世論 What Japan Thinks

The one thing that isn’t a dishwasher in Japan is the average husband (a suspiciously-optimistic figure of one in four wash them) and it’s the third most hated job for wives, so with that in mind, this survey from MyVoice looked at how dishwashers are used in Japan.

Demographics

Over the first five days of March 2009 15,395 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 36% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 18% aged fifty or older.

We once bought a counter-top dishwasher, but it was too slow and not reliable at cleaning, so we only ever used it half a dozen times. We tried to palm it off to the parents-in-law, but they were similarly unimpressed and sent it back! It’s now gathering dust (and rust, no doubt) in the back of our trunk room.

I do the evening washing up all the time, so if we actually had a dishwasher I’d be seen to be not pulling my weight with the housework, therefore no dishwasher actually helps maintain domestic harmony! I do actually enjoy (well, not actively dislike) doing them, which does help.
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Due to the lack of vegetarian options I never actually eaten an instant ramen cup noodle here in Japan, but according to this recent survey from MyVoice into cup noodles (their second time, the first having been in December 2006) I’m very much in the minority as usual.

Demographics

Over the first five days of March 2009 15,584 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 1% in their teens, 14% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 19% aged fifty or older.

I live just two stops up the tracks from the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, but despite that I am still to visit! One fun feature is that you can make your own original cup which they present to you sealed in an over-large air-filled pillow, so every time I see one on the train I am reminded of my failure to travel just 10 minutes to see the place!
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This survey from MyVoice into rice cookers is their second look at the topic, the first having been conducted two years ago and translated by me then.

Demographics

Over the first five days of February 2009 15,419 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 1% in their teens, 14% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 30% in their forties, and 18% aged fifty or older.

Two years ago I mentioned that the survey omitted to discuss just using a pan or a traditional pot counted as a rice cooker, so I was pleased to see that this time in Q1 they asked not just about electric cookers, but also about other methods of cooking rice. I’m far too modest, and I know I’d be lying anyway, to claim that it was all thanks to this blog that they amended their question!

Oh, and I have a Squidoo page about Japanese rice cookers that occasionally makes me a few cents.
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I’m afraid this is one of these surveys that sounded interesting but turned out to be rather dull, so I’ve tried to liven it up with a nice picture of a lunch-box by Sakuraoko Kitsa on flickr. The survey itself was on lunch and conducted by MyVoice.

Demographics

Over the first five days of February 2009 15,158 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 1% in their teens, 14% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 30% in their forties, and 18% aged fifty or older.

Unfortunately, comparing now with a year ago didn’t really reveal any new information, thus my disappointment at this survey.

There seems to be a rash of bento lunch box sites popping up these days, so if you fancy trying to make your own, I can recommend Adventures in Bentomaking as a fun place to visit!
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Winter may be almost over, but the surveys on the season are not! This recent one from MyVoice looked at the tastes of winter.

Demographics

Over the first five days of February 2008 15,230 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were male, 2% in their teens, 13% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 30% in their forties, and 18% aged fifty or older.

I don’t really feel winter – down where I live it never really gets below freezing and the weather is closer to the end of autumn in Scotland – perhaps because the leaves fall off the tree about two months later I’m out of sync, and now with the plum trees coming out in flower I’m into spring already. Talking of when spring starts reminds me of a recent post from Shibuya246 on when Japanese think spring starts.

The top taste for me is also satsuma (mikan in Japanese), which has an interesting tale behind why it is so-called. The wife of an American diplomat in the 19th century who introduced it to America apparently confused it with the old provice Satsuma which was a producer of said fruit. It also appears there are three towns in the USA named Satsuma, in Alabama, Florida and Louisiana.
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Here’s a survey I translated last month but it fell through a crack and I forgot to publish it! It was performed by DIMSDRIVE Research, and looked at book purchasing.

Demographics

Between the 29th of October and the 13 of November 2008 9,566 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.2% of the sample were male, 1.1% in their teens, 12.8% in their twenties, 31.3% in their thirties, 31.4% in their forties, 16.1% in their fifties, and 7.3% aged sixty or older.

This was one of these surveys that I really liked the idea of, but as I started translating it I realised it wasn’t living up to my expectations, thus I ended up laying it aside and forgetting about its existance!

Note that books here include manga comics in book form, I believe. I’d have loved to have seen the average spend per person per month on books, how many of their monthly book purchases are from second-hand stores, and how often people swap or borrow books with friends or from libraries.
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With the economy tanking, and with many firms announcing pay freezes if not cuts, this survey conducted by iBridge Research Plus and reported on by japan.internet.com into wives and foreign exchange is rather timely.

Demographics

On the 2nd of February 2009 300 married women from the iBridge monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 7.3% of the sample were in their twenties, 44.3% in their thirties, 32.0% in their forties, 13.0% in their fifties, and 3.3% in their sixties.

With perfect timing the Financial Times has a long but worth reading article on female Japanese foreign exchange investors.

I’d love to know more about the 96.4% who didn’t find full time jobs. Were they looking? How many were already employed?
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I’ve not actually been into a clothes shop to get stuff for myself for a couple of years, although the last time I did go it was to a Uniqlo, the shop that comes out way on top in this recent survey from MyVoice into casual wear shops.

Demographics

Over the first five days of January 2009 13,923 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 13% in their twenties, 36% in their thirties, 31% in their forties, and 18% aged fifty or older.

I usually buy casual wear at Passport, as they have a nice (read “cheap”) line of hannari tofu clothes. Otherwise I leave the casual shopping up to the wife, who uses mail order on the whole.
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Valentine’s Day may have seen a number of weddings proposed, so it is quite timely too look at this recent survey conducted by iBridge Research Plus and reported on by japan.internet.com into engagement rings and other associated matters.

Demographics

On the 9th of February 2009 300 unmarried women from the iBridge monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 50.7% of the sample were in their twenties and 49.3% in their thirties.

As I typed the introduction paragraph I started wondering if Valentine’s Day (or the counterpart White Day) is such a significant date for proposing marriage in Japan. Indeed, that would be a very interesting topic to have a search for, when and how people proposed. The only survey I can remember doing on that topic found that a depressingly-high 30.3% of people in their twenties find a shotgun prodding them down the aisle!

We chose our engagement and wedding rings together, with wifey having the final say, of course, as I’d probably have been too stingey if I’d been let loose on my own. We bought from Exelco, who are relatively reasonable as they sell direct, and sell diamonds and the rings separately, so there’s much more freedom to get something that fits your budget.
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A recent survey from iShare on a favourite topic of mine, Japanese aversion for dentists, took a slightly different and rather interesting look at the oft-covered matter of Japanese teeth.

Demographics

Between the 14th and 17th of January 2009 468 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private online questionnaire. 52.6% of the sample were male, 11.3% in their twenties, 53.2% in their thirties, 26.3% in their forties, 6.4% in their fifties, and 2.8% either in their teens or aged sixty or older.

I actually need to go to the dentist (it’s 9 months since my last cleaning) but… I don’t really like phones in English, so Japanese is twice as bad! The dentist himself I can most strongly recommend, and his prices are quite reasonable, especially compared to the ham-fisted thief that my wife visits.
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