世論 What Japan Thinks

A recent survey from goo Research into mobile phone location services, ie, these functions like foursquare, Google Latitude, and Facebook location was reported on (and sponsored by?) by AdverTimes.

Demographics

Sadly, to find out the full demographics I suspect one has to buy their paper magazine Senden Kaigi, which in their 15th May 2012 edition featured an article entitled “Consumer Psychology in the SNS-facilitated mutual surveillance society”, of which this report is a digest. In Q1, the 2008 survey was carried out in December of that year with 2,077 respondents, and this year’s survey was in April with 2,214 respondents, all from the usual goo Research online monitor panel.

I’m reluctant to check in when out and about in town – I’ve only attached location information to photos when I’ve been passing through commuting home; there was an interesting article a while ago about someone in Tokyo who used that sort of public information plus Twitter to find two people in real time through their mobile presence.

I wonder what the reasons are for smartphone users being more likely to reveal information – is it that smartphone apps make it easy and fun to do, or is it that the people who want to reveal information tend to use smartphones? Perhaps if one buys the magazine one can find out!
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goo Research recently released a wonderfully detailed survey into manga (comics), from which I learnt quite a lot. I hope you enjoy it as much as me.

Demographics

Between the 15th and 17th of May 2012 1,939 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.9% of the sample were female, 6.8% between 15 and 19 years old, 16.5% between 20 and 24 years old, 16.6% between 25 and 29 years old, 16.8% between 30 and 34 years old, 16.5% between 35 and 39 years old, and 17.0% between 40 and 44 years old.

I’ve heard a lot about One Piece being an excellent manga, and this survey again seems to back it up. One day I’ll have to try…
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goo Research recently released a wonderfully detailed survey into manga (comics), from which I learnt quite a lot. I hope you enjoy it as much as me.

Demographics

Between the 15th and 17th of May 2012 1,939 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.9% of the sample were female, 6.8% between 15 and 19 years old, 16.5% between 20 and 24 years old, 16.6% between 25 and 29 years old, 16.8% between 30 and 34 years old, 16.5% between 35 and 39 years old, and 17.0% between 40 and 44 years old.

I would have to say I’m on the fence about manga. I’ve read a few here and there, mostly of the illustrated essay type, and I’ve enjoyed them all, but I don’t go and hunt them out. I’ve tried reading some of my wife’s ordinary manga books, but the genres don’t appeal to me, and I cannot read them fast enough so it always feels like an unrewarding chore.
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japan.internet.com recently reported on a survey by goo Research into mobile shopping site usage, their fourth regular look at this topic.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of May 2012 1,089 members of the goo Research mobile monitor group completed a private mobile internet-based questionnaire. 61.0% of the sample were female, 2.7% in their teens, 27.5% in their twenties, 35.4% in their thirties, 23.9% in their forties, and 10.7% aged fifty or older.

I’ve bought exactly one thing online, an Android app on special offer at 40 yen. I needed to register my credit card with Google Wallet, but I did that through a PC as I would be more sure of the security there.
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japan.internet.com recently published the results of a survey by goo Research into matriculation gifts,

Demographics

Over the 8th and 9th of May 2012 1,062 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.3% of the sample were male, 16.2% in their teens, 17.7% in their twenties, 21.7% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 16.0% in their fifties, and 12.1% aged sixty or older.

I don’t think I ever got such a present myself, and I do find the whole concept of getting money for starting work rather odd!
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The results of this survey from goo Research into SNS (Social Networking Service) usage as reported by japan.internet.com produces a couple of headscratch-worthy results, the one in the title and that maintaining friendships is more important than deepening them.

Demographics

Between the 8th and 11th of May 2012 1,076 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 15.9% in their teens, 18.6% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 12.0% aged sixty or older.

On second thoughts, perhaps maintaining is more important than deepening or widening from a Japanese perspective? Class reunions, for instance, are a regular feature of many people’s lives here, for all of primary, secondary and tertiary education levels. Perhaps these events are viewed more as an obligation, thus Facebook and mixi provide an easy way to link together and fulfil one’s societal role?

For me, both obtaining and generating information is most important, but that’s more because I am an anti-social git…
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goo Research recently took their third regular look at games machines, and according to the report on japan.internet.com, interest in the newest devices is waning.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 26th of April 2012 1,083 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 16.3% in their teens, 18.2% in their twenties, 21.2% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, and 28.0% aged fifty or older.

The article doesn’t report the question I would like to hear answered, why people are not interested in the new devices. For the PS Vita and Xperia PLAY, is it that normal smartphones do the job well enough, and with various surveys pointing to the majority of those in their twenties now carrying smartphones, a prime target for Sony already derives enough fun from their iPhone, Galaxy or other big-seller?
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goo Research recently conducted their fourth regular survey into advertisement viewing on mobile devices, and the figures reported by japan.internet.com were much less anti-ad than I expected.

Demographics

Between the 16th and 19th of April 2012 1,037 members of the goo Research mobile monitor group completed a mobile phone (including smartphone) based survey. 59.0% of the sample were female, 3.5% in their teens, 28.4% in their twenties, 32.7% in their thirties, 25.3% in their forties, and 10.2% aged fifty or older.

I only surf the mobile web occasionally, so I can’t say I’ve actually seen any mobile advertisements, in particular as I avoid ad-supported free apps!
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japan.internet.com recently reported on a survey conducted by goo Research into video sharing services, and found, not much to anyone’s surprise I would guess, that very few had actually paid for video content online.

Demographics

Between the 10th and 13th of April 2012 1,095 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the samples were male, 16.6% in their teens, 18.3% in their twenties, 21.6% in their thirties, 16.0% in their forties, 15.6% in their fifties, and 11.9% aged sixty or older.

I use video sites sometimes, myself. I keep wondering if I should get into the video blogging business – just straightforward talking head nonsense, but I’ve got a good face for radio, and a good voice for newspapers. I’d probably also need some shtick – I remember being quite impressed a few years ago by someone who did a podcast whilst walking through Tokyo, but it all boils down to that I’m just too shy to do my thing in public!
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With Japan’s Asian neighbours of Taiwan, China and South Korea making inroads into areas of Japan’s market that Japanese companies used to dominate, this survey from goo Research, performed in conjuction with the Nikkei Shimbun (Japan’s Financial Times), into Chinese, South Korean and Taiwanese makers’ digital devices and home electronics provides some insights into the strengths and weaknesses of these companies.

Demographics

Between the 9th and 13th of March 2012 577 members of the goo Research online monitor group aged over 20 years old and in full-time employment completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.3% of the sample were male, 24.8% in their twenties, 25.0% in their thirties, 25.0% in their forties, and 25.3% aged fifty or older.

Before reading this survey, I would have said that computers (Taiwanese), smartphones (Samsung and LG) and televisions (Samsung and LG again) would have been the biggest markets, so I was surprised to see fridges and washing machines ahead of smartphones. Of course, many Japanese-branded fridges and washing machines, etc, are assembled in China!

I’m typing this on an MSI (Taiwan), my main desktop is from Acer (Taiwan), and I also have a room fan from an obscure Chinese firm. Pretty much everything else is Japanese, except for my Braun razor.
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