世論 What Japan Thinks

goo Ranking took another look at a subject I also translated in 2009, what actions by your partner makes you happy, for both women making men happy and men making women happy.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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 guys in this survey must be lying as I would have expected number 14 for them to be way out in the lead!

I also wonder why linking arms is second-top for men, but 15th for women – why don’t they like linking arms?
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Read more on: date,gender,goo ranking

A recent survey from goo Ranking looked at what people thought it would be best to get rid of for the environment’s sake.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2010 1,128 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.5% of the sample were female, 15.1% in their teens, 16.9% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 21.1% in their forties, 9.4% in their fifties, and 8.7% 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.

Most bookshops in Japan wrap your book (after asking you) in a simple paper cover. I think it’s quite a good idea myself, and it’s just a cheap sheet of brown paper usually with the bookstore’s logo, so the cost and environmental load must be pretty low. Getting rid of disposable chopsticks is a good way for a restaurant to advertise its green credentials, but I don’t think it’s really that positive an action, as reusable chopsticks need to be washed, and of course take more resources to make.

Just last week my wife told me that she’d seen on the television some program saying it was more green to drink milk straight out of the pack, rather than using a straw or pouring in into a cup, which is of course correct, but that seems so trivial a point in the great scheme of things.
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Read more on: ecology,environment,goo ranking

goo Ranking took a look at what people thought it was best to get over and done with during one’s school days.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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 part-time job is a useful thing to get over and done with at school – I have many interesting memories from working at a petrol station many weekends during school then over the holidays when I was in university.

Going on a foreign holiday is an odd one, but I wonder if that implies a back-packing or other independant travel, unlike the group travel (or no travel at all) that many Japanese tend towards as they get older.
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Read more on: education,goo ranking

With the new batch of graduates joining companies this month, here’s a look by goo Ranking at what people want to warn new starts about. In addition, more experienced pople are expected to teach them the ropes, so there’s also look by goo Ranking at what business manners people are not confident they do correctly.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

Seating order is an important topic – in a Japanese room the most senior sits opposite the door, so that when the ninja come it’s just the plebs that get chopped up. However, there’s different rules for where everyone goes depending on whether it’s a round or rectangular table. Seating order on an airplane is a new one on me, and probably a very rare occurance.
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Read more on: goo ranking,manner

Here’s another interesting survey from goo Ranking, this time looking at what lies we tell that come back to haunt us.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

My biggest lie was announcing to friends back in Scotland shortly after moving to Japan that I now had a million in the bank, but without pointing out it was in the rather less impressive yen, not pounds. I also lived in a royal mansion when I first came to Japan.

For number 13, I would have thought claiming not to be married would have been a bigger problem!

My wife doesn’t need to lie about 2,　4, 5, 15, 16 and 20. At least I hope she’s not lying about them…
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Read more on: goo ranking,lie

With graduation season just finished in Japan, here’s a look with goo Ranking at people’s memories, both the sad ones for men and women and the happy ones for men and women.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

Although the URL uses “happy” and most of the Q2 incidents seem happy to me, the actual question used “bitter-sweet”, for a reason I’m not really to sure about!

I don’t really remember anything in particular about my university graduation day, but looking at the list of event below I think they are more talking about school graduation, I think. We didn’t have any of that graduation nonsense when I was in school – the last day of school on the final year was pretty much like the last day every other year.
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Read more on: gender,goo ranking,graduation

goo Ranking recently took a look at what manner of subterfuge people would get up to to try to get an ex back, for both men trying to re-woo a woman and women trying to re-woo a man.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

As with a lot of these surveys, the tactics start out quite reasonable, but the further down the list the more pathetic some of the attempts get…
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Read more on: gender,goo ranking

It’s the season of hanami, cherry blossom viewing, it’s Sunday, so that can only mean one thing, a goo Ranking on failures encountered when being a cherry blossom party organiser.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

Hanami, cherry blossom viewing parties, are very popular events here, where groups get together and get drunk under the cherry blossoms. Thinking about it, I’ve never actually been to such a party, and I don’t really want to go either.

Photo from colodio on flickr, illustrating number 8…
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Read more on: cherry blossom,goo ranking,hanami

There’s something that hints of inherent sexism, or at least something that reflects the social standing of young women in Japan, in this survey from goo Ranking into what stuff that a girl was very knowledgable about would cause you to think “Oh!”. The survey used the term “girl”, but I think that includes young women.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of January 2010 1,102 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.7% of the sample were female, 12.6% in their teens, 18.4% in their twenties, 27.9% in their thirties, 25.5% in their forties, 9.3% in their fifties, and 6.3% 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 hope I got the right “Oh!” here, one of impressed surprise, rather than an “Oh-oh!” kind of “Oh!”.

I’m not really sure why medical terminology is in the list, as even being sexist about it one would expect someone interested in being or studying towards becoming a nurse, for instance, to be familiar with such terms. Hmm, perhaps it is an “Oh-oh!” kind of “Oh!”? Then again, astronomy and architecture, for instance, is surely more of an “Ooooh!” kind of “Oh!”?
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Read more on: goo ranking,knowledge

Here’s an interesting survey from goo Ranking, looking at what people would like to do, but they haven’t got the courage to commit to it, for both men and women.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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 can certainly identify with the starting my own business one, although not having a business plan of any coherence doesn’t really help much. My first real one are probably telling off ill-mannered people – I had an old granny push into line in front of me today and I was tempted to growl something in exceptionally rough Kansai dialectic slang, but she’d probably either have had a heart attack or called the store detectives…

I’ve had numerous foreign holidays by myself, but I know from the reactions from many Japanese friends that travel outside a tour group, let alone solo, is seen as something very bold.
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Read more on: courage,gender,goo ranking