世論 What Japan Thinks

Just a quick note that Danny Choo recently posted on cooking habits of Japanese men as reported on by Macromill via the Nikkei Shimbun.

I may translate this survey in full in the near future as I do find the reported 50% who cook every week quite a bit higher than what I would expect, so I want to see how the figures were derived.

According to a survey published in the Nikkei Shimbun of 865 foreigners incarcerated in various prisons around Japan, performed in September and October of last year, the vast majority would prefer to do their time back in their home country. Note the slightly onimous (but statistically perfectly accurate) opening phrase, highlighted for your benefit, translated directly from the original article.

Amongst the continually growing foreign prisoner population, 80% answered that if they could choose where to be imprisoned, they would select their home country rather than Japan. Amongst Chinese prisoners, who make up almost half the total number, well over 80% of them hoped for their home prisons. The main reasons given was distance from their families and the differences in language and culture. The Ministry of Justice Correctional Office said that there is a possibility of introducing international prisoner transfers with some of those countries that we cannot currently transfer to.

One could read some sinister undertones into this news item, as a lot of people are wont to do these days, but I shall not. One reason the foreigner prison population is growing is that the foreigner population is also. The exact statistical correlation is difficult to discern, however.

With the XBox 360 release date now announced, and the new Revolution controller previewed (and I must say it looks interesting!) more research shows the PS3 still the top must buy for people. It will be interesting to see if the Revolution moves up on the back of its showing at the Tokyo Game Show.
Read the rest of this entry »

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.