世論 What Japan Thinks

DIMSDRIVE Research recently conducted a poll on the subject of check-out shopping bags, the plastic bags most supermarkets give away free to shoppers. However, some chains have introduced charges for bags, most of the others encourage people to bring their own, and there is talk of introducing legislation to force all shops to charge for bags.

Demographics

Between the 7th and 15th of March, 2007 7,504 members of DIMSDRIVE’s online monitor group successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.4% of the sample was female, just 0.3% were in their teens, 16.6% in their twenties, 36.9% in their thirties, 27.9% in their forties, 13.7% in their fifties, and 4.6% aged sixty or older. 65.2% were married; 42.5% worked full-time in the private or public sectors, 24.2% were homemakers, 12.8% were part-timers, 9.2% were self-employed, 5.7% were unemployed (including retirees), 2.9% were students and 2.7% had other employment statuses.

Note that as well as taking your own bag with you, some supermarkets offer baskets for sale. In addition, if you refuse bags, supermarkets often offer points that may be collected and exchanged for gifts.

Last time I was in Austria shopping at a Spar in Vienna, they only had pay-for bags, costing, if I remember correctly, a not insignificant number of Euro cents (60 or so?), but this was for a large and substantial bag, which I think is a far better idea than charging for the current bags which are difficult to reuse for anything other than collecting household garbage, and I think people may be more understanding about paying for something valuable and definitely reuseable.

I’m also glad to see Q1, the frequency of visiting supermarkets, a figure I’ve been interested in finding out for a while!

UPDATE: I see that in the UK, Sainbury’s have launched an “I’m not a plastic bag” bag that seems to have caused quite a stir! Would a similar campaign work here, I wonder, although reading the article I don’t know if they are actually going to be used by the general public, or just kept as keepsakes or investments.
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DIMSDRIVE Research recently looked at a hot topic in Japan, the recent drastic reduction in tuna quotas. Between the 13th and 18th of December they interviewed 7,149 people from their monitor group by means of an internet-based private survey. 43.5% of the sample was male, 1.0% in their teens, 15.8% in their twenties, 35.3% in their thirties, 27.9% in their forties, 14.4% in their fifties, and 5.6% aged sixty or older.

When I translated an earlier opinion poll by DIMSDRIVE Research on tofu, I postulated that that was the nation’s favourite food, and this survey doesn’t disprove my guess.

Perhaps connected with this survey is my recent examination of a press release by the Institute Of Cetacean Research on whaling. It might be interesting to perform a survey see if people would switch from tuna to whale if the quotas for the former were cut and the latter increased.
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DIMSDRIVE Research recently released the results of a very timely opinion poll on the topic of norovirus, a bug that can cause a rather nasty dose of gastroenteritis. Between the 20th and 25th of December 6,533 members of their monitor group successfully completed an internet-based survey. 44.3% of the group was male, 1.1% in their teens, 16.1% in their twenties, 36.9% in their thirties, 27.1% in their forties, 13.4% in their fifties, and 5.4% aged sixty or older.

I’ll give another plug to Japundit’s advice on simple measures to reduce the risk of infection, and note that although it is highly contageous and pretty nasty when it breaks out, is does soon pass, after perhaps two or three days. Mind you, it is better not to catch it at all rather than just hoping you can ride it out, and if you live with other people, the chance of you passing it on to them is rather high, I suspect.
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With the Christmas present season upon us and New Year sales soon to come, DIMSDRIVE Research took a timely look at ownership of portable games machine. Over a week in the middle of November 7,508 people from their monitor group successfully completed an internet-based questionnaire. 44.8% of the sample was male, 64.9% married, and 51.7% had children. By age, 1.1% were in their teens, 16.6% in their twenties, 37.1% in their thirties, 27.7% in their forties, 12.7% in their forties, and 4.8% aged sixty or older.

Talking of wireless, when I visited the Pokemon Centre in central Osaka recently there was an awful lot of people sitting around outside playing on their Nintendo DSes, presumably with whoever was around.

Note that the survey was conducted before the release of either the PS3 or the Wii, so for the last question, no-one already owns either of the machines.
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[part 1] [part 2]

With the Christmas present season upon us and New Year sales soon to come, DIMSDRIVE Research took a timely look at ownership of portable games machine. Over a week in the middle of November 7,508 people from their monitor group successfully completed an internet-based questionnaire. 44.8% of the sample was male, 64.9% married, and 51.7% had children. By age, 1.1% were in their teens, 16.6% in their twenties, 37.1% in their thirties, 27.7% in their forties, 12.7% in their forties, and 4.8% aged sixty or older.

The fad for brain training amongst the elderly is still apparent in this survey, although one must remember that since this poll is conducted amongst people who are internet users, and since internet use is presumably lower amongst the elderly, it would be foolish to draw too many conclusions about the whole over-fifty age group from the results presented here.

Looking at Q4A, there is perhaps the suggestion that people are using the PSP as not just a games machine, but also as a music or video player when they are out and about.
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[part 1] [part 2]

DIMSDRIVE Research published the results of a very timely survey on a subject I’ve been keen to learn more about, how the Japanese spend Christmas. Over a week at the end of November 4,312 people from their internet monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 45.8% of the sample was male, 63.5% were married, and 1.1% were in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 35.1% in their thirties, 27.0% in their forties, 14.4% in their fifties, and 5.3% aged sixty or older. The second half of the survey looks at Santa and the meaning of Christmas.

As for people who still believe in Santa, I suppose (or at least I hope) this means the number who believe in the spirit of giving and receiving, rather than in an actual fat guy coming down your chimney.

I’m surprised by the 13.2% who say it is a time to celebrate Christ’s birth (yes, yes, I know it is actually a pagan holiday that has been usurped), but whether they are answering in respect of their own beliefs or to demonstrate that they do really know that for other people it’s more than just an excuse to indulge to excess, I do not know.

It’s also interesting to note in the final table that Christian holidays, or perhaps more correctly just holidays imported from the West, are more significant than most of the traditional days. The reasons for this may be an interesting topic for future study.
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[part 1] [part 2]

DIMSDRIVE Research published the results of a very timely survey on a subject I’ve been keen to learn more about, how the Japanese spend Christmas. Over a week at the end of November 4,312 people from their internet monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 45.8% of the sample was male, 63.5% were married, and 1.1% were in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 35.1% in their thirties, 27.0% in their forties, 14.4% in their fifties, and 5.3% aged sixty or older. This first half of the survey looks specifically at what people will be spending money on.

Japan’s Christmas is a funny beast; gaijin blogs are awash with tales of KFC being the ultimate Xmas meal, Xmas cake being a strawberry cream sponge, Xmas Eve as a night at the love a posh hotel, and of course Christmas Day being just another day in the office. How close these popular images reflect reality will now be revealed!

Christmas back home was always a family event with almost no religious overtones, and although I naturally really enjoyed spending time with the family and I probably miss it more than anything else being in Japan, all the rest of the trappings from presents to carols was just a nuisance, so now in Japan I feel them doubly so.

Bah, humbug! Merry Stuffing Your Face Day!
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DIMSDRIVE recently published the results of a survey into probably the biggest event in the school year (and a minor event in the company calendar), Sports Day. Over a week at the end of September and the start of October they interviewed 6,566 people from their internet monitor group. 60.1% were female, 1.1% in their teens, 16.4% in their twenties, 40.5% in their thirties, 30.6% in their forties, 8.5% in their fifties, and 2.9% aged sixty or older. Since this survey was mainly about their children’s sports day, the additional children-related data was 11.7% had infant-aged children, 13.6% had children in nursery or kindergarten, 9.7% in first or second year of primary (elementary) school (i.e. aged 6 or 7), 9.9% in third or fourth year primary education, 9.8% in fifth or sixth year, 12.9% in middle school, and 14.4% in high school or older. 46.5% had no children at all.

The Sports Day is also a big day for English language teachers, of course, but recently, as can be seen in Q6SQ5, since so many people are carrying video cameras, applause is limited since people have their hands full, so there’s a much poorer atmosphere surrounding the events. I’ve been party to interesting technical discussions surrounding this and other issues that crop up regarding recording Sports Day, but the details have to remain secret for now…
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[part 1] [part 2]

DIMSDRIVE recently published the results of a survey into probably the biggest event in the school year (and a minor event in the company calendar), Sports Day. Over a week at the end of September and the start of October they interviewed 6,566 people from their internet monitor group. 60.1% were female, 1.1% in their teens, 16.4% in their twenties, 40.5% in their thirties, 30.6% in their forties, 8.5% in their fifties, and 2.9% aged sixty or older. Since this survey was mainly about their children’s sports day, the additional children-related data was 11.7% had infant-aged children, 13.6% had children in nursery or kindergarten, 9.7% in first or second year of primary (elementary) school (i.e. aged 6 or 7), 9.9% in third or fourth year primary education, 9.8% in fifth or sixth year, 12.9% in middle school, and 14.4% in high school or older. 46.5% had no children at all.

There is in fact a national holiday for sports event, 体育の日, taiiku no hi, Health Sports Day, usually the 10th of October (although this year it was on the 9th, for some reason), celebrating the day the 1964 Tokyo Olympics opened. I’ve once taken part in our company sports evening, which consisted of many childish games, beer, and cheap boxed lunches, all performed with the PA blaring out tunes like Colonel Bogie. Never again!
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[part 1] [part 2]

Over a week at the end of August and the start of September, DIMSDRIVE Research looked at movie theatre attendance. 5,180 member of their online monitor panel successfully completed a private internet survey. 43.1% were male, 1.2% in their teens, 17.2% in their twenties, 34.8% in their thirties, 26.9% in their forties, 14.2% in their fifties, and 5.7% aged sixty or over.

In this half of the survey we see that not surprisingly people find the movies in Japan just a bit too expensive. I can understand that, as even when buying the advance tickets, 1,300 yen is a bit much to risk on a movie you may not know too well, and all but the biggest blockbusters are worth the full 1,800 yen price.

I’m not sure about the attending the movies by yourself. Is this frowned upon in Japan? Some sort of black mark on your character?
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