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Knock, knock: Conducting home interviews in Japan
Think “conducting home interviews in Japan” and what comes to mind? Small spaces? Having to take your shoes off? Scenes from the Last Samurai? Well except for the Tom Cruise bit, you’re probably on the right track!
Overseas researchers are well advised to consider how Japan is a unique market when it comes to conducting any type of interview at respondents’ homes. This reflects the basic status of the home in Japan as a place where strangers and even friends are rarely allowed to venture. In Japan, door-to-door interviews will be conducted on the doorstep and preparation for the interview should reflect that.
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| Japanese homes are places where even friends rarely venture. |
However increasingly, market researchers do need to actually penetrate the home if they are to observe consumer behavior in-situ. As ethnographic research has become more popular in Japan, researchers have uncovered, often through trial-and-error, the ’tricks of the trade’ for conducting in-home interviews in this unusual market:
Home Interviews in Japan
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THINK SMALL AND YOU WILL NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED – Careful consideration should be given to the composition of the research team that will visit a Japanese home. The average size of a home in Japan is 800 square feet (or approximately 74.3 square meters).
Limiting the number of people at the venue to about 3-4 would be ideal: usually this would mean yourself, the local fieldwork manager, a translator, possibly an assistant to video/audio record. Larger numbers simply may not fit into the home, and even if they “just fit”, you run the risk of a creating larger problem: making your respondent feel very uncomfortable and embarrassed about the size of their home. This discomfort can distract respondents from giving the interview their full attention and can influence the integrity of the results. |
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“SURE I'll SPEND 5-10 MINUTES WITH YOU…BUT WOULD YOU MIND NOT COMING INSIDE?” When organizing random quantitative door-to-door interviews, one should keep in mind that the interview would likely take place in the “genkan” (a “genkan” is the doorstep area where Japanese people remove their shoes). As there is no room for chairs in this area, the interview would be done while standing in an entranceway. The space available for showing large concept boards in limited and the key to success is keeping the interview short.
For in-depth, in-home interviews, researchers must strike a balance between how much time is needed for the questions to reach the heart of the issue being researched, and how long respondents will tolerate the intrusion into their personal space. |
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| A typical Japanese genkan |
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“SURE, COME RIGHT ON IN! BUT IT’LL COST YOU!” – Usually the only people who are invited into the home are relatives and close friends. So it’s not difficult to imagine that this may be a problem when your team “drops by” - all of whom will be strangers to the respondent. Being clear from the outset regarding the purpose of the study is important, as is giving careful consideration to the incentives offered in exchange for this intrusion.
Incentives for in-home interviews have a varied range between 4,000-12,000 yen ($35 USD - $110 USD), depending on the length of the interviews and the sample criteria. In the past, goods have been used but this has been met with mixed responses. Our recommendation: play it safe and pay the incentive!
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“WE’D RATHER BE OUT DRINKING WITH OUR FRIENDS.” – As its not very common to have guests around in Japan, most social interaction (with coworkers and friends) is conducted away from the home, either in restaurants, bars, or other venues. If the focus of your research is to see how Japanese people spend their free time outside of the office, alternative venues such as karaoke bars or pubs (called “izakayas”) may be more appropriate than the home. |
Why do home interviews anyway? JMI has over the years uncovered many powerful insights from research conducted in the homes of Japanese consumers. For instance, how Japanese people have adapted usage of certain products to overcome the limitations of space. These have included learnings that we wouldn’t have uncovered in a laboratory setting.
As observational research in Japan continues to grow, the need for in-home interviews can only increase. Keeping in mind some of the basic differences resulting from Japan’s unique culture can only increase your chances of a successful study. And in the process, hopefully you’ll get to visit one of most fascinating domestic environments in the world!
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