May 27 is Hyakunin Isshu Day: 'Intense Competition' Image Outweighs 'Elegant Traditional Culture' Across All Generations in a Survey of 7,516 People

MediaSeek Inc. operates 'ICONIT Research,' conducting daily surveys targeting users within its QR/barcode reader app 'ICONIT,' which has surpassed 36 million cumulative downloads.

In recent years, due to changes in search results and the spread of generative AI, the evidence backing the reliability of information is prioritized more than ever. This is why 'primary data' is attracting attention. Primary data refers to data collected or verified directly by a company, rather than summaries or speculations by other companies, and includes survey results, user usage data, and verification data.

Primary data enhances the persuasiveness of articles, press releases, and sales materials. It can be utilized not only for differentiation in SEO but also as evidence that is likely to be quoted or referenced in AIO/LLMO (AI Optimization).

ICONIT Research undertakes commissioned survey research for companies and organizations, offering consultations from questionnaire design to collection, aggregation, and report generation.

In this release, we announce the results of an awareness survey on the 'recognition and interest in Hyakunin Isshu' conducted among 7,516 people.

Scope of Commissioned Survey Research

Collection method: In-app survey within ICONIT
Collection speed: Capable of collecting up to approximately 10,000 responses in a single day
Target: ICONIT users (Availability of attribute specification is negotiable depending on the project)
Questions: Single choice, multiple choice, etc.
Delivery: Raw data, simple cross-tabulation, cross-tabulation, graphing, etc. (upon request)
Use case examples: New product concept verification, advertising expression A/B comparison, price perception surveys, actual purchase surveys, brand recall surveys, article/program content creation, etc.

Companies seeking to enhance the persuasiveness of articles, videos, SNS posts, press releases, white papers, and sales materials through primary data can consult with us from questionnaire design to collection, aggregation, and reporting.

For an overview of ICONIT Research and the flow of commissioning, click here:
https://www.iconit.jp/iconit-research/

Survey Result Topics

The image of 'Competitive Karuta' surpasses 'Traditional Culture,' showing a clear shift in the impression of Hyakunin Isshu across all generations.
'Influence of manga and movies' is a minority; widely recognized as 'Competitive Karuta' where cards are intensely hit away.
Understanding of Hyakunin Isshu is at about half for 'Do not know at all,' showing a trend from a 'culture to play' oneself to a 'competition to watch.'
(Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding of numbers.)

Survey Results

■ Question 1: What is your strongest image of Hyakunin Isshu?
Competitive Karuta: 38.7%
Traditional Culture: 27.7%
Bozu Mekuri (a game played with the deck): 13.2%
School homework or exams: 7.7%
Works such as movies or manga: 6.7%
Other: 6.1%

■ Question 2: What is your Hyakunin Isshu level?
Do not know at all
Know some famous poems
Understand the rules and how to play
Memorized all 100 poems

■ Question 3: What sparked your interest in Hyakunin Isshu?
No interest / No particular trigger
School classes or events
Gatherings with family or relatives
Interest in history or classical literature
Manga, anime, movies

■ Question 4: Do you have a 'specialty card' or 'favorite poem'?
Not really
Have a few favorite poems
Have both a specialty card and favorite poems
Have a specialty card I can answer instantly

*If you have any questions regarding respondent attributes or other detailed data, please contact info@iconit.jp.

Information on Commissioned Survey Research

ICONIT Research accepts commissioned survey research for companies and organizations that want to quickly gather responses via in-app surveys. It is a service capable of gathering approximately 10,000 responses in a single day.

Companies looking to enhance the persuasiveness of articles, videos, SNS posts, press releases, white papers, and sales materials centered on primary data can consult with us from question design to collection, tabulation, and reporting.

For an overview of ICONIT Research and the flow of commissioning, click here:
https://www.iconit.jp/iconit-research/

Survey Overview

Survey method: Conducted via the in-app survey corner of the QR/barcode reader ICONIT
Implementation period: May 13, 2026
Number of valid respondents: 7,516
Note: Numbers in tables, graphs, and text are rounded to the first or second decimal place.
Source attribution: Survey by ICONIT Research

About the QR/barcode reader ICONIT
A standard app with over 36 million cumulative downloads. Equipped with the in-house developed barcode reader engine 'Camreader,' providing fast and accurate reading capabilities. By linking with multiple point services such as Rakuten Points, it is also utilized by 'poi-katsu' (point hunting) users.

About ICONIT Research
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