世論 What Japan Thinks

With today being Children’s Day in Japan, I present a survey that is sort-of connected to the theme, a look with goo Ranking at hidden secrets that prevent people rating themselves as proper adults, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2009 1,043 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 52.2% of the sample were male, 7.8% in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 24.8% in their forties, 11.4% in their fifties, and 10.7% 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.

With these silly goo Rankings I do occasionally get creative with my translation, and I get some feedback from my readers about my less than literal translations, but I hope that since these surveys are just a bit of fun, any creativity (or flat-out errors) can be excused. For example, this survey question would directly translate as - actually, now I’ve started analysing my translation I cannot actually give a good literal translation. Perhaps I shouldn’t have even started this train of thought!

Talking of literal translations, the first number six for women actually reads “I can’t eat sushi without removing the rust“, so I hope you’ll let me off with that change!

I haven’t a clue why closing one’s eyes while washing one’s hair would be scary, barring being traumatised by watching Psycho at too young an age.
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In Japan adulthood is 20 years old, but there is a bit of a debate going on at the moment regarding changing this. A recent survey conducted by the Cabinet Office Japan into the age of majority looked at some of the issues surrounding this topic.

Demographics

Between the 10th and 27th of July 2008 5,000 randomly selected members of the public over the aged of 18 were interviewed face-to-face. 3,060 people were successfully interviewed; 53.2% of the sample were female, 1.4% were aged 18 or 19, 8.8% were in their twenties, 14.9% in their thirties, 17.8% in their forties, 20.9% in their fifties, 20.8% in their sixties, and 15.4% aged seventy or older. 75.0% were married, 9.5% divorced or widowed, and 15.5% not married. 10.4% had pre-school children, 15.4% elementary or middle-school children, 6.9% high school, 7.0% university or college, etc, 0.5% post graduate, and 50.2% had children finished with education and now employed or otherwise. Finally, 24.2% did not have any children.

This is a very interesting survey that perhaps reinforces prejudices or stereotypes that we hold of the Japanese. The most surprising figure for me was the 10% or more who thought the law is the law, so as an individual citizen one cannot think of changing it. However, if you asked similar questions in other countries, what sort of figure would you get there?
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A rather spicy title for a rather bland survey, I’m afraid! I could only find something borderline silly for today, a survey by goo Ranking into what people didn’t do before they were fully-fledged members of society. In Japan this normally means once someone finishes full-time education and with an additional implication of entering full-time employment.

Demographics

Between the 25th and 28th of July 2008 1,072 members of the goo Research online monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.3% of the sample were male, 5.7% in their teens, 14.4% in their twenties, 31,0% in their thirties, 28.1% in their forties, 10.5% in their fifties, and 10.4% 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 only managed about six myself before I started working, with going abroad being one notable one I didn’t do until I was twenty-four, with a business trip to New Orleans being my first overseas experience.

5=, using a taxi ticket, is for people working past the last train home, allowing them to charge the fare to the company. 12, the formal receipt, is for claiming back expenses. Don’t be too surprised at number 8, as there are a lot of older people in the survey who finished school before computers became widespread there.
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