世論 What Japan Thinks

Dentsu released a report on this year’s top products and predictions for next year’s big things, based on various public and private marketing surveys and a little bit of guess work by various style magazines. As I don’t read any of these style magazines, be they English or Japanese, some of the topics are a bit difficult to work out, so apologies in advance!

Just in case you’re wondering, the picture to the right is of Miki Ando (Mikitty), who represents at least three of the products listed below – figure skating, flat screen televisions (she’s one of the Viera advert figures), and Nintendo DS adverts. And she’s got an awfully nice smile.
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[part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

In September of this year, the Cabinet Office Japan conducted an opinion poll, interviewing 1,896 people, 55% female regarding attitudes towards environmental issues. This rather lengthy survey will be split over three days. Now for lifestyle and car issues – people on the whole still want stuff – perhaps they hope that it will be others who make changes to their lifestyles.

Q14: Considering the high production, high consumption, high disposal society, to control consumption of natural resources, reduce waste, reuse and recycle and reduce the burden on the environment, What do you think about the promotion of measures for establishing a recycling-oriented society? Select the one that is closest to your way of thinking.

If the current lifestyle level drops, I cannot accept it	1.7%
It is best if without dropping the current lifestyle level, whilst continuing high production and high consumption, we have active promotion of waste reuse and recycling	29.3%
If waste disposal facilities or natural resources run out, we cannot avoid moving to a recycling-oriented society	21.7%
Even if the current lifestyle level drops, we should move to a recycling-oriented society	17.6%
Whilst changing the current attitudes to the importance of owning and consuming stuff, regardless of any drop to the current lifestyle level, we should move to a recycling-oriented society	14.5%
I don’t know what sort of society a recycling-oriented society is	7.1%
Other	0.1%
Don’t know	8.0%

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[part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

In September of this year, the Cabinet Office Japan conducted an opinion poll, interviewing 1,896 people, 55% female regarding attitudes towards environmental issues. This rather lengthy survey will be split over three days. Note that only 14% sell unwanted goods – sodai gomi day is legendardy for finding discarded treasure! Last time I was in Germany I was charged 30 cents (42 yen or so) for a high quality reusable plastic bag at Spar, but the Japanese seem prepared to pay only as much as 5 yen, but perhaps they are picturing paying for the current cheap thin bags?

Q9: Do you usually endeavour to reuse and recycle? Which of the following do you try to do? (Multiple answer)

Thoroughly separate and categorise rubbish before throwing it out	82.2%
To make things easier to recycle, wash bottles, etc before disposal	63.9%
Use unneeded goods for another purpose, such as using old clothers as dusters or cloths	41.9%
Buy goods in reusable containers, like milk in bottles	17.0%
Actively purchase goods made from recycled materials	15.7%
Sell unneeded goods at second-hand shop, bazaar, fleamarket, etc	13.9%
Use old products rather than buying new ones	7.1%
Other	0.3%
Nothing in particular	6.1%
Don’t know	0.3%

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[part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

In September of this year, the Cabinet Office Japan conducted an opinion poll, interviewing 1,896 people, 55% female regarding attitudes towards environmental issues. This rather lengthy survey will be split over three days. Note that the high degree of recycling of packaging and sorting rubbish is due in part to many municipalities implementing separated rubbish collection and part to most stations, convenience stores, etc, having separate bins prominently positioned. The overall feeling I get from the answers is that people do put a little bit of effort into environmental protection at a personal level, but the motivation seems to be as much just saving money as any other more altruistic goal.

Q1: In your daily lifestyle, which of the following environmental protection activities do you make effort to do? (Multiple answer)

Recycle paper, milk packs, PET bottles, cans, etc, and dispose of rubbish separately	73.4%
Don’t pour oil and food scraps down the drain	56.9%
Try not to set air conditioner too low or heater too high	50.9%
Save electricity and water, and use low energy products	46.3%
Reduce rubbish as much as possible	45.0%
As much as possible, avoid buying single-use items.	28.0%
Buy recycled paper-based and other kind to the environment products	27.0%
Try to prevent creation of noise pollution	26.7%
Don’t take a plastic bag from the shop when shopping	23.2%
Other	0.3%
Nothing in particular	7.2%
Don’t know	0.2%

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I obtained some figures of international marriage in Japan, which I shall summarise here, giving the historical trends from 1985 to 2003. The exact source of this statistical data is unclear, but presumably from some government agency.

UPDATE: I found the source, an Excel sheet on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare web site.

	1985	1990	1995	2000	2001	2002	2003
All couples	735,850	722,138	791,888	798,138	799,999	757,331	740,191
Husband and wife both Japanese	723,669	696,512	764,161	761,875	760,272	721,452	704,152
Either foreigner	12,181	25,626	27,727	36,263	39,727	35,879	36,039
Husband Japanese, wife foreign	7,738	20,026	20,787	28,326	31,972	27,957	27,881
Wife Japanese, husband foreign	4,443	5,600	6,940	7,937	7,755	7,922	8,158

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[ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]

Continuing on from part two, the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (that seems to be the official title anyway), conducted a wide-ranging survey regarding the people of Japan’s everyday life. This is rather a large survey, so it will be published in three parts on subsequent days. 6,924 people participated in the poll, conducted by face-to-face interviews in various areas throughout Japan. In this section, many Japanese say they want to live away from their children in their old age, and work is defined by salary.

Q13: In your opinion, normally with whom and how is the best way to live in old age?

Live with son (and wife if applicable)	15.1%
Live near son (and wife if applicable)	8.7%
Live with daughter (and husband if applicable)	5.7%
Live near daughter (and husband if applicable)	7.2%
Either son or daughter is best	10.6%
Live separate from children	38.0%
Other	1.8%
Don’t know	12.8%

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[ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]

Continuing on from part one, the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (that seems to be the official title anyway), conducted a wide-ranging survey regarding the people of Japan’s everyday life. This is rather a large survey, so it will be published in three parts on subsequent days. 6,924 people participated in the poll, conducted by face-to-face interviews in various areas throughout Japan. In this section, the Japanese reveal themselves to be rather materialistic, and even though the first part saw people most worried about their old age, living for today takes priority.

Q7: When you have had free time recently, what sort of activities have you performed? (Multiple answer)

Listening to radio or watching television	55.2%
Enjoying hobbies	40.8%
Leisurely resting	37.6%
Reading newspapers and magazines, etc	34.1%
Spend time with friends	30.0%
Enjoying things as a family group	29.9%
Going shopping	26.6%
Sports and other physical activities	19.0%
Going on trips	18.6%
Using computer or mobile phone to find out information, read mail, etc	16.3%
Absorbing knowledge	7.0%
Community or voluntary work	6.3%
Other	2.0%
Don’t know	0.7%

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[ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]

The Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (that seems to be the official title anyway), conducted a wide-ranging survey regarding the people of Japan’s everyday life. This is rather a large survey, so it will be published in three parts on subsequent days. 6,924 people participated in the poll, conducted by face-to-face interviews in various areas throughout Japan. Most people are basically happy to some degree, but the shadow of ill-health and old age hangs over many people.

Q1: Compared with this time last year, how is your home life?

Improving	4.0%
About the same	68.9%
Getting worse	26.1%
Don’t know	1.1%

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My Voice conducted a web-based survey of their registered users regarding home security issues. There seems to be a lot of worry about burglary in particular.

The survey was conducted at the start of October, with 16,346 respondents. 41% were male, and 4% teenagers, 23% in their twenties, 39% in their thirties, 23% in their forties, and 11% fifty and over.

Q1: How uneasy do you feel about public order and crime around the area where you live? (Sample size=16,346)

I feel uneasy	17.0%
I feel a little uneasy	51.4%
I don’t really feel uneasy	27.4%
I don’t feel uneasy at all	4.1%

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In my wife’s daily newspaper, the Seikyo Shimbun, there was a short article regarding statistics on old people in Japan who live alone. Whether or not old folk living alone is a good thing or not, I’ll leave it for others to comment, but one one hand both my grandmothers lived alone for most of their retirements, but in the sme town as our family so someone visited them almost every day, whereas in Japan they have adverts for a kettle that phones home with statistics of daily usage so you can tell if Grannie’s been making tea or not.

In 2004 the government carried out a survey, and discovered that there was 2,820,000 women over 65 living alone, about triple the figure of 910,000 for men. In the last three years alone, this figure has increased by 180,000. Over half of the women had got into the situation by outliving their husbands, around double the percentage for men outliving their wives. About 10% lived alone due to having never married, but why the remaining people are living alone, it is not recorded. Presenting the population of single seniors separated by sex and age, we get the following table:

Males 65-69	7.4%
Males 70-74	6.8%
Males 74-79	5.1%
Males 80-84	3.0%
Males 85+	1.9%
Females 65-69	16.0%
Females 70-74	19.5%
Females 74-79	19.5%
Females 80-84	13.0%
Females 85+	7.8%