85％ of those surveyed say manga is good for children

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:00 JST, October 27, 2022

In a nationwide poll on reading conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun, 85% of respondents said they “agree” or “somewhat agree” that it is good for children to read manga. The percentage of those saying they “disagree” or “somewhat disagree” came to 12%.

Those who thought manga reading among children is a good thing accounted for more than 70% of all age groups, and more than 90% of respondents age 49 or under. The most common response to a question about the effects of reading manga on children, with multiple responses allowed, was “Enriches sensitivity and expressiveness” at 63%, followed by “Gives children something to talk about with their friends” at 53% and “Increases knowledge” at 44%.

On the other hand, when respondents were asked about the effects of non-manga reading, “Enriches sensitivity and expressiveness” and “Increases knowledge” were the most common responses at 77% each, with “Makes children more aware of others’ feelings” coming in third at 44%. “Gives children something to talk about with their friends” was chosen by 18% of respondents.

According to the Research Institute for Publications, total estimated sales for the comics market, including paper and e-books, came to ¥675.9 billion in 2021, a record high for the second consecutive year.

The survey was conducted from Aug. 22 to Sept. 27 with 2,104 respondents. It had a 70% response rate.