世論 What Japan Thinks

DIMSDRIVE Research are the latest company to publish the results of their survey into The Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster.

Demographics

Between the 25th and 28th of March 2011 9,948 members of the DIMSDRIVE Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 56.4% of the sample were male, 0.6% in their teens, 6.5% in their twenties, 23.5% in their thirties, 33.7% in their forties, 21.4% in their fifties, and 14.3% aged sixty or older.

There are a number of questions related to power cuts; however, since the survey was conducted TEPCO has announced that they have got the power supply situation under control, and there will be no more scheduled power cuts, although we just have to wait and see what the summer will hold for us.

Although I’m far away from the affected area, getting hold of water was the biggest problem. Almost all the bottled water was sold out, barring the fizzy stuff like Perrier. I don’t eat pot noodles and only the very occasional boil-in-the-bag curry, but these also disappeared off the shelves in a flash. Currently the biggest problem is that many yoghurt factories have been knocked out, but fortunately our nearest supermarket has a brand from the local area, a really rich and creamy one that will be replacing our previous more expensive mass-produced brand.
Read the rest of this entry »

goo Ranking took a look at the sorts of things slimy guys would say when breaking up.

Demographics

Over the 18th and 19th of February 2011 1,097 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 67.6% of the sample were female, 6.8% in their teens, 21.0% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.0% in their forties, 9.0% in their fifties, and 7.1% 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 was for the women only.
Read the rest of this entry »

goo Ranking took a fun look at something I’m sure we’ve all experienced, the demons people have haunting their homes.

Demographics

Over the 18th and 19th of February 2011 1,097 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 67.6% of the sample were female, 6.8% in their teens, 21.0% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.0% in their forties, 9.0% in their fifties, and 7.1% 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 main demon is similar to number 1, the processor cycle stealing demon. I was going to say that I’ve also got a toilet paper eating demon and a liquid soap drinking demon but I realised that’s not a very nice way to talk about my wife.
Read the rest of this entry »

The latest survey reported on by iShare was a short look at actions to help towards revitalisation of Tohoku following last month’s earthquake.

Demographics

On the first of April 2011 853 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.8% of the sample were male, 5.5% in their twenties, 47.5% in their thirties, and 47.0% in their forties,

If you haven’t given cash, or want to give some more, here is my usual list of charities. I personally think volunteering is the best way to help in the future, and it’s what I’d like to do most myself.

US Red Cross
UK Red Cross
Canada Red Cross
Japan Red Cross
Medecins Sans Frontieres.
Read the rest of this entry »

Last month’s earthquake resulted in just about all the trains around Tokyo being cancelled, so in a recent survey from goo Research into the day the earthquake occurred, japan.internet.com’s report focused on how people got home.

Demographics

Between the 31st of March and the 2nd of April 2011 1,079 members of the goo Research monitor group who lived in either Tokyo or the surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa and Saitama completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.0% of the sample were male, 16.7% in their teens, 18.0% in their twenties, 21.5% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.8% in their fifties, and 11.9% aged sixty or older.

In an earlier survey from iShare, I did express surprise that about 85% claimed they could walk home, but this survey does seem to back up that figure.

I know that one of my fellow bloggers got stuck in Disneyland after the earthquake, but he didn’t try walking home from there…
Read the rest of this entry »

Just a quick update tonight, a pointer to a post by ampontan regarding a couple of surveys recently conducted into nuclear power. The first survey from the Yomiuri Shimbun on April 4th was conducted between the 1st and 3rd of April 2011, and found that 46% supported continuing with the current level of nuclear power generation, 29% were for reducing, and 12% for the complete elimination of nuclear power. The other 13% were not described. The second survey from JNN for the TBS television station was released on the same day, and found the highest percentage (the exact figures were not available) thought that current nuclear power be maintained but safety procedures strengthened, and about 15% supported each of “stopping all generation for now while reviewing the situation” and “phasing out and using other means of power generation”.

I suspect the numbers in favour of nuclear power will rise this summer as the Tokyo area, which normally has 24 or so reactors available to supply the grid (with usually three or four in maintenance at any one time) will be down to just two, according to news I saw this morning, despite the summer months being peak demand to supply air conditioning.

I personally think that nuclear generation, especially in Japan, is an unavoidable evil. I’ve recently become less in favour of wind as an economic alternative, but tidal/wave and geothermal should be looked at more seriously in Japan. And of course the current Internet darling of thorium is another promising target of research and development funding.

For your reference, here is a Japanese government survey from December 2009 into nuclear power.

Even though a month has passed, we still welcome all your donations in Japan! Here’s a list of a few places where you can give:

US Red Cross
UK Red Cross
Canada Red Cross
Japan Red Cross
Medecins Sans Frontieres.

On to the survey, which was performed by iShare, looking at digital donations.

Demographics

On the 1st of April 2011 853 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.8% of the sample were male, 5.5% in their twenties, 47.5% in their thirties, and 47.0% in their forties.

I must admit to not having made a points donation myself, although my wife gave lots as she fills in surveys for points. As for digital contents, I’ve not seen any myself, but then again I’ve not gone looking. Any suggestions from my readership will be most welcome!
Read the rest of this entry »

japan.internet.com recently reported on goo Research’s 26th regular survey into use of computers by mobile phone users, with the focus this time on email use.

Demographics

Between the 29th and 31st of March 2011 1,079 members of the computer-based (or perhaps they might have signed up via a smartphone browser?) goo Research monitor group who had also registered as mobile phone monitors completed a mobile phone-based questionnaire. 53.9% of the sample were female, 3.5% in their teens, 24.7% in their twenties, 35.8% in their thirties, 26.3% in their forties, and 9.7% aged fifty or older.

I try to avoid mobile phone email, mostly for the reasons of packet charges, and secondly because English is a pain in the neck to enter on a bog-standard ten-key phone with no predictive input. I can key Japanese much faster, and even my Japanese wife can beat me at English input!
Read the rest of this entry »

goo Research recently published the highlights of a survey they performed in conjunction with President magazine (hmm, I could very well buy that issue!) into the English-language ability of professional people.

Demographics

Detailed demographics were not given, but the sample consisted of 1,031 members of the goo Research online monitor group who were not necessarily readers of President. The sample was also limited to those between the ages of 30 and 59 who had not lived overseas but had taken a TOEIC exam. Note that a TOEIC score of 470 corresponds to reasonable ability with conversation and 730 to the beginning of decent proficiency in English.

It’s a bit difficult to draw many conclusions from this survey as having to use English in the workplace is going to naturally improve your English level, and with a number of companies having regulations that require a certain level of English to get promotion, and in an international business the higher-ups are going to have to need English to negotiate, so I think this survey is illustrating correlation, not causation.
Read the rest of this entry »

iShare’s latest look at disaster-related topics was related to walking home, specifically in the case of a major earthquake that knocked the trains out, could people get back home from work or school under their own steam.

Demographics

On the 29th and 30th of March 2011 1,697 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.3% of the sample were male, 3.6% in their twenties, 47.0% in their thirties, and 49.4% in their forties.

I’l quite surprised at the number who said they could make their own way home, given that the average commute time for Japanese is about an hour each way, most of which is in a train. I roughly know how to get home from work, but if I took a “follow the railway line” one I’d have to go through the centre of Osaka which is liable to be flooded by any tsunami that would follow a major Nankai earthquake. The other railway line to follow home is a raised monorail, so following it would also be difficult, and given that it’s about 30 kilometres home as the crow flies, I’d commandeer a bicycle…
Read the rest of this entry »