世論 What Japan Thinks

I’m back from a short holiday, just in time for the New Year break. I should keep blogging during this week, however, so I’ll start off the way every week starts, with goo Ranking looking at surprise presents from boyfriends that women would flee from.

Demographics

Between the 5th and 7th of November 2012 1,049 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.8% of the sample were female, 10.2% in their teens, 14.6% in their twenties, 27.5% in their thirties, 25.1% in their forties, 11.0% in their fifties, and 11.7% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample. This question was for the women only.

I think if number 12 was professionally done, in particular the various mascot characters (excluding the Yubari Melon Bear, perhaps), it would be nice, but on the other hand if it was him dressed up in a bargain-basement Pikachu set I could well understand the reluctance!

Regarding number 8, a friend of mine once used a life-sized giant turtle toy as a successful chat-up device, but that’s another story…
Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas is coming, and goo Research were first to get in on the act with their look at Christmas.

Demographics

Between the 20th and 25th of October 2011, 503 members of the goo Research monitor group residing within Tokyo city or the three surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Saitama or Kanagawa completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.9% of the sample were female, 33.8% in their twenties, 33.2% in their thirties, and 33.0% in their forties.

I hate all the Christmas present nonsense myself. I send my parents our company’s calendar every year, which is always a nice and easy purchase to make, then I agonise over what to get the wife, and it usually ends up as some cuddly toys.

Note that Christmas in Japan usually means Christmas Eve, and indeed that is how it should be read in the questions below.
Read the rest of this entry »

April is the start of the new school year, thus is also the time for gift-giving to children starting at new schools, the subject of a survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com. They also looked at starting work, but the data was not reported in the article.

Demographics

Between the 30th of March and the 1st of April 2011 1,082 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.1% of the sample were male, 16.5% in their teens, 18.3% in their twenties, 21.8% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.7% in their fifties, and 11.6% aged sixty or older.

I’m a bit surprised that a tablet computer didn’t figure higher within any of the lists – I’ve seen a lot of people rave over the educational uses of an iPad, and even I would consider giving it to any primary school age kids I might have in the future.

Note that the questions were only for people planning to give or who had already given gifts this season. 127 people fell into this category for primary school, 77 for middle school, and 90 for high school.
Read the rest of this entry »

This set of surveys from goo Ranking looks at what people want from their partners for Christmas, men from their girlfriends and women from their boyfriends, and what people don’t want from their partners for Christmas, men from their girlfriends and women from their boyfriends.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 26th of October 2009 1,162 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 62.9% of the sample were female, 10.5% in their teens, 20.7% in their twenties, 30.8% in their thirties, 21.9% in their forties, 9.0% in their fifties, and 7.0% aged sixty or older.

I’ll stick with the number one choice, whatever. Judging by the huge preference amongst men for whatever, perhaps there is a sense that if they ask their partner for anything she will expect rather more in return, so by not specifying anything hopefully her expections for what she will receive will be lowered. That’s how I think, at least!
Read the rest of this entry »