世論 What Japan Thinks

Having looked earlier in the week at how people use their PCs in the morning, this time we look with RealWorld RealResearch and japan.internet.com at web site viewing habits at home.

Demographics

Over the 27th and 28th of October 2009 1,012 members of the RealWorld RealResearch monitor group successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 64.0% of the sample were male, 6.0% in their teens, 9.5% in their twenties, 10.3% in their thirties, 40.9% in their forties, 18.5% in their fifties, and 14.8% aged sixty or older. That does seem a bit of curiously top-heavy demographic.

When I start up my PC the first thing I do is launch my mail clients (yes, I run two clients to keep my blogging world separate from my family) and my browser, hit the mail check buttons then minimise the mail clients, so end up viewing the browser first, which starts up with the Opera speed dial page, technically, I suppose, a blank page.

I don’t bookmark many sites, but my wife has hundreds of the things which slow down Internet Explorer something rotten, taking over 10 seconds to open a page. I should teach her about sub-folders for bookmarks, but I really haven’t got the energy.
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This subject is one that seems to polarises opinions in Japanese media, with those opposed arguing along the lines of having the law in place to allow separate names will mean everyone will use it, leading to a collapse of the whole of Japanese society. However, this recent survey into separate names of husbands and wives found most in favour, but very few planning to take advantage of it.

Demographics

Between the 13th and 16th of October 2009 498 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 56.6% of the sample were male, 36.7% in their twenties, 30.1% in their thirties, and 33.1% in their forties.

Separate names is by default a fact for international marriages, due to the family register system in Japan – a Japanese-only couple have one family register document for the two of them, so as the document only supports a single surname, couples must have the same official name. However, foreign residents have a separate registration system, so we and our spouses can keep our surnames, although there is a six-month window where one can easily make the change. My wife didn’t change (no particular reason, just too much hassle, I support), but when she renewed her passport she got given a double-barrel with my surname in brackets after hers.
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Here’s an interesting look at socialising and friends from MyVoice.

Demographics

Over the first five days of October 2009 13,534 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 13% in their twenties, 32% in their thirties, 31% in their forties, and 22% aged fifty or older.

Even though the sample used was from the MyVoice internet community, in Q2 you can see that only 8.3% form friendships through the internet. Despite, or perhaps because, being an anti-social git myself, I have made a good number of acquaintances through my blogging, and dare I say it even a friend or two, as I have done through my trusted computing conference attendance.

Two years ago I translated another survey on inter-personal relationships.
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I was going to make this a detailed post tonight, but Mari at Watashi to Tokyo beat me to it with the list of top 10 hit items of 2009.

I’ve had a bit of a cold (not influenza!) this weekend, which is why I went silent for three days, and I’ll skip a fuller post today too.

Here’s an interesting little survey from iBridge Research Plus as reported on by japan.internet.com into the internet and habits.

Demographics

On the 26th of October 2009 exactly 300 members of the iBridge monitor group who were either in employment or students completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 76.0% of the sample were male, 9.0% were in their twenties, 31.7% in their thirties, 38.0% in their forties, 17.0% in their fifties, and 4.3% in their sixties.

I don’t switch on my home PC before leaving for work as (a) I don’t have time, and (b) if I did, I’d keep fiddling with it and be even later. However, just last week I have started enacting my latest cunning plan that may (or may not) see me firing up a PC on the train to work.

Oh, and today I was pleased to see that this doctor has an open wireless point in his office, although I don’t know if he is actually aware he is providing it…
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I’ve defintely noticed since the iPhone 3GS was released in Japan the number of handsets I’m seeing has definitely increased, but what are people doing with them? This recent survey from Point On Research, as reported on by japan.internet.com, looked at this in a survey entitled iPhone apps.

Demographics

On the 27th of October 2009 800 mobile phone users completed a mobile phone based survey. The sample was exactly 50:50 male and female, 25.0% in their teens, 25.0% in their twenties, 25.0% in their thirties, and 25.0% in their forties. Note that the below is just the highlights of the survey; the full set of results will be available at a price.

I’m in the US right now, and the iPhone is quite stunningly popular! I suspect the visibility of the device is affected by people fiddling with their iPhone more than people fiddle with other more boring devices, or people are more addicted, or are just showing off. In addition, a French guy took me along to Fry’s yesterday and he picked up an iPod Touch for about 100 euro less than he’d have to pay at home.
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Recently, Central Research Services Inc looked at the matter of popular sports

Demographics

Between the 1st and 9th of June 2009 4,000 adult members of the public were randomly selected, and 1,244 of them, or 31.1%, agreed to answer the questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. More specific demographic information was not provided.

I don’t think there’s anything of particular note in the results below, but it’s nice to translate it and keep it as a permanent record for searchers.
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I haven’t translated a survey on video cameras for a while, as perhaps they have been dropping off the radar since more and more still cameras, even SLRs, are coming with video functions, and as mobile phones and even some iPods have such features. So, to redress the balance, here is goo Research, as reported on by japan.internet.com, on video cameras.

Demographics

Over the 8th and 9th of October 2009 1,032 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The sample was 52.6% male, 16.6% in their teens, 18.0% in their twenties, 21.3% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 12.3% aged sixty or older.

One band I’d never heard of before, exemode, have, as illustrated in the picture above, a Neon Genesis Evangelion-themed camera DV230-EVA02 that in that orange and red colouring looks remarkably cheap and nasty, and the purple, lime green and black DV230-EVA01 is even nastier-looking! At about $100 for the camera, it definitely fits the “cheap” criterion. I strongly suspect that the cameras are Chinese designed and manufactured and then sold with a friendlier brand name, so one can draw one’s own conclusions about the “nasty” factor.
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One thing that I have always considered a bit of a dichotomy in Japan has been the overwhelming anti-nuclear weapon stance of the general public (hmm, I don’t actually have a survey on that, so I hope I’m correct!) versus the seemingly quiet acceptance of nuclear power. This recent survey from Central Research Services Inc looked at the second half of the above statement. The survey was entitled living and the environment, so the below is just one part of the survey.

The “Is nuclear power needed?” question is a difficult one to decipher, and the text doesn’t suggest any refinement to it. Given that Kinki’s main electricity generator KEPCO (Kansai Electric Power Co) generates 60% of its power from nuclear, it is very much required, so a negative answer is not a realistic position. However, if the question is more slanted towards “Is more needed?” or “Should alternatives be found and existing facilities decommissioned?”, that goes some way to explaining the 20% opposition. Here is an article on Kinki power.
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Here’s a fun survey from goo Ranking, looking at what sorts of activities people would fogive their partners for doing with other members of the opposite sex from their partner, for both women would forgive their boyfriends for and men would forgive their girlfriends for.

Demographics

Between the 20th and 22nd of August 2009 1,077 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were male, 8.4% in their teens, 14.2% in their twenties, 26.7% in their thirties, 28.2% in their forties, 11.1% in their fifties, and 11.2% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

The same question was asked last year, if you wish to cross-reference.

Now that I have cross-referenced, I see that the answers are almost the same…
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