Ahead of 'Happiness Day' on May 29, Hakuhodo's 100-Year Life Research Institute Releases Analysis of 16,186 'Happy Experience' Episodes

The 100-Year Life Research Institute, a think tank under Hakuhodo Inc., has conducted a 'Well-being Episode Survey' collecting and analyzing 16,186 'happy experience' episodes from Japanese consumers. While the concept of well-being is gaining traction in Japan, the actual level of happiness among citizens remains largely unchanged and low compared to other countries. It is also known that many Japanese people do not concretely understand what well-being means to them. To better understand this, the institute analyzed 16,186 episodes. The results show that Japanese people find more happiness in experiences that allow them to 'unwind'—feeling calm and relaxed—rather than experiences that 'lift their mood' through excitement. According to the survey, 53.1% of respondents felt 'unwound,' while 30.4% felt their 'mood was lifted.' The most empathetic episode was a weekend gaming experience shared by a woman in her 30s. Furthermore, 'expanding experiences through travel' (13.5%) was the most common content, while 'passing on life experiences' (10.9%) and 'continuous friendships' (10.7%) were cited as top meanings and values. The survey was conducted in two phases, involving 8,093 participants for data collection and 21,600 for evaluation. The findings suggest that exposure to others' well-being episodes has the potential to positively influence one's own well-being.