世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1][part 2]

Recently, the Cabinet Office Japan took a detailed look at culture.

Demographics

Between the 11th and 15th of November 2009 3,000 people over the aged of twenty selected at random from resident lists all over the country were approached for interview. 1,853 people, or 61.8% were available and agreed to take part in face-to-face interviews. 52.6% of the sample were female, 8.7% in their twenties, 14.8% in their thirties, 17.6% in their forties, 16.6% in their fifties, 24.0% in their sixties, and 18.2% aged seventy or older.

Q14 is interesting in that traditional arts are what people think are most praised (not praiseworthy) worldwide. If traditional arts included bushido and ninjas, perhaps, but for the ones listed I hear they are worth seeing just once. Manga and anime are the most influential, I think, although perhaps not praised outside of a narrow demographic, and it is my personal mission to try to persuade as many of you that Takarazuka theatre should be experienced and hailed worldwide as a unique experience.
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[part 1][part 2]

Recently, the Cabinet Office Japan took a detailed look at culture.

Demographics

Between the 11th and 15th of November 2009 3,000 people over the aged of twenty selected at random from resident lists all over the country were approached for interview. 1,853 people, or 61.8% were available and agreed to take part in face-to-face interviews. 52.6% of the sample were female, 8.7% in their twenties, 14.8% in their thirties, 17.6% in their forties, 16.6% in their fifties, 24.0% in their sixties, and 18.2% aged seventy or older.

My two main cultural experiences are movies and theatre, especially musicals. I really should write reviews of what I see and get them published somewhere! I’ve been to one art gallery in the last year, which was in a rebuilt castle and filled with slightly creepy Christian art…
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The new government in Japan seems to have been conducting an awful lot of surveys recently, with the latest one from the Cabinet Office Japan being on a gender-equal society. This survey was last conducted five years ago and translated three years ago.

Demographics

5,000 adults over the age of twenty were selected at random from all over the country, and an attempt was made to conduct face-to-face interviews with them over the period of the 1st to 18th of October 2009. 3,240 people, or 64,8%, were available and agreed to take part. 53.4% of the sample were female, 9.8% in their twenties, 14.6% in their thirties, 16.2% in their forties, 19.0% in their fifties, 22.2% in their sixties and 18.1% aged seventy or older. 48.5% were emploted, 9.9% self-employed, 3.7% in the family business, and 37.9% homemakers, studens, or retired. 74.6% were married, 0.7% were unmarried but living with their partner, 4.3% divorced, 5.7% widowed, and 14.8% unmarried. Finally, 77.6% had children.

Q10SQ is a bit of a strange set of answers to me, although perhaps it is just my intellectual thought processes that say exposure to those who don’t want to see it is not really the fault of the media on the whole. I would also put the objectification of women much higher up the ranking, but I don’t think there is the same degree of awareness in Japan as in the west.
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The new government in Japan seems to have been conducting an awful lot of surveys recently, with the latest one from the Cabinet Office Japan being on a gender-equal society. This survey was last conducted five years ago and translated three years ago.

Demographics

5,000 adults over the age of twenty were selected at random from all over the country, and an attempt was made to conduct face-to-face interviews with them over the period of the 1st to 18th of October 2009. 3,240 people, or 64,8%, were available and agreed to take part. 53.4% of the sample were female, 9.8% in their twenties, 14.6% in their thirties, 16.2% in their forties, 19.0% in their fifties, 22.2% in their sixties and 18.1% aged seventy or older. 48.5% were emploted, 9.9% self-employed, 3.7% in the family business, and 37.9% homemakers, studens, or retired. 74.6% were married, 0.7% were unmarried but living with their partner, 4.3% divorced, 5.7% widowed, and 14.8% unmarried. Finally, 77.6% had children.

Q1 is pretty depressing, but also pretty accurate, with school education being about the only thing that seems to be relatively balanced.
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[part 1][part 2]

The Cabinet Office Japan recently published the results of their survey into physical strength and sports amongst the Japanese population.

Demographics

Between the 24th of September and the 4th of October 2009 3,000 adults randomly selected from population rolls from all over the country were approached for face-to-face interviews. Of the 3,000, 1,925 people, or 64.2%, were able and willing to take part in the survey. The main reasons for not taking part were refusal and not being in when the inverviewer visited. 54.2% of the sample were female, 9.2% in their twenties, 15.0% in their thirties, 17.4% in their forties, 19.6% in their fifties, 22.5% in their sixties, and 16.3% aged seventy or older.

I find it curious that many people think that kids today have a worse sport and play environment than when they were kids. I can understand about the lack of empty spaces (although I would have thought that parental paranoia about kids in empty spaces would have been more of a factor), but having less time to play is perhaps the fault of the parents and schools, a mixture of parents sending their kids to cram schools and schools and their after-school club activities.
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[part 1][part 2]

The Cabinet Office Japan recently published the results of their survey into physical strength and sports amongst the Japanese population.

Demographics

Between the 24th of September and the 4th of October 2009 3,000 adults randomly selected from population rolls from all over the country were approached for face-to-face interviews. Of the 3,000, 1,925 people, or 64.2%, were able and willing to take part in the survey. The main reasons for not taking part were refusal and not being in when the inverviewer visited. 54.2% of the sample were female, 9.2% in their twenties, 15.0% in their thirties, 17.4% in their forties, 19.6% in their fifties, 22.5% in their sixties, and 16.3% aged seventy or older.

Ahh, a sport survey, so it must be an excuse for my frequent refrain of how I plan to buy a Wii Fit and get into some sort of less round shape.

My employer offers a discount on sports gym membership, but it’s some pretty pathetic percentage off a full-price membership for only one or two gyms in a chain neither of which are convenient for home.
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Having looked in October at nuclear power in the Kinki region, today the topic is also nuclear power, but with a sample from all over the country, in a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office Japan.

Demographics

Between the 15th and 25th of October 2009 3,000 members of the public randomly selected from resident registries were approached for face-to-face interviews. 1,850 people, or 61.7%, agreed to take part in the survey. More detailed demographics were not given.

In Q5, the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) factor is rather high, but it’s not a surprising result. However, financial support (or bribes, I suppose) to communities hosting nuclear plants is something the government does, or more correctly did, as one of the many victims of the Democratic Party of Japan’s slash-and-burn attack on spending has been the abolition of the said government subsidy/bribe. The lack of this will surely affect local opinion in the areas that get selected for high-level nuclear waste disposal facilities.
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[part 1][part 2]

Here’s an interesting and detailed survey from Cabinet Office Japan into cancer. I translated a similar survey from the Cabinet Office a couple of years ago.

Demographics

Between the 27th of August and the 6th of September 3,000 people were selected at random from all over the country to take part in face-to-face interviews. Of that number, 1,935 or 64.5% agreed to answer the questions in face-to-face interviews. 55.1% of the sample were female, 7.6% in their twenties, 15.4% in their thirties, 15.9% in their forties, 19.0% in their fifties, 23.3% in their sixties, and 18.7% aged seventy or older. Additionally, 44.7% were in employment, 11.2% self-employed, 3.9% worked for the family business, and 40.2% unemployed, including housewives, students and retired people. Of the unemployed, 61.9% were housewives (househusbands were not asked about) and the remaining 38.1% otherwise unemployed. Finally, 74.5% had either themselves or a family member, relative, workmate they were close to, etc, with cancer. 24.8% had not, and 0.8% didn’t know.

In Q14 I was surprised that cancer research came so low in people’s priorities for government action, and then lifestyle education even lower still.
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[part 1][part 2]

Here’s an interesting and detailed survey from Cabinet Office Japan into cancer. I translated a similar survey from the Cabinet Office a couple of years ago.

Demographics

Between the 27th of August and the 6th of September 3,000 people were selected at random from all over the country to take part in face-to-face interviews. Of that number, 1,935 or 64.5% agreed to answer the questions in face-to-face interviews. 55.1% of the sample were female, 7.6% in their twenties, 15.4% in their thirties, 15.9% in their forties, 19.0% in their fifties, 23.3% in their sixties, and 18.7% aged seventy or older. Additionally, 44.7% were in employment, 11.2% self-employed, 3.9% worked for the family business, and 40.2% unemployed, including housewives, students and retired people. Of the unemployed, 61.9% were housewives (househusbands were not asked about) and the remaining 38.1% otherwise unemployed. Finally, 74.5% had either themselves or a family member, relative, workmate they were close to, etc, with cancer. 24.8% had not, and 0.8% didn’t know.

One thing that affects the quite high figures in Q6 is that by law all companies over a minimum size must give annual health checks to their employees, and the larger companies, like the one I work in, call in a bunch of doctors, X-ray buses and the like and give a once-over to everyone. However, the chest X-ray is pretty pointless, so I hear, as by the time anything is visible you’re pretty close to terminal. I hate the barium meal stomach one, as they stick you on this funfair ride and twirl you upside down and round about to get the barium to spread all over.
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The government of Japan may have changed, but the Cabinet Office Japan surveys are carrying on - it’ll be interesting to see if I can detect a change in tone in the questions. This survey was entitled a built environment for pedestrians, but also covered most other local transport means.

Demographics

Between the 16th of July and the 2nd of August 2009 5,000 members of the public were selected at random to complete the survey; 3,157 people, or 63.1%, agreed to cooperate. 54.4% of this sample were female, 7.8% in their twenties, 14.3% in their thirties, 17.1% in their forties, 19.8% in their fifties, 23.4% in their sixties, and 17.6% aged seventy or older. Additionally, 46.1% were employed, 11.6% were self-employed, 3.0% were home workers, and 39.3% were unemployed, including students and housewives, who made up 60.9% of that 39.3%. Finally, 47.8% drove some form of motorised transport almost every day, 15.7% several times a week, 7.3% several times a month, 8.3% had a licence but didn’t drive, and 20.9% did not have a licence.

For me, to walk or cycle to the shops involves traversing an exceptionally steep hill and a bit of pavement-free road, whereas instead my train season ticket allows me to hop on a train and ride one stop down the line to get right into my suburban town centre.
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