世論 What Japan Thinks

goo Research recently conducted their third regular survey into consumer games machines, and the report on japan.internet.com had some interesting data regarding piracy.

Demographics

Between the 25th and 27th of January 2010 1,056 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-base questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were male, 16.4% in their teens, 17.7% in their twenties, 21.7% in their thirties, 16.2% in the forties, and 28.0% aged fifty or older.

Previously I’ve mentioned that I felt surveys covering P2P piracy had under-reported the piracy issue, so I’m very surprised to see so large a self-reported figure here for console piracy. I’m not really too sure of the best way to interpret the difference.

It’s interesting to compare the results here with those from last November.
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Despite mobile phones reaching pretty much saturation point, according to recent survey into fixed line phones by iBridge Research Plus and reported on by japan.internet.com less than one in five see fixed lines disappearing in the future.

Demographics

On the 25th of January 2010 300 members of the iBridge monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% of the sample were male, 16.3% in their twenties, 34.3% in their thirties, 33.7% in their forties, 11.7% in their fifties, and 4.0% in their sixties.

One reason why fixed line phones are not going away, compared to what I imagine trends are in the USA, is that mobile phone deals in Japan contain very, very few free minutes. SoftBank are the most generous, offering basically free calls to all SoftBank phones, and the other two main carriers have free family and friend calls to certain numbers, but otherwise mobile calls are pretty expensive compared to fixed line phones, and calls to mobile numbers also carry a premium.
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Much like Coke or Pepsi or Kanto versus Kansai, glossy versus matte LCDs, the subject of a recent iShare survey, is an eternal battle with entrenched favourites.

Demographics

Between the 13th and 18th of January 2010 500 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 59.8% of the sample were male, 31.2% in their twenties, 32.0% in their thirties, and 36.8% in their forties.

I’m firmly in the matte camp, although I’ve never actually used a glossy… When I bought my monitor they had both a glossy and matte version on offer, and whilst the colours from glossy were very vivid, I’d heard a lot about issues with reflections, and anyway the matte was cheaper…

Oh, and just to mention the iPad for the first time on this blog (although no doubt they’ll be a million and one surveys over the next couple of months), I hear a lot of people imagining how professionals in the field will use one, but it has a glossy screen which along with the LCD makes it a no-go – and that’s also ignoring that it’s not ruggedised, water resistant or even terribly sturdy-looking.

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As a sort-of follow-up on a recent survey into internet performance, this time we look with Marsh Inc and japan.internet.com at computer dissatisfaction.

Demographics

Between the 13th and 17th of January 2010 300 members of the Marsh monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.0% of the sample were female, 2.3% in their teens, 17.7% in their twenties, 20.0% in their thirties, 20.0% in their forties, 20.0% in their fifties, and 20.0% aged sixty or older.

I’m mostly satisfied with my setup at home – it’s no speed demon, but it wasn’t bought as one, although it could do with a little bit of extra memory as it gets a bit slow when memory fills up, and the mouse is rather wonky.

Interestingly, in this survey everyone had a home computer, although usually there’s always one or two who do their surveys from the office or an internet cafe – I presume they pre-screened the sample.
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Recently there was a rather unfocused article by japan.internet.com on a survey conducted by goo Research into home electrical appliances that didn’t really reveal anything interesting, so pleae feel free to browse to another page… This is apparently the third in a series of regular surveys on the topic.

Demographics

If you’re still here, I’ll inform you that between the 21st and 25th of December 2009 1,076 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.2% of the sample were male, 16.2% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, 21.4% in their thirties, 16.4% in their forties, 15.8% in their fifties, and 12.2% aged sixty or older.

The biggest surprise in Q1 is that although 69.9% have a portable computer (although previous surveys have shown that they don’t tend to get ported much), just 7.0% have a netbook. On the other hand, it’s not really a surprise since computers don’t get carried around there’s no motivation to get a lighter netbook.

Furthermore, the selection of ETC electronic toll payment devices seems a bit of stretch as a domestic appliance…
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In a survey on mobile phones from goo Research, reported on by japan.internet.com, they looked in particular in cleaning the screen, a subject that I have actually covered over two years ago.

Demographics

Between the 22nd and 24th of December 2009 1,070 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.4% of the sample were male, 15.7% in their teens, 18.4% in their twenties, 21.3% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 16.1% in their fifties, and 12.2% aged sixty or older.

I too most often wipe my mobile screen on my sleeve, despite having a mascot screen cleaner dangling from my phone. The screen cleaner does a better job, of course, but one good wipe on my sleeve after a phone call is far quicker!
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Recently goo Research looked at television in a survey reported on by japan.internet.com.

Demographics

On the 16th of December 2009 1,061 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 16.6% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, 21.1% in their thirties, 16.2% in their forties, 15.6% in their fifties, and 12.3% aged sixty or older.

I’ve just got a rather old tube-based television at home, and the wife has a One Seg mobile phone, but she only watches it once in a blue moon, especially as it doesn’t have an external aerial so even when perfectly still it’s difficult to get a signal, and it’s almost unwatchable on the train.

Built-in televisions in bathrooms are a great gimmick that I could be persuaded to go for, even though my eyesight’s so bad I don’t think I could see anything if we were to get one!

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, yes, Japanese televisions are measured in inches.
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With Avatar in 3D in the cinemas and doing rather well, and a big push from television makers towards getting 3D into the living room, I’m surprised that it’s taken quite this long for a survey on 3D to appear.

Demographics

Between the 2nd and 7th of December 2009 541 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 55.6% of the sample were male, 35.1% in their twenties, 28.75 in their thirties, and 36.2% in their forties.

I went to see Up (or “Old Man Carl’s House Flies in the Sky”, as it was rendered in Japanese) in 3D and the glasses were rather uncomfortable, and I had to spend periods of time holding them away from the bridge of my nose as they hurt. I also failed to appreciate any 3D whatsoever, except for background blurring in one or two scenes. I later went to see Avatar in 2D as I didn’t fancy another two and half hours of the specs.
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Computers and cell phones are making most of the respondents to this survey from iShare ill, with stiff shoulders and dry eye being the two most common symptoms of technostress.

Demographics

Between the 8th and 11th of December 2009 491 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 55.6% of the sample were male, 35.6% in their twenties, 27.5% in their thirties, and 36.9% in their forties.

I hardly ever get any particular complaint from using PCs or mobiles, except for tired eyes that go away after just a quick break.

Stiff shoulders (katakori) are, as far as I can determine, a typically Japanese response to stress where in the west it would probably be a headache or migraine. Dry eye, however, is I suspect (in my totally and utterly non-medical opinion) a reaction to overuse of eye drops. Attend any event from the cinema to the theatre and you’ll see lots of people topping up (replacing) their tears with various over-the-counter medicine. The big manufacturers even sell a junior eyedrop for children, but if your kid isn’t producing tears you should be seeing a doctor, not self-medicating!
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Let’s look at another curious corner of Japanese life, the use of ballpoint pens, in a survey conducted by DIMSDRIVE Research.

Demographics

Between the 19th of August and the 3rd of September 2009 11,182 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.8% of the sample were male, 0.9% in their teens, 10.8% in their twenties, 32.5% in their thirties, 31.6% in their forties, 16.7% in their fifties, and 7.5% aged sixty or older.

I don’t buy any pens, instead I usually fremantle them on business trips.

Coincidentally, when looking at this year’s nengajo New Year postcars my wife did remark on how a couple of them that had been hand-written with fine point ballpoint pens looked very neat, and how she wanted to buy a similar pen.
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