世論 What Japan Thinks

About the only radio I hear is when I visit the union shop at work and they have a radio playing in the background, but all the English radio idents grate on me! To find out about the habits of the average person, JR Tokai Express Research Inc performed a survey, reported on by japan.internet.com, into radio.

Demographics

Between the 8th and 10th of April 2008 330 members of the JR Tokai Express Research online monitor group successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.3% of the sample was female, 2.4% were in their teens, 17.0% in their twenties, 38.2% in their thirties, 27.3% in their forties, 7.9% in their fifties, 6.7% in their sixties, and 0.6% aged seventy or older.

Note that digital radio started broadcasting on the 1st of December 2006. I’ve never listened to it, unless hire cars have had it, but even then it would never have been more than 20 seconds I listened for. In addition, since I almost never listen to the radio, I can’t recall ever hearing a URL or an email address on an advertisement.
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Here’s another strange ranking from goo Ranking, this time looking at which historical figure you’d like to talk to in a seance.

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of February 2008 1,052 people from the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% were female, 6.4% in their teens, 15.7% in their twenties, 31.0% in their thirties, 26.6% in their forties, 11.2% in their fifties, and 9.1% aged sixty or over. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

Pretending for a minute that seances are nothing more than ways to part fools from their money, I’d choose to talk to Leonardo Da Vinci. He does seem a bit of a strange omission, as is Michelangelo, especially as Galileo makes an appearance.

I also suspect they filtered out answers for founders of religions and sects, which is a bit disappointing, so I’ll ask you instead:

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With the main hay fever, in particular cedar fever, season nearly over, this report from japan.internet.com on a survey by goo Research Inc into hay fever is interesting to see how it has affected people this spring.

Demographics

Between the 3rd and 5th of April 2008 1,096 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample was male, 16.4% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, 21.2% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 16.1% in their fifties, and 11.9% aged sixty or older.

I actually had my worst hay fever this year, when about three weeks ago my nose started running freely. I went to a local ear, nose and throat clinic and got some anti-histamines, nasal spray and eye drops. The pills knocked me for six, such that I was unable to take the prescribed two per day, just one, and I quit after three days. The nose spray did the trick, though, and although it lasted less than two weeks I’ve had almost no problems even after it finished.
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Japan’s home-grown YouTube, the member-only Nico Nico Douga that charges for peak-time usage and doesn’t allow embedding in other web sites is still trying to catch up with the aforementioned YouTube. To see what the Japanese think of the site, JR Tokai Express performed a survey reported on by japan.internet.com into Nico Nico Douga.

Demographics

On the 8th of April 2008 330 members of the JR Tokai Express Research online monitor pool employed in either the public or the private sector completed an internet-based questionnaire. 80.0% of the sample was male, 12.1% were in their twenties, 37.6% in their thirties, 37.9% in their forties, 10.9% in their fifties, and 1.5% in their sixties.

On the 1st of April this year Niwango Inc, the operators of Nico Nico Douga, signed an agreement with JASRAC (the Japanese Society of Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) to the effect that they would only allow users to upload videos of themselves performing copyrighted material, but not surprisingly infringing material is also still making its way onto the site.
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Although most guides to Japan tell you that credit cards are not widely accepted in Japan, that is becoming less and less of a problem every year as people start using credit cards more often. This recent survey from MyVoice into credit card usage, the second time this has been conducted, shows how monthly spending averages are increasing.

Demographics

Over the first five days of March 2008 14,886 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 38% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 16% in their fifties.

This year I’ve just got a new card from Conan (the DIY store, not the barbarian or the detective) and I’ve quit using but not got round to cancelling my Asahi Bank Visa which used to be Miffy-branded, but then they changed the design to a boring floppy-eared rabbit photo without telling me. I also want to apply for an Daiei credit card as they do Hello Kitty branding, so getting a revoltingly pink one for use overseas would be rather entertaining.

I also have a gold card from my employer, but it’s pretty useless with the only bonus being free entry into rather naff gold card lounges at airports, and as I have to use it for business trip expenses which they don’t refund until after the statement comes, the company gets a percentage of the money spent in fees and doesn’t need to pay the employees for about two months after the expense.

If you want to look more at Japanese credit card designs, I’ve found two galleries, Credit Card Navi and Credit Card Design.
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One of the first uses I put my gaijin card (foreigner ID card) to was when I went to a barber, pointed at my mug shot and asked for a cut like that one. My Japanese may have improved since then, but neither my hair style nor my choice of cheap cuts has changed. This recent survey from MyVoice looked at how the Japanese view haircuts. Note that I had to delete one entry from the graph to the right, the visiting pro at 0.1%, as it was causing my graphing package a problem.

Demographics

Over the first five days of March 2008 15,004 members of the MyVoice internet successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 1% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 39% in their thirties, 9% in their forties, and 16% in their fifties.

I just had a haircut this evening in my usual shop nearby a station where I change trains. 2,000 yen for the full works; haircut, shampoo, shave, eyebrow tidying and a 15 second scalp and shoulder massage.

In Q8, containing the list of best haircuts, it’s interesting that the top two for both men and women are the same, that both men and women choose men on the whole, and that many of the people have heavily dyed tonsorial arrangements, and there are almost no traditional straight haired people. I personally think Yukie Nakama has just about the best head of hair in Japan, a lovely long, straight, simple, natural black style. Thinking about it, most of the Japanese women that I consider to be beautiful (including the wife) have natural black hair.
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If you miss the last train home, a good tip I hear is to spend the night in an internet cafe. To see how popular that and other activities are at these places, MyVoice recently performed a survey on this very topic of internet cafes.

Demographics

Over the first five days of March 2008 14,691 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private online questionnaire. 54% were female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 38% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 16% in their fifties.

Although I have never set foot in one, I have an image of internet cafes as dim and dingy places. I should really visit once just to confirm or dispel my prejudice, but as most will no doubt have a permanent fog of cigarette smoke I might not last more than a couple of minutes!

Last year one of the Words of the Year was Net Cafe Refugees, people working in casual cash-in-hand jobs by day, and dossing down in the cafe by night.
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An important part of any technical person’s job is, I believe, to keep up with the latest innovations, and one way of doing so is to read White Papers published by companies that describe their advances in research and development. This recent report published on japan.internet.com and conducted by JR Tokai Express Research Inc into White Papers looks at the habits of Japanese.

Demographics

On the 3rd of April 2008 330 members of the JR Tokai Express Research monitor panel employed in either private or public industry completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 83.6% were male, 10.3% in their twenties, 41.5% in their thirties, 36.1% in their forties, 10.6% in their fifties, and 1.5% in their sixties..

There is the other kind of White Paper, that published by governments as forerunners to drafting of bills or for explanations of policies. I cannot say I have read any for sure, but I may have glanced at one or two, or they may just have been draft bills.

I’ve always wanted to write a White Paper, but as my employer emphasises patents as the key way of disclosing new ideas, this is what I end up producing.
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This week’s silliness is from goo Ranking as usual, this time looking at what unique appreciation societies people might like to join.

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of February 2008 1,052 people from the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% were female, 6.4% in their teens, 15.7% in their twenties, 31.0% in their thirties, 26.6% in their forties, 11.2% in their fifties, and 9.1% aged sixty or over. 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’m not sure what the exact selection criteria for these societies were; was it a hand-picked list and people chose the most interesting to them, or was it a free answer?

Number 1 is a great choice, and a good excuse to link to Neil Duckett’s pottering about around the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, as I’ve done that a few times myself around areas I thought I was familiar with, but it’s quite fascinating to just wander about taking in the atmosphere. I don’t know if I’d like the actual pottering as a group activity, but having somewhere to swap photos and chat about one’s discoveries would be fun.

I’d probably also want to join a Gaijins Who Don’t Like Hanging Out With Other Gaijins Appreciation Society. No wait…
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Having looked in passing at English lessons in Second Life just a few days ago, this time it’s Second Life in general, with a survey reported on by japan.internet.com and conducted by goo Research, their 6th regular Second Life survey.

Demographics

Between the 24th and 27th of March 2008 1,091 members of the goo Research online monitor group successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.0% of the sample was male, 16.1% in their teens, 18.2% in their twenties, 21.4% in their thirties, 16.0% in their forties, and 28.2% aged fifty or older.

Second Life, or Sadville as The Register calls it, is an online 3D virtual world where you can do and build whatever you want, but most things inevitably end up revolving around sex of often a rather perverted nature.

I personally have never played and have no intention of doing so, not least because my poor PC isn’t up to taking the strain.
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