Photo/Illutration A group of national census survey personnel speak to a homeless man at Hakata Railway Station in central Fukuoka in October 1985. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

There was an air of excitement and anticipation all over Japan in the fall 100 years ago, as the date of the first national census survey drew near.

Signage appeared on the streets bearing slogans such as, "A census is a mirror of a civilized nation" and "Failure to participate in the survey is a national disgrace."

On Oct. 1, census day, even the usually busy entertainment districts were deserted. Everybody stayed home to await the census taker.

According to "Kokusei Chosa Nihon Shakai no Hyakunen" (Census: 100 years of Japanese society) by economist Masahiro Sato, there was a surge of patriotism at the time, with the Russo-Japanese War and World War I already in the past. The public appears to have appreciated the census survey as something indispensable to joining the ranks of the world's "first-class nations."

From the start, the basic format for conducting the survey was that census takers would visit every household for face-to-face interviews. The government explained that the survey was crucial for determining the allocation of taxes and drawing electoral maps.

The survey questions reflected the era.

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, citizens were asked if they had been repatriated from overseas. During the Heisei Era (1989-2019), people were asked about the length of their daily commute to and from work.

One year, people were asked if they'd been previously married. I blushed inadvertently over this episode. 

Reiko Oyama, 82, of Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, served as a census taker for half a century.

"People's awareness for privacy grew with time and more households began to refuse to take part," she recalled. "You have to be pretty brash to do this job."

Unlike back in the Taisho Era (1912-1926), an aversion to letting the state barge into one's home appears to have become more widespread.

Conducted every five years, this year's census survey--the 21st in the series--starts next week.

With the growing number of households unable to participate in face-to-face interviews, not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic going on now, the government is recommending non-contact surveys by mail or online.

Without continuity, there is no point in conducting a census. Still, the way it is done must be flexible to be changed as needed.

One hundred years from now, I wonder if people are going to cringe at the awkwardness of the questions we are asked and how we answer them.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 10

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.