世論 What Japan Thinks

Mobile Marketing Data Laboratories recently conducted a survey into internet troubles.

Demographics

Between the 24th and 26th of September 2013 1,118 members of the MMD Labo monitor group completed a private internet questionnaire. The sample was of both sexes and ages ranged from 20 to 59, but no further details were given.

I think I’ve had most of the problems listed in Q2SQ1! One other one I had was that I wanted to cancel a web hosting service, but in order to do that you had to send a letter (Fax would not do!) at least a set number of days before a billing cycle. I’d tried to get in touch with customer service to sort out a few matters, but as the date rolled round I just cancelled my credit card payment. They sent me payment reminders for about six months, but I just ignored them all and they eventually gave up. I had paid for all the services I used, and they had tried to charge me an extra month or two for services I couldn’t use because they had suspended my account.
Read the rest of this entry »

japan.internet.com recently reported on goo Research’s ninth regular survey into electronic publications, with the article choosing to highlight the negative side, why people don’t read ebooks.

Demographics

Between the 30th of September and the 3rd of October 2013 1,087 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.7% of the sample were male, 13.8% in their teens, 15.5% in their twenties, 21.8% in their thirties, 17.2% in their forties, 19.6% in their fifties, and 12.1% aged sixty or older.

I’ve got a bunch of free ebooks of Japanese classic novels downloaded from Google Play, but I’m yet to start reading them… I’ve always wanted to get an e-paper reader, although I don’t really know how much I’d actually use it.
Read the rest of this entry »

goo Ranking took a look at what comparisons made people feel a little odd.

Demographics

The survey was conducted over the 2nd and 3rd of September 2013 and 1,077 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 51.0% of the sample were female, 24.5% in their teens, 24.8% in their twenties, 25.2% in their thirties, and 25.5% in their forties. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Here is what people might be thinking you are when they call you an otaku:

Blood type B is the worst blood type to have (if you are daft enough to believe such nonsense in the first place!), as described in this BBC Magazine article. I suppose I’ve been called a bit geeky now and again, but I never know if it is a compliment or not!
Read the rest of this entry »

japan.internet.com recently reported on a survey by goo Research into sending errors using communication tools.

Demographics

Between the 4th and 8th of October 2013 1,076 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.4% of the sample were male, 13.7% in their teens, 15.5% in their twenties, 21.4% in their thirties, 17.3% in their forties, 14.8% in their fifties, and 17.4% aged sixty or older.

This mistake sending physical email tickled me:

I’ve made all the email errors (mostly more than a few times each!) bar the CCing instead of BCCing, although I have been on the receiving end of them. I don’t use chat enough to make any of the errors listed however, but I have been on the receiving end of messages sent to the wrong group, but sadly no juicy information was disclosed!
Read the rest of this entry »

The online English conversation lesson site hanaso recently released a survey into dealing with foreign tourists in English.

Demographics

Over the 29th and 30th of August 2013 437 people who had had the experience of being engaged in English conversation by a foreign visitor to Japan. The sample was of both sexes and between the ages of 20 and 59, but no further information was offered. Judging by other surveys on their site, I think that the sample was taken from site users.

Note that since (I presume) the sample comes from English language learners, I would guess that they are more proactive and positive in their English and tourist views, therefore it would be difficult to extrapolate to the general population. However, since I occasionally hear English conversation teachers complaining about the backward and insular views of their students, I feel the results here indicate that these opinions may be the result of confirmation bias rather than actually representative.
Read the rest of this entry »

With today being Health and Sports Day in Japan, many schools will be holding their Autumn sports festival and, as this goo Ranking survey tries to find out, there will no doubt be displays of over-enthusiasm by parents there.

Demographics

Between the 6th and 8th of August 2013 the survey was conducted, but goo Ranking have still not got round to adding the page that contains the further demographic information. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Above is a parent and a grandparent doing number 4, I presume.
Read the rest of this entry »

I think barring local government work (they seem to have more regular hours), being a typical Japanese wife who works (working wives, especially full-time, are not really that typical, however!), with a typical Japanese husband, must be exceptionally hard. So, goo Ranking conducted a survey to see what rather tough aspects of being a working wife would women like their husbands to understand.

Demographics

Between the 6th and 8th of August 2013 the survey was conducted, but goo Ranking have still not got round to adding the page that contains the further demographic information. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. Furthermore, this survey was presumably only for working mothers

Fortunately I work for a more enlightened employer that has relatively mother-friendly (not fathers, though) policies. There are a good number of mothers returning to the workplace, not just clerical but also technical. However, promotion chances for women are poorer, I feel, and even childless or single women around me don’t seem to rise to the same level as men.
Read the rest of this entry »

goo Ranking took another look at LINE, the chat program that has taken Japan by storm and has featured in many surveys on this site, this time looking at actions by one’s boyfriend that send a female heart a-flutter.

Demographics

The survey was conducted over the 2nd and 3rd of September 2013 and 1,077 people completed a private web-based questionnaire, but as with August, goo Ranking have still not got round to adding the page that contains the further demographic information. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. Women only were asked this question.

Quite frankly, these answers make the respondents look like LINE addicts, which is probably not that far from the truth. I don’t use LINE, but recently my wife has started using Google+, but fortunately she has made no noises about wanting to communicate via Hangouts.
Read the rest of this entry »

goo Research recently performed a survey, reported on by japan.internet.com, into keeping track of the family budget, a job in Japan that usually falls upon the wife.

Demographics

etween the 25th and 28th of September 2013 1,090 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.8% of the sample were male, 13.5% in their teens, 15.4% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 17.3% in their forties, 14.7% in their fifties, and 17.5% aged sixty or older.
Read the rest of this entry »

Mobile Marketing Data Labo recently conducted their second regular survey into using one’s personal smartphone at work, or BYOD, Bring Your Own Device, as it is commonly known as.

Demographics

Between the 19th and 22nd of August 2013 1,002 members of the MMD monitor group who used a personal smartphone in a business setting completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The only demographic information provided was that they were all aged between 20 and 49 years old.

Our company’s policy is that BYOD is forbidden in general, but with special exceptions for reading email via a thin client-style application that ensures no messages are ever saved locally. However, this survey shows that there are very few companies with formal policies in place, which I strongly feel is a disaster waiting to happen.
Read the rest of this entry »