世論 What Japan Thinks

With just three days to go until the start of the Sochi Olympics, this seemed a good time to publish the results of a survey by Intage into awareness of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Demographics

Between the 15th and 17th of January 2014 exactly 1,000 members of the Intage-run Cue Monitor site completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The sample was exactly 50:50 male and female, and 20.0% in each of the age groups of twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and sixties.

The pie chart above is interesting because the Japan Olympic Committee has set a target of outdoing their performance at Nagano in 1998 where they won 10 medals, including five gold. I think that is unobtainable, particularly five golds, but unlike the majority of respondents, I can see around seven to nine medals being obtained. Wee Sara Takanashi is a shoo-in for gold in the ski jump, figure skating might see a gold for Mao Asada and one or two other places, along with a couple of speed skating medals. Add in a couple of good performances in other sports and we have two gold and six of other colours.

I’m moderately interested in the games myself, but I’ll probably not do much more than watch the highlights on the news, I suspect.

Research results

Q1: Are you interested in the Sochi Olympics? (Sample size=1,000)

Interested (to SQ1 onwards)	16.4%
Somewhat interested (to SQ1 onwards)	38.4%
Can’t say either way (to SQ2 onwards)	18.6%
Somewhat uninterested (to SQ2 onwards)	14.9%
Not interested	11.7%

Q1SQ1: Why are you interested in the Sochi Olympics? (Sample size=548, multiple answer)

Expect Japanese athletes to do well	52.0%
Like the Olympics	49.1%
Like a particular sport	31.0%
Can see top-level athletes’ techniques	29.2%
Like sports, winter sports	25.0%
Like a particular athlete	20.6%
It’s a topic of conversation	15.7%
Other	0.4%
No particular reason	1.5%

Q1SQ2: What sports, ceremonies are you interested in at the Sochi Olympics? (Sample size=883, multiple answer)

Figure skate	69.6%
Ski jump	55.0%
Curling	24.1%
Speed skate	22.0%
Opening ceremony	16.2%
Nordic combined (cross-country plus jump)	11.1%
Snowboard	10.9%
Closing ceremony	9.6%
Alpine ski	7.7%
Freestyle ski	6.1%
Ice hockey	6.0%
Bobsleigh	5.1%
Short-track speed skate	5.0%
Luge	3.6%
Cross-country ski	3.3%
Skeleton	2.8%
Biathlon	1.2%
Don’t know, nothing in particular	16.0%

Q1SQ3: What athletes, teams will you be supporting? (Sample size=883, multiple answer, top ten)

Mao Asada (Figure skating)	74.7%
Sara Takanashi (Ski jump)	57.3%
Daisuke Takahashi (Figure skating)	49.4%
Yuzuru Hanya (Figure skating)	47.3%
Noriaki Kasai (Ski jump)	38.5%
Kanako Murakami (Figure skating)	35.1%
Akiko Suzuki (Figure skating)	31.8%
Aiko Uemura (Mogul)	31.4%
Woman’s curling team	28.0%
Tatsuki Machida (Figure skating)	25.9%

Q1SQ4: How many medals do you expect Japan to win at the Sochi Olympics? (Sample size=883)

None	0.9%
One to three	27.0%
Four to six	50.8%
Seven to nine	15.5%
Ten or more	5.8%

Q1SQ5: Where, how do you want to watch, get news, etc regarding the Sochi Olympics? (Sample size=883, multiple answer)

At home watching live on television	66.0%
Watching highlights on the news	52.3%
Reading internet news columns	21.5%
Reading newspaper columns	17.8%
Watching recordings on television	10.4%
Reading posts on Twitter, Facebook, etc	2.2%
Watching live at sports bar, pub, etc	1.7%
Going to Sochi to see in person	1.1%
Watching live at a public viewing	0.7%
Other	0.1%
Don’t plan to watch, follow the news	8.3%

Q2: Which of the following trivia regarding the Sochi Olympics did you know about? (Sample size=1,000, multiple answer)

	Knew	Didn’t know
This is the first time the Winter Olympics have been held in Russia or the Soviet Union	21.6%	78.4%
There is a five-hour time difference to Sochi	10.0%	90.0%
The opening ceremony starts on the 7th of February at 20:14 local time	9.8%	90.2%
There are 98 events, 12 more than at the previous Olympics at Vancouver	4.1%	95.9%
This year there is a new figure skate team event	37.4%	62.6%