世論 What Japan Thinks

Mi-te, an illustrated book community aimed at parents with pre-school children recently conducted a survey on traditional Japanese fairy tales.

Demographics

Between the 19th of February and 4th of March 2013 480 members of their 400,000 people-strong web site completed a members-only survey, accessible through both computers and mobile phones. 309 people used a computer, 190 a mobile devicce (obviously some used both), 120 people had an “iku-memo” (shared child-growth calendar. I would presume) and 19 a “yomi-log” (blog?), and 13 a photo-bee (photo album?). 97.7% of the respondents were female, 0.8% 20 years old or younger, 5.4% between 21 and 25 years old, 16.5% between 26 and 30 years old, 33.1% between 31 and 35 years old, 26.9% between 36 and 40 years old, 13.1% between 41 and 45 years old, and 4.2% aged 46 years old or more. Furthermore, the youngest child of 31.8% was zero years old, 20.4% was one year old, 9.8% was two years old, 12.5% was three years old, 7.5% was four years old, 4.2% was five years old, and 13.8% six or more years old. Finally, 55.8% had one child, 34.2% two children, 8.3% three children, and 1.7% four or more children.

Like many of the Western fairy tales, the stories have been considerably revised and cleaned up over the years. In Momotaro, for instance, the current story has Momotaro appearing from a peach and being adopted by an elderly couple; the original tale was that a spirit grants the old couple a wish, they ask for their youth back for one night, and Granny ends up pregnant with Momotaro…

I’ve linked below to translations of the various Japanese stories.
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I just have time for this quicky from goo Ranking tonight, a look at the distinctive features of an only child.

Demographics

Over the 5th and 6th of October 2012 1,064 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.2% of the sample were female, 10.5% in their teens, 13.7% in their twenties, 26.6% in their thirties, 27.6% in their forties, 11.7% in their fifties, and 9.9% 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.

In university one of the guys I flat-shared with was an only child, and he probably matched just about every answer here!
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A recent survey from goo Research, conducted in conjunction with the primary school children-oriented site Kids goo, looked at primary school teachers’ work, and in particular their use of IT, information technology.

Demographics

The sample came from primary school teachers registered with the goo Research online monitor group, and 206 people responded to the survey. Further details, including basic information like when the survey was conducted, was not reported.

Although the sample is quite small, note that it was targeted at elementary school teachers, so the accuracy is perhaps better than a quick look at the numbers would suggest.

I don’t know how computers are used in schools, really, but I do worry that replacing concrete, tangible activities with computer-based ones (if that, indeed, is what is going on) is detrimental to children’s development.

Research results

Q1: What sources do you use for preparing lessons? (Sample size=206, multiple answer)

Books	91.7%
Internet	80.1%
Practical lessons	44.2%
Newspapers	31.6%
Television, video	18.9%
Other	3.9%

Q2: Do you feel a gap between your and your pupils’ computer skills? (Sample size=206)

Pupils are ahead by a wide margin	32.0%
Not much gap, but pupils are more skilled	24.3%
No gap	43.7%

Q3: Which of the following computer skills do you have? (Sample size=206, multiple answer)

Can use mail efficiently	86.9%
Can answer questions from students	77.7%
Can teach them about online morals	62.1%
Can respond to computer problems during lessons	61.2%
Other	1.9%

Q4: Have you ever had a pupil or parent, guardian discuss internet issues with you? (Sample size=206)

	Yes	No
From pupils	26.7%	73.3%
From parents, guardians	15.0%	85.0%

Q5: Do you have worries about pupils’ internet use? (Sample size=206)

Yes	63.1%
No	17.0%
Can’t say	19.9%

Q6: What kinds of web sites might you want to use, let your pupils use? (Sample size=206, multiple answer)

Protects children’s safety	75.7%
Designed for children	73.8%
Information arranged by subject, school grade, etc	70.4%
Can trust the site operators	61.7%
Widely-known, famous	33.0%
Recommended by the Board of Education	22.3%
Other	1.9%

Q7: Have you ever taught a lesson that used iPads, other tablet computers? (Sample size=206)

Yes	7.3%
No	92.7%

Since today is Children’s Day, goo Ranking celebrated by publishing this survey looking at childish actions that people can’t quit.

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.

For me, it’s kicking up piles of leaves and booting pine cones down the road! I also do the cake size comparison, which does annoy the spousal unit no end.

Let’s have a picture not related the survey, but of koinobori, the carp streamers that fly every Children’s Day. And a Wooden Horse of Troy.

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It’s a while since I’ve had an iShare survey, so I’m not just pleased to see an update, but also to see a rather interesting topic being surveyed, that of child-rearing and doting fathers, with both the husbands rating themselves and wives rating their husbands.

Demographics

Over the 15th and 16th of March 2012 726 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.3% of the sample were female, 33.7% in their twenties, 33.2% in their thirties, and 33.1% in their forties, furthermore, all were married with a pre-school child. The survey was conducted in conjunction with Benesse’s Women’s Mall.

If you want to find out how doting a parent you are, Benesse’s Women’s Mall offer a self-test.

In the survey below, I use the Japanese term イクメン, ikumen, which describes men who proactively take part in child-rearing, and who grow up themselves while enjoying child-rearing.
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As a break from the recent flood of goo Research, here is iShare looking at intra-family weekday communication.

Demographics

Over the 25th and 26th of January 2012 683 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service who were married, in employment, had children in primary school or younger, and lived with their spouse and children completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.1% of the sample were male, 5.6% in their twenties, 52.6% in their thirties, and 41.9% in their forties.

Question six in particular might look a little out of place, but that is because the survey was sponsored by Logicool (Logitech) on the launch of their wide screen HD 1080 pixel web camera Logicool HD Pro Webcam c920. They also sponsored a second survey as part of their promotional campaign, but I haven’t translated it yet.

In Q1 and Q3 I don’t know if they are asking people to measure the time that they are in the same vicinity, specifically different rooms in the same house, or if they are asking when people are in the same room.
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Recently goo Research published the results of a survey into internet usage by elementary school children in Japan.

Demographics

Between the 1st and 11th of October 2010 13,925 members of the goo Research monitor panel who were guardians of children of elementary school age completed a private internet-based questionnaire. No demographic information on the children was supplied, but the adults were 54.4% female, 1.1% in their twenties, 40.8% in their thirties, 53.2% in their forties, and 4.8% aged fifty or older. It is also not clear how guardians with multiple children completed the survey.

At least most of the children seem to be well-policed regarding their internet use, with the majority spending less than an hour online a week, and email and chat being less frequent activities.
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Here is another very interesting survey from goo Research, a look at child-rearing and working. This is the second time the survey has been conducted, the first time being in December 2007, but I didn’t translate that one.

Demographics

Between the 24th and 29th of June 2010 exactly 1,000 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. All of the sample were working mothers with a child under six years old. 44.6% of the sample were in regular full-time employment, 9.2% contract or dispatch workers, 38.6% part-time or casual, and 7.8% were on a child-rearing holiday.

You might want to look at another recent survey from goo Research on diverse working styles.

As far as I am aware, my employer has all the systems mentioned below in place for both mothers and fathers, although not surprisingly very few of the fathers avail themselves of any of the benefits; one day off for the baby popping out and another one for the mother being discharged from hospital seems about the size of it on average. Although Q6 shows that the wives want their husbands to make use of more benefits, Q7 and Q8 show a high degree of satisfaction with their husbands’ efforts. Are women setting the bar too low or are they just accepting that Japanese working styles on the whole result in father never seeing the kid on weekdays?
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goo Research recently reported into elementary school children’s internet use, the seventh time they have reported on this. I’m sure I translated an earlier survey, but I can’t find it now!

Demographics

Between the 17th and 29th of September 2009 7,657 parents or guardians of elementary school children or younger completed a public internet-based questionnaire available through the kids goo portal. 54.2% of the sample were female, 1.2% in their twenties, 42.2% in their thirties, 52.4% in their forties, and 4.2% aged fifty or older.

It’s not clear from the sample as to whether mobile internet is included within this sample.

It’s a bit worrying that over a quarter of those who participate in chat (or over a quarter of those whose parents are aware of them participating and who they are talking to) don’t seem to know or have been taught the basic rules about not talking to strangers over the internet.
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Rather than just another survey on consumer interests, here’s something a bit different, a look at recent trends in smoking and drinking rates amongst Japanese schoolchildren. The multiple surveys were conducted and analysed by Central Research Services.

Demographics

I only have concrete demographics for the 1996 and 2000 surveys; both surveys asked students at about 70 to 90 junior and senior high schools, getting over 100,000 replies both times, representing over 60% of the students enrolled in each institution.

The remarkable drop in smoking and drinking rates is quite surprising, and I must admit to being a bit skeptical about the results on first reading. However, the survey report referenced a paper entitled Decrease in the prevalence of smoking among Japanese adolescents and its possible causes: periodic nationwide cross-sectional surveys (English) that tried to explain the huge drop. Their conculsion is as stunning as the statistics themselves – more schoolchildren have no friends, thus no peer pressure to indulge in such underage vices.

Photo from Don’t fry leeks,please on flickr.
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