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.
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. Read the rest of this entry »
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. Read the rest of this entry »
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.
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.
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Given the lifestyle (or to be cynical, lack-of-lifestyle) of the average company employee, it’s no surprise that functional foods like nutritionally-balanced foods are rather popular over here. This recent survey from DIMSDRIVE Research Inc tried to find out most about this topic of nutritionally-balanced foods.
Demographics
Between the 16th and 24th of April 2008 8,477 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.6% of the sample were female, 0.6% in their teens, 13.9% in their twenties, 36.4% in their thirties, 30.2% in their forties, 12.9% in their fifties, and 6.0% aged sixty or older.
I’ve recently been eating SOYJOY for lunch in an attempt to lose weight and save money. I succeeded in both, dropping about two and a half kilograms in three weeks, but then last week I went on a business trip to Nice and managed to put it all right back on. SOYJOY is nice on its own regardless of the particular flavour, and at work the also have another one I like, wheat based with a maple flavour, but I can’t for the life of me remember the name, although I do know it’s from Asahi, perhaps from wheat left-over from the beer-making…
I’ve never heard of “Natural Brown” before, but it’s a quite unappetising name and suggests to me the laxative effect it might induce!
Finally, here’s a rather weird (fan-made surely?) CalorieMate advert:
Although metabo is probably the biggest personal health topic in Japan, this recent survey from MyVoice into health awareness didn’t really touch on it, although it covered other interesting areas.
Demographics
Over the first five days of May 2008 14,369 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample were female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 17% in their fifties.
With Q7 asking about mobile phone services, there’s a couple of other mobile services I’ve heard about. First is a Singapore trial where bathroom scales communicate with a mobile phone via BlueTooth, which then communicates with a central server to record daily weight changes, etc. Second is an au service in Japan, where by using GPS functionality you can record your own movements and work out speed of running or walking, calories used, etc, etc. Read the rest of this entry »
I use a built-in water purifier for drinking water at home, so consumption of mineral water is limited to the occasional half-litre bottle at the weekends when going out. To see how the Japanese use it, DIMSDRIVE Research conducted a survey into this topic of mineral water.
Demographics
Between the 19th and 27th of March 2008 8,383 members of the DIMSDRIVE Monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were female, 1.3% in their teens, 14.9% in their twenties, 33.3% in their thirties, 29.9% in their forties, 14.7% in their fifties, and 5.9% aged sixty or older. 51.7% lived in a house, 47.0% in a flat (apartment), and 1.3% other. By family size, 13.0% lived alone, 23.8% with one other, 25.1% with two others, 24.1% with three others, and 14.0% with four or more other people.
The pictured bottle sounds even less appealing than the Engrish standbys of Pocari Sweat and Calpis, but it’s actually mineral water for your four-legged friend, not Dogpis!
Getting back on track, my purchased brand is determined by seeing which one is 110 yen in the convenience store, although I can’t remember the brand right now, but it is a Japanese one. I’ve tried the oxygenised water a couple of times, but I didn’t really notice any difference.
Strategies for coping with stress, and mental health care in general, are sadly lacking in Japan. This recent survey from goo Research, conducted in association with All About Japan, into lifestyle, concentrating in particular on work and stress therein, highlights a few of these issues.
Demographics
Between the 28th of April and the 1st of May 2008 1,057 members of the goo Research online monitor panel aged between 20 and 49 and currently in employement completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.1% of the sample was male, 33.5% in their twenties, 33.8% in their thirties, and 32.7% in their forties.
Notice that in Q10, for means of managing stress, men are much less likely to do anything about it bar exercise, and four times as likely to do nothing at all.
I can get my commute to work in just under an hour, although the return usually takes one hour and ten minutes as I need to wait for one connection and sometimes choose the local train due to the ease of getting a seat. Read the rest of this entry »
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.
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 
Here’s a quickie survey report published and conducted by goo Research. in conjuction with the Mainichi Shimbun, into 
Let’s look again at one of the more popular themes for surveys, 
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 
Given the lifestyle (or to be cynical, lack-of-lifestyle) of the average company employee, it’s no surprise that functional foods like nutritionally-balanced foods are rather popular over here. This recent survey from DIMSDRIVE Research Inc tried to find out most about this topic of 
Although 
Strategies for coping with stress, and mental health care in general, are sadly lacking in Japan. This recent survey from goo Research, conducted in association with All About Japan, into 
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