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Web-savvy Japanese aged over 50 surf online just as often as young people do, using the Internet to arrange travel and read news, a study, quoted by an AFP report, said.
The AFP report, quoting the study by marketing firm Nikkei Research, further said Japanese aged 50 to 69 who are familiar with the Internet spend an average of 2.4 hours a day online, compared with an average of 2.5 hours for all age groups.
Older Japanese, both men and women, said they used the Internet to read news, to browse maps, train timetables and restaurant guides, and to book reservations for planes, trains and hotels, the AFP report said.
Older women in particular said they also enjoyed surfing to learn about lifestyle and trends such as fashion, cosmetics and cuisine, the study said.
However, Japanese aged 50 to 69 were much less interested in blogs and online communities compared with young people and were more cautious about auction sites, the study said.
Some 41.1 % of Japanese between 50 and 69 planned to spend more time online in the future, above the average of 35.5 %, it said.