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Why Japanese singles cannot find partners

Here’s an interesting survey from goo Research that I wish had been around a month ago, as the topic was quite hot then. Regardless, I present it anyway, a look at why Japanese are unable to find a partner for many a year, for both women and men.

Demographics

The survey was conducted between the 4th and 8th of October 2013 where 1,074 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. However, goo Ranking have recently revamped their ranking page and have dropped the link to their demographics. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.

The reason I say it was a hot topic was because there was a rash of “sexless youth” stories based on a poorly-translated or misconstrued survey into young people and relationships.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

When Japanese women think men are cute

goo Ranking took a look at cute actions and habits of men that tug at women’s heartstrings.

Demographics

Over the 6th and 7th of February 2013 1,122 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.1% of the sample were female, 10.2% in their teens, 16.6% in their twenties, 26.5% in their thirties, 25.0% in their forties, 11.1% in their fifties, and 10.6% 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.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Beaujolais nouveau special: tedious wine buffs

Since today is the release of Beaujolais nouveau, still a big event in Japan, here is a special goo Ranking survey into what self-styled wine buffs drone on about.

Demographics

Over the 5th and 6th of October 2012 1,064 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 58.2% of the sample were female, 10.5% in their teens, 13.7% in their twenties, 26.6% in their thirties, 27.6% in their forties, 11.7% in their fifties, and 9.9% 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.

No, I don’t have a clue about drinking wine in a bath robe!

Here’s two wine buffs in the buff who exploded onto the scene a few years ago, then, as these one trick ponies tend to do, imploded a few months later, and were reduced to scenes like this…


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By Ken Y-N, ago

What you would most hate your family to see

Today’s silly survey from goo Ranking is a look at what people would most hate their family to see, and for a change it has some slightly more spicy answers than usual.

Demographics

Over the 5th and 6th of September 2011 1,112 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 70.8% of the sample were female, 13.5% in their teens, 18.2% in their twenties, 28.1% in their thirties, 25.5% in their forties, 8.7% in their fifties, and 6.0% 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 two was rather difficult to translate, as I wasn’t quite sure of the exact nuance in the phrase! I’m not really sure what my own answer would be, but for number one, given the availability of the internet these days, being caught *cough* reading *cough* an inappropriate web site must be an ever-present danger for teenagers.

According to a random photo on flickr, even grannies can be caught doing number one…

Reading Some Good News.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Getting a pro’s advice on which is better

There’s a reasonably popular program on the television in Japan, がっちりアカデミー, gacchiri academy, with perhaps “School for Skinflints” being a good English translation. This program has a panel of experts that focus on the financial pluses or minuses of various activities, so perhaps this was the inspiration for a survey from goo Ranking into about which matters would people want to hear from an expert which was the better choice.

Demographics

Between the 19th and 22nd of November 2010 1,171 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.2% of the sample were female, 11.3% in their teens, 19.1% in their twenties, 29.0% in their thirties, 23.4% in their forties, 9.6% in their fifties, and 7.6% 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’d like to hear “Permanent Residency versus naturalisation”, perhaps, and also regarding number 7, why people need to ask which toilet paper is better! What would you like to hear?
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Busiest people at a Japanese New Year

A happy New Year to you all, with a look at what is the busiest profession over the New Year, a survey from goo Ranking, of course.

Demographics

Between the 19th and 22nd of November 2010 1,171 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.2% of the sample were female, 11.3% in their teens, 19.1% in their twenties, 29.0% in their thirties, 23.4% in their forties, 9.6% in their fifties, and 7.6% 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’d say 17=, a reporter, is the easiest job over the New Year – if it’s hard news, they can start writing year-end wrap-ups ahead of times; if it’s the latest news, on television at least 90% of it is interviews with people leaving or coming back at airports, bullet train stations, etc, reports of enormous car jams at all the usual motorway locations, and a few bits of stock footage of preparations or the aftermath of New Year at the popular temples. I’m sure they could even run last year’s columns and nobody would notice!

All photos from flickr – click on them to see them in full detail – apologies for some not being terribly seasonal, but it was hard enough to find the right subjects, let alone the locations.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Japanese preteens on the internet

At what age did your child first start using the internet? graph of japanese statisticsRecently goo Research published the results of a survey into internet usage by elementary school children in Japan.

Demographics

Between the 1st and 11th of October 2010 13,925 members of the goo Research monitor panel who were guardians of children of elementary school age completed a private internet-based questionnaire. No demographic information on the children was supplied, but the adults were 54.4% female, 1.1% in their twenties, 40.8% in their thirties, 53.2% in their forties, and 4.8% aged fifty or older. It is also not clear how guardians with multiple children completed the survey.

At least most of the children seem to be well-policed regarding their internet use, with the majority spending less than an hour online a week, and email and chat being less frequent activities.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Review: “My Darling is a Foreigner” – one out of five stars

I went on Saturday to the opening day of the new movie, “My Darling is a Foreigner“, a mostly Japanese-language film of the best-selling manga comic series by Saori Ogura, featuring Ms Ogura and her husband Tony Laszlo, and their life together as an international couple in Japan. I’ve read most of the books (there’s even an English translation out now) so I went with high hopes.
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By Ken Y-N, ago