 19th of February and 4th of March 2013 480 members of their 400,000 people-strong web site completed a members-only survey, accessible through both computers and mobile phones. 309 people used a computer, 190 a mobile devicce (obviously some used both), 120 people had an “iku-memo” (shared child-growth calendar. I would presume) and 19 a “yomi-log” (blog?), and 13 a photo-bee (photo album?). 97.7% of the respondents were female, 0.8% 20 years old or younger, 5.4% between 21 and 25 years old, 16.5% between 26 and 30 years old, 33.1% between 31 and 35 years old, 26.9% between 36 and 40 years old, 13.1% between 41 and 45 years old, and 4.2% aged 46 years old or more. Furthermore, the youngest child of 31.8% was zero years old, 20.4% was one year old, 9.8% was two years old, 12.5% was three years old, 7.5% was four years old, 4.2% was five years old, and 13.8% six or more years old. Finally, 55.8% had one child, 34.2% two children, 8.3% three children, and 1.7% four or more children.

Like many of the Western fairy tales, the stories have been considerably revised and cleaned up over the years. In Momotaro, for instance, the current story has Momotaro appearing from a peach and being adopted by an elderly couple; the original tale was that a spirit grants the old couple a wish, they ask for their youth back for one night, and Granny ends up pregnant with Momotaro…

I’ve linked below to translations of the various Japanese stories.

Research results

Q1: Do you read traditional Japanese fairy tales to your children? (Sample size=480)

Yes	71.7%
No	28.3%

Q2: Which do you read more to your children, traditional Japanese fairy tales or worldwide fairy tales? (Sample size=480)

Japanese fairy tales	53.8%
Worldwide fairy tales	20.8%
Neither	25.4%

Q3: About how often do you read traditional Japanese fairy tales to your children? (Sample size=480)

Every day	4.2%
Two or three times a week	12.1%
Once a week	23.3%
Once a month	18.5%
Few times a year	12.9%
Never	28.4%
No answer	0.6%

Q4: Did your parents, neighbours, etc read traditional Japanese fairy tales to you when you were a child? (Sample size=480)

Yes	92.1%
No	7.9%

Q5: What image do you have of traditional Japanese fairy tales? (Sample size=480, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Nostalgic	368	76.7%
Morally instructive	245	51.0%
Enjoyable	211	44.0%
Scary	68	14.2%
Old	36	7.5%
Difficult contents	28	5.8%
Difficult to read	27	5.6%
Uninteresting	5	1.0%
Other	13	2.7%

Q6: What was your favourite traditional Japanese fairy tales when you were a child? (Sample size=480)

Rank		Votes
1	Momotaro	64
2=	Kaguya Hime	28
2=	Kasa Jizo	28
4	Tsuru no Ongaeshi	25
5	Saru Kani Kassen	23
6	Hanasaka Jiisan	16
7=	Urashima Taro	11
7=	Shita-kiri Suzume	11
9	Kachi-kachi Yama	10
10	Naita Akaoni	9

Q7: What age was your child when you first start reading traditional Japanese fairy tales to them? (Sample size=480)

In the womb	5.6%
Zero years old	14.8%
One year old	16.7%
Two years old	16.9%
Three years old	11.9%
Four years old	2.9%
Five years old	0.8%
Never read	28.3%
No answer	2.1%

Q8: What was the first traditional Japanese fairy tale you read to your child? (Sample size=480)

Rank		Votes
1	Momotaro	191
2	Omusubi Kororin	19
3	Urashima Taro	12
4=	Kasa Jizo	10
4=	Saru Kani Kassen	10
6	Kachi-kachi Yama	8
7	Issun-boji	7
8	Hanasaka Jiisan	6
9	Tsuru no Ongaeshi	5
10	Ninjin Daikon Gobo	4

Q9: Does your child like traditional Japanese fairy tales? (Sample size=480)

Yes	73.8%
No	26.2%

Q10: What is your child’s favourite traditional Japanese fairy tale? (Sample size=480)

Rank		Votes
1	Momotaro	80
2	Saru Kani Kassen	24
3	Omusubi Kororin	22
4	Kachi-kachi Yama	12
5	Issun-boji	11
6	Kasa Jizo	10
7	Urashima Taro	8
8	Sanmai no Ofuda	7
9	Kobu-tori Jiisan	6
10=	Tsuru no Ongaeshi	5
10=	Hanasaka Jiisan	5
10=	Hekkoki Anesa	5

Q11: On what basis do you choose which traditional Japanese fairy tale to read to your child? (Sample size=480, multiple answer)

	Votes	Percentage
Contents	314	65.4%
Illustrations	285	59.4%
Read when I was a child	189	39.4%
Written using easy-to-understand language	176	36.7%
Amount of text	109	22.7%
What kind of moral it teaches	65	13.5%
Had it read in kindergarten, nursery school	39	8.1%
Other	19	4.0%

Q12: Do you think reading traditional Japanese fairy tales to children is a useful part of child-rearing? (Sample size=480)

Yes	96.9%
No	3.1%