54% say they’ve read at least 1 book in past month

Written by Writer on Sunday, October 26th, 2008

54% say they’ve read at least 1 book in past month

Fifty-four percent of those asked said they had read at least one book in the previous four weeks, six percentage points up from the previous year, according to the results of a recent Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

Asked why they read books, with multiple answers permitted, 47 percent–eight percentage points up from the previous year–said they did so to deepen their knowledge and educate themselves.

Thirty-two percent, one percentage point down, said they read books because they find them interesting. Twenty-seven percent, three percentage points up, answered they read books to learn about their hobbies and make good use of the knowledge they acquire. The increase in the number of those who read books for informational purposes seemingly reflects the recent popularity of pocketbook titles featuring various educational topics.

Asked what prompts them to choose a particular book, a question for which multiple answers were allowed, 49 percent of the respondents said they buy books on impulse while browsing at a bookstore. Twenty-five percent said they buy a book because it is a best-seller or has attracted attention, while the same proportion said they base their decision on book reviews in newspapers.

The survey also found that 97 percent of respondents believe it is important to acquire the habit of reading in childhood.

Asked about the benefits of reading, 65 percent said it fosters knowledge, while 54 percent said it enriches the imagination. Fifty percent of respondents also said reading cultivates the ability to think about things deeply.

The face-to-face nationwide survey, carried out Oct. 4 and 5, polled 1,787 people, of whom 59.6 percent replied.
(Oct. 26, 2008)