世論 What Japan Thinks

With Japan’s Asian neighbours of Taiwan, China and South Korea making inroads into areas of Japan’s market that Japanese companies used to dominate, this survey from goo Research, performed in conjuction with the Nikkei Shimbun (Japan’s Financial Times), into Chinese, South Korean and Taiwanese makers’ digital devices and home electronics provides some insights into the strengths and weaknesses of these companies.

Demographics

Between the 9th and 13th of March 2012 577 members of the goo Research online monitor group aged over 20 years old and in full-time employment completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.3% of the sample were male, 24.8% in their twenties, 25.0% in their thirties, 25.0% in their forties, and 25.3% aged fifty or older.

Before reading this survey, I would have said that computers (Taiwanese), smartphones (Samsung and LG) and televisions (Samsung and LG again) would have been the biggest markets, so I was surprised to see fridges and washing machines ahead of smartphones. Of course, many Japanese-branded fridges and washing machines, etc, are assembled in China!

I’m typing this on an MSI (Taiwan), my main desktop is from Acer (Taiwan), and I also have a room fan from an obscure Chinese firm. Pretty much everything else is Japanese, except for my Braun razor.
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According to a survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com into online dictionaries, the satisfied, dissatisfied and on the fence online translation tool users each make up significant groups.

Demographics

Between the 16th and 19th of April 2012 1,099 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were male, 16.7% in their teens, 18.5% in their twenties, 21.1% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 15.5% in their fifties, and 11.9% aged sixty or older.

I recently came across a case where the Japanese user appears to have been satisfied, but the native English speaker on the other end was quite dissatsified with the output. Scroll down a page or two, and you’ll see comments like:

Oh, sorry, I should give up for now. Ha ha. Without looking at the Japanese, I can’t really figure out exactly what is being said! Maybe Kaneishi will have things ready soon. I’m happy to use my Kanji reader to do the short things like this. No problem, as long as I have the Japanese script to copy onto the Kanji reader website.

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goo Ranking can be serious too, with this look at when men feel that it is time to split with their wives demonstrates.

Demographics

Over the 29th of February and the 1st of March 2012 1,175 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.0% in their teens, 16.5% in their twenties, 29.3% in their thirties, 24.1% in their forties, 10.6% in their fifties, and 9.5% 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. This survey is for men only.

My wife tells me to report that I have had none of the below thoughts.
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Today’s first bit of silliness is from goo Ranking as usual, loooking at when men fall in love on the internet. There’s no female version yet, but I’ll be sure to bring it to you if I see it. Note that I’m a day late, but as this Sunday’s public holiday was moved back to Monday, I shall do the same…

Demographics

Over the 29th of February and the 1st of March 2012 1,175 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.0% in their teens, 16.5% in their twenties, 29.3% in their thirties, 24.1% in their forties, 10.6% in their fifties, and 9.5% 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. This question was for the men only.

I find it curious that most of the moments listed below would be in SNS-type situations; perhaps I am showing my age and/or habits by feeling the lack of online game or straight-forward bulletin board-type situations?
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According to a recent survey from goo Research, published by japan.internet.com, their fourth regular email usage by mobile phone users, the numbers prefering their smartphones, etc, as their main mail address is ever increasing.

Demographics

Between the 9th and 11th of April 2012 1,077 members of the goo Research mobile monitor panel completed a mobile phone and smartphone-based private questionnaire. 59.5% of the sample were female, 3.4% in their teens, 25.6% in their twenties, 38.0% in their thirties, 23.1% in their forties, and 9.8% aged fifty or older.

It would be interesting to hear (perhaps the question was asked?) what mobile email addresses people use and how they use them. Do they keep the mobile carrier’s as their main, do they use first party apps to access specific services like GMail, or third party apps to unify multiple mailboxes? What do they do with their home service provider’s mail? Read it through their PC or access it when mobile?
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japan.internet.com reported on the results of the third regular survey by goo Research into electronic books and uncovered some surprising usage patterns.

Demographics

Between the 2nd and 5h of April 2012 1,090 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.6% of the sample were male, 16.3% in their teens, 18.2% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.2% in their forties, and 27.7% aged fifty or older.

I’ve read bits and pieces of electronic books online from a PC, and downloaded to a PC and a PDA. I’d like to get a Kindle, although having said that I’ve still got a few paper books lying around that I haven’t got round to reading yet!
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Today’s goo Ranking looks at the issue of how to prod your good friend or casual date into declaring their love for you, for both women pushing men and men pushing women.

Demographics

Over the 29th of February and the 1st of March 2012 1,175 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.0% in their teens, 16.5% in their twenties, 29.3% in their thirties, 24.1% in their forties, 10.6% in their fifties, and 9.5% 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’m not sure how good any of these moves are, as for my part I did the number one male action with my wife two or three times, although knowing her better now, she probably used a few of the female tricks below to manouvre me into the situation where I unwittingly had to make a move!
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goo Ranking asked their panel what features of the home of someone who cannot tidy up would make them run a mile if they saw it. That’s a bit of a long-winded title, so I was very tempted to go for the much simpler “Tidying FAIL” as a headline!

Demographics

Over the 29th of February and the 1st of March 2012 1,175 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.0% in their teens, 16.5% in their twenties, 29.3% in their thirties, 24.1% in their forties, 10.6% in their fifties, and 9.5% 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.

About number 20, my wife told me that if you have to get goods repaired, you must have the original box. That sounds like an old wives’ tale, but at least our old cardboard boxes can be hidden away in our trunk room.
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It’s been quite a while since I’ve translated a survey looking at how Japanese spend their early mornings or similar topics, but this survey from goo Research, reported on by japan.internet.com, into this matter revealed suprising results.

Demographics

Over the 2nd and 3rd of April 2012 1,104 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 16.1% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, 21.5% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 15.9% in their fifties, and 12.1% aged sixty or older.

The weekend waking times are surprising for me on two counts; first, although personally I wake at 5:30 on weekdays, at the weekend I catch up by sleeping in to 11 am to 12 am. Second, when I stayed in the company dormitory, although I was always close to last out on weekdays, leaving at 10 am on weekends I was one of the first people out. Thus, I believed what the average salaried worker would physically need to sleep in on weekends to catch up on weekday sleep depravation.
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japan.internet.com recently published a rather intersting report on a survey by goo Research into degree of satisfaction with currently-use mobile phone.

Demographics

Between the 27th and 30th of March 2012 1,084 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 16.4% in their teens, 18.5% in their twenties, 21.3% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.9% in their fifties, and 11.8% aged sixty or older.

In Q1, 16.5% not using a mobile phone or smartphone seems surprisingly high! There must be more behind that answer, as the usual goo Research results are just 5% or so not having such a device, and I cannot believe that the tablet market, for instance, has replaced one in ten mobile users.

I bought my mobile on its low price (-10,000 yen it turned out to be) and the size.
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