世論 What Japan Thinks

With the recent nuclear accident and scare about caesium in drinking water, many people in Tokyo and other parts of the north have switched to bottled water or other alternatives to the tap. To find out exactly what was going on, iShare took a look at home use drinking water.

Demographics

Over the 8th and 9th of November 2011 1,166 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.2% of the sample were male, 9.9% in their twenties, 29.2% in their thirties, 37.1% in their forties, and 23.8% in their fifties.

Our flat came with a built-in reverse osmosis (I presume that’s what it is, anyway!) drinking water filter, which we use only for drinking directly or filling the kettle. We just have a feeling that town water is just not that safe drunk directly, perhaps influenced by our previous flat where there was regularly black flakes coming through the old pipes, and we used a non-osmosis-based plugged into the mains purifier.
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What Japan Thinks kicks off the New Year properly with a proper survey, this time from iShare, looking at portable gaming machines, a definition that stretches to include not just Nintendo-like devices, but also smartphones and tablets.

Demographics

Between the 22nd and 26th of December 2011 714 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service who owned and were interested in portable gaming machines completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 57.0% of the sample were male, 30.0% in their twenties, 49.9% in their thirties, and 20.2% in their forties.

My gaming device is my Android smartphone (Panasonic P-01D), and the only two games I have on it at the moment are Andoku (sudoku) and Nethack. I should really download Angry Birds (I’m still to play it on any device!), I suppose, but as I’m trying to keep my data charges down I don’t want to have adverts being fetched from the internet as I play!
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As we enter 2012, here is goo Ranking’s annual look at expectations of the people.

Demographics

Over the 25th and 26th of November 2011 1,074 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 57.4% of the sample were female, 11.6% in their teens, 14.7% in their twenties, 26.9% in their thirties, 25.0% in their forties, 11.1% in their fifties, and 10.7% 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.

I’d put a stable administration (one thing that the DPJ in their current state most certainly cannot deliver) and correct use of tax revenues top of my list, in particular a stable administration that can actually enact massive cuts to the various quangos and jobs for the boys that suck away at the government finances.
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Let’s end the year on a postive note, a look with goo Ranking at what New Year postcards touched people’s hearts.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 20th of October 2011 1,092 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.3% of the sample were male, 11.2% in their teens, 16.2% in their twenties, 25.7% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 11.5% in their fifties, and 9.5% 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.

Happy New Year to all my readers!
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It’s a while since I’ve had a FAIL post, so here we go with the second-last post of this year, a look by goo Rankings at what New Year postcard failures people have realised after posting them.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 20th of October 2011 1,092 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.3% of the sample were male, 11.2% in their teens, 16.2% in their twenties, 25.7% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 11.5% in their fifties, and 9.5% 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 first answer refers to when people have a death in the family, that year they will send out In Mourning postcards in late November or so to announce it, so for that year one should not send them a card. My wife accidentally sent one this year, but she didn’t seem terribly bothered by the affair. I also nearly send out some without my name and address, but I caught it in time! I also wrote a rather sarcastic message to a boss this year, but wife refused to let me send it…
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As we run down towards the end of the year, I’ll present a few ranking surveys from goo Ranking into 年賀状, nengajou, New Year postcards. This one looks at how to make your card stand out from all the others.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 20th of October 2011 1,092 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.3% of the sample were male, 11.2% in their teens, 16.2% in their twenties, 25.7% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 11.5% in their fifties, and 9.5% 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.

A friend (who I hope isn’t reading, or at least doesn’t recognise the description) once did a ray-traced computer graphic, but although he normally is quite talented at that sort of thing, on a New Year greetings card it just looked a bit cheap and nasty. On the other hand, another friend draws very proficient traditional-style Japanese pictures which really do stand out.

Probably a number of you have seen a collection of creative business cards – let me see if I can find a similar site for Japanese New Year cards – the only I came across was this dried squid:

If I was wanting to stand out, I’d make a Flash animation (assuming I had any talent in that direction!) and print out postcards that were nothing more than a stark black-and-white QR Code. One for an SEO company or advertising agency would be just a Google search keyword as seen in advertisements.

My postcards are commercially printed with photos inserted, but this year we got the count wrong and ended up having to do half of them on boring old cards, but I had a kappa stamp that added a bit of individuality to these.
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iShare recently took a look at the subject of recording television programs.

Demographics

Over the 17th and 18th of November 2011 832 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 59.6% of the sample were male, 6.3% in their twenties, 20.7% in their thirties, 34.6% in their forties, 23.3% in their fifties, and 15.1% in their sixties.

I’ve not mastered the use of our recorder, as the wife takes charge of the device. The best I can do is record live programs; I’ve never actually got round to trying to set up any reservations!

Note that when television watching is mentioned, that includes both live television and time-shifted contents.
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[part 1][part 2]

iShare recently took a look at the subject of recording television programs.

Demographics

Over the 17th and 18th of November 2011 832 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 59.6% of the sample were male, 6.3% in their twenties, 20.7% in their thirties, 34.6% in their forties, 23.3% in their fifties, and 15.1% in their sixties.

Note that when television watching is mentioned, that includes both live television and time-shifted contents.
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Today, Christmas Eve, is the big day in Japan, where families gather around the hearth kotatsu to enjoy a KFC party bucket, and young couples go on dates. But, goo Ranking wondered, what do people without dates do, more particularly what do people do so as not to let on they are single this Christmas. I suppose a more appropriate title would be “How to pretend you have a date on Christmas Eve”, though.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 20th of October 2011 1,092 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.3% of the sample were male, 11.2% in their teens, 16.2% in their twenties, 25.7% in their thirties, 25.8% in their forties, 11.5% in their fifties, and 9.5% 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.

It’s a pretty sad bunch of answers, so instead have a Rainbow Christmas:

By the way, my night tonight is with yesterday’s reheated mushroom chowder and rice, with some RL Waffles for dessert.
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With the last posting day before New Year getting ever closer, this survey from goo Research, reported on by japan.internet.com, into New Year postcards is a reminder to us all to get ours finished.

Demographics

Between the 29th of November and the 1st of December 2011 1,083 members of the goo Research online monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were male, 16.5% in their teens, 18.3% in their twenties, 21.4% in their thirties, 16.2% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 11.9% aged sixty or older.

I haven’t actually got round to even ordering my New Year postcards yet, and as I’ve been at our work Christmas end of year party tonight I’m in no fit state, so that’s another day closer to the deadline… Note, I’ve prepared this post ahead of time, so any mistakes are just the usual me, not the beer’s fault!
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