年末年始休み無しが１割　欠かせないのは年越しそば―時事通信調査

　令和初の正月を迎えるこの年末から１月５日まで、家事や仕事などを離れて連続で何日くらい休めそうかを聞いたところ、９日間全て休める人は３６．２％だった一方、全く休めそうにないという人が約１割に上ることが、時事通信の「年末年始休暇」に関する世論調査で分かった。
　「９日」は最多で、以下「７～８日」１３．３％、「３～４日」１２．５％、「５～６日」１１．０％と続いた。しかし、「全く休めそうにない」が１０．６％、「１～２日」も９．０％を占めた。
　そこで、年末年始にお年玉を除いて予定している出費を聞くと、最多は「３万～６万円未満」の２８．０％。「３万円未満」が２４．６％で続き、「特別な出費の予定はない」が１５．３％で３番目に多かった。
　また、働き方が見直されつつあるコンビニやファミリーレストランなどの小売業・サービス業が正月も営業するべきかを三つの選択肢で聞いた。最多は「三が日は営業しなくてよい」の４５．０％で、「元日は休業しても、２日から営業してほしい」が３８．０％、「元日から営業してほしい」は１２．５％だった。
　正月を迎えるに当たって欠かせないと思うものも聞いた。１４項目から複数回答で聞くと、最多は「年越しそば」の５７．０％。次いで「おせちや雑煮などの正月料理」の５５．４％、「大そうじ」５３．０％でトップ３。「ＮＨＫ紅白歌合戦」は３２．１％で８番目、「紅白以外の年末年始特番」は１９．５％で１１番目、「新聞の分厚い元日紙面」は１１．７％で１２番目だった。
　調査は１２月６～９日、全国の１８歳以上の男女２０００人を対象に個別面接方式で実施、有効回収率は６１．４％。（2019/12/23-06:43）

A Jiji Press survey has found that 10.6 pct of people in Japan will likely be unable to take even a day off during the nine-day year-end and New Year holiday period from Saturday to Jan. 5.
   The proportion of respondents who can possibly take all nine days off, without doing work or household chores, came to 36.2 pct, while 13.3 pct said they are likely to take seven or eight straight holidays, followed by 12.5 pct expecting three or four straight days off and 11.0 pct five or six straight days off. The share of people expecting to take only one or two days off stood at 9.0 pct.
   Asked how much they plan to spend during the holiday period, excluding "otoshidama" New Year's money gift to children, 28.0 pct said "between 30,000 yen and less than 60,000 yen," followed by 24.6 pct who said "less than 30,000 yen" and 15.3 pct who said they plan "no special spending." The coming year-end and New Year period will be the first since Japan's new era, Reiwa, started on May 1 in line with Emperor Naruhito's enthronement on the day.
   On the question of whether retail and service operators, namely convenience stores and family restaurants, where work style reforms have been a major issue recently, should keep open during New Year's days, 45.0 pct said they do not need to operate on the first three days of the New Year and 38.0 pct said they want the outlets to be open from the second day of the New Year. The proportion of those who want the stores to be open from New Year's Day came to 12.5 pct.
   Asked about items deemed essential for the year-end and New Year period, with multiple answers allowed, 57.0 pct, the largest group, cited "toshikoshi-soba," or year-crossing noodles, eaten usually on New Year's Eve, followed by 55.4 pct who cited New Year's dishes, such as "osechi" Japanese traditional cuisine prepared for the period, and "zoni" rice cake soup. "Osoji" thorough year-end house cleaning ranked third, cited by 53.0 pct.