GfK finds Japanese men more positive towards new technology

Only one in five (21%) Japanese Internet users are excited about new technology and say they use it as much as they can, while an equal number actually say it is beyond them, according to the findings of GfK’s Roper Reports Worldwide study.

Source: GfK. Click here for the full infographic.

In comparison, the average for Asia-Pacific (covering Australia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, mainland China, Indonesia, India and Thailand) is 29%, rising to 32% for the global average.

Almost four in 10 (38%) of Japan’s online population believe that new technology products and services must be mastered if one is to remain up-to-date – and it is the men who lead on this sentiment. 43% of male Internet users in Japan claim this, compared to 33% of their female counterparts. Notably, Japan’s female internet users tend to admit that they find new technology a bit beyond them, with 30% saying this compared to 12% of the men.

One core insight revealed by GfK’s study is the relative consistency across age groups in Japan for 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 to 19-year old Internet users, with 29% behind this claim. 

However, the remaining age groups show no more than a 5% difference, ranging from 22% of 20 to 29-year olds to 17% of those aged 60 and over with a positive attitude and approach to new technology.

With the appetite in Japan for products and services embedded around new technology not dropping off significantly with age, GfK advises businesses with relevant products or services to focus on promoting them to every age group instead of just the traditionally tech-friendly younger 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, the company said.

*The findings are from GfK’s Roper Reports Worldwide study, which is conducted annually and covers 25 countries worldwide. The data in this release are from the 2013 study which included online interviews with 1,500 Japanese aged over 15, with data weighted to be representative of the full population.