What Japan Thinks reports on a survey conducted by JR Tokai Express Research into portable electronic dictionaries used by the average Japanese. Since only 8% of the sample was even in their 20s, the survey mainly reflects the habits of those who aren’t formal students.

Most use both a printed (59%) and online (57%) dictionary, but a significant number use portable electronic dictionaries (30%), their mobile phones (25%), or dictionary software on their PC (21%). Only 6% never use any dictionary at all.

The top makes of portable electronic dictionaries were Casio (56%), Sharp (34%), Seiko (19%), Sony (13%) and Canon (8%). Most sue their dictionary to translate English to Japanese (87%) but 61% use to translate Japanese to English or just look up Japanese words (56%).

Only 18% use a portable electronic dictionary for kanji and 13% use one for languages other than Japanese and English.