If you were a Japanese kid, what would you have done last weekend? Well, you probably would have spent some time playing games on your Sony PlayStationor Nintendo Game Boy. Maybe you would have watched some television, too. You might also have called your friends on your cell phone to get together and have some fun.

These are some of the most popular things among Japanese kids nowadays, according to a poll conducted by Cartoon Network. This entertainment channel asked young people aged 7 to 18 all kinds of questions about their favorite activities, the entertainment they enjoy, and the food they love, and much more to get an idea of what kids are really into. The survey was conducted in 1999 in 29 cities in 14 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

The survey turned up some interesting statistics for Japan. More than anything, Japanese kids seem to be crazy about video games. Nearly 70% have a Game Boy, and about the same number own a PlayStation. In comparison, the averages for the entire region are only about 20%.

But Japan's influence doesn't stop at its borders. Respondents in Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, and Singapore all said that the most popular thing in their countries now is Pokemon, and in Taiwan Hello Kitty took the top spot.

Another activity that is popular across the region is using a computer. Computers were listed as the most popular thing in Thailand, and in Korea fully 33% of kids have their own PC. The figures are lower in Japan, where 3% of kids own a computer and the same percentage have their own e-mail address. But 20% of Japanese kids--56% of teens aged 16 to 18--have cell phones, which can be used to surf the net and send e-mail.

Watching TV tops the list of things Japanese children like to do, at 56% of respondents, followed by listening to music (37%) and playing video games (36%). Playing sports makes the list, too. Among girls, 16% say that badminton is the sport they want to play most; for boys football (soccer) (30%) is king, beating out the old favorite, baseball (22%). Football is big in Japan: The most popular athlete right now is Hidetoshi Nakata, both among boys (16% chose him) and girls (9%).

The survey also asked kids what they thought would happen in the future. Most of them--almost 70%--thought that the Internet would become a more important part of their lives. And 46% even think that computers will someday replace humans as teachers! It will be interesting to see what these kids, wih their computer games and cell phones, do as the years go by.