世論 What Japan Thinks

A recent survey from iBridge Research Plus, reported on by japan.internet.com, into the computer recycling law found a significant percentage unaware of the details, a category I fall into too, I suppose.

Demographics

On the 19th of April 2010 300 members of the iBridge monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 59.3% of the sample were male, 12.7% in their twenties, 30.7% in their thirties, 34.3% in their forties, 15.3% in their fifties, and 7.0% in their sixties.

The Law for Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources came into being in 2003, but due to almost no computers being recycled, a new version, the PC Recycle Law, was enacted in 2008. About all I know about it is that it means that you cannot throw away old computers and monitors, etc; you have to pay a fee to get them collected. Therefore, I have sitting in my trunk room an old motherboard and flat-screen monitor that I don’t really feel like paying a fee for, so they might sit there until we move house.
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For a change, this recent survey from iShare into music downloading laws found a significant number willing to admit their thievery.

Demographics

Between the 5th and 8th of January 2010 443 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.7% of the sample were male, 30.7% were in their twenties, 30.7% in their thirties, and 38.6% in their forties.

As I’m not the sort of person who downloads music willy-nilly just for the sake of filling up their iPod, I’ve never downloaded more than just a dodgy track or two. I’m probably also being a fuddy-duddy by saying that the iPod and said illegal downloading just because one can is a behaviour I cannot condone in the slightest, and I’m sure in some way contributes towards the youth of today having the attention span of a goldfish. I used to play just the one CD or tape for about a week or more, but when I last had my hands on a SonyPod, I found myself filling it up with all my CDs then spending more time skipping than listening. Oh, and the software was useless and at least twice wiped its own database.

Anyway, back to the survey. This month the law has changed such that downloading illegally uploaded contents is now illegal.
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This subject is one that seems to polarises opinions in Japanese media, with those opposed arguing along the lines of having the law in place to allow separate names will mean everyone will use it, leading to a collapse of the whole of Japanese society. However, this recent survey into separate names of husbands and wives found most in favour, but very few planning to take advantage of it.

Demographics

Between the 13th and 16th of October 2009 498 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 56.6% of the sample were male, 36.7% in their twenties, 30.1% in their thirties, and 33.1% in their forties.

Separate names is by default a fact for international marriages, due to the family register system in Japan – a Japanese-only couple have one family register document for the two of them, so as the document only supports a single surname, couples must have the same official name. However, foreign residents have a separate registration system, so we and our spouses can keep our surnames, although there is a six-month window where one can easily make the change. My wife didn’t change (no particular reason, just too much hassle, I support), but when she renewed her passport she got given a double-barrel with my surname in brackets after hers.
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Despite a law being passed to forbid the use of mobiles while driving cars or riding bicycles, even the casual observer will see that the law is not being adhered to. To try to quantify how much, Point On Research conducted a survey reported on by japan.internet.com into mobile phone use while on the move.

Demographics

On the 16th of June 2009 800 members of the Point On monitor group who were heavy users of mobile phones completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The sample was exactly 50:50 male and female, 25.0% in their teens, 25.0% in their twenties, 25.0% in their thirties, and 25.0% in their forties.

From my casual observations as a pedestrian, I am not terribly surprised at these numbers, although I am surprised by the amount of people admitting that they are doing it.

One could argue in Q1SQ2 that perhaps many of the phone talkers are using hands-free equipment, I suppose, but sadly it doesn’t distinguish between the two options.
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[part 1][part 2]

Recently, the Cabinet Office Japan performed a survey looking at the topic of general legal support, and the operations of the Hou (Legal) Terrace legal assistance system in particular.

Demographics

3,000 members of the general public aged 20 or older were randomly selected from all over the country, and between the 22nd of January and 1st of February 2009 attempts were made to interview them face to face. 1,684, or 56.1%, were available and agreed to take part in the survey. 52.3% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their twenties, 14.6% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 19.3% in their fifties, 23.9% in their sixties, 13.2% in their seventies, and 3.2% aged eighty or older.

I don’t know if I really like the sound of the legal education described below, as it seems a bit of a mish-mash of contract law and civics; the Constitution is not a set of laws, and one’s responsibilities as a citizen are similarly not usually legal edicts.
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[part 1][part 2]

Recently, the Cabinet Office Japan performed a survey looking at the topic of general legal support, and the operations of the Hou (Legal) Terrace legal assistance system in particular.

Demographics

3,000 members of the general public aged 20 or older were randomly selected from all over the country, and between the 22nd of January and 1st of February 2009 attempts were made to interview them face to face. 1,684, or 56.1%, were available and agreed to take part in the survey. 52.3% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their twenties, 14.6% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 19.3% in their fifties, 23.9% in their sixties, 13.2% in their seventies, and 3.2% aged eighty or older.

I’ve not had any legal troubles in Japan myself, but my parents-in-law have had certain trouble that I really don’t want to go into, but it basically involved bankrupcy, pensions and semi-dodgy lenders, or more likely the public face of the fully-dodgy lenders.
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In Japan adulthood is 20 years old, but there is a bit of a debate going on at the moment regarding changing this. A recent survey conducted by the Cabinet Office Japan into the age of majority looked at some of the issues surrounding this topic.

Demographics

Between the 10th and 27th of July 2008 5,000 randomly selected members of the public over the aged of 18 were interviewed face-to-face. 3,060 people were successfully interviewed; 53.2% of the sample were female, 1.4% were aged 18 or 19, 8.8% were in their twenties, 14.9% in their thirties, 17.8% in their forties, 20.9% in their fifties, 20.8% in their sixties, and 15.4% aged seventy or older. 75.0% were married, 9.5% divorced or widowed, and 15.5% not married. 10.4% had pre-school children, 15.4% elementary or middle-school children, 6.9% high school, 7.0% university or college, etc, 0.5% post graduate, and 50.2% had children finished with education and now employed or otherwise. Finally, 24.2% did not have any children.

This is a very interesting survey that perhaps reinforces prejudices or stereotypes that we hold of the Japanese. The most surprising figure for me was the 10% or more who thought the law is the law, so as an individual citizen one cannot think of changing it. However, if you asked similar questions in other countries, what sort of figure would you get there?
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