"Investigate Before Discarding" is the New Norm. | "Survey on Danshari"

NeoMarketing Inc., a company providing marketing support services (Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), conducted an internet research on the theme of "Danshari" for two days from March 3 (Tue) to March 4 (Wed), 2026, targeting men and women aged 20 and over nationwide who have experienced Danshari.

In recent years, in addition to rising prices and a review of living environments, the spread of flea market apps and buying services has diversified people's "ways of owning" and "ways of letting go" more than ever. Danshari is becoming one of the actions that reflects lifestyles and consumption awareness, not just reducing items, but also including how to decide whether to "discard," "sell," or "keep."

To capture these changes, this time we broadly surveyed men and women aged 20 and over nationwide who have experienced Danshari, on topics such as frequency of implementation, triggers, disposal genres, disposal methods, information gathering, reasons for abandonment, presence of regret, and even "purchasing with selling in mind." Please use this as a reference for future marketing activities.

[Survey Overview]

Method: Conducted via a web questionnaire system operated by NeoMarketing Inc.

Target: Men and women aged 20 and over nationwide who have experienced Danshari.

Valid Responses: 1,000 people

Survey Dates: March 3 (Tue) - March 4 (Wed), 2026

◆ "Survey on Danshari" Main Questions and Answers

◆ Do you "gather information" before doing Danshari: Approximately 60% of the total gather some information before Danshari.

While "checking disposal methods on local government websites" was the top answer, looking at gender and age groups, "checking the selling price of similar products on flea market apps" was strong among those in their 20s and 30s, with high levels at 41.8% for women in their 20s, 39.0% for men in their 30s, 34.6% for women in their 30s, and 35.5% for men in their 20s.

Furthermore, younger generations tend to research across multiple channels such as SNS, AI, and YouTube, showing an attitude of not just discarding items but first determining "if it can be sold (in the first place)" or "if it's better to sell than to discard" before choosing a disposal method.

◆ When shopping, what items are "purchased with selling in mind": "Clothing, bags, shoes" topped at 23.2%.

While "clothing, bags, shoes" was the most frequent at 23.2%, "home appliances" remained at 11.7%, indicating that familiar, fast-moving categories are more likely to be chosen with "selling in mind" than durable goods that might have high resale value.

By gender and age, "CDs, DVDs, games" stood out for men in their 30s at 40.3%, men in their 40s at 32.6%, and men in their 20s at 32.3%, suggesting that younger to middle-aged men have a relatively strong sense of viewing entertainment items as "something to sell eventually."

First, we asked if respondents had recently performed "Danshari (organizing and disposing of unnecessary items)." The following is a graph of responses from those who passed the screening (those with Danshari experience).

※Here, Danshari refers not merely to disposing of unnecessary items, but to the "philosophy and act" of letting go of attachment to possessions and aiming for a comfortable state of mind and body.

Have you recently performed "Danshari (organizing and disposing of unnecessary items)" (n= 1,000)