Our Research Methodology
How we collect, verify, and present Japanese voices — our commitment to data-driven cultural understanding.
Our Approach
Every article on this site begins with a question: what do Japanese people actually think? Not what guidebooks say. Not what travel blogs repeat. Real perspectives from real Japanese people, expressed in their own words.
We don't start with assumptions. We start with data.
About This Data
- This is not a scientific survey based on random sampling.
- We gather publicly posted online voices (Yahoo! Chiebukuro, social media, and so on) together with the voices sent to our own social accounts, then sort them by topic into 🟢🟡🔴.
- Because it leans toward people who actively chose to share an opinion, it carries some bias.
- Even so, we publish it to honestly convey the real texture of how Japanese people actually speak and feel — in their own words.
Who We Hear From
Our primary voice community is our Japanese-language YouTube channel, where we pose specific questions about cultural interactions with visitors. Here's who our audience looks like:
Male
65%
Female
35%
YouTube Analytics — past 28 days
The chart above shows the viewer demographics of our Japanese-language YouTube channel. This is the community whose comments and poll responses form the basis of our voice data.
How We Collect Voices
Original Data Collection
Through our YouTube channel, we pose specific questions to Japanese viewers. For example: "How do you feel when a foreign visitor says arigatou at the register?" Japanese viewers respond directly — and these responses become the foundation of our temperature data. This is first-party data that only we have.
Public Platform Analysis
We also analyze existing discussions on public platforms where Japanese people share honest opinions in their own language. We look for patterns across multiple sources to avoid echo chamber bias.
Real Voices, Real Data
Here are actual responses from our Japanese community. These voices — unscripted, uncurated — are the raw material behind every article.
On whether foreign visitors should learn basic Japanese:
観光客ならしかた無いけれど日本が好きな人は片言の挨拶くらいは学んでから来ているように思います。 "Tourists get a pass, but people who love Japan seem to learn at least basic greetings before they come."
👍 7
On photographing people without permission:
こういうのは許可取りにきてちゃんと得て撮ってるならいいけど
そういうのなかったら普通に盗撮 "If they come and ask permission and get it, that's fine. Without that, it's basically spy photography."
👍 3
On the preferred way to communicate:
英語でそのまま喋りかけてくる方より、丁寧な方に感じられます "[Showing text on a translation app] feels more polite than just speaking English at us directly."
The Temperature System
Our original temperature system visualizes the spectrum of Japanese opinions on each topic. Rather than reducing complex feelings to "yes or no," we show where the consensus lands — and where it doesn't.
Strong positive consensus — most Japanese people welcome this
Mixed feelings — opinions are genuinely divided
Significant concern — many Japanese people feel strongly about this
When Japanese people disagree with each other, we show the full range. That honesty is what makes our data useful.
Our Data Sources
Different types of articles draw on different data sources. Here's how each content pillar works:
Japan by Numbers
Government statistics, official surveys, and academic research. We download original data files (PDFs, Excel, CSV) and extract the numbers ourselves — not from news summaries.
What Makes Japan Smile / How Japan Works
Online voices from Japanese people on YouTube, public forums, and social media — combined with published research where relevant. Our temperature data comes from analyzing patterns across these sources.
Voices
First-party data from our own YouTube channel, plus community submissions. These are direct responses to specific questions we pose to Japanese audiences.
For statistical articles, every number can be traced back to its original source. For voice-based articles, we show the volume and range of responses transparently.
Our Editorial Standards
No opinions — every claim links to the voices we collected or an official source
No targeting — we never single out specific nationalities or ethnic groups
Positive framing — instead of "don't do this," we show "this is what makes Japan smile"
Source transparency — primary data sources are cited and linked in every article
Full spectrum — we show where Japanese people agree AND disagree
Translation & Localization
This site is available in 12 languages, covering 95% of visitors to Japan. Our translations are not machine-generated dumps — they are culturally adapted localizations. Each language version preserves the warmth and nuance of the original, using natural expressions that feel native to each audience.