世論 What Japan Thinks

As someone who chews gum after almost every meal at home, the following survey from goo Research on usage in Japan is interesting to me. I suppose I could add comments on the dodgy state of Japanese teeth, but (a) I’ll resist the temptation, and (b) that sort of comment is often from Americans with unnaturally straight white gnashers. In addition I’ve received wonderful treatment from my Japanese dentist. So, back at the survey, they questioned 2,167 people from their private internet group at the end of August, and obtained the following results.

However, first I will explain a couple of terms. “Functional” gum means gum with medical or other beneficial claims associated with them, whether it be direct ones like some on the market with Xylitol, teeth whitening properties, non-smoking, or more vague claims about relieving dry throats or caffine-laced products. The TOKUHO mark is a stamp of approval by some government body to say the prduct thus stamped has been demonstrated to actually have the healthy properties that are claimed. With most (all?) brands of bottle gums, there is a book of small-sized Post-It Notes ™-like “disposal paper” included that is meant to be used for wrapping your used gum in.

Q: How often do you chew functional gum? (Sample size=2,167)

Almost daily	14.7%
About twice or thrice a week	15.2%
About once a week	12.1%
About twice or thrice a month	13.7%
Less than once a month	21.2%
Don’t chew functional gum	23.2%

Q: What is your reason for chewing functional gum? (Sample size=1,665; multiple answer)

Getting rid of bad breath after food, etc	55.5%
Cavity prevention	45.5%
Preventing tiredness	39.5%
Relaxation	34.0%
Just chew because it’s to hand (eg on top of desk, etc)	23.9%
Instead of cleaning teeth after meals, etc	23.3%
Prevent dry throat	7.4%
Others	3.7%

Q: What type of functional gum do you normally buy? (Sample size=1,665)

	All	Male	Female
Bottle type (loose tabs)	34.7%	36.0%	64.7%
Stick type	34.7%	43.9%	54.7%
Packaged tab type	34.7%	29.0%	73.6%

Q: After buying bottle type gum, how has your gum consumption changed? (Sample size=577)

Increased greatly	31.5%
Increased slightly	42.1%
Stayed about the same	23.6%
Decreased a little	0.2%
Decreased a lot	0.4%
I didn’t buy other gums before buying bottles	2.3%

Q: What do you use the “disposal paper” in the bottles for? (Sample size=577)

Throwing away the chewed gum	64.9%
As a memo pad	19.1%
Just throw it away without using it	10.4%
Didn’t know there was disposal paper inside	4.2%
Others	1.6%

Q: Do you check whether the gum has an effect when you buy it? (Sample size=2,167)

Always check	15.3%
Sometimes check	42.6%
Don’t really check	30.7%
Never check	11.4%

Q: Do you check whether the Tokuho mark is present when you buy gum (of any kind)? (Sample size=2,167)

Always check	4.7%
Sometimes check	22.1%
Don’t really check	44.2%
Never check	29.1%

Q: Do you check whether the Tokuho mark is present when you buy functional gum? (Sample size=1,665)

Always check	5.7%
Sometimes check	26.2%
Don’t really check	47.2%
Never check	21.0%

I saw a link to quite a surprising survey (not really a poll, but it’s an interesting statistic nonetheless) about the state of Japanese teeth, in particular children’s teeth.

According to a survey by a Nagoya dentist, in 1997 about 4.9% of children were missing adult teeth completely. However, last year the figure had ballooned to 11.6%, and on average each child was missing one or two adult teeth (excluding any wisdom teeth), with the worst case being missing six, over 20% of them!

The story provides no explanation that I can see for why, but it does seem a worrying statistic!

Adapted from a story appearing in the Nikkei.

According to a research team from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry led by Professor Hiroshi Yamato from the Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Fukuoka Prefecture, in a survey of medium and large hotels in Kyoto, around 22% of rooms are non-smoking, showing that tobacco counter-measures are not progressing.

The 2003 Health Promotion Law prescribes that at hotels, hospitals and other facilities that lots of people use, passive smoking prevention steps are to be taken.

Professor Yamato highlighted that at tourist areas they should catering to the 70% of Japanese who don’t smoke. He also wanted the government to urge stronger measures, and for customers to raise their voices.

The Kyoto Non-Smoking Promotion Reseach Society meets in Kyoto with a public forum on September 3rd.

The figures: A total of 73 hotels with over 100 rooms were surveyed. The totals were around 14000 non-smoking rooms making up 22% of the total, and 510 non-smoking floors for 15% of the total floors.

Note: the status of hotel restaurants and bars was also investigated but the
results of that investigation is still to be tracked down.

Japan is decades behind Europe, let alone the USA, when it comes to non-smoking areas, but I wonder how the figures compare to hotels in the tourist centres in Europe and the USA? That might be an interesting point of comparison.