Demographics

The survey was conducted from the 27th to 30th of January 2014, and 1,141 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 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 question was obviously for the men only.

Here’s some random out-of-focus women shopping:

I cannot really find much to disagree with in this survey! Fortunately my wife doesn’t wear eyelashes and is not a slave to brand goods, but otherwise I think I have to agree with almost all the others, although for 19 the last time we had an overnight stay I actually ended up with more luggage than her!

My own personal answer would be the number of times she asks me to pull out white hairs!

Ranking result

Q: What do you think that women could decrease? (Sample size=males from 1,141)

Rank		Score
1	Number of clothes, shoes, bags, other fashion items	100
2	Number of cosmetic products, equipment	78.8
3	Size of false eyelashes, eyelash extensions	60.9
5	Amount of perfume applied	58.1
6	Number of colours, shades of make-up (eye shadow, blusher, lipstick, etc)	45.8
7	Number of times they ask “Do you love me?”	43.0
8	Weight	40.8
9	Number of hen parties	39.7
10=	Number of times they say “That’s cute!”	38.5
10=	Number of rumours they repeat	38.5
12	Number of times they moan about day-to-day life, workplace, etc	36.9
13	Number of emails they send per day	36.3
14=	Number of photos they take	30.2
14=	Number of smiley marks in email	30.2
16	Number of anniversaries	29.6
17	Number of times they treat themselves	26.8
18	Number of times they go to beauty salons	26.3
19	Amount of luggage they take on holiday	25.1
20	Number of times they go shopping	21.2
21=	Amount of work they do	20.1
21=	Number of trifling conversations	20.1
23	Number of times they drink tea on dates	15.6
24	Amount of skin they show when we go out	14.0
25	Number of things they study	10.1

Demographics

The survey was conducted from the 27th to the 30th of January 2014, and 1,141 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. Only the males in the sample answered this question.

Here’s a Korean guy doing number 4, and also carrying some other strange-looking device…

I’m sure, or at least I’d like to think, that when I was dating my wife I was more forgiving, but right now I’d be hard-pushed to let my wife off with more than a handful of the below, or at least not do any of them without a visible eyeball roll or an audible sigh!

Ranking result

Q: What forgivably-cute self-centred things does your girlfriend say? (Sample size=males from 1,141)

Rank		Score
1	(When leaving at the end of a date) “I want you to stay with me a little longer”	100
2	“I’m lonely so please come round soon”	86.8
3	“Rather than email, I want to hear your voice”	61.9
4	My bag is heavy so can you carry it?”	60.3
5=	“Is it OK if I have dessert?”	51.9
5=	“Can you walk a little slower?”	51.9
7	“I don’t want to bump into my female friends when we’re together”	45.5
8	“I’d like you to stop ogling other girls”	44.4
9	“Can you use your holidays for me?”	39.7
10=	“I worry if you don’t reply to my emails quickly…please reply soon”	34.9
10=	(In a public place) “Give me a kiss here and now”	34.9
12	“Whereever you go, I hate it that I’m not with you”	32.3
13	“Carry me in your arms”	31.7
14	“I can’t decide what to eat, so could you order whatever for me?”	29.6
15	“Buy me an ice cream”	29.1
16=	“I can’t walk any more – give me a piggy-back”	28.6
16=	“Your sense is awful, I’ll choose!”	28.6
18=	“Which is more important, work or me?”	19.6
18=	“Buy this…please!”	19.6
20	“Is it no problem if I throw out all the stuff your ex used?”	15.9
21=	“Even if I don’t mention it, I want you to read my vibes”	15.3
21=	“Try to show me how much you love me!”	15.3
23	“I’d love to go to that expensive restaurant”	14.8
24	“Show me proof of your love for me”	14.3
25	“Delete all the female contacts from your phone’s address book!”	9.5

Demographics

The survey was conducted from the 24th to the 27th of December 2013, and 1,076 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 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’s a random foreigner doing a number 10 and perhaps 20 too, as the middle finger looks a bit out of alignment.

Pretty much all of them annoy me to a certain exten; on the other hand, I can also be guilty of 3, 4, both 12s, and 17, although since 17 is a no-no in the west, it’s a difficult habit to break.

Ranking result

Q: What bad table manners in others can you just not stand? (Sample size=1,076)

Rank		Score
1	Noisy chewing	100
2	Quick to say “disgusting!”	56.5
3	Burping while eating	54.4
4	Fiddling with their mobile phone, smartphone all through the meal	53.9
5	Starting smoking after finishing their own meal, despite others still eating	50.5
6	Speaking with their mouth full	46.6
7	Spilling too much food on the table, floor	44.0
8	Taking far too much food at a buffet and leaving stuff behind	40.6
9	Drumming bowls with chopsticks	37.1
10	Eating with elbows on the table	34.5
11	Leaving behind grains of rice	34.1
12=	Licking the ends of the chopsticks	31.9
12=	Silently dumping disliked food on other people’s plates	31.9
14	Using chopsticks to pull dishes towards themselves	31.6
15	Leaving a little bit behind from every dish	30.3
16	Slurping soup, pasta	28.7
17	Eating food without holding the bowl	28.5
18	Not saying words of thanks before and after eating	27.9
19	Covering food with lots of condiments before even tasting it	27.8
20	Holding chopsticks, knives, forks funny	27.5
21	Mixing everything together	26.5
22	Stabbing food with chopsticks	23.3
23	Eating with the bowl too close to their face	22.1
24	Wiping their face, neck with a wet towel	18.0
25	Hovering chopsticks over all the dishes	17.8

Demographics

The survey was conducted from the 24th to the 27th of December 2013, and 1,076 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 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 survey was for men only.

Fortunately, when we were dating my wife never said any of the below, although I’ll refrain from reporting how many she has said since marriage.

Ranking result

Q: What words from your girlfriend would pour cold water on your thoughts of marriage? (Sample size=men from 1,076)

Rank		Score
1	A two carat or more brand-name engagement ring would be nice…	100
2	I won’t do any housework	95.2
3	My ex would just go and do that for me	86.6
4	I cannot feel any love in this present	74.2
5	It will be best to just chuck all of your collections away	71.3
6	Actually, I’ve entertained an approach from Mr ____	64.6
7	I not interested in living anywhere other than a detached house in the city	63.6
8	Your family is a little odd	61.7
9	I’ll quit work on marrying, then can play all I want as a housewife!	60.8
10	I have no intention of having babies	58.9
11	(After trying my hardest to make a romantic proposal) That performance left me pretty cold	56.5
12	I don’t want my lifestyle level to lower after marriage	55.0
13	Is that all you’ve got in the bank? Save more properly!	52.2
14	As I want to show you off, we’ll need to have a flashy wedding reception	50.2
15	I’ve decided we’re having an overseas wedding	47.4
16	When we marry, I’ll hold the purse strings	46.4
17	Hmm, you plan to boast about that?	44.5
18	Hurry up and get promotion and a pay rise	43.1
19	I absolutely want to get married by __ years old!	42.6
20	I want to be kept fed for all my life	38.8
21	As you have no sense in clothes, I’m your stylist from now on	35.9
22	As you’re an adult now, why don’t you get a more adult hobby?	35.4
23=	I cannot think about marriage yet	33.5
23=	I’m not expecting great things regarding your earning power	33.5
25=	You’re a fool who is always chasing his dreams	32.5
25=	Don’t invite that friend to our wedding reception	32.5
27	I’ll come along if you get posted overseas, but you’re on your own if you’re posted domestically	32.1
28	(Regarding a pop star, actress I like) If you like her so much, why don’t you marry her instead?	31.6
29	I’m keeping all my salary for myself	29.7
30	I cannot picture myself being married	28.7

Demographics

The survey was conducted from the 21st to the 23rd of November 2013, and 1,054 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 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 survey was for men only.

Since Valentine’s Day in Japan is only for women to give presents to men, this question was only answered by men.

For number 6, I’m not aware of a similar Japanese tradition, but I thought the banns was the closest I could come to the intent of the Japanese phrase.

Ranking result

Q: What gifts received along with a Valentine’s declaration of love would you find rather weighty? (Sample size=men from 1,054)

Rank		Score
1	A filled-in and waiting to be signed marriage certificate	100
2	Even though we aren’t a couple, paired items	98.1
3	A self-composed poem	91.1
4	An expensive brand bag	89.2
5	A self-made CD	85.4
6	A posting of the banns	84.1
7	A key for her house	82.2
8	A smartphone for use with her alone	81.5
9	An intensive love letter	75.8
10	A hand-knitted item with my initials	71.3
11=	Pair rings	69.4
11=	A compatibility astrological report	69.4
13	Underwear type I dislike	59.9
14	An ekoko doll, other lucky charm	59.2
15=	A home-made mix tape of love songs	54.1
15=	An anthology of love poems, romantic novel	54.1
15=	A photo book filled with photos of the two of us	54.1
18	Pair tickets for an artist I don’t like	52.2
19	A likeness of me	49.0
20	Travel tickets	44.6
21	A photo book of a pop star I like	42.7
22	Cologne I don’t like	40.8
23	A misanga lucky charm bracelet	35.7
24	Her email address, telephone number	18.5
25	Professional-quality hand-made chocolates	13.4

Demographics

The survey was conducted from the 21st to the 23rd of November 2013, and 1,054 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 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 once tried to explain to a Japanese person that “speed up”, “slow down” and “slow up” were perfectly valid, but the Japanese-English “speed down” was nonsense in English!

Ranking result

Q: Which of the following words did you not realise were Japanese English? (Sample size=1,054)

Rank	Japanese English	English	Score
1	Order made	Made-to-order, tailor-made	100
2	Reform (a house, etc)	Renovate	93.9
3	Skinship	Child-rearing with frequent physical bonding, close physical relationship	93.3
4	Version up (software, etc)	Upgrade	90.9
5	Cost down	Decrease in price	85.0
6	Cost-performance	Price-performance	85.0
7	After service	After-sales, after-care	77.5
8	Book cover	Dust jacket	73.5
9	Guardman	Security guard	73.3
10	Dead ball (baseball)	Hitting the batter with a pitch	72.7
11	Blind touch	Touch typing	72.2
12	Decoration cake	Decorated cake	70.9
13	Open car	Open-top car, convertible	70.6
14	Concent	Wall socket	70.3
15	Camping car	Camper van, motor home	70.1
16=	Key holder	Key ring	69.0
16=	Flying (at a start)	Jumping the gun, false start	69.0
18	Front glass	Windscreen, windshield	68.7
19	Name value	Established reputation of a company, etc	68.2
20	Man to man (training, etc)	One-to-one	66.8
21	Top batter (baseball)	Lead-off man	66.3
22	Nighter (baseball, etc)	Night game	64.7
23=	Coin Laundry	Laundrette, laundromat	64.4
23=	Mishin	Sewing machine	64.4
25	Ice candy	Ice lolly, popsicle	63.9
26=	Jet coaster	Roller coaster	63.6
26=	Jokki	Beer mug	63.6
28	Trainer (clothing)	Sweatshirt	61.0
29	Roll cabbage	Cabbage roll, stuffed cabbage	60.2
30=	Viking	Buffet	58.6
30=	Miss contest	Beauty contest	58.6
32	Paper company	Shell company	55.6
33=	One-room mansion	Studio apartment	55.3
33=	Game centre	Amusement arcade	55.3
35	Free dial	Freephone, toll-free number	54.8
36	Apart (dwelling place)	Apartment	54.5
37	Wide show	Gossip program, tabloid TV	54.0
38	Sign pen	Felt-tip pen, marker pen	49.7
39=	Salaryman	Salaried employee	44.7
39=	Sharp pencil	Propelling pencil, mechanical pencil	44.7

Demographics

The survey was conducted from the 21st to the 23rd of November 2013, and 1,054 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 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 question was obviously only for the women in the sample.

Here is a typical sento bathhouse entrance:

Obviously, I’m not qualified to comment on my experiences related to this survey, although I will note that the only positive answer is number seven; I assume that getting chatted to by grannies might or might not be a positive experience, depending on the person.

Ranking result

Q: What do you tend to do in a women’s sento bath? (Sample size=women from a 1,054 person sample)

Score		Rank
1	I find myself unconciously checking out other women’s breast shape, size, and colour	100
2	I get surprised at an old woman’s saggy breasts	88.5
3	The wash basin area is littered with hair	79.7
4	I get annoyed by a woman who goes straight into the bath without washing	78.0
5	The push-button shower stops too fast so shampooing is a tremendous effort	77.1
6	People just won’t stop hogging the hair driers	69.2
7	I get cheered up when I happen to go along on a day that they are having a lavender, yuzu, etc scented bath	51.5
8	I get annoyed by a woman who doesn’t bundle up her hair before getting into the bath	49.3
9	An old woman engages me in conversation	48.9
10=	Someone books their seat at the washing area with their own wash set	48.0
10=	I start off with a strategically-placed towel, but gradually get more blazé about it	48.0
12	I get annoyed by a long-haired woman beside me who splashes me with water as she wrings her hair	45.4
13	I decide to go on a diet after seeing a stylish woman	42.7
14	I get surprised by an older woman with lovely skin	38.3
15	I get a little bashful when a primary school boy comes in	32.6
16	A bunch of old women gather around a cooling fan	30.8
17	I get surprised by an older woman with fine breasts	30.4
18	When I bring my kids along the probability of old women talking to me rises significantly	28.6
19	I find it a problem that the mirrors are hogged by people fixing their make-up	27.3
20	I waste money on stuff like buying a towel to replace a forgotten one, drinking fruity milk, etc	26.9
21	I end up gawping at a woman vigorously scrubbing her nether regions	26.0
22	I get annoyed by the person in front of me leaving soggy footprints on the scales	24.2
23	I get shocked thinking “Is that a man who just came in?” until she strips off	18.1
24	I raise my arms out of the water to check how well water rolls off my skin	17.2
25	I find myself imagining what a woman who hides her body behind a towel looks like underneath	14.1

Demographics

The survey was conducted during the 31st of October and the 1st of November 2013, and 1,060 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

In the office, I do number 4, the first 6, 19, and the second 20. What annoys me but I cannot say anything about is frequent snorting back in of a runny nose, and people clipping nails; it’s both the sound of metal against metal and the clip noise that sets my teeth on edge.

Ranking result

Q: What words or actions by other people in the office bother you, but you feel unable to say anything about? (Sample size=1,060)

Rank		Score
1	Co-worker who has terrible coughs and sneezes but doesn’t wear a mask	100
2	Co-worker who has overpowering perfume	84.2
3	Co-worker who smells like an ashtray	71.8
4	Co-worker who frequently clicks their tongue	64.6
5	Co-worker who has permanently fidgety legs	52.8
6=	Co-worker who frequently sighs	49.8
6=	Co-worker whose headphones leak	49.8
8	Co-worker who puts their bag, other personal items jutting out into the passageway	48.2
9	Co-worker whose documents, items overflow into my space	47.0
10	Co-worker who spends a long time clicking their pen	45.8
11	Co-worker who, when sweets meant for sharing, keeps them at his desk	42.4
12	Co-worker who has an unnecessarily-loud telephone voice	40.2
13	Co-worker who yanks drawers open and slams them shut	39.9
14	Co-worker who drops crumbs all over the floor	39.7
15=	Co-worker who takes their socks off at their desk	38.0
15=	Co-worker who slams the telephone handset down	38.0
17=	Co-worker who scatters rubbish all over their desk	37.0
17=	Co-worker who bangs me with the back of their chair as I pass	37.0
19	Co-worker who talks to themselves loud enough for others to hear	36.4
20=	Co-worker who eats smelly food like ramen or curry as their desk	35.5
20=	Co-worker who batters their keyboard keys	35.5
22	Co-worker who hogs all the plugs for their own personal electrical goods	26.2
23	Co-worker who often forgets their security card and frequently asks me to open the door for them	25.2
24	Co-worker who fixed make-up at their desk	23.6
25	Co-worker who frequently cracks their knuckles, neck, etc	20.4

Demographics

The survey was conducted during the 31st of October and the 1st of November 2013, and 1,060 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. Given the original Japanese answer wording, the answers were not limited to personal experience, although I have chosen to translate as if they were. Note that this survey was for the men in the sample only.

I think for this survey I’ll not tell you about my own experiences…

Ranking result

Q: What are the signs, words, actions that your girlfriend wants to spend the night together? (Sample size=male)

Rank		Score
1	Even though she knows it’s getting close to the last train she does nothing regarding returning home	100
2	She doesn’t talk at all about the last train	81.1
3	She doesn’t object when I touch her and looks for more	75.8
4	When the date ends, she doesn’t want to say goodbye	65.9
5	She touches me a lot	63.6
6=	She tells me “It’s a pain to get back home”	47.7
6=	She tells me “Since I don’t have anything particular on tomorrow, let’s drink the night away!”	47.7
8	As it gets time for the last train, she asks “What shall we do next?”	43.9
9	She tells me “If I return home I’ll be all lonely by myself”	41.7
10=	She tells me “I’m getting all tired”	39.4
10=	When I see her home, in front of her house she suggests “Why don’t you come up for a cup of coffee?”	39.4
12	She wants a restaurant with a private room or a bar counter where she can sit beside me	24.2
13	She asks “Why don’t we talk until the morning?”	21.2
14	She tells me “I’d like to see your pad”	19.7
15	She tells me “I’m tired and I’d like to rest”	18.2
16	She comes straight out with “Could you put me up at your place until the morning?”	17.4
17	When talking about movies she asks me “Why don’t we watch a DVD at my place?”	16.7
18=	She comes on the date with a travel-sized case	15.2
18=	As it gets close to the last train she asks “Why don’t we go somewhere else?”	15.2
20	She knocks back the drinks at a fair pace	13.6
21	Around 10pm she suddenly invites me out	12.1
22=	She says “My stomach’s sore!”, “My feet are killing me!”, etc, hinting she doesn’t want to walk any more	9.8
22=	She asks “Can I come round to your place to borrow a book?”	9.8
24	She repeatedly says “I want to drink some water”, hinting that she’s rather drunk	6.1
25	She asks “I’m tired so why don’t we get a taxi?”	3.8

Demographics

The survey was conducted during the 31st of October and the 1st of November 2013, and 1,060 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Note that people were selecting options from a list, I believe, so more controversial and political topics would have been filtered out. Nevertheless, despite all the doom and gloom foreign correspondents are writing about Japan’s nationalism, etc, note that number 6 is quite outwards-looking, as is number 21. Indeed, number 21 used a generic term for people, 人々, hitobito, not an exclusive term like “citizen” or “Japanese”.

Ranking result

Q: What expectations for the future Japan do you have? (Sample size=1,060)

Rank		Score
1	A country that correctly uses tax revenues	100
2	A country that has good public safety	95.4
3	A country whose people have good manners	91.8
4	A country where one can work stress-free	83.7
5	A country that is easy to give birth in, to raise children in	83.3
6	A country that has good relations with its neighbours	82.6
7	A country where on can live on one’s pension	78.1
8	A country that has cheap medicine	74.6
9	A country that has little economic disparity	74.4
10	A country that has high-quality medicine	74.0
11	A country that has high-quality education	73.5
12	A country that has politicians, civil servants who do not lie	68.3
13	A country that has abundant public services	60.7
14	A country that is fully-prepared for natural disasters	60.5
15	A country that has a high food self-sufficiency percentage	56.8
16	A country that has stable government	55.3
17	A country that has stable living infrastructure	54.7
18	A country that leads on environmental problems	54.2
19	A country that has strong regions	51.4
20	A country that has abundant free public services	47.3
21	A country that has no discrimination between people	45.3
22	A country whose public organs, corporations provide correct information	43.4
23	A country that generates energy from green sources	40.8
24	A country that provides a safety net	36.2
25	A country that tolerates individual expression	33.2