Silly

What not to put on your rice

After skipping a day yesterday (I had the runs from a white chocolate overdose, if you must know!) here we go with the third of three mini-surveys; this time it is iShare looking at what not to put on your rice.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of January 2011 413 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.0% of the sample were male, 31.0% in their twenties, 31.5% in their thirties, and 37.5% in their forties.

Although this is a single answer survey, a favourite rice warning for foreigners in Japan, not to put soy sauce on top, gets a big fat zero, and I’m glad to see that over a third are relaxed enough not to be bothered.

Here’s a disgusting rice topping from The Infatuated on flickr:

What Used To Be Rice Pudding
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Cat-faced AKB48 members

To celebrate the Day of the Cat in Japan (22/2 can sound like nyan-nyan-nyan, Japanese cats’ onomatopaeic meow) goo Ranking asked which member of AKB48 looks most like a cat. Demographics Between the … Oh, bugger this! I am not the least interested in AKB48, a stupid pop group with Read more…

By Ken Y-N, ago

Gachapin and Mukku top twenty trivia

A recent raking survey by goo Ranking looked at one of Japan’s favourite children’s characters, Gachapin and Mukku, Gachapin being the one who looks like Paul a green monster and Mukku the one who looks like John a red one.

Gachapin, mukku, Paul and John

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of July 2010 1,159 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 63.4% of the sample were female, 12.4% in their teens, 21.1% in their twenties, 28.3% in their thirties, 23.6% in their forties, 8.2% in their fifties, and 6.4% 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.

Here’s the song mentioned in number 16, where they sing about eating children.

There’s also another bit of Gachapin and Mukku trivia I found while looking up the above video – they can speak English!
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Getting angry on a drive date

Taxi traffic jam
As well as being one of the more popular hobbies in Japan, driving is also a popular date activity. However, the mood can be spoilt, so this survey from goo Ranking looked at what got the passenger annoyed at the driver and the driver annoyed at the passenger.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of May 2010 1,152 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.0% of the sample were male, 11.2% in their teens, 20.7% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 21.8% in their forties, 10.2% in their fifties, and 7.3% 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.

Given the nature of dating and the relationship of the sexes, I would guess that most of the passengers are female and the drivers are male.

As my wife doesn’t have a licence, her back-seat driving particularly irritates me, followed closely by her terrible directions, occasionally overriding the car navigation’s correct route. Then there’s the constant toilet breaks, lack of distance awareness in both “Are we there yet?” and in setting up 500 km routes that don’t take into account the effect of tiredness on me. And then there’s… I’d better stop now.

Photo of a taxi traffic jam from MatthewRad on flickr.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

When Japanese feel most ashamed about their lack of English

Here’s a fun look at when Japanese feel embarrassed by their lack of English ability, with the top ten moments for both men and women. This survey was, as usual, from goo Ranking.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 26th of April 2010 1,187 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-base questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.1% in their teens, 17.4% in their twenties, 30.9% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 10.1% in their fifties, and 6.5% 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.

Even though Japanese study English for at least six years in school and it is, as far as I am aware, a compulsory subject in most universities, the level of English is pretty poor, quite frankly. There was some news recently that Uniqlo will make English the office language from next year. I was watching television tonight and they were talking about Samsung, who now sell more electrical goods than the top nine Japanese manufacturers put together, and they will be making English the official company language too. The program compared English levels; Japanese electronic firms set a TOEIC score of between 530 and 700 for management-level jobs, yet Samsung require 700 just to get in the door, then 920 to progress to management, which is pretty close to native fluency.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

OTT urban legends in Japan

To make up for my short off-line period, here’s an excellent survey from goo Ranking, looking at what over the top urban legends people would want to learn more about.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 26th of April 2010 1,187 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-base questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.1% in their teens, 17.4% in their twenties, 30.9% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 10.1% in their fifties, and 6.5% 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.

Number 4 is one I’d like to hear about, as I cannot really imagine what might be hidden by the marathon! For number 6, I think I’ve heard somewhere about Paul McCartney having a Japanese nanny. If any of my readers have heard more about the rumours, or if you want me to investigate more myself, please drop me a line!
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Girls you won’t approach even at dating parties

This week’s silliness from goo Ranking is a look at what features of people of the opposite sex, even if you attended a dating party with them, would rule them out as a potential partner, for both men looking at women and women looking at men. I presume what the ranking is getting as is people who will never get past the “friend” stage to the “partner” level.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 26th of April 2010 1,187 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-base questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.1% in their teens, 17.4% in their twenties, 30.9% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 10.1% in their fifties, and 6.5% 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.

A dating party is my translation of the Japanese term gokon, a place where usually three to five guys and an equal number of girls go out together and see what happens. The respective male and female organisers are usually known to each other, but for the rest it’s usually a first meeting. The organisers usually bring along work colleagues to the event.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Questions from Japanese girls you cannot answer directly

Here’s a good one from goo Ranking, a look at what questions from women men just cannot answer directly.

Demographics

Between the 23rd and 25th of March 2010 1,128 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.5% of the sample were female, 15.1% in their teens, 16.9% in their twenties, 28.8% in their thirties, 21.1% in their forties, 9.4% in their fifties, and 8.7% 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.

I’m having a lot of fun translating this one – not that I get asked any of the questions (liar! – ed.), just that I can understand the feeling when people get asked them!
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Lies that bite you in the bum

Here’s another interesting survey from goo Ranking, this time looking at what lies we tell that come back to haunt us.

Demographics

Over the 22nd and 23rd of February 2010 1,123 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.6% of the sample were female, 9.6% in their teens, 22.2% in their twenties, 32.1% in their thirties, 24.9% in their forties, 7.5% in their fifties, and 3.8% 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.

My biggest lie was announcing to friends back in Scotland shortly after moving to Japan that I now had a million in the bank, but without pointing out it was in the rather less impressive yen, not pounds. I also lived in a royal mansion when I first came to Japan.

For number 13, I would have thought claiming not to be married would have been a bigger problem!

My wife doesn’t need to lie about 2,　4, 5, 15, 16 and 20. At least I hope she’s not lying about them…
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Showing off your coolness and cuteness in Japan

goo Ranking’s silliness for today is a look at what women do in the hope of being considered cute and men do for coolness.

Demographics

Between the 20th and 22nd of January 2010 1,071 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were female, 19.9% in their teens, 29.5% in their twenties, 30.5% in their thirties, and 20.1% in their forties. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

My attempts to look cool are limited to pulling a subtle wistful smile and appearing to be lost in thought trying to figure out the mysteries of the universe while all I’m actually doing is translating this silly survey. However, I’m probably giving more of an impression of being the train loony…

The 12= for men, paying by credit card all in one installment, refers to the standard credit card settlement method in Japan – for most cards you have to pay everything off at the end of the month, so if you want to spread the load you can ask to pay in multiple installments, so the store bills you once a month for the next few months. 11 for men, giving a coat to a crying girl, is a mystery to me, as is 24=, skiving off swimming lessons!
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By Ken Y-N, ago