世論 What Japan Thinks

goo Ranking performed a subject after my own heart, what behaviour of colleagues irritate people.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of January 2010 1,102 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.7% of the sample were female, 12.6% in their teens, 18.4% in their twenties, 27.9% in their thirties, 25.5% in their forties, 9.3% in their fifties, and 6.3% 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 hate: them slurping coffee; shouting around the office rather than walking five paces to talk to someone; talking shop in the pub; sniffing rather than blowing their nose; longwindedness at meetings; undertaking bothersome work rather than asking if it is necessary; … I could go on all night!
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Read more on: goo ranking,work

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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Read more on: gender,goo ranking

It’s the season of hanami, cherry blossom viewing, it’s Sunday, so that can only mean one thing, a goo Ranking on failures encountered when being a cherry blossom party organiser.

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.

Hanami, cherry blossom viewing parties, are very popular events here, where groups get together and get drunk under the cherry blossoms. Thinking about it, I’ve never actually been to such a party, and I don’t really want to go either.

Photo from colodio on flickr, illustrating number 8…
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There’s something that hints of inherent sexism, or at least something that reflects the social standing of young women in Japan, in this survey from goo Ranking into what stuff that a girl was very knowledgable about would cause you to think “Oh!”. The survey used the term “girl”, but I think that includes young women.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of January 2010 1,102 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.7% of the sample were female, 12.6% in their teens, 18.4% in their twenties, 27.9% in their thirties, 25.5% in their forties, 9.3% in their fifties, and 6.3% 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 hope I got the right “Oh!” here, one of impressed surprise, rather than an “Oh-oh!” kind of “Oh!”.

I’m not really sure why medical terminology is in the list, as even being sexist about it one would expect someone interested in being or studying towards becoming a nurse, for instance, to be familiar with such terms. Hmm, perhaps it is an “Oh-oh!” kind of “Oh!”? Then again, astronomy and architecture, for instance, is surely more of an “Ooooh!” kind of “Oh!”?
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Read more on: goo ranking,knowledge

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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Read more on: courage,gender,goo ranking

There comes a time in everyone’s life that keeping up appearances for the sake of the opposite sex becomes just too much bother, so goo Ranking took a look at when men and women felt their juices had stopped flowing.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of January 2010 1,102 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.7% of the sample were female, 12.6% in their teens, 18.4% in their twenties, 27.9% in their thirties, 25.5% in their forties, 9.3% in their fifties, and 6.3% 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 Japanese title of the survey is rather difficult to capture in English, so I’ve gone for a pun instead.

I’ve never been interested in 1 and 3 in the first place, so I don’t really know what that says about me!
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Read more on: gender,goo ranking,libido

I am occasionally accused (quite rightly!) of spicing up story titles, but today this survey from goo Ranking needs no extra help from me, when they asked what rumours about Japanese girls schools are they curious to find out if they are true or not.

Demographics

Between the 20th and 22nd of January 2010 1,071 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were female, 19.9% in their teens, 29.5% in their twenties, 30.5% in their thirties, and 20.1% in their forties. 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 wonder given the subject matter that only the males were asked the question? Then again, women who haven’t been to a private school may be curious too to know the answer.
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goo Ranking’s silliness for today is a look at what women do in the hope of being considered cute and men do for coolness.

Demographics

Between the 20th and 22nd of January 2010 1,071 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were female, 19.9% in their teens, 29.5% in their twenties, 30.5% in their thirties, and 20.1% in their forties. 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 attempts to look cool are limited to pulling a subtle wistful smile and appearing to be lost in thought trying to figure out the mysteries of the universe while all I’m actually doing is translating this silly survey. However, I’m probably giving more of an impression of being the train loony…

The 12= for men, paying by credit card all in one installment, refers to the standard credit card settlement method in Japan – for most cards you have to pay everything off at the end of the month, so if you want to spread the load you can ask to pay in multiple installments, so the store bills you once a month for the next few months. 11 for men, giving a coat to a crying girl, is a mystery to me, as is 24=, skiving off swimming lessons!
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Read more on: cool,cute,gender,goo ranking

goo Ranking recently took a look at when people think their tour guide on an overseas holiday is terrible – the foreign in the title refers to the location, as the guides may either be Japanese or local.

Demographics

Between the 20th and 22nd of January 2010 1,071 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were female, 19.9% in their teens, 29.5% in their twenties, 30.5% in their thirties, and 20.1% in their forties. 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 worst experience was with a local guide in Prague who must have been a closet communist as he spent a lot of time complaining when taking us round one site how the British and Americans had shot up the place during the Second World War, but I thought that was the Eastern Front so would have been the Soviets, and indeed we walked past a photo display captioned to indicate that it was as I suspected the Soviets. Later he spent some time moaning how the Austrian tour guides get double his pay…
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Despite having lots of followers, I still don’t know the answer to the question goo Ranking posed, namely what’s so great about Twitter?

Demographics

Between the 18th and 21st of December 2009 1,077 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.0% of the sample were female, 8.7% in their teens, 15.3% in their twenties, 27.0% in their thirties, 27.8% in their forties, 11.9% in their fifties, and 9.3% 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.

Whenever I see programs or read about Twitter users, especially Japanese users, I am overcome with a great feeling of sadness. Mobile users, especially, seem to have devolved from rich email to basically text SMS.
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