世論 What Japan Thinks

Apparently there has been somewhat of a trend regarding men becoming more interested in skin care, so this survey from iShare took a look at giving and receiving of make-up kits.

Demographics

Between the 11th and 16th of November 2009 514 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 57.0% of the sample were male, 33.9% in their twenties, 30.0% in their thirties, and 36.2% in their forties.

I only use my wife’s left-over hand cream during the winter, as my skin does try out very easily this weather. I don’t think I’d really be that happy to receive a make-up pouch for my Christmas, though.

In Japanese, they use a Japanicised version of the French term coffret to describe such a skin care or make-up set.
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I do like some of the subjects that iShare come up with, and this survey is one of these times, where they look at manga newspapers, newspapers in comic form.

Demographics

Between the 17th and 20th of November 2009 510 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 56.7% of the sample were male, 32.4% in their twenties, 32.2% in their thirties, and 35.5% in their forties.

On first reading this story, I naturally typed “manga newspaper” into Google and ended up on this site. It’s a rather interesting place (assuming a degree of Japanese knowledge), if only just to see how they render figures like Prime Minister Hatoyama, President Obama, Tatsuya Ichihashi, recently-arrested for the murder of Lindsay Ann Hawker, and Osama Bin Laden.
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And small pricks were hated by three in four Japanese women, according to this survey from iShare on injections, a perhaps disappointingly entitled topic, but predictably disappointing given my prediliction for such spicy headlines.

Demographics

Between the 6th and 11th of November 2009 538 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.2% of the sample were male, 32.9% in their twenties, 29.7% in their thirties, and 37.4% in their forties.

I hate injections, and look away, pull a face and clench my fist whenever I need to give a blood sample or whatever. It’s not the pain (although that’s not much fun), just the idea of the whole thing. Now I think about it, I don’t have a problem getting an injection at the dentist, probably because all the rest of the implements scare me so a wee bit of anesthesia can only help.
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A recent survey from iShare into going to the cinema by oneself is a bit difficult for me to interpret, especially as I feel there should have been a question on why people go to the cinema by themselves rather than with others.

Demographics

Between the 5th and 10th of November 2009 531 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 59.3% of the sample were male, 34.7% in their twenties, 30.9% in their thirties, and 34.5% in their forties.

Rather appropriately, I’m translating this survey as I’m riding on a train to meet my wife who went to see two movies alone today. Although a lot of foreigners complain about the cinema being 1,800 yen a ticket, if you’re regularly paying that much you’re doing it wrong! Today, for instance, is the first of the month, so all tickets are 1,000 yen each, plus by using the ticket stub in a restaurant in the shopping mall complex we can get a free cake each, plus we have cinema mileage cards so we get both bonus points that can be exchanged for popcorn and finally a see-six-get-one-free system.

Looking at the winter films below, and tying in with yesterday’s survey, a few of them seem to be live-action versions of manga or anime.
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With one live-action version of a manga comic in cinemas right now (Kaiji) and another soon to come out (Nodame Cantabile), this recent survey from iShare into manga, anime and live action movies is quite timely.

Demographics

Between the 5th and 10th of November 2009 531 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 59.3% of the sample were male, 34.7% in their twenties, 30.9% in their thirties, and 34.5% in their forties.

Not being a manga fan myself, I’m not really aware of any such activities, and even when it comes to Hollywood movies converting DC and Marvel characters to movies, I’m not familiar enough with the cartoon version to have any preconceptions shattered.
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In Japan, there’s always some brand or other of soft drink in particular that has a free collectable gift attached to it, such as figurines, mobile phone straps, or even once plant seeds! These food items collectable gifts were the focus of a recent survey from iShare. Oh, a long time ago I did a similar DIMSDRIVE survey.

Demographics

Between the 30th of October and the 5ht of November 2009 537 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 57.5% of the sample were male, 35.8% in their twenties, 30.5% in their thirties, and 33.7% in their forties.

The last nice collectable set I got was Snoopy lying on various delicacies from around the country, given away free with Pepsi. I’ve never gone out of my way to collect such items, but they do influence my wife’s buying habits to some degree.

A friend of mine once bought a whole case of collectable cards that came with a tiny sweet, so it looked more to me like buying a card that came with a free ebidle item, not the other way round!
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Here’s yet another novel subject for a survey from MyVoice, where they look at a subject at which I excel, but my wife just cannot do, namely ironing.

Demographics

Between the 27th and 30th of October 2009 518 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 55.8% of the sample were male, 30.3% in their twenties, 34.0% in their thirties, and 35.7% in their forties.

One thing that did strike me when I first came to Japan was the lack of ironing of clothes, not just for men but women also, wearing fashionable clothing but covered in wrinkles. I like ironing myself, but I only bother with trousers and shirts. My mother goes as far as ironing socks, which I think is just a bit too keen! (Sorry Mum!)
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Thank Goodness It’s Friday is, or at least was, called Hana No Kinyoubi (花の金曜日), Flower Friday, and may be shortened to just Hana-Kin (花金). The term came into use in the 1980s, but now has mostly falled into disuse. The TGIF feeling was the topic of this recent survey from iShare.

Demographics

Between the 29th of October and the 4th of November 2009 574 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.7% of the sample were male, 31.5% in their twenties, 33.8% in their thirties, and 34.7% in their forties.

Back when I worked in Scotland, the TGIF feeling usually started on the Friday morning, resulting in a lunchtime visit to the pub, although these days the anticipation is of merely a lie in on Saturday morning! Just last month I started Saturday morning Japanese lessons, so now I don’t even have the lie in to look forward too!
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One of the last great acts of the ex-Prime Minister Taro Aso was to propose a palace to celebrate his favourite hobby, manga. The new government cancelled the plans, but Meiji University has proposed its own library of manga, anime and doujinshi, basically self-published manga, often based on professional works, and often rather adult-themed. To see what their rather geeky members thought, iShare conducted this survey into manga and anime sub-culture.

Demographics

Between the 26th and 28th of October 2009 456 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 55.3% of the sample were male, 31.8% in their twenties, 33.8% in their thirties, and 34.4% in their forties.

I thought Aso’s Anime Palace was a collosal waste, but I support to some extent the effort by Meiji University to collect together this significant sub-culture, even though most of the figurine and doujinshi gives me the willies.
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My wife is one of these frigid women, as her feet and hands are often painfully cold even on warm days, a sympton shared with many others of both sexes according to this survey from iShare into taking measures to address cold extermities.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 26th of October 2009 544 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 57.4% of the sample were male, 35.8% in their twenties, 32.4% in their thirties, and 31.8% in their forties.

I’ve read a bit of research that suggested that stiff shoulders is a cultural thing; under conditions where many westerners report headaches, Japanese report stiff shoulders; however, ethinically Japanese people brought up in the west tend to report headaches rather than stiff shoulders. Therefore, I wonder if cold hands and feet are a similar issue, as poor circulation or narrowed blood vessels is one cause of both stiff shoulders and cold extremities.
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