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Part 2 Outline of Survey Results VII Outlook on Life

VII Outlook on Life

1. Ideas about life

(1) Pride in oneself (personality)
Q45 Now we will ask you questions about yourself. Do you have qualities that you are proud of? Please select all applicable answers. (multiple answers)
  1. Cheerful
  2. Kind
  3. Have patience and perseverance
  4. Humble, modest
  5. Brightness, intelligences
  6. Serious
  7. Sense of justice
  8. Decisive, strong will
  9. Physical strength, athletic ability
  10. Appearance
  11. Other
  12. There is nothing I take pride in
  13. Don't know/no answer
Note: Options were changed in this survey. (See List of Changes in Questionnaire)

In Japan, the respondents were most often proud of their 'cheerfulness' (44.8%), followed in descending order by their 'kindness' (34.5%), 'seriousness' (29.5%), 'patience and perseverance' (26.9%), and 'physical strength and athletic ability' (22.0%).
When compared with the previous survey, the figure of 'kindness' decreased from 40.1% to 34.5%.
When compared with other countries, the top choice of the Korean respondents was 'cheerfulness' as in the case of the Japanese. The top choice among the American, Swedish and German respondents was 'kindness.' Items ranked high were 'sense of justice' in Sweden and Germany, 'decisive, strong will' in the U.S. and Germany, and 'brightness, intelligence' in the U.S. (Table 7-1)

Table 7-1 Pride in Oneself (Country Comparison)
Table 7-1 Pride in Oneself (Country Comparison)

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(2) Importance of being oneself
Q46 To what extent do you believe that it is important to be yourself under all circumstances?
  1. I strongly believe so
  2. I somewhat believe so
  3. I somewhat do not believe so
  4. I do not believe so at all
  5. Don't know/no answer
Note: This is a new question

When being asked how important it was to be yourself under all circumstances, the percentage of the respondents who believed it was generally important was 80.3% in Japan (with 'strongly believe so' at 30.7% and 'somewhat believe so' at 49.6%). This figure largely exceeded 17.7% of the respondents who did not believe it was generally important (with 'somewhat do not believe so' at 15.7% and 'do not believe so at all' at 1.9%).
Looking at the other countries surveyed, the percentage of the respondents that said 'believe so' was highest in the U.S. at 97.7%, followed in descending order by Korea, Germany, Japan and Sweden. (Figure 7-1)

Figure 7-1 Importance of Being Oneself (Country Comparison)
Figure 7-1 Importance of Being Oneself (Country Comparison)

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(3) Being unsure of oneself
Q47 Are there any times when you feel unsure of yourself?
  1. There are times
  2. Sometimes
  3. Rarely
  4. Never
  5. Don't know/no answer
Note: This is a new question.

When being asked whether 'there are any times when you feel unsure of yourself,' 50.7% of the Japanese respondents gave affirmative answer (with 'there are times,' cited by 10.8% and 'sometimes,' cited by 39.8%), while 48.2% gave negative answers (with 'rarely' cited by 30.0% and 'no' cited by 18.1%). This indicated that respondents were evenly split between those who felt uncertain and those who did not.
Looking at the other countries surveyed, the number of respondents that gave affirmative answers was highest in Korea at 78.6%, followed by Japan with a little more than 50%. In Sweden, the U.S., and in Germany the rates were less than 50%. (Figure 7-2)

Figure 7-2 Being Unsure of Oneself (Country Comparison)
Figure 7-2 Being Unsure of Oneself (Country Comparison)

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(4) View on religion
Q48 How important is religion in your life?
  1. Very important
  2. Somewhat important
  3. Not very important
  4. Not important
  5. Don't know/no answer

The number of the Japanese respondents saying that religion was 'important' to some extent was 27.4% (a combined figure of 'very important' at 4.1% and 'somewhat important' at 23.2%), which was much less than that of respondents giving the negative responses with 64.0% (a combined figure of 'not very important' at 39.3% and 'not important' at 24.8%).
Looking at the changes over the years, it was found that 'important' was on a decreasing trend, whereas 'not important' was on an increasing trend. (Figure 7-3)

Figure 7-3 View on Religion (Changes over the years, Japan)
Figure 7-3 View on Religion (Changes over the years, Japan)

Looking at the other countries surveyed, 72.0% of the American respondents said that religion was 'important' to some extent. The rate of the respondents who gave affirmative answers was about 50% in Korea, and the rates were less than 50% in Germany, Japan, and Sweden. (Figure 7-4)

Figure 7-4 View on Religion (Country Comparison)
Figure 7-4 View on Religion (Country Comparison)

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(5) Personal fulfillment
Q49 When do you feel that your life is fulfilling? Please select all applicable answers. (multiple answers)
  1. When I am involved with something helpful for society
  2. When I devote myself to work
  3. When I devote myself to my studies
  4. When I devote myself to sports and hobbies
  5. When I am with my family
  6. When I am with my friends or companions
  7. When I am with my close friend(s) of the opposite sex
  8. When I am alone without being annoyed by anyone
  9. I never feel that I am living a fulfilling life
  10. Don't know/no answer
Note: This question was included in 'aim of life' until the fourth survey.

In Japan, the most frequent response to this question was 'when I am with friends or companions' at 72.5%, followed in descending order by 'when I devote myself to sports and hobbies' (50.9%), 'when I devote myself to work' (30.6%), 'when I am with close friend(s) of the opposite sex' (27.9%), and 'when I am with my family' (27.4%). (Figure 7-5)
Looking at the other countries surveyed, the top choice of the Korean, Swedish and German respondents was 'when I am with friends or companions' as in the case of the Japanese. The American respondents' top choice was 'when I am with family.' Items often cited by the respondents included 'when I devote myself to studies' in Korea, 'when I am involved with something helpful' in the U.S., and 'when I am alone' in Sweden. (Table 7-2)

Figure 7-5 Personal Fulfillment (Changes over the years, Japan)
Figure 7-5 Personal Fulfillment (Changes over the years, Japan)
Table 7-2 Personal Fulfillment (Country Comparison)
Table 7-2 Personal Fulfillment (Country Comparison)

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(6) Happiness
Q55 All things considered, how happy would you say you are?
  1. Happy
  2. More or less happy
  3. More or less unhappy
  4. Unhappy
  5. Don't know/ no answer
Note: The wording and options were changed in this survey. (See List of Changes in Questionnaire)

In Japan, 46.4% of the respondents said they were 'happy' and 47.2% said that they were "more or less happy,' meaning that 93.6% of all the respondents were happy to some extent. This figure has risen slightly since the last survey. (Figure 7-6)

Figure 7-6 Happiness (Changes over the years, Japan)
Figure 7-6 Happiness (Changes over the years, Japan)

Looking at the other countries surveyed, the percentage of the respondents who said they were happy was highest in Sweden with 96.1%, followed in descending order by the U.S., Germany, Japan and Korea. (Figure 7-7)

Figure 7-7 Happiness (Country Comparison)
Figure 7-7 Happiness (Country Comparison)

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