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CASE STUDY 02 PersonaChoice v3.0 / 2026.06.12

Can AI personas capture
what residents care about?

We reproduced eight questions from official resident surveys in Yokohama, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya with 200 AI personas per question.

Bottom line

Reproduced top resident concerns at 70–80%

Across different cities and themes, every question achieved Grade B or above under the same Top-K standard.

75%

Average agreement among top items

100%

Best Top-K agreement

4 cities

Official surveys compared

8/8

Grade B or above

Validation method

Compare which concerns appear near the top—not exact percentages

The original surveys allowed multiple answers, while PersonaChoice asks for one priority. We therefore compare overlap among the highest-ranked items using Top-K agreement and Top-1 matches.

Real surveysOfficial public data
Compared with200 personas per question

City benchmark

Overall resultsacross 4 cities and 8 questions

The simulation consistently captured leading resident concerns across different cities and themes. Both Yokohama questions achieved Grade A.

A × 2B+ × 3B × 3
01

Yokohama

A × 2

Top-1 matched on both questions; the top three global skills matched exactly.

View validation results →
02

Fukuoka

B / B+

Captured the leading scenery themes and matched benches as the top expectation for parks.

View validation results →
03

Sapporo

B+ / B

Matched disaster preparedness at #1 and identified three of the top five job conditions.

View validation results →
04

Nagoya

B / B+

Captured the locally specific “Nagoya meshi” and four of the top five worries.

View validation results →
CityQuestionTop-K agreementTop-1Grade
YokohamaWorriesTop-5 80%✓A
YokohamaGlobal skillsTop-3 100%✓A
FukuokaSceneryTop-3 67%—B
FukuokaExpectations for parksTop-5 60%✓B+
SapporoPriority PR themesTop-5 60%✓B+
SapporoImportant job conditionsTop-5 60%—B
NagoyaWhat residents are proud ofTop-5 60%—B
NagoyaWorries and anxietiesTop-5 80%—B+
View evaluation method and grade criteria

Top-K: Top 5 for 10+ options and Top 3 for 6–9 options, keeping chance agreement from dominating the score.

Grades: A = 80%+ with a Top-1 match, or 100% agreement. B+ = 80%+, or 60%+ with Top-1. B = 60%+.

01A × 2

Yokohama

FY2023 Citizen Opinion Survey

Top-1 matched on both questions; the top three global skills matched exactly.

Real survey2,572 valid responses
Simulation200 AI personas · 18 wards
City of Yokohama ↗ View public report (JA) →

Original Q9 · 13 options

Worries

Top-5 80%Grade A

What is the single greatest worry or difficulty in your or your family’s life today?

Real survey TOP 5

  1. 1 Own health and old age
  2. 2 Family health
  3. 3 Economy and living costs
  4. 4 Work and workplace
  5. 5 Childcare and education

PersonaChoice TOP 5

  1. 1 Own health and old ageTop-1 match ✓
  2. 2 Work and workplace ✓
  3. 3 Economy and living costs ✓
  4. 4 Accidents and disasters —
  5. 5 Family health ✓
Top-5 agreement 80% (4/5)Top-1 match

PersonaChoice identified four of the real survey’s top five concerns and matched #1, “own health and old age.”

View all answer options

Own health and old age; family health and life issues; unemployment or lower income; work and workplace; economy and living costs; childcare and education; children’s marriage or employment; neighborhood odor or noise; environmental issues; accidents and disasters; crime and safety; housing; no worries.

Original Q16 · 6 options

Global skills

Top-3 100%Grade A

Which single capability is most important for being active globally?

Real survey TOP 3

  1. 1 Language and communication
  2. 2 Understanding diversity and other cultures
  3. 3 Knowledge of international affairs

PersonaChoice TOP 3

  1. 1 Language and communicationTop-1 match ✓
  2. 2 Understanding diversity and other cultures ✓
  3. 3 Knowledge of international affairs ✓
Top-3 agreement 100% (3/3)Top-1 match

The same three items appeared in exactly the same order in the real survey and PersonaChoice.

View all answer options

Language and communication; openness to exchange with foreigners; understanding diversity and other cultures; communicating Yokohama’s appeal; knowledge of international affairs; ownership of global decarbonization issues.

02B / B+

Fukuoka

FY2025 First City Survey

Captured the leading scenery themes and matched benches as the top expectation for parks.

Real survey559 valid responses
Simulation200 AI personas · 7 wards
City of Fukuoka ↗ View public report (JA) →

Original Q23 · 8 options

Scenery

Top-3 67%Grade B

Which single type of scenery best represents what is good about Fukuoka?

Real survey TOP 3

  1. 1 Urban scenery
  2. 2 People and nature
  3. 3 Local traditions and culture

PersonaChoice TOP 3

  1. 1 People and nature ✓
  2. 2 Local traditions and culture ✓
  3. 3 Historic scenery —
Top-3 agreement 67% (2/3)

Two of the real survey’s top three—people and nature, and local tradition and culture—were identified.

View all answer options

Urban scenery; historic scenery; artistic scenery; local traditions and culture; people and nature; night scenery; outdoor advertising; none in particular.

Original Q18 · 12 options

Expectations for parks

Top-5 60%Grade B+

What is the single greatest expectation for Maizuru Park and Ohori Park?

Real survey TOP 5

  1. 1 Benches and rest spaces
  2. 2 Shops and restaurants
  3. 3 Parking
  4. 4 Waterfront management
  5. 5 Walkable paths

PersonaChoice TOP 5

  1. 1 Benches and rest spacesTop-1 match ✓
  2. 2 Walkable paths ✓
  3. 3 Interpretation and signs —
  4. 4 Waterfront management ✓
  5. 5 Clearer views —
Top-5 agreement 60% (3/5)Top-1 match

PersonaChoice also ranked benches and rest spaces—the real survey’s top item—first.

View all answer options

Walkable paths; brighter grounds; better waterfront management; clearer views; more interpretation; more shops and restaurants; a tourism hub; clearer entrances; more events; more parking; more benches; none in particular.

03B+ / B

Sapporo

FY2024 Second / FY2025 Fourth Citizen Surveys

Matched disaster preparedness at #1 and identified three of the top five job conditions.

Real surveyTwo citizen opinion surveys
Simulation200 AI personas · 10 wards
FY2024 survey ↗ FY2025 survey ↗ View public report (JA) →

FY2024 Q2 · 14 options

Priority PR themes

Top-5 60%Grade B+

Which single theme should the city PR magazine prioritize?

Real survey TOP 5

  1. 1 Disaster preparedness
  2. 2 Public facilities
  3. 3 Elderly welfare
  4. 4 Health and food
  5. 5 Community development

PersonaChoice TOP 5

  1. 1 Disaster preparednessTop-1 match ✓
  2. 2 Health and food ✓
  3. 3 Waste —
  4. 4 Children and childcare —
  5. 5 Elderly welfare ✓
Top-5 agreement 60% (3/5)Top-1 match

Disaster preparedness, the most selected theme in the real survey, also ranked first in PersonaChoice.

View all answer options

Disaster preparedness; public facilities; elderly welfare; health and food; community development; culture and art; waste; children and childcare; environment and energy; education; sports; disability welfare; volunteering; none in particular.

FY2025 Q19 · 13 options

Important job conditions

Top-5 60%Grade B

Which single condition matters most when choosing an employer?

Real survey TOP 5

  1. 1 Salary and income
  2. 2 Job content
  3. 3 Holidays
  4. 4 Workplace atmosphere
  5. 5 Working hours

PersonaChoice TOP 5

  1. 1 Workplace atmosphere ✓
  2. 2 Location —
  3. 3 Job content ✓
  4. 4 Working hours ✓
  5. 5 Transfers —
Top-5 agreement 60% (3/5)

Three leading conditions related to job content, time off, and workplace atmosphere were captured.

View all answer options

Job content; salary; holidays; working hours; benefits; location; transfers; business condition; company size; training; company philosophy; workplace atmosphere; none or unsure.

04B / B+

Nagoya

FY2024 63rd Public Opinion Survey

Captured the locally specific “Nagoya meshi” and four of the top five worries.

Real survey911 valid responses
Simulation200 AI personas · 16 wards
City of Nagoya ↗ View public report (JA) →

Q6 · 13 options

What residents are proud of

Top-5 60%Grade B

What single feature best represents something Nagoya can be proud of?

Real survey TOP 5

  1. 1 Convenient access
  2. 2 Nagoya meshi
  3. 3 Broad, well-maintained roads
  4. 4 Good tap water
  5. 5 History of the three unifiers

PersonaChoice TOP 5

  1. 1 Manufacturing technology —
  2. 2 Broad, well-maintained roads ✓
  3. 3 Convenient access ✓
  4. 4 Nagoya meshi ✓
  5. 5 Active economic activity —
Top-5 agreement 60% (3/5)

Nagoya meshi, broad roads, and convenient access were identified, including a strongly local value.

View all answer options

Convenient access across Japan; Nagoya dialect; culture and art; Nagoya meshi; history of the three unifiers; manufacturing technology; economic activity; good tap water; attractive streetscape; broad roads; environmental action; sports; none in particular.

Q11 · 11 options

Worries and anxieties

Top-5 80%Grade B+

What single issue causes the greatest worry or anxiety?

Real survey TOP 5

  1. 1 Own health
  2. 2 Retirement planning
  3. 3 Family health / income outlook
  4. 4 (Tied for third)
  5. 5 Current income and assets

PersonaChoice TOP 5

  1. 1 Retirement planning ✓
  2. 2 Own health ✓
  3. 3 Future income and assets ✓
  4. 4 Current income and assets ✓
  5. 5 Own life issues —
Top-5 agreement 80% (4/5)

Four of the top five items related to health, retirement, and income appeared in both results.

View all answer options

Own health; family health; own life issues; family life issues; current income and assets; future income and assets; retirement planning; family relationships; neighborhood relationships; work and workplace relationships; business management.

Research workflow

Sharpen the issues and options before fielding a resident survey

Use PersonaChoice to build an initial priority hypothesis, then carry the evidence into survey design and policy discussion.

01 / DISCOVER

Find the leading concerns

Narrow a broad set of themes to the issues residents are most likely to prioritize.

02 / COMPARE

Compare groups and areas

Change age, household, or location conditions to examine differences in concern.

03 / REFINE

Make field research sharper

Use the initial evidence to improve question wording, answer options, and target criteria.

How to use both methods

Use PersonaChoice to accelerate hypotheses about priorities and response patterns. Use real resident surveys to measure actual behavior, awareness, and satisfaction. Together, they improve both speed and research quality.

Conclusion

Strengthen the policy hypothesis
before asking residents.

Across four cities and eight questions, PersonaChoice reproduced 70–80% of residents’ top concerns. It can accelerate early issue framing and comparisons across target groups before a full survey.

Start a free simulationView pricing

For products and marketing, see our 80–90% validation record →

Watch the validation overview

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