世論 What Japan Thinks

Computers and cell phones are making most of the respondents to this survey from iShare ill, with stiff shoulders and dry eye being the two most common symptoms of technostress.

Demographics

Between the 8th and 11th of December 2009 491 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 55.6% of the sample were male, 35.6% in their twenties, 27.5% in their thirties, and 36.9% in their forties.

I hardly ever get any particular complaint from using PCs or mobiles, except for tired eyes that go away after just a quick break.

Stiff shoulders (katakori) are, as far as I can determine, a typically Japanese response to stress where in the west it would probably be a headache or migraine. Dry eye, however, is I suspect (in my totally and utterly non-medical opinion) a reaction to overuse of eye drops. Attend any event from the cinema to the theatre and you’ll see lots of people topping up (replacing) their tears with various over-the-counter medicine. The big manufacturers even sell a junior eyedrop for children, but if your kid isn’t producing tears you should be seeing a doctor, not self-medicating!
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This detailed survey from DIMSDRIVE Research into new-type influenza or swine flu, found that surprisingly few people are always wearing masks as a preventative measure. Perhaps there is a degree of confirmation bias in our own personal experiences as mask wearers do stand out, so we remember the definite sightings from a busy day on the train but forget the times when there’s just a couple of masks in the carriage.

Demographics

Between the 14th and 29th of October 2009 13,263 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private online questionnaire. 54.1% of the sample were male, 0.8% in their teens, 8.9% in their twenties, 28.3% in their thirties, 32.0% in their forties, 19.0% in their fifties, and 11.0% aged sixty or older. Note that this survey was performed during a period when the number of reported cases was rapidly increasing.

Note that the Japanese term is 新型インフルエンザ, shingata infuruenza, new-type flu, but I’ll use swine flu in this translation as it’s easier to understand.

At work we have a bottle of disinfectant at the door that I always use just to show willing, but I don’t use it anywhere else.

I went today to the barber and all the staff were masked up, but no-one seemed to have a cough, but I suppose given the close-up work a barber does the mask is reassuring to the customer.
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With swine flu doing the rounds of many countries including Japan, here’s an indepth look by MyVoice at swine flu.

Demographics

Over the first five days of November 13,813 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 1% in their teens, 12% in their twenties, 34% in their thirties, 31% in their forties, and 22% aged fifty or older.

When the pandemic first appeared, the press completely overblew the whole affair, but now it seems quite the opposite, with very little information being available on even the basic information such as the number of new cases per week. Also, there is no public service advertising (that I have seen) on television giving tips on how to cover a cough or what measures one should take to prepare for a serious epidemic.

I’ll probably not bother with a vaccination, not out of worries about the vaccine itself, but just that by the time it gets round to me I’ll probably either have had it or the epidemic will have blown itself out.
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Having done alcohol consumption earlier in the week, today I take a look at a survey from DIMSDRIVE Research into temperature of drinking water, etc, with a faddy diet as a bonus!

Demographics

Between the 6th and 8th of November 2009 9,947 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 55.9% of the sample were male, 0.6% in their teens, 8.4% in their twenties, 27.6% in their thirties, 32.7% in their forties, 19.0% in their fifties, and 11.7% aged sixty or older.

The fad diet is the Sayu diet, 白湯 in kanji, the drinking of water at between 40°C and 50°C. Looking at the answers below, it appears it should raise one’s metabolism and burn more fat for the same food intake. Who knows if it works or not, although I would guess that the answer would be no, it doesn’t!
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As I am currently suffering from a really badly-running nose, to such an extent that I’m in danger of dropping nose-water, to directly translate the Japanese term, on my keyboard, this recent survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com into hayfever is most timely for me.

Demographics

Between the 26th and 31st of March 2009 1,062 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.5% of the sample were male, 17.0% in their teens, 17.6% in their twenties, 21.1% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 12.4% aged sixty or older.

In Q1SQ1 and Q1SQ2 there is the implication, I believe, that the medicines taken are over-the-counter drugs (and quackery), with prescribed cures falling under the “attending hospital” answer.

Any mistakes you find in this entry I blame on the hayfever!
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Energy drinks are a big business in Japan, but I do try to avoid them. However, this recent survey from iShare Inc showed that about three in five Japanese aged between 30 and 59 imbibe these nutritional drinks.

Demographics

Between the 5th and 10th of March 2009 495 mobile phone-owning members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 56.4% of the sample were male, 23.8% in their thirties, 31.5% in their forties, and 44.4% in their fifties.

Taurine seems to have some sort of benefit to muscles and removing fatty deposits from livers, but no proven energy boost, despite it being sold as such in Japan.
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Here’s a quickie survey report published and conducted by goo Research. in conjuction with the Mainichi Shimbun, into exercise habits.

Demographics

Over the 25th and 26th of September 2008 1,079 members of the goo Research monitor pool over the age of twenty were randomly selected and completed an internet-based questionnaire. A more detailed demographics breakdown was not given.

Q1SQ1 was just a single answer question, but I’d have to answer all five, including the other category! As for school sports day sports, I’d probably go for the egg-and-spoon race once again.
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With at least two manufacturers of generic medicines advertising on television, this recent survey from goo Research conducted in conjunction with the Yomiuri Shimbun, revealed a high degree of awareness of generic medicines in Japan.

Demographics

Over the end of May and the start of June 2008 1,010 members of the goo Research monitor panel aged forty or older completed a private internet-based questionnaire. More detailed demographics were not given.

I can’t be bothered with generics as I infrequently take medicines with generic substitutes, and the only one I tke regularly is still under patent, so there’s no generic alternative available.

Here’s an advertisement that often appears that asks people to pluck up the courage to ask the quack for an alternative.

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Let’s look again at one of the more popular themes for surveys, health awareness and special metabo examinations. This time it is Nippon Research Council looking at the topic.

Demographics

Between the 4th and 16th of June 2008 1,200 citizens between 15 and 79 years of age were randomly selected from all over the country, weighted based on data from the 2005 national census. The questionnaires were taken by a combination of face-to-face interviews and self-completed questionnaires. There is no information about how refusals to take part or other failures to collect data were dealt with. 50.4% of the sample were female, 6.2% in their teens, 15.1% in their twenties, 17.9% in their thirties, 15.3% in their forties, 18.3% in their fifties, 13.2% in their sixties, and 11.3% in their seventies.

Following on from recent western press coverage on the topic, I was wondering if metabo, the Japanese abbreviation for the English metabolic syndrome might get re-imported back into English. I can think only of anime as a precedent, but in English anime usually only refers to Japanese animation, not all kinds.

Perhaps related, one in four British fatties refuse to admit it.
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The physical ailment that seems perhaps not unique to Japan, but at least far more prevelant here is 肩こり, katakori, or stiff shoulders, caused mainly by the tightening and knotting of muscles around the shoulder blades. This recent survey from MyVoice into stiff shoulders and back pain tried to find out more on how people suffer.

Demographics

Over the first five days of June 2008 13,808 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 1% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 38% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 17% in their fifties.

Note, stiff shoulders is not aching muscles from, for example, carrying a heavy load all day, but apparently a deep-down tightness in the shoulders. I remeber a couple of years ago at a work health check the doctor did a quick back muscle check on me and was most surprised to report not the slightest hint of stiff shoulders, suggesting I was about the only person he’d seen that week who was problem free.

I did some research on this topic last year and did plan to publish an article, but I never quite got round to it. However, I did discover one very interesting scientific paper that suggests that stiff shoulders is a somatic response to depression. Japanese brought up in the West report very little katakori, but instead displayed more typical Western responses such as headaches. Another study also showed a definite corrolation with stress.
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