Originally Posted by MMM
As you stated in the OP, your research methods may not be the most scientific, and I do not fault you on that. You are using the means you have.
I would agree that a majority of Japanese will give canned answers to "what are your hobbies?" when asked. Popular answers are "sleeping," "shopping," "video games," "talking with friends," "listening to music", etc.
However that doesn't mean these are their actual hobbies. I find many Japanese people would rather give a canned answer than the "real" answer, as there is less threat of a negative (or even neutral or surprised positive) reaction.
Again, to give an alternative perspective, I would say that commercially, Japan is the most hobby-centric society I have ever seen. How else can specialty stores like the ones that Miss Misa just posted on her thread not only stay in business, but thrive?
Whether it be niche fashion, comics, artwork, model trains, robotics, make-up, temple-hopping, you name it, Japan has a subculture of talented and intelligent people who are followed by dozens if not hundreds if not thousands to strive to reach their level.
Go to any bookstore and see the massive variety of magazines on the shelves. There must be 10 times as many magazine titles published monthly in Japan as there are in the US, with half the population. How could this industry have lasted this long if peoples hobbies REALLY are "chatting with friends" and "going shopping"?
The reality is that Japanese aren't as forthcoming with their hobbies to people that aren't very close, or that don't share the same interest. Anyone who is interested in something you are not is considered odd, so it is easier to say "listening to music" than it is to say "practicing gothic-lolita make-up" or "taking photographs of shinkansen" (which is a beautiful subculture on its own... actually fueled by JR partially by having different trains that go only on certain routes).
I made a couple buddies at my most local shot bar when I lived in Hyogo. At first I just knew these guys as hard workers who got up in the morning, went to work, came home, had a few beers, and repeat the next day. One made desserts at a bakery, and the other was a salaryman at a plastics company. The bartender was (and is) a talkative guy, so it wasn't long before I learned of his hobby (interest, obsession) with American cowboy shows of the 50s and 60s. He could rattle of the names of actors from Rawhide, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman and shows I had never heard of. However, it took many months before I learned that the dessert man was a hardcore foreign film fan, and the plastics man was really into everything French... food, wine, culture, movies, language, etc.
So my point would be, just because people are not forthcoming with their actual hobbies or interests doesn't mean they don't have them. I think the sheer magnitude of niche industries is a testament to that.
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