世論 What Japan Thinks

One online game I see heavily advertised in Japan is a free online RPG Maple Story, although I’ve never actually played it myself, and I take no responsibility from any addiction caused by clicking through that link! To see what the average Japanese person plays at online, MyVoice performed a survey on online games.

Demographics

Over the first five days of February 2008 15,447 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 28% in their forties, and 17% in their fifties.

I used to play online games, starting with the sadly departed Meridian 59, then beta testing Ultima Online, Everquest as both a beta and a paid-for player, then finally Asheron’s Call for quite a bit until I found out that being an anti-social git meant I didn’t get very far ahead. I still miss Meridian 59, as it was small enough to form real friendships, in fact even leading to a real-life meeting with a bunch of other people once. I don’t think I’d ever do that again as there seems to be far too many weirdos about these days, or maybe it’s just I’m a bit older and less naive.
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: game,Internet,myvoice

This is a most interesting survey, given that there is currently being quite a shake-up in the mobile phone market, with SoftBank finally getting their act in gear and finally reversing their many year decline. To see how the market is changing, MyVoice conducted a survey into mobile phone service provider image. This is the seventh time this survey has been conducted, once a year since 2002.

Demographics

Over the first five days of February 2008 15,391 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 28% in their forties, and 17% in their fifties.

A white dog and a black guy are responsible for reversing SoftBank’s decline. I’ve heard people complain that there are racist undertones as the black guy is the offspring of a Japanese woman and dog, but I think that’s reading far too much into things. Here’s a blog translating one advert and here’s news of the dog releasing a photo book.

Note that today NTT DoCoMo have announced that they are joining au and SoftBank in offering free calls 24 hours per day between family members.
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: mobile phone,myvoice

To me most of the Japanese cellphones that I’ve owned have had various problems with usability, even experiencing later models by the same company actually going backwards in terms of functionality. My current phone has minor irritants here and there; for instance there is a fractional delay between key presses and a response in the UI, and settings menus always open with the first entry highlighted instead of the current option. To see how the Japanese live with their phones, MyVoice investigated cellphone ease of use.

Demographics

Over the first five days of January 2008 12,906 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 38% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 16% in their fifties.

For me, the keypad itself is not too important, although some of the new designer phones have got pretty awful pads that I would certainly not buy. On the other hand, my wife, who can type on her mobile faster than on a PC keyboard, the tactile feel is the second most critical item after “Does it come in pink?”
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: mobile phone,myvoice

With the biggest stories in Japan this week being pesticide poisoning from Chinese gyoza, which is looking like a deliberate case of tampering with the packaging line, according to an expert on NHK news tonight, this recent survey from MyVoice on the image of Chinese products is most timely, although given the figures here China’s image can hardly sink any lower.

Demographics

Over the first five days of January 2008 12,669 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 15% in their twenties, 38% in their thirties, 29% in their forties, and 16% in their fifties.

I personally try to avoid as much Chinese foodstuffs as possible. One problem, though, especially for prepared foods, is that although the preparation might happen in Japan thus meriting a Made in Japan label, the ingredients may be imported. For instance, I have heard that some brands of instant noodles use cabbages from China. I saw a program on food safety in the Chinese domestic market, and if that is anything to base tourism decisions on, if you are going to the Beijing Olympics, you would be best advised to bring your own food and make sure your travel insurance is up to date!

On the other hand, I do a lot of shopping at the 100 yen shop, and the vast majority of their brands are made in China, but a laundry net or a calendar is hardly going to kill you! It is also pretty difficult to avoid Made in China clothes, as retailers from UniQlo to Aeon use the country as their primary source.
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: china,myvoice

I’d be lost without car navigation, as it were, and the devices they put in as standard in all Toyota rent-a-cars are pretty darned good, although I occassionally get one with a slightly out of date map that misses out a new bypass or two. To find out what the average Japanese person thinks, MyVoice performed its third survey on car navigation usage.

Demographics

Over the first five days of December 2007 14,643 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 39% in their thirties, 28% in their forties, and 15% in their fifties.

When I hired a car last year in Austria it came with a Hertz NeverLost device, but I couldn’t for the life of me get it to work, and having only a German instruction manual didn’t help in the slightest. It seemed to be little more than a GPS to me, with no route planning functionality whatsoever, and if I’d actually paid to rent the device I’d have asked for my money back after having been spoilt by the Japanese devices. I managed eventually to find my way thanks to a Google Maps printout, though.
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: car navigation,myvoice

Chocolate; I couldn’t live without it. Although last year I looked at a number of chocolate-related surveys, and with Valentine’s Day coming up soon I’ll no doubt look again next month, I hope that like me, you just can’t get enough of chocolate even in survey form, as in this report from MyVoice on chocolate image.

Demographics

Over the first five days of December 2007 14,628 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 40% in their thirties, 27% in their forties, and 15% in their fifties.

In Q6, I’ve heard various bits of quackery associated with chocolate, but never that it protects against tooth decay or hayfever!

What’s your favourite Japanese chocolate-based snack? I’m a Pocky person, although I don’t eat it as much as I’d like.

Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: chocolate,myvoice

Chavs are a UK phenomenon; youths of ill-repute, often football hooligans, who were (and might still be) wont to dress in designer brands, with Burberry, and in particular Burberry baseball caps, being the item of choice. A recent survey conducted by MyVoice into high-class brands found that Burberry was also the most owned high-class brand in Japan.

Demographics

Over the first five days of December 2007 14,452 members of the MyVoice internet community successfully completed a private online questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 39% in their thirties, 28% in their forties, and 15% in their fifties.

I don’t think I own any posh brand items and I think they are all a rip-off anyway! I do snigger, however, whenever I see Dunhill branded items, in particular fragrances, as for me they are forever associated with cigarettes. However, given Japanese male’s love affair with smoking, I suppose that’s a plus in Japan.

The photographed Chav-mobile is from Starphuk on flickr.
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: brand,myvoice

With the Sharp AQUOS keitai outselling all others, is it the television that is boosting the cell phone or the cell phone boosting the television? This is a question that intrigues me, but unfortunately that question has little to do with today’s translation of a survey by MyVoice into flat screen televisions.

Demographics

Over the first five days of November 2007 19,700 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 28% in their forties, and 17% in their fifties.

Carrying on that thought about brand symbiosis between mobile phones and televisions, Panasonic finally launched its Viera brand mobile phone, the P905i, which according to reports I’ve heard is the top-seller, and in fact is selling faster than they can build them, from the new DoCoMo range of phones, despite being a wallet-busting 52,000 yen, which when converted to dollars is more than an iPhone, and when you then add in that an unlimited packet contract is about 4,000 yen, and the base contract price plus essential extras like the answering phone and iMode access adds up to around 3,000 yen, putting you at around about 60 US dollars per month, which does not include any free minutes, although there are loyalty discounts that should be factored in; up to 50% off for 10 year customers.

But I digress. Back at flat screen televisions, the survey results were as follows.
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: myvoice,television

Following on, I suppose, from the recent survey on bowel movements, MyVoice performed another survey, this time on perhaps one of the aftermaths of bowel movements, smells.

Demographics

Over the first five days of November 2007 19,910 members of the MyVoice internet community completed a private online survey. 54% of the sample was female, 1% in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 38% in their thirties, 28% in their forties, and 17% in their fifties.

In Q4 surely there must be a degree of respect for elders going on! Three or four of my bosses at work have spent many years perfecting that exquisite combination of stale beer, ciggies, coffee, natto, and general mouth rancidness that make my eyes water at twenty paces!

It might be interesting to cross-reference this against another MyVoice survey from a year and a half ago on deodorants.

Oh, and I haven’t a clue in Q5 and Q6 what a table is supposed to smell of!
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: myvoice,smell

Now here’s a rather delicate subject to conduct a survey on! From my point of view, the three big everyday lifestyle ailments many Japanese, especially women, seem to suffer from are stiff shoulders, cold hands and feet, and constipation. I have been trying to get to the bottom of the third topic for a while, as it were, so I am pleased to be able to present to my readers the results of a survey by MyVoice into health and constipation.

Demographics

Over the first five days of November 2007 a surprisingly high number of 19,667 members of the MyVoice online community completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54% of the sample was female, 2% were in their teens, 16% in their twenties, 38% in their thirties, 28% in their forties, and 16% in their fifties.

Just for reference, the word used for bowel movements in this survey was お通じ, otsuuji.

Human poo is not quite the same taboo subject that it is in the west, I feel; from poo hats to children’s songs about poo (sadly videos no longer available) via lucky gold poo charms.

I also like one series of advertisements for a laxative called Collac and their rakko, otters, that look suspiciously like dancing poo. Try the button in the bottom right-hand corner, then either of the two buttons at the bottom right of the next screen.
Read the rest of this entry »

Read more on: bowel,health,myvoice