Despite living in a high-tech country, only one in five Japanese internet users claim to be excited about new technology and use it as much as they can, while an equal number say it is a bit beyond them - according to global research agency, GfK.
Findings from GfK's Roper Reports® Worldwide study show that only one in five (21 percent) of Japan's internet users say that they find new technology products and services exciting and use these as much as they can. In comparison, the average for the Asia-Pacific region taken as a whole (Australia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Indonesia, India and Thailand) is 29 percent, rising to 32 percent for the global average.
It is the men in Japan who lead on finding new technology exciting, with close to a third (30 percent) of male internet users agreeing with that sentiment, compared to only one in ten (11 percent) of female internet users.
Almost two fifths (38 percent) of Japan's online population believe that new technology products and services must be mastered if one is to remain up-to-date. Here, again, it is the men who led on holding this opinion: 43 percent of male internet users in Japan agreed with that statement, compared to a third (33 percent) of their female counterparts. Notably, Japan's female internet users are far more likely than the men to admit that they find new technology a bit beyond them, with almost a third (30 percent) making this claim, compared to just 12 per cent of the men.
One core insight revealed by GfK's study is the relative consistency across age groups in Japan, in their attitudes towards new technology. Looking at those who find new technology exciting and use it as much as they can, we see the expected peak in 15-19 year old internet users, with 29 percent of them making this claim. The remaining age groups show no more than a 5 percent difference between them - 22 percent of 20-29 year olds, 18 percent of 30-39 year olds, 21 percent of 40-49 year olds, 22 percent of 50-59 year olds and 17 percent of those aged 60 and over.
These findings are significant for businesses, as they show that the appetite in Japan for products and services embedded around new technology does not drop off significantly with age. So businesses with relevant products or services should be focusing on promoting these amongst every age group, not just the traditionally technology-friendly younger age groups. This applies equally for industries that can use technology to improve the delivery or 'wow' factor of their offerings - such as introducing contactless payment systems, in-car features like navigation or entertainment devices, or apps allowing consumers to control items such as their home central heating through their mobile phone.
