世論 What Japan Thinks

I managed a second translation for today, this time on what people are bad at doing regarding love and relationships, for both men and women. As usual, this survey was from goo Ranking.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2009 1,043 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 52.2% of the sample were male, 7.8% in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 24.8% in their forties, 11.4% in their fifties, and 10.7% 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.

Looking at the male list, I’m poor at the majority of the items, I’m afraid! However, thinking again, I’d say it’s more that I have little confidence in my abilities, but looking at my current situation I seem to have overcome these weaknesses pretty successfully, if I say so myself – I should ask the wife for a second opinion, but I fear the answer, or perhaps she’d just use flattery?
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Here’s a quicky from goo Ranking, as I only have time tonight for this short translation of a ranking survey into what situations people end up using flattery, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2009 1,043 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 52.2% of the sample were male, 7.8% in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 24.8% in their forties, 11.4% in their fifties, and 10.7% 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 terrible at all this social lying, but fortunately my wife usually accepts my straight answer or overlooks my artless fibbing…

Apologies for the photograph but it tickled my fancy despite being not quite relevant to the survey! It was discovered by sticking “ugly child” into flickr, and was uploaded to the service by Theremina.
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A great pair of surveys this Sunday from goo Ranking, the first is what things your partner does for you on a date that makes you happy, for both Japanese women pleasing men and Japanese men pleasing women; and second is what secrets that you and your partner have that you don’t want your friends to know, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2009 1,043 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 52.2% of the sample were male, 7.8% in their teens, 17.1% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 24.8% in their forties, 11.4% in their fifties, and 10.7% 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.

In the first question, it’s interesting to note that for men, I count seven answers directly related to expressions of love, and in the top ten another three answers are my biggest frustrations when they don’t happen, women actually giving us a hint as to what they are wanting. For women, expressions of chivalry seem to be the main desire; the lack of being happy about men making a move is perhaps more down to the expectation that their date will be all over them with little or no prompting.

For the second question, I think it is the Japanese way to keep things close to one’s chest at work regarding the opposite sex. How we met is one especially that my wife never tells anyone, although it’s not really that interesting or weird a story! I suspect that cos-play dates refers to dressing up in the bedroom…

Photo found on flickr and taken by sprookjeshuwelijk.
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As you will see once you read the results of this survey from goo Ranking into when guys couldn’t help thinking they were in with a chance, I had a lot of fun translating it.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 2nd of February 2009 1,076 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were male, 7.2% in their teens, 15.8% in their twenties, 29.4% in their thirties, 25.2% in their forties, 11.1% in their fifties, and 11.3% 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 sure there’s a more hip slang I could use in the headline, but you’ll just have to stick with the one above. I’m pretty much immune to these sorts of things, even before I got married! I get number 18 in shops quite a bit, when they cup one hand underneath mine to catch loose change, but I’ve never thought of it as an expression of desire!

Just in case you are wondering what giblets are doing in the last answer, giblets is the translation of the popular grilled beef restaurant dish ホルモン, or hormone, which I wonder if it has similar overtones to that of the English word from which the Japanese derives.
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The twin topics of this recent pair of surveys from goo Ranking was what women think they cannot get men to understand and what men find difficult to understand about women.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 2nd of February 2009 1,076 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were male, 7.2% in their teens, 15.8% in their twenties, 29.4% in their thirties, 25.2% in their forties, 11.1% in their fifties, and 11.3% 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.

Listening (or at least pretending to do so!) to women and not being silent, even if it is just a grunt in reply, is one thing that I cannot really get my head around. When I’m annoyed, I just talk to myself just to get it all out, so I don’t understand why they can’t just do the same!

I used to wonder about why my wife used so much toilet paper, but I recently saw a program that suggested both male and female Japanese roll up about five to ten metres of the stuff whereas I was taught to use just five to eight sheets, fold the top over once or twice, and off you go. I wonder how washlet toilets and the resultant wet bum results in excessive toilet paper usage? We (well, she…) go through almost a roll per day!
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Today’s sideways look at Japanese society is courtesy of goo Ranking as usual, where they investigated what, outside of directly work-related issues, new starts in the office would ask their seniors, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 2nd of February 2009 1,076 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were male, 7.2% in their teens, 15.8% in their twenties, 29.4% in their thirties, 25.2% in their forties, 11.1% in their fifties, and 11.3% 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 use of “senior” is one of these difficult words to translate from Japanese. The usual translation of 先輩, sempai, is just “senior”, but in this one small word there are elements of respect and a big brother-little brother relationship. “Mentor” would be too formal and narrow a role, and it’s a much more long-term relationship than “the guy who showed me around when I started.”
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The subject matter for this ranking survey from goo Ranking suggests there may be either poignant romantic thoughts or scary stalker-like activities; you’ll probably not be disappointed to hear that both extremes feature in this survey on actions taken when recalling lingering affections for an ex, for both men recalling women and women recalling men.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 2nd of February 2009 1,076 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were male, 7.2% in their teens, 15.8% in their twenties, 29.4% in their thirties, 25.2% in their forties, 11.1% in their fifties, and 11.3% 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.

Such is the progress of techology that answer two for both male and female was re-reading email rather than pouring over old love letters! Pretending to be drunk and phoning her up is always a good tactic, though!
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Here’s one of these silly surveys, from goo Ranking of course, that is either interesting or incomprehensible, or both… The subject was in what situations were people just putting on an act, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 22nd and 26th of January 2009 1,071 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 51.8% of the sample were male, 6.9% in their teens, 14.3% in their twenties, 28.9% in their thirties, 27.8% in their forties, 11.3% in their fifties, and 10.8% 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’m useless at acting, so I’ve got into trouble for at least the first three for men, and as for pretending to be drunk, it’s far easier to just be drunk.

Does anyone understand what saying one’s full up on a first date really means? I could understand for men if it was just to get out of having to order and pay for another course, but it’s higher ranked for women.
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Two sillynesses for the price of one today, with the second dose also from goo Ranking, looking at the moment one realises that two people at the office were an item, for both men and women.

Demographics

Between the 22nd and 26th of January 2009 1,071 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 51.8% of the sample were male, 6.9% in their teens, 14.3% in their twenties, 28.9% in their thirties, 27.8% in their forties, 11.3% in their fifties, and 10.8% 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’ve not been in this situation in Japan, but it did happen once at a previous employer when I realised that one person was giving the other a lift home every night, yet they both lived in opposite directions. I actually ended up following their car one night.

Indeed, considering how closely everyone works and socialises, people keep their love life very close to their chests; it is not uncommon for someone in the office to suddenly announce being not just engaged, but actually married.

Photo from jasoneppink on flickr.
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And, of course, in the interest of equality, secrets women are keeping from their Japanese boyfriends. This was the topic of a recent goo Ranking survey, for both men’s secrets and women’s secrets.

Demographics

Between the 22nd and 26th of January 2009 1,071 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 51.8% of the sample were male, 6.9% in their teens, 14.3% in their twenties, 28.9% in their thirties, 27.8% in their forties, 11.3% in their fifties, and 10.8% 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.

Looking at the answers, one can assume that it is mostly the single people who are answering, but even still it does paint a picture of rather casual relationships with cheating being an activity that many people are participating in.

For me personally, number three is pretty close, but in a good way. Before I met my wife my ideal was based on relatively low expectations, I suppose, but she is so completely different to the sort of person I thought I could ever hope to meet. Ahh, I could go on and on about her, but then we’d get into number six territory!
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