I received this notice in my mailbox announcing the 2020 census last Saturday, but I did not get the actual survey packet with my identification number. I went online to respond to the survey, but wasn't able to without the identification number.
Friday evening, the actual packet with ID number was delivered. The packet material is in Japanese, so it was too difficult to fill out the paper form. Luckily, the online form is available in many languages. I chose English, of course, and was able to answer the 16 questions in just a few minutes. I'm glad that is done!
In Japan, the census is taken every five years and covers everyone that has lived or plans to live in Japan for more than three months, regardless of nationality. Everyone that is covered is legally obliged to respond. Here is my post about the 2015 census.
Thank goodness you had an English version. I remember a man who called himself The Wizard who live in NZ, every census time he would get on a boat and sail outside the legal limit for the country so he didn't have to fill in the census.
Well done, Pamela. Did you get a visit from the local representative? My SIL is responsible for our and neighbouring blocks. She has to go and encourage and help people fill in the form, and to check that they have done it. In these troubled times of Covid19 it is difficult to talk face to face with people, she often has to do it through the intercom. A big problem is that the print is very small, even I found I needed a magnifying glass to read some of the kanji characters, so I can imagine people much older than me having trouble. The Japanese love statistics so I think it is a good idea to have a census but I know there are many who can't be bothered. With Prime Minister Suga we have entered into a new era of digitalisation. In future the census as well as many other forms of official red tape will be done online. HOW are the elderly going to manage?
Here in France the census is every ten years but not everyone at the same time. Ours was this year but while we were away in Spain so we could not be counted. Which is a shame as the commune is allocated funds depending on the number of residents at the time of the census. xx
Thank goodness you had an English version.
ReplyDeleteI remember a man who called himself The Wizard who live in NZ, every census time he would get on a boat and sail outside the legal limit for the country so he didn't have to fill in the census.
Yikes! That would be a little freaky! I wish ours was every five. I know it takes a lot of work but that seems to make a good deal of sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI've experienced the census taker long ago. I felt it′s very sensitive work.
ReplyDeleteSo online form is convinient system!
Well done, Pamela.
ReplyDeleteDid you get a visit from the local representative? My SIL is responsible for our and neighbouring blocks. She has to go and encourage and help people fill in the form, and to check that they have done it. In these troubled times of Covid19 it is difficult to talk face to face with people, she often has to do it through the intercom.
A big problem is that the print is very small, even I found I needed a magnifying glass to read some of the kanji characters, so I can imagine people much older than me having trouble.
The Japanese love statistics so I think it is a good idea to have a census but I know there are many who can't be bothered.
With Prime Minister Suga we have entered into a new era of digitalisation. In future the census as well as many other forms of official red tape will be done online. HOW are the elderly going to manage?
Here in France the census is every ten years but not everyone at the same time. Ours was this year but while we were away in Spain so we could not be counted. Which is a shame as the commune is allocated funds depending on the number of residents at the time of the census. xx
ReplyDeleteHow interesting - and amazing how it's your second time getting to take part already!
ReplyDelete