valentine

Japan’s favourite chocolate

It’s Valentine’s Day today, but I cannot find a nice ranking, so instead here’s an ordinary survey from @nifty about chocolate.

Demographics

Between the 29th of January and the 4th of February 2016 3,364 members of the @nifty research group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. No further demographics were given.

I don’t understand why mint scores so low in Q3; most of my foreign friends cannot wait until summer and mint chocolate sweets come into season, but whatever they are offering are difficult to find and the season ends all too quickly. On the other hand, in the second part of Q1, I cannot really believe that half the surveyed population eats chocolates four or more times per day!

Here’s some interesting chocolate flavours:

Tomato chocolate?
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Weighty gifts received along with Valentine declarations of love

Since today is Valentine’s Day, let’s have a look at a survey from goo Ranking into what gifts received along with a Valentine’s declaration of love men would find rather weighty.

Demographics

The survey was conducted from the 21st to the 23rd of November 2013, and 1,054 people completed a private web-based questionnaire. 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 survey was for men only.

Since Valentine’s Day in Japan is only for women to give presents to men, this question was only answered by men.

For number 6, I’m not aware of a similar Japanese tradition, but I thought the banns was the closest I could come to the intent of the Japanese phrase.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Heartstring tugging ways for girls to pass guys Valentine chocolates

With Valentine’s Day almost upon us, goo Ranking published the results of a ranking survey into heartstring tugging ways of passing Valentine’s chocolates, and as is the tradition in Japan, it was for men receiving them from women.

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Demographics

Over the 7th and 8th of December 2012 1,059 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 61.4% of the sample were female, 10.8% in their teens, 14.4% in their twenties, 24.9% in their thirties, 28.8% in their forties, 11.5% in their fifties, and 9.6% 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.

Note that there are two kinds of chocolates; obligatory chocolates that have to be handed out to every male in one’s workplace or class that have no romantic significance, and true love chocolates, the meaning of which should be obvious!

I don’t think I’d be really too impressed with any of the below, myself, except of course the no beating about the bush of number four!
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Spotting a Valentine’s Day failure

Following on from Sunday’s look at women’s Valentine’s Day failures, here’s goo Ranking again looking at the distinguishing features of loser men on Valentine’s Day. Yes, the original Japanese title was as harsh as that!

Demographics

Over the 20th and 21st of December 2010 1,128 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 65.4% of the sample were female, 11.9% in their teens, 17.2% in their twenties, 30.2% in their thirties, 23.2% in their forties, 10.0% in their fifties, and 7.4% 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.

I haven’t the slightest idea what number seven is all about! I couldn’t really make sense of the Japanese; it must be some strange ritual?

For me, it would have been singing ditties by The Smiths all day.


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By Ken Y-N, ago

Women’s sad memories of Valentine’s Day

With tomorrow being Valentine’s Day, this is a good time to look at a ranking survey from goo Ranking into what sad memories women have from Valentine’s Day.

Demographics

Over the 20th and 21st of December 2010 1,128 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 65.4% of the sample were female, 11.9% in their teens, 17.2% in their twenties, 30.2% in their thirties, 23.2% in their forties, 10.0% in their fifties, and 7.4% 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. This survey was for women only.

Nobody Loves Me! The Valentine Nightmare.

Photo taken by Sister72 on flickr.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

2010 Valentine’s Day plans

Who do you most want to send a Valentine gift to? graph of japanese statisticsIt’s coming up to Valentine’s Day, which in Japan means that women buy gifts for men, on the whole, not only for their true love (or object of affection) but also for men at work, although with Valentine’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, chocolate companies are hurting. So, today’s survey from Yahoo! Japan Value Insight is all about St Valentine’s Day.

Demographics

Between the 8th and 10th of January 2010 400 women between the ages of 20 and 39 resident within Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 100% were women, and 25.0% were aged between 20 and 24 years old, 25.0% between 25 and 29, 25.0% from 30 to 24, and 25.0% from 35 to 39.

The best chocolates I’ve received have been B.B. Chocolat Premier (hmm, they don’t seem to have an official web page), as I do like the look of them, which is just as important, if not more, that the actual taste on Valentine’s Day.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Valentine’s Day’s lows and highs

Hearty Warmy chocolatesToday is Valentine’s Day, so let’s have a look at two silly wee surveys from goo Ranking, asking women what they find tough on Valentine’s Day, and what differences they notice in men on or just before Valentine’s Day.

Demographics

Note that the obligatory chocolates for everyone in the office are basically a chore rather than an expression of gratitude, as with many other situations where gifts must be passed, the feelings of thanks have disappeared to be replaced by just a sense of formality.

For your enjoyment, here is a recap of the Valentine surveys I’ve looked at over the years:

Oh, and Watashi to Tokyo had a list of men’s favourite everyday chocolate snacks.

Heart Warmy picture from Robert Sanzalone on flickr.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Valentine’s Day received present FAIL!

Following up on my look at women’s Valentine gift-giving FAILs, here is goo Ranking again looking at what men were troubled by receiving on Valentine’s Day.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 22nd of December 2008 1,039 members of the goo Research monitor pool completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The reported sex split was exactly 50.00% male and 50.00% female, a figure that one will instantly see is wrong, so for the sake of argument I’ll round it up to 520 females and down to 519 males. 7.6% of the sample were in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 28.0% in their thirties, 27.6% in their forties, 10.9% in their fifties, and 10.3% 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. Note also this question was for men only, as the day is mainly for women to give stuff to men.

Last year my female boss (I hope she doesn’t read my blog!) gave all the guys in the office a huge bar of Wonka chocolate which was a FAIL on a number of counts – too big, too sweet, and pretty disgusting, quite frankly. Wifey has never had a giving FAIL (I hope she is reading this!) and last year I got a cuddly toy and some Hello Kitty boxers.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

Valentine’s Day FAIL!

It will soon be Valentine’s Day, so to get into the mood I present a short ranking survey from goo Ranking on failures commited on Valentine’s Day.

Demographics

Between the 18th and 22nd of December 2008 1,039 members of the goo Research monitor pool completed a private internet-based questionnaire. The reported sex split was exactly 50.00% male and 50.00% female, a figure that one will instantly see is wrong, so for the sake of argument I’ll round it up to 520 females and down to 519 males. 7.6% of the sample were in their teens, 15.6% in their twenties, 28.0% in their thirties, 27.6% in their forties, 10.9% in their fifties, and 10.3% 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. Note also this question was for women only, as the day is only for women to give stuff to men.
　
Note that there are two main types of chocolates to be passed – true love chocolates and obligatory chocolates. The latter mostly goes to workmates. More details can be found in a recently-translated serious survey from Macromill into Valentine’s day.
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By Ken Y-N, ago

What to expect this Valentine’s Day in Japan

Do you think there should be exchanging of obligatory chocolates at work? graph of japanese statisticsIt’s coming up to that time of the year in Japan where the women may express their love and have to express their gratitute, so Macromill Inc looked at women and Valentine’s Day.

Demographics

Over the 21st and 22nd of January 2009 515 female members of the Macromill monitor group aged between twenty and thirty-nine completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54 were aged between 20 and 24, 155 between 25 and 29, 174 between 30 and 34, and 132 between 35 and 39.

In Japan there are two different types of chocolate that women must buy for Valentine’s Day. The first kind is “true” (本命, honmei) chocolates, the other “obligatory” (義理, giri); the first goes to your true love (or object of infatuation, etc), the second male colleagues at work. As you may guess, the amount of effort and expense gone to for each type varies greatly!

Note that “traditionally” it is the women who give men presents on Valentine’s Day, and they hope for something in return on White Day, the 14th of March. However, from this year some of the chocolate makers have been promoting 逆チョコ, gyaku choko, reverse chocolates, which come in a mirror imaged box.

Two years ago I translated a similar Macromill Valentine survey that you may want to cross-reference.
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By Ken Y-N, ago