Running Focus Groups in Japan

Running focus groups can be quite challenging in any market and Japan is certainly no exception. Differences in language and culture demand that researchers carefully consider the research design for localization in order to get the most out of discussions. With this in mind, we have outlined a number of key recommendations for conducting focus groups here:

Try and Keep discussions to 2 hours

Unlike in some other markets where respondents may comfortably sit and chat with each other for hours on end, in Japan, where formality and politeness are both deeply entrenched, respondents tend to tire more easily. It is therefore important to keep in mind the length of the groups where the quality of discussions may decline as time goes on. Generally focus groups in Japan are kept to a maximum of 2 hours and for any groups longer than this you will need to ensure the discussion guide is appropriately structured to take into account any fatigue that may set in towards the end.

Maximum: 8 respondents, Recommended: 6 respondents

Every client has a specific preference for size of groups, however, regular focus groups in Japan have 8 respondents for a number of reasons: a) the larger the group the more difficult it becomes for Japanese respondents to share a different opinion b) facilities generally do not cater for any more than 8 respondents. We have found, however, the most fruitful discussions are generally from smaller groups of 6 respondents where the atmosphere is more intimate.

Commute time and working respondents

It is very difficult to recruit working respondents for FGs starting earlier than 7pm. Work generally finishes at 6pm in Tokyo and train commutes can take up to an hour. With groups starting at 7pm and finishing at 9pm only one group per evening can be conducted amongst working respondents on weekdays.

Same age groups

Try and keep respondents within a 10 year age band i.e. 20-29, 30-39 etc. Japanese culture is strongly based around a system of seniority so if there are wide age ranges within groups you may have younger respondents deferring to the opinions of older respondents. And while we can confirm the age upon re-screening individually we tend to avoid asking the age question in the group introduction as hierarchies can quickly form.

To Mix or not to Mix? (Females and Males)

This really depends on the topic of discussion, but the general rule is to separate males and females. However, if the topic is relatively light hearted and not overly biased towards the interests of one gender (cars and guys for instance) then mixing groups can actually spice things up and make discussions far more interesting.

Have respondents write down their answers within groups 

Japanese respondents are very easily swayed by other respondents, largely due to their group mentality, so we always recommend having respondents write down their opinions before announcing to the group as a whole – where time permits of course.

All in all focus groups run pretty well in Japan if a few of those above points are observed.