Silly

Office Lady Lust and Studmuffin Salarymen

No, that’s not the titles of the last two videos I rented, but instead they are the subjects of perhaps the dodgiest survey I’ve seen for a long while from goo Ranking into what actions by female staff set male hearts aflutter, and vice versa, what actions by male staff set female hearts aflutter.

Demographics

Between the 22nd and 24th of April 2008 1,048 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.7% of the sample was female, 7.1% in their teens, 14.7% in their twenties, 29.0% in their thirties, 27.4% in their forties, 11.6% in their fifties, and 10.2% 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 presume that the more obviously perverted fetishes were eliminated from the initial answers, but still, some of them are bordering on the obsessive! Indeed, for the top female answer, the original results talked about Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct! As for me, I’ll be honest but boring and say that I never saw women around the office that way.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Appreciated appreciation societies

This week’s silliness is from goo Ranking as usual, this time looking at what unique appreciation societies people might like to join.

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of February 2008 1,052 people from the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% were female, 6.4% in their teens, 15.7% in their twenties, 31.0% in their thirties, 26.6% in their forties, 11.2% in their fifties, and 9.1% aged sixty or over. 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 not sure what the exact selection criteria for these societies were; was it a hand-picked list and people chose the most interesting to them, or was it a free answer?

Number 1 is a great choice, and a good excuse to link to Neil Duckett’s pottering about around the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, as I’ve done that a few times myself around areas I thought I was familiar with, but it’s quite fascinating to just wander about taking in the atmosphere. I don’t know if I’d like the actual pottering as a group activity, but having somewhere to swap photos and chat about one’s discoveries would be fun.

I’d probably also want to join a Gaijins Who Don’t Like Hanging Out With Other Gaijins Appreciation Society. No wait…
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Behaving like an old git in Japan

This Sunday’s fun is from goo Ranking as usual, this time looking at moments when you want to say “That’s because you’re an old git!”, and to follow up, what old gits think about the kids today.

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of February 2008 1,052 people from the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% were female, 6.4% in their teens, 15.7% in their twenties, 31.0% in their thirties, 26.6% in their forties, 11.2% in their fifties, and 9.1% aged sixty or over. 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 can’t say I suffer from any of the old git activities listed in Q1, at least I hope not, except for the moaning about work, but at least my moaning is justified! For Q2, the one thing that does confuse me is the fashion for trouser crotches around the knees in men. To preserve their modesty, even school trousers seem to come in high waistband size, so it just looks exceedingly silly and I wish they’d all stop it! Next comes sloppy speech, all the “maji yabee!” and “ore saa”. Uggh!
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Friends’ scary home life

Continuing the running a mile series, this fun survey from goo Ranking looks at what stuff in a friend of the opposite sex who lives alone’s room makes you want to run a mile, for both men looking at women’s rooms and women looking at men’s rooms.

Demographics

Bewteen the 22nd and 25th of January 2008 1,126 members of the goo Research monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54.4% of the sample was female, 3.6% in their teens, 15.8% in their twenties, 35.1% in their thirties, 27.3% in their forties, 11.0% 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.

This survey is looking at friends who invite you round to their home for just an innocent visit, but they are also the sort of friend you might consider going out with. I haven’t a clue what sort of woman might have cigars lying around the house, though, but I don’t think I’d hang around to find out… Similarly I don’t know what women were thinking when they rated men with bunny ears so highly; are there really than many guys with them?
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Oh bugger!

As I just had one of them today, I thought I’d publish this silly goo Ranking two days early; the survey looks at the moment when you realise you mucked up or encountered some other disaster of your own making, for both men and women.

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of February 2008 1,052 people from the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% were female, 6.4% in their teens, 15.7% in their twenties, 31.0% in their thirties, 26.6% in their forties, 11.2% in their fifties, and 9.1% aged sixty or over. 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 “oh bugger!” moment was going to work and realising that today is actually a special holiday; we get four a year at work, and as yesterday (Thursday 20th March) was the spring equinox, a Japan public holiday, they decided to declare Friday a special holiday, so I turned up to a locked office! Oh bugger! Oh, and wifey did the women’s number 23 yesterday, remembering to hang out everything except my bath towel, although it was me rather than her who said “Oh bugger!”

By the way, I hope you don’t mind my use of language – I use the rule of thumb that I don’t write anything I wouldn’t want my mother reading, and as “oh bugger!” is just about the only swearword I’ve ever heard her use, if you are offended, please email my mother…

And for your enjoyment:

Or this link to YouTube for those with embedded objects turned off.

What do you think of this survey?

View Results

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By Ken Y-N, ago

Feeling over the hill in Japan

Here’s a fun topic for a Sunday evening from the masters of silliness, goo Ranking, looking at the moment after one passed 30 years old when one felt one’s age, for both men and women.

Demographics

Bewteen the 22nd and 25th of January 2008 1,126 members of the goo Research monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54.4% of the sample was female, 3.6% in their teens, 15.8% in their twenties, 35.1% in their thirties, 27.3% in their forties, 11.0% in their fifties, and 7.3% aged sixty or older. Presumably those under thirty were excluded from the sample. 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 personally don’t really worry about feeling my age; there’s not really anything that can be done about it, and brooding over it just makes me feel depressed. If I had to pick an answer, I’d probably say it’s not being able to stay out, or more likely, stay on the computer until 4 am then recover easily, although I think that is partially age and partially married life…
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Surprisingly enjoyable things to do alone

So you go, and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home, and you cry
And you want to die

So sung The Smiths, in what was voted the second-best lyric of all time in Britain a few years back. Interestingly enough, that which caused so much Morrissey-inflicted student angst was voted in a recent survey conducted by goo Ranking as the thing Japanese find most unexpectedly enjoyable for one. Well, almost; a concert could be at a club, but let’s not nit-pick!

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of December 2007 1,094 members of the goo Research monitor panel completed a private online questionnaire. 45.6% of the sample was male, 8.8% were in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 29.1% in their thirties, 26.8% in their forties, 10.7% in their fifties, and 9.0% 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.

Don’t ask me why cat’s cradle comes in at number 18 as I only know it as a solo activity. At 19 is “The Game of Life”, which is I believe the most popular or recognisable board game in Japan, much like Monopoly is the representative game in the UK and the USA.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Scrimping on cash before payday

The best way to save money before payday, or any other day of the month, is of course to read Nihon Hacks, but just in case you can’t get enough ideas from there, here is goo Ranking’s look at top ways to economise before payday.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of December 2007 1,094 members of the goo Research monitor panel completed a private online questionnaire. 45.6% of the sample was male, 8.8% were in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 29.1% in their thirties, 26.8% in their forties, 10.7% in their fifties, and 9.0% 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.

For some reason, Google didn’t properly index last November’s story on tightfisted techniques, so hopefully this link will give Google a kick in the right direction! Actually, I don’t think I do any of the below – if I run out of cash I just use my credit card more…
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By Ken Y-N, ago

What makes Japanese men run a mile?

You may remember last month I published a survey on what makes Japanese women run a mile, so now it’s time to look with goo Ranking at what female actions make men run a mile at drinking parties.

Demographics

Between the 21st and 24th of December 2007 1,094 members of the goo Research monitor panel completed a private online questionnaire. 45.6% of the sample was male, 8.8% were in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 29.1% in their thirties, 26.8% in their forties, 10.7% in their fifties, and 9.0% aged sixty or older. Obviously only the male 45.6%, or 499 people, answered this particular question. 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 most obvious difference between this and the previous survey is groping! It was the top hate for women, but the bottom one for men. Another notable exception from the men’s list is the number 7 from the women’s list, pestering someone for their phone number! My top two would have to be smoking and poor table manners.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

How to spot an otaku and an otakette

Sillyness will be a day early this week, due to a more appropriate post due on Sunday and Monday! Here’s a great ranking survey from goo Ranking, one arm of the best online polling organisation in Japan, on what appearance makes a man appear like an otaku, and what makes a woman look like a otaku.

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of November 2007 1,101 members of the goo Research monitor panel completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.7% of the sample was female, 6.2% in their teens, 15.4% in their twenties, 30.2% in their thirties, 27.1% in their forties, 11.0% in their fifties, and 10.3% aged sixty or older. Note that the score reported is the relative number of votes each choice got, not the percentage of the sample that chose each option.

Particularly for the male answers, otaku has strong connotations of being an anime or manga freak, rather than the slightly more generic use of someone who’s heavily into any hobby, judging by the answers below!
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By Ken Y-N, ago