Announcement! April Seasonal Events & Activities Ranking: 73% Want to See Cherry Blossoms, 'Family Photography' More Popular Than 'Dango'?! / Part 1 of Family April Trends Survey

The full survey can be found here.

Actindi Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Keido Shimomoto), which operates "Iko-yo," one of Japan's largest information sites for children's outings, conducted a survey on "April Seasonal Events and Activities" among child-rearing households through "Iko-yo Family Lab," which explores the real trends of parents.

The survey results showed that "cherry blossom viewing" was overwhelmingly popular for April events, with 73.0%. Looking at what people want to do during cherry blossom viewing, it appears that it is not just enjoyed as a leisure activity, but also as a "time to enjoy recording family growth."

(Note) This release is a digest version. The complete article includes all survey data, including reviews. Please check it as well.

This survey is one of 12 "Child-rearing Household Trend Surveys" in the "April Family Ranking." Please check them all.

[April Child-rearing Household Situation and Prediction Survey ①～⑭] - ① Overall Ranking of Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April (This article) - ② Ranking of Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April with Babies (https://iko-yo.net/articles/22488) - ③ Ranking of Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April with Toddlers (https://iko-yo.net/articles/22494) - ④ Ranking of Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April with Lower Elementary School Children (https://iko-yo.net/articles/22495) - ⑤ Ranking of Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April with Upper Elementary School Children (https://iko-yo.net/articles/22496) - ⑥ Investment Situation of Child-rearing Households: How much savings? Do couples consult? - ⑦ Ranking of NISA accounts opened by child-rearing households - ⑧ Ranking of ways to enjoy Children's Day - ⑨ Ranking of children's pocket money - ⑩ Ranking of hidden gems for Golden Week - ⑪ Children's eye health survey - ⑫ Children's room survey

Iko-yo Family Lab "April Child-rearing Survey" Full Survey List (https://iko-yo.net/topics/april)

<<Survey on Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April>>

- ▶ 1st place: Cherry blossom viewing/Sakura appreciation (Somei Yoshino, Yaezakura) 73.0% - Overwhelming 1st place - ▶ 2nd place: Planning trips/outings for Golden Week (GW) - Half (46.7%) want to do this - ▶ Cherry blossom viewing: "Family photography" more popular than "dango" (dumplings) - ▶ Three gadgets to enjoy cherry blossom viewing - ▶ [Summary]

View full survey

*If you wish to publish or cite this survey content in various media, please contact our public relations department (pr@actindi.net) before publication and include "Iko-yo Family Lab Survey" credit and the article URL (https://iko-yo.net/articles/22462) in the publication/citation source.

■Ranking of what child-rearing households want to do with their children in April

→ For details, please see the full survey.

"Cherry blossom viewing (73.0%)" was the overwhelming No. 1 activity for April. Following in second place were "GW planning (46.7%)," "celebrating kindergarten/school enrollment (29.5%)," and "preparing for Children's Day (26.3%)," indicating that milestones of new life and preparations for future leisure activities dominated the top ranks.

April seems to be a "preparation period" for families to celebrate new beginnings while enjoying the cherry blossoms.

■Family cherry blossom viewing: Not just "seeing and enjoying," but also "taking photos and recording annual growth" as a fixed-point observation

When asked in free-form responses about "what was good about cherry blossom viewing," the most common answer was recording growth through photos.

- "Every year, we take photos under the same cherry tree with their school bags. I am deeply moved by the changes year by year." - "The child who was held last year is now running after petals this year. That contrast makes me happy."

This shows that cherry blossoms are cherished not only as a "spring backdrop" but also as a "record" to enjoy children's growth.

April Seasonal Events & Activities Survey: Full Text https://iko-yo.net/articles/22462

■Three gadgets for families to "enjoy cherry blossom viewing more"

The survey revealed creative ways for "experiential cherry blossom viewing" that stimulate children's intellectual curiosity, beyond just eating a bento. The "new outing trends" that parents are paying attention to also included enjoying the following gadgets:

1. [Digital] My camera/Binoculars: Giving children their own "kids' camera" allows them to capture and record spring from their own perspective. 2. [Analog] Picture books/Insect cages: Researching types of cherry blossoms or collecting fallen petals for craft materials. 3. [Digital Map] Searching and booking together: Using Google Maps, etc., to search for "new parks" with children, enjoying outing preparations as a family.

April Popular Seasonal Events & Activities Survey https://iko-yo.net/articles/22462

### ■Summary: Recording milestones and preparing for the next stage. The popularity of cherry blossom viewing and new life events overlap, creating a "record-keeping need" in April.

The most distinctive feature of this survey was the composition of the top rankings. While "cherry blossom viewing (73.0%)" garnered overwhelming popularity in first place, "GW planning (46.7%)" came in second, "celebrating kindergarten/school enrollment/new job (29.5%)" in third, and "preparing for Children's Day (26.3%)" in fourth.

April, with its spring break, appears to be not just a season for entertainment (leisure) for families, but also a "period of preparation for new life."

Furthermore, the background to the voices enjoying "photography" as a way to enjoy cherry blossom viewing seems to be the parental desire to record milestones such as kindergarten/school enrollment and advancement.

The April events survey results show parents and children enjoying and celebrating the children's growth together.

Iko-yo Family Lab also conducts age-specific surveys on rankings of activities to enjoy in April. Please check them as well.

- Survey | Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April with Babies - Survey | Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April with Toddlers - Survey | Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April with Lower Elementary School Children - Survey | Seasonal Events & Activities to Enjoy in April with Upper Elementary School Children