From a ranking of the most annoying behavior people encounter on trains to a survey finding that that the majority of respondents were dissatisfied with a lack of quality sleep, polls conducted in Japan in 2024 uncovered a host of hot issues. Below are a selection of survey articles offering a peek into Japanese social, home and work life.

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'Coughing, sneezing' chosen as most annoying behavior on trains for 1st time: Japan survey

TOKYO -- "Coughing and sneezing without consideration for others" topped the list of annoying behavior on trains and at stations for the first time in a survey by the Japan Private Railway Association. Full story.

41% in Japan do not send New Year's greeting cards: Mainichi poll

TOKYO -- Forty-one percent of people in Japan do not send out New Year's greeting cards, according to a Dec. 14 and 15 opinion poll by the Mainichi Shimbun. Full story.

People, especially women, tend to feel happy if partners do housework: Japan survey

TOKYO -- People in Japan, in particular women, generally feel happy if their partners proactively do house chores, according to a survey by a private think tank. Full story.

Japan ranks lowest among 31 nations in love life satisfaction survey for 2nd year in a row

TOKYO -- Satisfaction levels among Japanese people regarding their "romantic and sexual lives" ranked the lowest among 31 countries in an international awareness survey conducted by France-based public opinion research firm Ipsos. Full story.

Japan ranks 92nd in English proficiency, lowest ever: survey

TOKYO -- Japan ranked a record low 92nd in the 2024 English proficiency ranking of 116 countries and regions where English is not the native language, the Japanese subsidiary of a Swiss international education company announced on Nov. 13. Full story.

Clients are demanding Japan firms' workers kneel to apologize, and many comply: survey

TOKYO -- Almost 47% of companies in Japan have been subject to client demands that employees kneel on the ground in the "dogeza" style to apologize, and around 70% of those have actually assumed the humiliating pose, a recent survey has found. Full story.

Majority in Japan unsatisfied with sleep hours, quality: survey

TOKYO -- Sleep duration in Japan is said to be one of the shortest in the world, and a majority in the country are unsatisfied with their sleeping hours or quality, according to a recent survey. Even those getting a decent amount of z's are not satisfied with it, highlighting the depth of sleep-related problems. Full story.

Nearly 1 in 5 people in 20s used resignation agencies to leave jobs in Japan: survey

TOKYO -- Close to one in five people in their 20s who changed jobs over the past year in Japan used resignation agency services when quitting, a recent survey by a Japanese job information provider has found. Full story.

Only 57% of Japanese feel 'happy,' 3rd lowest rate among 30 countries: survey

TOKYO -- Only 57 percent of Japanese people feel they are happy, the third lowest rate among 30 countries surveyed, a report by French public opinion research firm Ipsos S.A. has revealed. Full story.

60% in Japan don't like cherry blossom viewing with colleagues, call events 'work': survey

TOKYO -- Partying under cherry blossoms with bosses and colleagues seems to be out of date in Japan as roughly 60% of respondents to a recent survey said they did not want to participate in such events and consider them "work." Full story.