From the 5th to the 7th of September 2012 1,006 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.4% 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.
For me, it was probably number 2 at New Year that was one of the strongest impulses! Seeing this in my living room would do the trick too:
From the 3rd to the 6th of August 2012 1,038 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.7% of the sample were female, 10.2% in their teens, 15.5% in their twenties, 27.2% in their thirties, 26.4% in their forties, 10.8% 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.
Being married, I’m not allowed to do the above, but instead I have a lot of housework, so I end up doing that and very little else. We sometimes do end up wasting a bit too much time, however, watching saved-up programs of to me dubious entertainment value. Read the rest of this entry »
From the 3rd to the 6th of August 2012 1,038 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.7% of the sample were female, 10.2% in their teens, 15.5% in their twenties, 27.2% in their thirties, 26.4% in their forties, 10.8% 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.
Talking of number 3, I never get tired of this animation!
From the 3rd to the 6th of August 2012 1,038 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.7% of the sample were female, 10.2% in their teens, 15.5% in their twenties, 27.2% in their thirties, 26.4% in their forties, 10.8% 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.
Looking at the list, even my employer of the finest repute scores relatively high on this list. Regarding number 5, however, it is actually the case that employees do not punch their own cards (well, fill in an intranet form) despite the company’s best efforts to get people to report their hours correctly!
However, a friend of my wife works at the Japan Post (Post Office), and she says there is, for instance, a rather significant New Year postcard sales requirement, and the latest one now is boil-in-the-bag Post Office canteen curry. She basically has to sell (or buy herself) two cases (48 bags) or she can expect a bad review come next year. Read the rest of this entry »
From the 6th to the 9th of July 2012 1,016 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.0% of the sample were female, 9.9% in their teens, 12.7% in their twenties, 29.0% in their thirties, 27.0% in their forties, 11.0% in their fifties, and 10.3% 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.
Looking at the answers, a common theme in many of them appears to be undeclared or unrequited love, which is not an unusual occurance in Japanese schools, as far as I am aware. I was totally unaware of anything when I was in school, so I cannot give a comparison with the Scottish situation! Note, I’ve translated everything in the present tense as I think the answers read better with a sense of immediacy. Read the rest of this entry »
From the 6th to the 9th of July 2012 1,016 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.0% of the sample were female, 9.9% in their teens, 12.7% in their twenties, 29.0% in their thirties, 27.0% in their forties, 11.0% in their fifties, and 10.3% 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 first time I rented in Japan I was accompanied by people from the office who I assume dealt with all the tricky bits. About the only thing I should have confirmed was how to use the air conditioning, and the maxiumum load on the electrics. The second was a serious fail as turning on the microwave and the television simultaneously, for instance, was enough to trip the breaker. Looking at my parents-in-law’s place, they have a major problem that although the flat was remodelled before they moved in and the main window replaced by a nice new one, the window frame is not airtight and in winter a cold breeze blows though their flat. Read the rest of this entry »
From the 6th to the 9th of July 2012 1,016 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.0% of the sample were female, 9.9% in their teens, 12.7% in their twenties, 29.0% in their thirties, 27.0% in their forties, 11.0% in their fifties, and 10.3% 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 just have to get this off my chest, but I quite dislike the US English terms for this, room share and room-mates, as I always imagine a much more intimate relationship than the UK English term, flat-mate, although I’m sure that term would confuse many a US English speaker! Sadly the Japanese term is also the US English “Room Share” imported as-is into the language.
I shared for four years in university (two in dorms, two in a flat) and then two years after graduation, but I was quite glad to move out into my own flat after that! Read the rest of this entry »
From the 6th to the 9th of July 2012 1,016 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.0% of the sample were female, 9.9% in their teens, 12.7% in their twenties, 29.0% in their thirties, 27.0% in their forties, 11.0% in their fifties, and 10.3% 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 not sure if unmarried people were excluded or just had to imagine how it might be for them.
I found this photo on Flick, and there’s something quite appropriate about it all just being a non-descript blur.
Japanese weddings are on the whole hopelessly formulaic, almost production line-like with a standard set of cliched events running through them; the entrance, friends doing an “amusing” skit, the bride dress change, the candle lighting, etc, etc, all running on a strict timetable – none of this open bar, dancing until dawn and amusing vandalisation of the new couple’s car, let alone people passing out drunk, the embarassing uncle trying to get off with the bridesmaid, or even a fist fight or two.
Just to toot my own horn, however, a number of our friends said our wedding was one of the best they’d been to, which I put down mostly to us actually smiling. If you ever look at Japanese wedding photos, especially the formal ones, it is not the done thing for the groom to look happy. Read the rest of this entry »
Between the 20th and 22nd of August 2012 1,083 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.7% of the sample were male, 16.3% in their teens, 17.7% in their twenties, 21.1% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 16.1% in their fifties, and 12.7% aged sixty or older.
Although I do think that it may be possible to use IT equipment usefully in infant lessons and in homes with pre-school children, I worry that it just becomes a pacifier for the kids, and that by not using their hands to make tangible things they will be missing out on an important part of their development. Read the rest of this entry »
From the 6th to the 9th of July 2012 1,016 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.0% of the sample were female, 9.9% in their teens, 12.7% in their twenties, 29.0% in their thirties, 27.0% in their forties, 11.0% in their fifties, and 10.3% 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.
Some of the list below is difficult to translate into English as it depends on Japanese speech patterns, but I hope you get the picture!
On the television, the ultimate burikko is the rather irritating (and appropriately blonde) Rola. Here she is doing her usual schtick:
japan.internet.com recently reported on a survey by goo Research into 
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