(Photo courtesy of PNA)
TOKYO – More than 70 percent of elementary and junior high school students in Japan spend less than an hour a week reading books, despite nearly seven in 10 expressing an interest in reading, according to a recent survey.
The Hakuhodo Foundation Child Research Institute conducted the nationwide online survey on August 9, gathering valid responses from 1,200 children and their parents.
The respondents included students from the fourth grade of elementary school through the third year of junior high school.
The findings were released in conjunction with Japan’s two-week reading promotion campaign, which runs through November 9.
According to the survey, 12.8 percent of children said they love reading, while the combined proportion of those who love, like or somewhat like reading reached 69.3 percent.
However, 17.4 percent of respondents said they do not read books at all, while 55.2 percent reported spending less than an hour per week reading.
Combined, the figures showed that 72.6 percent of children spend less than an hour a week reading or do not read at all.
Fewer than 30 percent said they devote at least one hour per week to books.
The survey also found that junior high school students were less likely to enjoy reading compared with elementary school pupils and generally spent less time reading.
Digital entertainment emerged as a major competitor for children’s attention.
About 76.5 percent of respondents said watching videos and playing games was more enjoyable than reading books, while 63.9 percent considered reading an enjoyable activity.
The findings suggested that even children who have an interest in books may devote less time to reading because they prefer digital entertainment.
Meanwhile, the survey highlighted the influence of parents in developing children’s reading habits.
More than 90 percent of children whose parents read for at least an hour per week said they enjoyed reading themselves.
Among all parent respondents, between 49 percent and 67 percent reported actively encouraging their children’s reading habits through activities such as providing books suited to their interests, reading aloud and visiting libraries or bookstores.
The percentages were significantly higher among parents whose children said they loved reading, ranging from 81.7 percent to 88.9 percent.
The findings underscored the association between parental involvement and children’s interest in books, even as videos and online games increasingly compete for their leisure time.
