世論 What Japan Thinks

It’s a while since I’ve had an iShare survey, so I’m not just pleased to see an update, but also to see a rather interesting topic being surveyed, that of child-rearing and doting fathers, with both the husbands rating themselves and wives rating their husbands.

Demographics

Over the 15th and 16th of March 2012 726 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.3% of the sample were female, 33.7% in their twenties, 33.2% in their thirties, and 33.1% in their forties, furthermore, all were married with a pre-school child. The survey was conducted in conjunction with Benesse’s Women’s Mall.

If you want to find out how doting a parent you are, Benesse’s Women’s Mall offer a self-test.

In the survey below, I use the Japanese term イクメン, ikumen, which describes men who proactively take part in child-rearing, and who grow up themselves while enjoying child-rearing.
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goo Research recently took a look at keeping in touch with close friends, with the surprising result in the headline reported in japan.internet.com.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of March 2012 1,082 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 16.5% in their teens, 17.8% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.6% in their fifties, and 12.3% aged sixty or older.

Knowing what I know about Japan, email and telephone being top are not surprising to me, but I was most taken aback by ordinary post coming in third! Thinking more closely, the mixi, Twitter and Facebook figures correlate to the penetration of these SNS within Japan, but I suspect that the old-fashioned post includes New Year postcards, where even I often exchange annual greetings with ex-colleagues who have moved to other divisions within my employer.
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goo Research recently conducted their third regular survey into mobile phone video watching, reported on by japan.internet.com, which revealed that more people are watching video on their mobiles.

Demographics

Between the 16th and 20th of March 2012 1,041 mobile phone-using (including smartphone) members of the goo Research monitor panel answered a mobile-phone based questionnaire. 57.7% of the sample were female, 2.5% in their teens, 24.0% in their twenties, 34.2% in their thirties, 28.0% in their forties, and 11.3% aged fifty or older.

Possibly or possibily not connected to this topic is a new broadcast channel for mobile phones that has been launched this month, called Not-tv. Today at the office someone had a program guide, and there was three channels available, but it seemed mostly Korean dramas, US second-tier series, and the occasional minor Hollywood film. The other 7 or 8 One Seg versions of standard television channels are free to view, but this is 420 yen per month, with, as far as I can see, just a chat channel tacked onto the broadcasts for live interaction with the viewers and listeners.
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goo Ranking recently asked some women for what trivial reasons would they rule a man out for.

Demographics

Between the 17th and 18th of January 2012 1,048 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.6% of the sample were female, 12.3% in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 27.9% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 9.5% in their fifties, and 8.9% in their sixties. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. This survey was for the women only.

For number one, quite a lot of men do this, and the reason is apparently to enable them to dig earwax out of their ears more easily.

I can’t say I’ve seen number ten but it sounds impressive. On the other hand, I’ve seen far too many men slurp pasta like it was ramen!

Sort-of connected to number five, on Friday at a work booze-up my colleagues informed me that my “hai!” (Yes!) intonation is on a rising tone, thus extremely effeminate-sounding…
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A lot of foreigners in Japan reacon that the whole Japanese university system is a big failure, but this survey looked at the things in people’s university life that they felt may have been a little failure.

Demographics

Between the 17th and 18th of January 2012 1,048 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.6% of the sample were female, 12.3% in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 27.9% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 9.5% in their fifties, and 8.9% in their sixties. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

It’s a bit sad that it takes until the very last entry to have something about the opposite sex! My only regret from university is that I imagined … no, that’s not really a regret (and rather embarrassing to take any further). Other than that, none really, I suppose, except that I wish I hadn’t been so naive, but as I still am, I suppose I’ll forever be naive!
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With Japan being in the middle of the ceder pollen season, the most common pollen allergen, this survey from goo Research into hayfever, reported on by japan.internet.com, is quite timely.

Demographics

Between the 12th and 14th of March 2012 1,086 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were male, 16.5% in their teens, 18.0% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.2% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 12.0% aged sixty or older.

I get a runny nose, and this year also quite itchy eyes, so I’ve long ago ran to the Ear Nose and Throat quack (he’s good, I recommend him) and got pills, nasal spray and eye drops. The nose spray has long since run out, but the non-drowsy pills are just managing to keep the worst symptoms away, touch any wood except ceder.
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Mobile and computer-based web site viewing, one of goo Ranking’s regular surveys, took an interesting turn in this report on japan.internet.com, where they described the result of specific questions to tablet owners. However, the sample size was tiny so the data cannot really be trusted.

Demographics

Between the 12th and 14th of March 2012 1,093 mobile phone-using members of the goo Research monitor panel completed a private mobile internet-based questionnaire. 59.3% of the sample were female, 3.5% in their teens, 26.4% in their twenties, 33.2% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, and 11.1% aged fifty or older. Note that the survey includes smartphone users, and would also include tablet users who had a mobile phone contract attached to theirs.

I’ve considered getting a tablet myself, and if I were to I’d probably choose the four top reasons as listed below!
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goo Ranking recently asked what aspects of the opposite sex that others might find a little odd did people find alluring, for both men looking at women and women looking at men.

Demographics

Between the 17th and 18th of January 2012 1,048 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.6% of the sample were female, 12.3% in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 27.9% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 9.5% in their fifties, and 8.9% in their sixties. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

At JR Osaka station there is a woman announcer voice that describes in English where to stand, and the “two” in “Please form two lines” is strangely alluring to me. The accent is mostly Japanese with very little US or UK English influence, but the “two” comes out in an accent that sounds very much like from my home area, a cute “tchew”. I also used to work with a Japanese woman who pronunced the Japanese “fu” sound rather sweetly.
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Having previously looked at rumours about girls’ schools, here we have goo Ranking looking at the characteristics of men educated in boys’ schools.

Demographics

Between the 17th and 18th of January 2012 1,048 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.6% of the sample were female, 12.3% in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 27.9% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 9.5% in their fifties, and 8.9% in their sixties. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. This survey was presumably for the women only.

Looking at the list, I must have gone to a boys’ school! Except for number 20, I hasten to add.

I don’t know much at all about Japanese boys school, although I do have a very strong image about British boys’ schools, which tend to be public boarding schools that foster a lot of number 4 in particular, if you catch my drift.
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Recently, Macromill Research took a close look at the usage patterns of 500 Facebook users, a survey that revealed a number of interesting trends. As it’s quite a large survey, I’ll split it into two parts.

Demographics

Over the 16th and 17th of February 2012 500 members of the Macromill monitor group who were current users of Facebook completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.8% of the sample were male, 2.2% in their teens, 21.2% in their twenties, 30.6% in their thirties, 25.0% in their forties, and 21.0% aged fifty or older.

One trend that can be seen comparing with last year is that the Japanese users are less concerned about the international nature. I don’t believe one can really ascribe that shift to some change in Japanese society’s view of foreigners, but instead I think it is just a natural shift given that according to Q2, over 60% of the users joined since the start of last year, so now there are more real-life Japanese friends to find.
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