RENOSY the online Real estate investment service brand operated by our company, Smart Plus Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Director: Noriko Kobayashi; hereinafter referred to as "Smart Plus"), a Finatext Group company that realizes embedded finance through the provision of next-generation financial infrastructure, and Nissay Asset Management Corporation (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Director: Hiroshi Ozeki; hereinafter referred to as "Nissay Asset Management"), conducted a joint survey on "investment awareness and realities by prefecture and region" among the "financial gap generation (※1)" in their 20s and 30s.

With less than three months until the launch of the new NISA system (※2), we conducted a survey of 6,778 people across 47 prefectures and seven regions, and found that the proportion of people with investment experience, including NISA/Tsumitate NISA, is increasing, particularly in metropolitan areas such as the Tokyo metropolitan area. In addition, we will present the survey results by prefecture and region, which show the attitude and actual situation of the "financial gap generation" toward investment.

*1: The "financial gap generation" is defined as those in their 20s and 30s who spent the majority of their working lives during the low interest rate period following the Lehman Shock and who did not have the opportunity to receive financial education in their teens.
*2: Financial Services Agency "New NISA" (https://www.fsa.go.jp/policy/nisa2/about/nisa2024/index.html)

・One in three people nationwide and by region responded that they felt "anxious/worried" about their post-retirement life. ・The national average percentage of people with investment experience was 37.8%. The Kanto region was higher than the average at 45.8%, while Hokkaido and Tohoku had the lowest results at 29.4%.
・Over 80% of people, including those with experience, are interested in "NISA/Tsumitate NISA." Looking at people with experience investing in "NISA/Tsumitate NISA" by prefecture, the difference is widening, with Tokyo having the most at 61.2% and Oita having the least at 30.6%.
- When it comes to investing, the financial niche generation looks for "ease of getting started," "stable profits," and "ease of digital management," in that order.

We asked, "When you imagine your life after retirement, what emotion comes to mind the most?" The highest percentage of people, over 30%, answered "anxiety/worry" on average nationwide and by region, indicating that one in three people feel anxious. The next most common answer, both nationally and by region, was "I can't imagine/I've never thought about it."

Looking at the percentage of responses to each emotion by prefecture in order of highest to lowest, the results are as follows. In Saga Prefecture, about one in two people responded that they were "anxious/worried about their retirement," while in Tokyo, Saitama, and Hyogo Prefectures, which are home to central cities in major metropolitan areas, people had more positive emotions.

When asked about their investment experience and interest, the national average was 37.8% for "I have investment experience" (currently investing/have invested in the past but not currently), 31.0% for "I have never invested, but am interested," and 31.2% for "I have never invested and am not interested." When narrowing down the results by region among those with investment experience, the Kanto region had the highest level of investment experience at 45.8% (45.79%), while the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions had the lowest at 29.4%. Furthermore, when broken down by prefecture, there was a large gap between Tokyo with the highest number of experienced people at 61.4% and Oita with the lowest at 23.6%.

In response to the question, "When you imagine your life in retirement, what emotion comes to mind the strongest?", there are many people in each prefecture of the Kanto region who have positive feelings about retirement, suggesting a connection with investment experience.

When we asked those who answered "I have never invested but am not interested" "When would you like to start investing?", 21.1% answered "I would like to start sooner."

When asked about their experience and interest in "NISA/Tsumitate NISA," the national average was 43.8% who "have experience (currently using it/have done it in the past but not currently using it)," 43.7% who "have never done it but are interested," and 12.5% who "have never done it and are not interested." It turns out that over 80% of people, including those with experience, are interested in "NISA/Tsumitate NISA."

Looking at the results by prefecture, Tokyo had the most experience at 61.2%, while Oita had the least at 30.6%, which is similar to the results for investment experience in the previous question. Although Oita Prefecture has few people with experience in "NISA/Tsumitate NISA," the percentage of people who "have never done it, but are interested" was 62.4%, the highest of all prefectures.

We asked "experienced investors" and "never invested but interested" about the points they consider important when investing. Nearly half of the respondents (46.1%) chose "no initial costs/able to start with a small amount," followed by "expectation of stable profits rather than high returns" at 41.7% and "ability to easily start and manage investments digitally using a smartphone or other device" at 36.7%. We found that the financial niche generation is looking for "ease of starting," "stable profits," and "ease of managing digitally" when investing.

This survey revealed that there are regional differences in the "investment experience and interest" of the financial niche generation. Furthermore, it was found that there is a correlation between investment experience and positive feelings about retirement.
Meanwhile, anxiety and worry are the top emotions regarding retirement in all prefectures. Also, while there are few people in Oita who have experience with "NISA/Tsumitate NISA," the percentage of people who have never tried it but are interested is the highest in the country. From this, it seems that the amount of information related to investment and the practice of preparing for retirement are more prevalent in large metropolitan areas such as the Kanto region.
The online Real estate investment service brand "RENOSY" offers mainly online services from considering Real estate investment to purchasing and subsequent management and sales, and has an electronic contract rate of 94.2%. The brand is promoting "an online experience that is not limited by the region of residence" (※ 3).
In addition, Smartplus and Nissay Asset Management have jointly developed "Goal Navi," a discretionary investment management service that can be completed on a smartphone, with the aim of changing the current situation in which asset management is not yet widespread among individuals, despite the increasing importance of asset management. We are working to provide services that contribute to the asset formation of individuals, including young people (※4).
At the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy held in April 2023, it was stated that "Japan will become a nation built on asset management" and that a policy plan would be formulated by the end of 2023. (*5) Based on the results of this survey, the three companies intend to continue providing information on asset formation for a better life.

*3: One year after the amendment to the Real Estate Brokerage Business Act, 94.2% of sales contracts for Real estate investment are now online! RENOSY, an online Real estate investment, has released infographics explaining the new normal of transactions (https://www.ga-tech.co.jp/news/duepzapolqwtijls/)
*4: Sustainability initiatives (https://www.nam.co.jp/sustainability/activity/index.html)
*5: Prime Minister's Office "Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy"
(https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/101_kishida/actions/202304/26keizai.html)

*Summary of the "Survey on investment awareness and realities by prefecture and region"
・Survey period: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 to Tuesday, September 19, 2023
・Survey panel: Survey conducted by GA technologies Co., Ltd., SmartPlus, and Nissay Asset Management, using the survey panel of JustSystems (Fastask)
・Target audience: Men and women in their 20s and 30s (excluding students)
・Number of respondents: 6,778 (number of respondents varies by prefecture)
Survey method: Internet survey

*The response rate (%) is rounded off to the first decimal place and displayed to the first decimal place, so the total may not necessarily add up to 100%.
*Company names and product/service names mentioned in this press release may be trademarks of the respective companies.
*When introducing or quoting this survey, please be sure to clearly indicate the source.
Example: Survey on investment awareness and actual situation by prefecture and region, conducted by GA technologies Co., Ltd., Smartplus, and Nissay Asset Management
*If you require any other data, please contact the respective companies.