●A person purposefully involved in social value activity has typically had received consumer
education, or their parents similarly acted in an environmentally friendly way. In order to
promote social value activity, consumer education and parents' behavior are key factors.
Fig 1-2-13
More than 50% of people with consumer education have the experience
of checking whether a product is ecologically friendly
42.6
60
32.7
40
20
24.7
Did not check
Checked in one
product category
Checked in more
than two product
categories
4,500
3.60
3.6
31.7
27.7
16.4
18.5
3.2
No idea
Did not consider eco-friendliness
in purchasing a product
3,729
3.46
4,244
3,859
3,934
2,734
2,885
3.35
3,867
3.38
3.34
3,000
3.26
3.0
1981
84
87
4,000
（Degree of Life Satisfaction)
3.19
2.8
3,964
3,500
3,188
3.4
Parents' behavior can affect the children s environmental behavior
（％）
100
90
93
96
99
3.12
2002
3.07
2,500
2,000
2005（year）
（Notes）
1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office "National Survey on Lifestyle Preferences", "Annual Report on
National Accounts" (Data before 1993 is compiled from 2002 report and data after 1996 is compiled
from 2006 report), and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication "Population Statistics"
2．
"Degree of Satisfaction" is calculated as follows: The question, "Are you satisfied with life or not?" was
answered in five scales from "Satisfied" to "Unsatisfied". The weighted average of each answer was
indexed into "Degree of Satisfaction".
3．
The respondents represent both sexes from the age of 15 to 75. (Excludes "do not know" and "no answer")
Fig 1-3-2
GDP per capita does not correlate explicitly with the degree of satisfaction
(Degree of hapiness)
Considered eco-friendliness
in urchasing a product
3.6
3.4
29.4
3.2
43.7
60
50.7
60.3
43.6
20
Buy (bought) eco-frinedly
products preferentially
Do (did) not buy eco-friendly
products prefereantially
Children's
behavior
Japan
3.0
2.8
2.6
30.0
Do not know
Parents' behavior
（Notes）
1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office "National Survey on Lifestyle Preferences " (2008)
2．
The respondents were 4153 people, of both sexes, between the age of 15 and 79
3．
Probit analysis revealed whether parents' tendency to buy eco-friendly products or not is statistically significant to
explain children's environment behavior. (Significant probability is one percent)
16
（Ten thousand yen）
3.8
53.8
Had consumer education Did not have consumer education
Fig 1-2-14
0
The degree of life satisfaction does not increase
Real GDP per capita (right scale)
51.9
（Notes）
1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office " National Survey on Lifestyle Preferences " (2008)
2．
The respondents were asked the following question; "Have you had consumer education in your school, region
or workplace?" (the answers are "yes" "no" and "no idea"). Next they were asked, "When you planned to
purchase a product, did you check whether the product was eco-friendly? (Through a brochure, a label or a
question to shop clerk). All answers ("checked" and "did not check" ) were aggregated. A respondent who
answered "checked" was then asked to "Circle the products you checked" and the number of each product
answered was aggregated in the graph.
3．
The respondents were 3588 people between the ages of 15 and 79 of both sexes. (The respondents who
answered "did not purchase any products within a year" and "no answer" were excluded)
4．
Probit analysis revealed that, as an explanatory variable, the experience of checking for eco-friendly products is
statistically significant to explain consumers' experience with consumer education. (Significant probability is
40
Fig 1-3-1
4.0
80
80
●Economic wealth does not increase one's degree of life satisfaction. This phenomenon is
commonly observed among developed countries.
(Degree of
Life Satisfaction)
（％）
100
0
Section 3:
The consumer citizen as a social subject ‒ pursuit of happiness
2.4
2.2
0
5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 55,000
（US Dollars）
（Notes）
1. GDP per capita compiled from WDI, and data for "the degree of happiness" is drawn from the following
site; Veenhoven, R., World Database of Happiness, Distributional Findings in Nations, Erasmus University
Rotterdam. Available at: http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl (November 18,2008）
Analysis is conducted as follows;
2．
（Degree of Happiness）
＝2.9031＋
（1.79E-05）
×
（GDP per capita）
＋
（-2.13E-10）
（71.809）（2.836）
（-1.324）
２
×
（GDP per head）
Ｒ２＝0.2400、※
（ ）
indicatesｔ-value
17
●Aging, unemployment and stress affect life satisfaction negatively. In Japan,
characteristically, life satisfaction remains low even among the elderly.
Fig 1-3-4
●Most people aged 15-59 feel stressed daily for various reasons such as those including
household finance, work, study, human relations and health.
Fig 1-3-7
Status and social environment affect life satisfaction
More than 60% of people aged 20-59 feel stressed daily
Stressed strongly
Do not feel stressed
Yes and no
Somewhat stressed
Do not feel stressed much
Positive
Factors
●Being a female
●Having children
●Being married
●Having a large income
●Graduating from a university or a post graduate school
●Being a student
●Having someone to consult with
Total
14.9
15 - 19
14.8
20 - 29
●Old age
●Out of work
●Under stress
No effect
●Being self-employed
●Having had a troubling experience
19.3
50 - 59
60 - 69
(Notes) 1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office“National Survey on Lifestyle Preference”(2008)
2．
Using Ordered Probit Model, we analyzed the relation between the answers to the
question,“How satisfied are you with yourself?”
“satisfied”
(
,“generally satisfied”
,“generally
not satisfied”
“not
,
satisfied”
) and the answers to the other questions.
3．
The level of significance is 5%.
4．
The number of respondents was 3752, between the age of 15 and 79 in both sexes
Fig 1-3-5
High
▲
Japan
（left scale）
US
（right scale）
-1.2
3.1
1.0
13.4
1.3
14.3
15.0
1.3
22.6
17.5
40
1.1
4.3
31.2
8.3
33.2
60
80
100 （％）
0.0
（％）
50
40
39.9
38.3
34.4
28.3
30
21.8
20
-0.1
-0.2
10
10.4
9.3
9.1
9.1
8.1
7.6
6.4
4.7
0
s
er
to l
th
g oo
O
in h
ut sc
m or
s
om e
ip
C c
offi rly nsh
bo io
gh an
ei p
N m
co es
rly
de
tiv
el
la
Re
he
r t ick
fo s
e e
ar th
C nd ing
a is
ra
ld
r
hi
fo
C
n
io
at n
uc re
irs
Ed ild ffa
ch ic a
t
of
es
on
iti
om
D
nd
co
ip
sh
lth
ea ly on
H ami lati
f re
n
ily
m
tio
di
p
Fa
n
hi
co
ns
lth
tio ol
la o
ea
re ch
H
al r s
on o
rs ork dy
tu
Pe w
S
at
et
dg
k
or
d
an
d
an
e
-0.4
15.3
W
-0.3
(excludes
Various reasons for stress
m
co
In
-1.4
15.3
20.3
20
Fig 1-3-8
0.1
Degree of
-1.0
Happiness
bu
-1.6
▲
(Note) Japanese date is compiled from the estimated result of ages and square of ages in the result above.
US data is compiled from Table 4(1) in David G. Blanchflower and Andrew J.Oswald (2000)
"Well-Being Over Time In Britain and the USA," Journal of Public Economics.
18
0
Even among the elderly, Japanese happiness does not increase
-0.6
49.8
31.2
6.9
24.2
（Notes）
1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office "National Survey on Lifestyle Preferences" (2008)
2．
The perecentage of respondents who were asked "Do you feel stressed daily?"
3．
The respondents were 4163 people between the age of 15 and 79 of both sexes
nonresponders) （age）
15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79
0.2
-0.4
-0.8
Low
70 - 79
19.2
37.6
9.4
2.8
18.6
47.0
44.9
16.1
22.4
16.1
46.2
19.5
40 - 49
20.6
37.2
17.9
30 - 39
Negative
Factors
17.3
42.6
-0.5
（Notes）
1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office "National Survey on Lifestyle Preferences"(2008）
2．
The percentage of respondents who were asked to "indicate the causes of stress". (To the question "Do
you feel stressed daily?". the respondents had answered " stressed strongly" and "somewhat stressed".)
3．
The respondents were 2393 people between the ages of 15 to 79 of both sexes.
19
●Aging, unemployment and stress affect life satisfaction negatively. In Japan,
characteristically, life satisfaction remains low even among the elderly.
Fig 1-3-4
●Most people aged 15-59 feel stressed daily for various reasons such as those including
household finance, work, study, human relations and health.
Fig 1-3-7
Status and social environment affect life satisfaction
More than 60% of people aged 20-59 feel stressed daily
Stressed strongly
Do not feel stressed
Yes and no
Somewhat stressed
Do not feel stressed much
Positive
Factors
●Being a female
●Having children
●Being married
●Having a large income
●Graduating from a university or a post graduate school
●Being a student
●Having someone to consult with
Total
14.9
15 - 19
14.8
20 - 29
●Old age
●Out of work
●Under stress
No effect
●Being self-employed
●Having had a troubling experience
19.3
50 - 59
60 - 69
(Notes) 1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office“National Survey on Lifestyle Preference”(2008)
2．
Using Ordered Probit Model, we analyzed the relation between the answers to the
question,“How satisfied are you with yourself?”
“satisfied”
(
,“generally satisfied”
,“generally
not satisfied”
“not
,
satisfied”
) and the answers to the other questions.
3．
The level of significance is 5%.
4．
The number of respondents was 3752, between the age of 15 and 79 in both sexes
Fig 1-3-5
High
▲
Japan
（left scale）
US
（right scale）
-1.2
3.1
1.0
13.4
1.3
14.3
15.0
1.3
22.6
17.5
40
1.1
4.3
31.2
8.3
33.2
60
80
100 （％）
0.0
（％）
50
40
39.9
38.3
34.4
28.3
30
21.8
20
-0.1
-0.2
10
10.4
9.3
9.1
9.1
8.1
7.6
6.4
4.7
0
s
er
to l
th
g oo
O
in h
ut sc
m or
s
om e
ip
C c
offi rly nsh
bo io
gh an
ei p
N m
co es
rly
de
tiv
el
la
Re
he
r t ick
fo s
e e
ar th
C nd ing
a is
ra
ld
r
hi
fo
C
n
io
at n
uc re
irs
Ed ild ffa
ch ic a
t
of
es
on
iti
om
D
nd
co
ip
sh
lth
ea ly on
H ami lati
f re
n
ily
m
tio
di
p
Fa
n
hi
co
ns
lth
tio ol
la o
ea
re ch
H
al r s
on o
rs ork dy
tu
Pe w
S
at
et
dg
k
or
d
an
d
an
e
-0.4
15.3
W
-0.3
(excludes
Various reasons for stress
m
co
In
-1.4
15.3
20.3
20
Fig 1-3-8
0.1
Degree of
-1.0
Happiness
bu
-1.6
▲
(Note) Japanese date is compiled from the estimated result of ages and square of ages in the result above.
US data is compiled from Table 4(1) in David G. Blanchflower and Andrew J.Oswald (2000)
"Well-Being Over Time In Britain and the USA," Journal of Public Economics.
18
0
Even among the elderly, Japanese happiness does not increase
-0.6
49.8
31.2
6.9
24.2
（Notes）
1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office "National Survey on Lifestyle Preferences" (2008)
2．
The perecentage of respondents who were asked "Do you feel stressed daily?"
3．
The respondents were 4163 people between the age of 15 and 79 of both sexes
nonresponders) （age）
15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79
0.2
-0.4
-0.8
Low
70 - 79
19.2
37.6
9.4
2.8
18.6
47.0
44.9
16.1
22.4
16.1
46.2
19.5
40 - 49
20.6
37.2
17.9
30 - 39
Negative
Factors
17.3
42.6
-0.5
（Notes）
1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office "National Survey on Lifestyle Preferences"(2008）
2．
The percentage of respondents who were asked to "indicate the causes of stress". (To the question "Do
you feel stressed daily?". the respondents had answered " stressed strongly" and "somewhat stressed".)
3．
The respondents were 2393 people between the ages of 15 to 79 of both sexes.
19
●Analysis shows that people who don t feel stressed tend to have more own time even
during work days. In a country where average working hours are shorter, the degree of
satisfaction is high.
Fig 1-3-13
More than 30% of people who don t feel stressed have more than
five hours of their own time during workdays
（％）
40
33.3
30
do not feel stressed
23.7
22.4
21.5
20
12.7
10
0
14.9
12.0
feel stressed
16.1
10.4
15.9
11.8
5.4
Less than 1 hour
1 to 2 hours
2 to 3 hours
3 to 4 hours
4 to 5 hours
More than 5 hours
（Notes）
1．
Compiled from the Cabinet Office "National Survey on Lifestyle Preferences" (2008)
2．
The answers to the question, "How long is your daily average free time (24 hour minus time for sleep and eating,
time of work/commuting, time for compulsory duties such as dometic affairs and socila life) (Encircle one
answer), are aggregated by people who feel stressed and those do not feel stressed.
3．
To the question, "Do you feel stressed daily?", respondents who answered "Stressed strongly, "somewhat
stressed", are identified as "Feel stressed". Respondents who answered "do not feel stressed much " "do not
feel stressed" are identified as "Do not feel stressed"
4．
Respondents were 3125 people between the ages of 15 and 79 of both sexses (exclude the unemployed over
65 (full time housemakers))" Fig 1-3-15
（Hours）
2,600
Average work hours correlate negatively with life satisfaction
(OECD 28 countries)
2,400
2,200
2,000
Japan
1,800
1,600
1,400
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
（Degree of Happiness）
（Notes）
1．
Data for average working hours is drawn from "OECD Employment Outlook". Data for Degree of Happiness is
drawn from the following site; Veenhoven, R., World Database of Happiness, Distributional Findings in Nations,
Erasmus University Rotterdam. Available at: http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl (November 18,2008)
2．
Analysis is conducted as follows;
(Degree of Happiness)＝3.7480＋
（-0.0003）
×
（Working hours per head)
(12.649） (-1.912）
Ｒ２＝0.1233
※
（ ）
indicates t-value
20
C o l u m n
1
Development of Neuroscience and its potential application
into consumer issues
Any human activity, such as the act of feeling, moving, memorizing or making a
decision, involves brain function. The brain has always been the prime subject of
medicine. Today, innovation in non-invasive imaging techniques (i.e. imaging
techniques that do not require surgical procedure) have revealed the functions of
different brain regions and mechanisms. The progress of such studies is taking place
at a remarkable pace.
One of the many non-invasive imaging techniques is called PET (Positron Emission
Tomography). It uses radioactive isotopes injected into the subject's body to capture
brain activity by measuring gamma rays, which are emitted when positive electrons
from the radioactive isotopes bind to the surrounding electrons. Another technique is
called fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging). This captures changes in the
magnetic field in blood due to change in blood flow, enabling scientists to specify the
brain region that is activated as a result of a mental or physical event.
These methods visualize brain activities during decision making. Matching the
regional activity information to the existing knowledge of functions of each brain
region would give a clue to the mechanisms and processes of human decision
making. The imaging techniques have been combined mainly by psychologists with
studies of reward- and value-based behavioral choice and decision making.
In recent years, brain imaging has also been combined with humanity studies and
social sciences. Economic theories assume that human beings make rational choices
in order to maximize self interest. However, there are recent studies that have
concluded this is not always so, resulting in a new field called behavioral economics,
which incorporates psychology into economics. The interdisciplinary movement was
furthered when behavioral economics was combined with neuroscience, creating
neuroeconomics. Neuroethics and
An example which brain function work
differently between the case to get money
neuropolitical science are also the
and the case to take money
results of such movements, studying
the relationship between ethical
choices or voluntary work and brain
function .
As described above, many disciplines
have begun to adopt the neuroscientific paradigm to study human decision
making, which has long been considered a complete black box. The
results will provide beneficial insights
into policy designs that are based on
Reward prediction
Punishment prediction
consumers' and citizens' decision
(JPY 150)
(▲ JPY 150)
making and behaviors.
(Note) Cabinet Office (2008)
* In reward experiments by fMRI, the participants were either paid “plus”
(
) or forced to pay “minus”
(
), based on
the motion direction of dots shown in the display. For example, participants were notified at the start of the
experiment that they would be paid when leftward movement is displayed, not when rightward movement is
displayed, and vise versa with the loss experiment. It was made sure that they understood the rules before
the experiment started.
21