Japanese students show high interest in reading despite low weekly reading times

Recent surveys conducted by the Hakuhodo Education Foundation Children's Research Institute and Nifty Kids reveal a disconnect between Japanese elementary and junior high school students' interest in reading and their actual reading time.

According to the Hakuhodo study, 69.3% of students report liking reading. However, approximately 72.6% of students spend less than one hour per week reading, with 17.4% stating they do not read at all. While 63.9% find reading enjoyable, 76.5% believe that videos and games are more fun.

A Nifty Kids survey of 1,646 respondents found that 89.4% of students like reading books (excluding manga). While elementary students often read 16 or more books per month, junior high students typically read only 2 to 3. For junior high students, social media and YouTube have become significant influences, with 33.5% using these platforms to choose books, surpassing recommendations from friends.

Common reasons for not enjoying reading include finding other activities like gaming or YouTube more entertaining, and difficulties with reading text or feeling fatigued by it.