Wanting to get a gauge of handheld usage in Japan, Net Asia Co. Ltd conducted a small-scale survey among men and women between ages 15-29. Results point to a split between the Sony PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS in relation to gender.

Out of 401 responses from mobile phones, 42% of Japanese men preferred the PSP while 52.2% of women chose the Nintendo DS Lite. Here are the complete results:

Men:

• Sony PSP - 42%
  
• Nintendo DS Lite - 30.3%
  
• Nintendo DS - 16.8%
  

Women:

• Nintendo DS Lite - 52.2%
• Nintendo DS - 27.4%
• Sony PSP - 10%

There's more to this than meets the eye though. Since the Net Asia survey only has a small number of respondents, the results may not be that definitive. However, it is important to note that the Nintendo DS category was split into two. If it were to be merged, the Nintendo DS is a clear-cut winner for both genders.

Last 2006, a similar survey was conducted in Japan by the DIMSDRIVE Research group with a wider coverage of 7,508 people. During that time, the Nintendo DS Lite won the hearts of the Japanese.

So is Japan really a Nintendo country even if both companies are homegrown? It is worthy to note however that back in 2006, most preferred a Sony PlayStation 3 over the Nintendo Wii.