世論 What Japan Thinks

This is my favourite of the three goo Ranking for this Silly Sunday, a look at what sorts of friends of the opposite sex would you definitely not want to introduce to friends of the same sex, for both women men definitely wouldn’t introduce to male friends and men women definitely wouldn’t introduce to female friends. I hope that makes sense, and I hope I’ve got it the right way round!

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 26th of April 2010 1,187 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-base questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.1% in their teens, 17.4% in their twenties, 30.9% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 10.1% in their fifties, and 6.5% 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.

My wife occasionally gets requests from her friends to ask me if I know any foreigners that we could introduce to her friends, but out of principle I wouldn’t really want to introduce someone who was specifically looking for a foreign boyfriend!
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I’m sure we’ve all done something embarrassing we’d wish to forget, which was the premise under which this question was asked by goo Ranking, with separate answers for both women and men.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2010 1,128 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.5% of the sample were female, 15.1% in their teens, 16.9% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 21.1% in their forties, 9.4% in their fifties, and 8.7% 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.

For number 8 for the ladies, rather than (or along with) using a deodorant, many Japanese women also use sweat-absorbing underarm pads.

I suppose since this is averaging out over a whole population, disappointingly most of the incidents here seem no more than minor inconveniences.

And talking of entry number one, my first virally-successful post on WJT was this one.
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Here’s a fun survey from goo Ranking into what situations may spark the tinder of unfaithfulness, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 26th of April 2010 1,187 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-base questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.1% in their teens, 17.4% in their twenties, 30.9% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 10.1% in their fifties, and 6.5% 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.

Looking at the results, I suspect the emphasis is more on when one is not seriously dating at school or university rather than a married person having a bit on the side…

For number 2 for the men and number 6 for the women, yes, engaged and even married people attend dating parties sometimes as the organiser for moral support or whatever, and sometimes because they just enjoy it.

For the guys reading: note answer number three of the ladies – ignore her at your peril!
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Today’s silliness is from goo Ranking as usual, this time looking at what surprises people have when encountering after many a year male friends from middle school. The surprises for both men and women were ranked. I translated the female version previously.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2010 1,128 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.5% of the sample were female, 15.1% in their teens, 16.9% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 21.1% in their forties, 9.4% in their fifties, and 8.7% 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.

I’m surprised that “He used to have a cool hair but is now going bald/grey” or the like doesn’t feature in the list! I also don’t know what the surprise is about people starting up their own businesses.
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Here’s an interesting look by goo Ranking at why people are determined to successfully diet, with separate results for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2010 1,128 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.5% of the sample were female, 15.1% in their teens, 16.9% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 21.1% in their forties, 9.4% in their fifties, and 8.7% 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.

My reason for losing weight is that we both need to lose weight and my wife has said she will if I do. I’m surprised that that reason didn’t come up in the survey. I also need to lose weight as I’ve fallen into the metabo bracket due purely to me not breathing in enough when they measured my waist! I was less than a centimetre over the limit, honest!
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Today’s silliness is from goo Ranking as usual, this time looking at what surprises people have when encountering after many a year female friends from middle school. The surprises for both men and women were ranked. I’ll be sure to report on the old school male friends whenever it appears.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2010 1,128 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.5% of the sample were female, 15.1% in their teens, 16.9% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 21.1% in their forties, 9.4% in their fifties, and 8.7% 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.

I don’t think I’ve ever really had a surprise from meeting old school friends of either sex, but I suppose I don’t really make much attempt to keep in contact, whereas in Japan keeping track of your ex-classmates appears to be the norm.
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goo Ranking took another look at a subject I also translated in 2009, what actions by your partner makes you happy, for both women making men happy and men making women happy.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

The guys in this survey must be lying as I would have expected number 14 for them to be way out in the lead!

I also wonder why linking arms is second-top for men, but 15th for women – why don’t they like linking arms?
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With graduation season just finished in Japan, here’s a look with goo Ranking at people’s memories, both the sad ones for men and women and the happy ones for men and women.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

Although the URL uses “happy” and most of the Q2 incidents seem happy to me, the actual question used “bitter-sweet”, for a reason I’m not really to sure about!

I don’t really remember anything in particular about my university graduation day, but looking at the list of event below I think they are more talking about school graduation, I think. We didn’t have any of that graduation nonsense when I was in school – the last day of school on the final year was pretty much like the last day every other year.
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goo Ranking recently took a look at what manner of subterfuge people would get up to to try to get an ex back, for both men trying to re-woo a woman and women trying to re-woo a man.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

As with a lot of these surveys, the tactics start out quite reasonable, but the further down the list the more pathetic some of the attempts get…
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Here’s an interesting survey from goo Ranking, looking at what people would like to do, but they haven’t got the courage to commit to it, for both men and women.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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 can certainly identify with the starting my own business one, although not having a business plan of any coherence doesn’t really help much. My first real one are probably telling off ill-mannered people – I had an old granny push into line in front of me today and I was tempted to growl something in exceptionally rough Kansai dialectic slang, but she’d probably either have had a heart attack or called the store detectives…

I’ve had numerous foreign holidays by myself, but I know from the reactions from many Japanese friends that travel outside a tour group, let alone solo, is seen as something very bold.
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