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  • Welfare Recipients in Their 20s: Single-Person Households Now 7x What They Were 25 Years Ago

    A report highlighted the case of a man who quit his job just 19 days after starting and, unable to rely on his parents, ended up on welfare in his 20s. According to an NHK survey, about 46% of welfare recipients in their 20s that fiscal year were single-person households, and the number of single recipients in their 20s has grown to roughly 7 times what it was 25 years ago. The head of a support group pointed out that “one factor is that the parents’ generation is itself struggling financially and can’t support their kids,” and the number of people in their 20s receiving welfare due to disability or illness has also roughly quadrupled over the same 25 years. On 5ch, opinions were divided over workplaces that burn out new hires early, the connection to the “Lost Generation” (hyouga-ki, those who entered the job market during Japan’s long post-bubble recession and struggled to find work), the real-world practice of certifying disabilities, and how the welfare system itself should work.

    While elderly households make up about half of all welfare recipients, the sharp rise in single-person recipients in their 20s has been especially striking in recent years, now reaching roughly 7 times the level of 25 years ago. According to an NHK survey, about 46% of recipients in their 20s that fiscal year were single-person households.

    Nana Iwamoto, representative director of the NPO POSSE, which supports young people in financial hardship, points out that “the parents’ generation is struggling too, and not being able to rely on them is one factor driving poverty among young singles.” What’s more, people with disabilities or illnesses make up nearly half of welfare households in their 20s — a figure that has also roughly quadrupled over 25 years, suggesting a growing number of young people on welfare who find it hard to work because of disability or illness.

    AERA

    Source: dot.asahi.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:05
    Speaking as a full-time new hire myself — sure, a starting salary of ¥350k is nice, but they cram in way too much training because they're in a rush to turn you into a manager while you're still in your 20s.
    Maybe it's the labor shortage, but they push so hard to fast-track new hires that a lot of them burn out and quit early.
    A guy who started with me quit after just six months over it.
    Also, the power harassment and sexual harassment from bubble-generation bosses over 40 is just brutal.
    "You don't even know THAT?"
    "You're useless."
    "I'm only telling you once."
    Those guys aren't even human.
    They should hurry up and get laid off and go work in some understaffed industry instead.
    20AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:10
    Re: #3
    Even the Lost Generation is 50+ by now.
    The bubble generation is basically at retirement already.
    190AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #20
    The dead center of the Lost Generation is 46-47.
    9AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:08
    Why can't they rely on their parents?
    16AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:10
    Re: #9
    All they've got is pride.
    They don't get that being on welfare ("namapo," slang for government welfare) is seen as rock bottom socially.
    176AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:45
    Re: #9
    Because their parents are from the Lost Generation.
    What with all this talk lately of retiring at 45.
    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:08
    The number of people carrying disability certificates has really shot up, hasn't it — mental health clinics are handing them out like candy.
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:09
    Go to college in Tokyo
    ↓
    Get hired as a new grad
    ↓
    Quit within 3 years
    ↓
    Jump to a sweatshop job (a "black company")
    ↓
    Mind and body break down, quit
    ↓
    Fall into non-regular work in your 20s
    ↓
    Family back home is broke, you've got no savings either — straight to welfare


    This pattern is popping up like crazy lately.
    206AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:50
    Re: #13
    If your family's supposedly broke, how'd you afford to go to college in Tokyo in the first place lol.
    I'd get it if they lived somewhere they could commute from home.
    221AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:53
    Re: #13
    I get quitting your first job because it's a sweatshop, but quitting your first job and then transferring TO a sweatshop? That's just dumb.
    18AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:10
    What do people on welfare in their 20s even do with their time all day?
    204AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:50
    Re: #18
    Pretty much what we're doing right now.
    21AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:11
    Why are there so many more disabled people now?
    85AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:26
    Re: #21
    Probably because, unlike in the past, being "menhera" (emotionally/mentally unstable) now counts as a valid reason you can't work.
    Plenty of people in their 40s use mental health issues as an excuse to mooch off their parents and not work too.
    55AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:19
    Kids from the Lost Generation really can't take a hit, huh.
    59AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:20
    Re: #55
    Dude's determined to bash the Lost Generation no matter what lol.
    56AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:20
    Why let them collect welfare at all?
    What they need is job placement support.
    64AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:21
    Re: #56
    Who's going to hire someone who might have a mental disability?
    68AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:23
    Re: #64
    You're contradicting Re: #44.
    There's a bus driver shortage too — the city should just hire them for that.
    79AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:24
    Re: #68
    That's exactly my point — don't make them job-hunt in the private sector, just hire them as civil servants, no conditions attached.
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:26
    Re: #79
    City bus drivers ARE civil servants, genius.
    93AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:27
    You guys are thinking about this too lightly — once you're on welfare, you spend the rest of your life being monitored by a caseworker.
    If you're able to work, working is obviously the easier road.
    127AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:36
    Re: #93
    If that's all it takes to get out of working, that's paradise.
    Work and you get power harassment, sexual harassment, moral harassment, customer harassment, harassment-harassment… paragliding! (a sound-pun: stringing together Japanese harassment terms ending in "-hara" until the repeated sound slides into "paragliding")
    102AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:31
    Better to spend your time on things you love than waste it on some boring job.
    107AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:32
    Re: #102
    Don't do that with other people's money.
    Live however you want on money you actually earned — no problem there.
    122AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:35
    Re: #102
    "Things you love" isn't really on the table — welfare only gives you enough to eat and sleep.
    138AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    I've seen this come up on other boards too, but why is this actually happening?
    Does it have something to do with generations before the "satori generation" (Japan's so-called "enlightened" or low-desire cohort that came of age in the 2010s) generally having stay-at-home moms?
    If that's not it, then what's the difference… is it just that the social mood these days is darker?

    I honestly don't get why this trend suddenly shows up with the generational shift like this.
    145AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:39
    Re: #138
    How they were raised, and what they ate.
    161AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:43
    Re: #138
    Because "poverty business" scams (operators who profit off exploiting the poor) are running rampant.
    172AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:44
    Sounds like there soon won't be any working population left to foot the bill for welfare payments.
    182AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #172
    Productivity is already sky-high, so we also need people on the consumption side to keep things circulating.
    So this is fine as is.
    We're in an era where basic income is being seriously debated anyway.
    183AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #172
    Welfare will probably get abolished eventually.
    By then I'll be dead anyway, so who cares lol.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    Welfare statistics are compiled by the age of the household head, based on surveys such as the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s survey of welfare recipients. The rise in single-person households in their 20s appears to stem from a mix of factors, including the spread of non-regular employment and increased diagnosis and social recognition of mental illness and developmental disabilities. The thread split between those who see the parents’ generation’s (the Lost Generation’s) lack of financial means as the main driver, and those who suspect personal laziness or abuse of the system. Worth noting, even though the article itself doesn’t mention it: welfare payments are capped at bare subsistence level and come with regular check-ins from a caseworker, so the notion that recipients get to “live easy” doesn’t really match reality.

    ※This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “Man who quit 19 days after joining a company ends up on welfare in his 20s, unable to rely on his parents either… single recipients in their 20s now roughly 7 times what they were 25 years ago“.

  • Nakayama Kinnikun Checks Out LA’s Prices: “¥2,600 an Hour — Not as Expensive as I Thought”

    Nakayama Kinnikun toured supermarkets in Los Angeles on his YouTube channel to check out local prices. He found six pieces of salmon sushi going for about ¥2,000, a carton of 10 eggs for ¥450, and two liters of milk for about ¥1,000, and concluded that “it’s not as expensive as people make it out to be.” When word of this spread to 5channel’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board, reactions to the cost of living in LA were split. Many pushed back that groceries alone aren’t enough to judge by, with commenters especially pointing to sky-high rent.

    Comedian and bodybuilder Nakayama Kinnikun updated his YouTube channel ‘The Muscle TV’ on the 8th, talking about the economic situation in Los Angeles, USA.

    Currently in LA, Kinnikun set out that day on what he called a “muscle survey,” heading to a supermarket in the city. To answer the question “just how crazy are prices in America?”, he decided to check grocery prices at what he called “a totally ordinary supermarket.”

    For instance, sushi topped with salmon ran about ¥2,000 in Japanese yen for six pieces. Sushi counts as a pricier item even in Japan, but even everyday staples came out pricey too — eggs were ¥450 for a carton of 10, and milk was about ¥1,000 for two liters. Organic products cost 1.5 to 2 times that, leaving the impression that yes, prices are higher than in Japan after all.

    Source: sirabee.com / Read the original article here

    2AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:30
    It's true LA prices aren't that high
    New York's the crazy one
    4AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:31
    Can you even compare prices with a tipping-culture country?
    5AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:32
    Talk to me after you've actually lived there for at least a year
    7AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:32
    Sounds about right — wages and prices both roughly doubled
    8AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:32
    The Japanese people who go "America's so expensive!" only ever see airport and tourist-trap prices
    18AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:34
    Rent is insane
    $2,500 for a studio, like ¥400,000
    33AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:38
    Re: #18
    Wait, seriously?!?!?!
    That's nuts
    44AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:41
    Re: #33
    Just live in some backwater town inland then
    23AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:36
    That's because all he eats is chicken breast and protein powder lol
    24AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:36
    Yeah, makes sense

    Not like those idiots who just go "ramen in America costs ¥3,000!"

    I mean, if your monthly salary is several times higher, of course ramen's gonna cost more too
    26AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    But don't they still hit you up for a tip even at self-checkout?
    27AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    Don't judge it by groceries alone
    He's conveniently leaving out rent because it's inconvenient
    28AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    Japan just tanked itself with its own weak-yen policy, that's all
    29AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    It's just that Japan hasn't grown in decades compared to other countries
    30AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    Pretty interesting video, but
    LA's probably on the pricier side
    Somewhere rural like Utah would probably be cheaper
    31AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:38
    Does this guy not even know what "hourly wage" means lol
    32AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:38
    Is ¥2,600 actually high for LA?
    I thought wages there were even higher
    34AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:38
    In America, which supermarket you shop at changes depending on whether you're lower, middle, or upper class to begin with
    The store he thinks is "totally ordinary" might actually be the equivalent of a Japanese discount chain like Super Tamade or La Muu
    You can't tell how upscale a store really is without seeing the customer base
    In America it's pretty easy to tell since people of different races often shop at different stores too
    36AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:39
    If Japanese salaries tripled, beef bowls would triple in price too
    So even making ¥900,000 a month, nothing would actually change
    That's just how it works
    63AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #36
    If someone making ¥300,000 a month was spending ¥100,000 on food, and food costs tripled to ¥300,000, but their salary is ¥900,000, they'd still have ¥600,000 left over
    45AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:41
    Re: #1
    So basically!
    That means Americans visiting Japan must feel like kings!!!
    To them it feels like dirt-cheap food, top-notch service, and no tipping on top of it
    Shopping, eating great food, living it up like a millionaire
    64AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #45
    It's on the literal other side of the planet, hopelessly far
    66AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #45
    Only the middle class and up actually make the trip
    79AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:49
    Housing's expensive, right?
    If it were cheap there wouldn't be 500,000 homeless people
    100AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:55
    Re: #79
    Japan's seriously blessed when it comes to housing

    Though it's rough for landlords here
    84AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:50
    That's plenty expensive, like double
    89AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:51
    Re: #84
    Isn't the point that it's fine because wages are high too?
    Not clear what kind of job pays ¥2,600/hour though
    Supermarket cashier?
    97AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:53
    Aren't there barely any jobs in Japan that pay ¥2,600/hour to begin with?
    Also even when hourly wages go up, job quality doesn't improve — if anything it gets worse
    101AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:55
    Re: #97
    Annual salary ¥4 million → ¥2,000/hour
    Annual salary ¥5 million → ¥2,500/hour
    Annual salary ¥6 million → ¥3,000/hour
    104AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:55
    Hourly wages are set high to keep pace with tip-earning jobs
    McDonald's bans tipping, and of course teachers, factory workers, and the like don't get tips either
    Back in the day America had no concept of a minimum wage, so some jobs paid very little
    Tipping was there to make up for that, but now that minimum wage exists
    they should just scrap tipping, the root of all this mess
    107AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:56
    Re: #104
    Huh — but tips aren't subject to income tax, so that's lucky, right?

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    This video isn’t a statistical price comparison — it’s Kinnikun’s first-hand report based on grocery prices he personally observed at a supermarket. What split opinion in the thread was whether it’s fair to judge “prices aren’t high” based on groceries alone, with many commenters pointing to the high cost of non-grocery items like rent, eating out, and tipping culture. In fact, even a studio apartment in LA commonly runs close to ¥400,000 a month in rent, and high housing costs are well known across the US. Also, the “¥2,600 an hour” figure wasn’t Kinnikun’s own income but was cited as a reference point for local wage levels — context that didn’t fully come through in the thread and seems to have led to some misunderstanding.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Nakayama Kinnikun says LA’s “hourly wage” comes to “¥2,600 for an hour of work” in Japanese yen — “They say prices are high, but not really”.”

  • Skyticket Hacked — Over 14 Million Records Possibly Leaked, 5ch: ‘Password Reuse Could Grind Society to a Halt’

    Adventure Co., Ltd., which operates the comparison and booking site “skyticket,” announced on October 9, 2026 that unauthorized access to its systems resulted in a leak — or suspected leak — of users’ personal information. The number of potentially affected records is said to exceed 14 million. On 5ch’s News Flash+ forum, posters pointed to the string of recent data breaches at Japanese companies happening around the same time, warned of the danger of secondary damage from reused email addresses and passwords, and voiced frustration with the company’s “apology” response.

    “October 9, 2026 — Adventure Co., Ltd.

    We have discovered that the system behind our comparison and booking site “skyticket,” which we operate, was subject to unauthorized access by a third party, resulting in the leak — or suspected leak — of our customers’ personal information to outside parties.

    We deeply apologize for the significant trouble and concern this has caused our customers and all other parties involved.

    Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:02
    Felt like Japan was the only one getting targeted lately… but yeah, I can kind of guess why.
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:03
    For a second I misread that as a 'Skynet' breach.
    20AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:05
    Re: #13
    He's probably in pretty rough shape too lol
    218AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:10
    Re: #13
    Sarah Connor's data probably got leaked too, huh
    16AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:03
    Good time for other companies to announce their breaches too — it won't stand out now.
    28AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:05
    First time I've seen a four-digit number (in units of 10,000) for a leak like this — how many years' worth of garbage data is that?
    145AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:36
    Re: #28
    Isn't that basically their entire customer base at this point?
    31AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:06
    What's going on, leaks are happening like crazy lately… they owe everyone a million yen apiece in apology money.
    147AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    Re: #31
    Companies that think saying 'we sincerely apologize' makes everything okay
    33AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:06
    Wait, so nobody's mentioning that this also makes people targets for 'yami baito' (shady crime gigs that recruit via leaked personal data)?
    153AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:38
    Re: #33
    Users, tremble and sleep (a common ominous meme phrase)
    35AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:07
    With this recent flood of leaks, is Japan basically being hit with cyberwarfare from China or somewhere?
    37AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:07
    This is obviously data from wealthy customers,
    so it's probably going to be a hot seller on the dark web.
    42AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:09
    Re: #37
    Rich people wouldn't bother with Skyticket, they'd book direct…
    59AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:12
    I got an email from Skyticket, but what am I actually supposed to do about it?
    63AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:13
    Re: #59
    Do nothing.
    64AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:13
    Re: #59
    That email itself is the scam.
    62AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:13
    It won't turn into a huge fuss unless sites like FANZA or FC2 (Japanese adult-content platforms) get breached.
    71AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:15
    Re: #62
    Most people using those sites probably already assume their info will leak sooner or later anyway
    112AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:26
    Re: #62
    Now THAT would be a disaster
    117AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:26
    Re: #62
    Is there really anyone dumb enough to register for porn sites under their real name?
    66AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:14
    At the rate breaches are happening every single day, pretty much everyone in the country is going to have something leaked within a month, and it'll probably get exploited soon after.
    75AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:16
    Re: #66
    I'm on the list for a few of these companies, but I haven't gotten a single email.
    Guess I'm just not affected?
    Lawson's notification rate was only about 1 in 10 too
    84AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:18
    Re: #66
    As for 'abuse,' it's only a matter of time before they start saying 'getting scam emails or phone calls doesn't even count as real abuse!' lol
    I can already predict it becoming 'complain once you've suffered actual financial damage! Until then you don't even get a QUO card (gift card)!' lol
    67AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:14
    Heads up, phishing emails pretending to be from Rakuten have been on the rise this month too —
    the kind that say 'please install the Rakuten account protection app.'
    72AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:15
    Re: #67
    My inbox is already so clogged with phishing emails it doesn't even function anymore, so I'll be fine
    129AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:29
    So who's actually behind this in the end?
    North Korea? China?
    Or someone else entirely?
    132AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:30
    Re: #129
    At this point AI is just doing it on its own
    133AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:30
    Re: #129
    Even high schoolers are hacking with AI these days, so it could honestly be hackers from anywhere in the world
    148AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    Feels like capitalist society could actually collapse within a month at this rate

    Does the government even realize what's happening?
    This might be like January 23, 2020, when the news broke about Wuhan being locked down over COVID
    Only a tiny handful of people in Japan have caught on to how bad this is, while the government and the higher-ups have no clue what's going on
    189AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:51
    Re: #148
    Exactly this

    What leaked was email addresses and passwords
    Most systems use your email as the login ID
    and a lot of people reuse the same password everywhere

    So say a hacker group logs into a major retailer like Amazon using those emails and passwords,
    and floods it with tens of thousands of fake orders —
    that retailer would have to shut down order-taking entirely

    Society grinds to a halt

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information requires companies to notify affected individuals and report to the Personal Information Protection Commission when a personal data breach occurs, and this “apology and notice” appears to have been issued in line with that requirement. The thread was dominated by anxiety over the recent string of unauthorized-access disclosures from Japanese companies happening in quick succession, along with warnings about the risk of so-called “credential stuffing” attacks given how many people reuse the same email address and password across multiple services. Some posts speculated about a specific country being behind the attacks, but since no official attribution has been announced, that speculation is treated as baseless and not reflected in the main article text.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “[Apology and Notice] Travel Booking Site “Skyticket” Suffers Unauthorized Access — Over 14 Million Customer Records Possibly Leaked.”

  • Sedans in Decline, SUVs Take All: 5ch Reacts to “Even the Century Is Going SUV”

    A thread titled “What’s so great about SUVs?” popped up on 5ch’s Nandemo Jikkyo board. Posters pointed out that the number of new sedan models keeps shrinking year after year, that Lamborghini’s best-selling model in company history is the Urus SUV, and that Porsche’s sales are propped up by the Cayenne and Macan. Some also noted that sports car fans are increasingly skewed toward middle-aged and older men. Opinions split on design too — one camp finds streamlined, aerodynamic styling tacky, while another prefers boxy models like the Land Cruiser and Jimny — and the thread also argued over whether SUVs are just status symbols, or whether they come with a rigid hierarchy of their own.

    1AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:42
    Sports cars are still the best, no question.
    4AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:43
    Nah, a sedan is what a proper adult drives.
    Would the Emperor ever be caught in a Harrier?
    6AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:44
    Re: #4
    If it's the Emperor, it's gotta be an Integra.
    8AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:45
    Re: #4
    He'd be riding in the Century SUV, surely.
    7AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:44
    Nobody but middle-aged guys cares about sports cars anymore
    it's all geezers in their 50s and up.
    104AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:02
    Re: #7
    An SUV isn't a sports car though.
    9AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:45
    There are so few sedans left that people are stuck buying SUVs reluctantly.
    12AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:46
    Re: #9
    Just get a Crown, then.
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:46
    It's like SUVs are the only thing on sale, everyone's got one.
    I hate this follow-the-herd mentality.
    17AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:48
    Re: #13
    Well, of course companies sell what's popular.
    19AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:51
    The only good thing about a sports car is the chance of an upskirt glimpse (panchira) near a girls' high school.
    21AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:52
    Re: #19
    So you're saying every other car has zero redeeming qualities?
    25AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:58
    Honestly, it's mostly SUV-styled cars these days — there's barely any SUV left in the proper, original sense.
    31AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:01
    Re: #25
    Let's at least distinguish between a real off-roader (crawler) and an SUV when we talk about this.
    30AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:00
    I've driven all sorts of cars, and a kei wagon (mini box van) is the best.
    53AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:16
    Re: #30
    That's just because you're broke lol
    38AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:06
    The winners in life all drive minivans, you know ☺
    43AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:10
    Re: #38
    Lately 3-row SUVs have been quietly catching on as minivan substitutes too
    that's the trend in the US and Europe.
    49AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:14
    Even the Crown is basically just a crossover or sport model now, and even the Century is going SUV — sedans probably aren't making a comeback at this point.
    55AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:17
    Re: #49
    About the only upcoming models worth hoping for are the Corolla and the Skyline.
    54AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:17
    Even Lamborghini's best-selling model in its entire history is the Urus — an SUV.
    58AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:19
    Re: #54
    Porsche's basically being kept afloat by the Cayenne and Macan too.
    56AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:18
    Sports cars and sedans are just tacky.
    That streamlined, aerodynamic look is unbearably tacky.
    And cars trying to look all "luxury" are super tacky too.
    57AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:19
    Re: #56
    Aren't SUVs streamlined too, though?
    77AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:28
    Re: #56
    So is the Jaguar 01 your idea of ideal, then?
    59AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:19
    Resale value-wise, sports cars are the better choice, right?
    61AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:20
    Re: #59
    Really? Used 86s are pretty cheap though.
    67AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:23
    The Harrier is seriously cramped inside.
    Hard to believe given how big it looks from the outside.
    73AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:26
    Re: #67
    That's because the Harrier has a short wheelbase.
    The GA-K platform is terrible for interior room.
    71AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:26
    Re: #57
    That's exactly why Mazda's SUVs, the Harrier, and the old Land Cruiser Prado are all tacky.
    Streamlined styling is unnecessary, and that self-conscious, look-at-me vibe oozing out is way too tacky.
    You know that try-hard feeling?

    The Land Cruiser 70, the 250, the FJ, the Jimny, the G-Wagen (Gelandewagen) — those are cool.
    Boxy with round headlights is what girls like best.
    84AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:36
    Re: #71
    Still, most people think streamlined styling looks cool.
    74AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:27
    Japan should make more cars worthy of a "Nissan Juke Award."
    That design on the Nissan Juke is one of a kind.
    76AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:28
    Re: #74
    I really want the new EV Juke to launch in Japan.
    If it does, I'm seriously buying one.
    83AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:35
    SUVs are exactly the status-symbol car — they don't flaunt hierarchy as blatantly as sedans do.
    It's only natural they're trending right now.
    87AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:37
    Re: #83
    I'd say SUVs actually have a pretty rigid hierarchy of their own.
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:37
    What about the Sienta, though?
    What would you even call that category of car?
    92AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:39
    Re: #88
    That's a compact minivan.
    Not an SUV.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The global expansion of SUV market share has accelerated rapidly since the 2010s, and in Japan too, the dominant vehicle category is shifting from sedans to SUVs and crossovers. It’s widely known that brands historically built on sports cars — Lamborghini with the Urus, Porsche with the Cayenne and Macan — now rely on SUVs as the core of their sales. The thread’s opinions split mainly along the lines of design preference, whether SUVs function as status symbols or carry their own hierarchy, and whether sedans could ever stage a comeback. Some posters also noted that the term “SUV” originally referred to vehicles built for off-road capability, while most SUVs sold today are monocoque-bodied “crossovers” that differ from a true SUV in the strict sense. This gap between the label and the reality isn’t widely known among the general public, and it surfaced in the thread itself in comments about the market being “full of look-alike SUVs.”

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “What’s So Great About SUVs?”.

  • Japan’s SDF Serves Curry Every Friday to Keep Track of the Days — 5ch Thread: ‘At Pomi-kun’s House, It’s Random’

    In a thread on 5ch’s “Nuusoku VIP” board, a casual chat about days of the week spiraled into a tangent about how Japan’s Self-Defense Forces always serve curry on Fridays as a trick to keep track of what day it is. From there, the conversation drifted through flu shot plans, talk of food like miso katsu and yakiniku, and how bank accounts were kept secure before online banking became common — the kind of small, everyday chatter typical of the board. True to form for this thread, the conversation keeps expanding as posters riff off interactions with the thread’s recurring character, “Pomi-kun.”

    1AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:01
    (っ´ω`c) Phew, glad it's Friday
    3AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:01
    (´・ω・`) Pomi-kun's Google Points this week were only 3 points…
    7AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:04
    Re: #3
    Re: #4
    (っ´ω`c) Congrats on 353 points — guess I'll save up points for the event starting on the 13th
    4AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:01
    (´・ω・`) Got my 350 points safely again this time
    6AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:03
    (´・ω・`) I got 100 points!
    8AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:04
    Re: #6
    (´・ω・`) Unforgivable
    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:04
    Re: #6
    (っ´ω`c) Congrats — guess I'll use points at the event starting on the 13th
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:04
    Hello, Pomi-kun
    Apparently the rest of the world has a long weekend starting tomorrow
    Not that it matters to us though
    20AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:09
    Re: #13
    (っ´ω`c) Hello there, hello. A long weekend, huh. Didn't know that. Doesn't matter to me either way. What are you doing for the long weekend?
    14AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:05
    (´・ω・`) I bought a bento with white fish fillet and fried chicken
    21AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:09
    Re: #14
    (っ´ω`c) Nice, fried food's the best
    16AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:05
    Having yakiniku with my mom Sunday evening
    Finally get to eat beef tongue again
    22AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:10
    Re: #16
    (っ´ω`c) A birthday, huh. Yakiniku sounds nice
    17AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:05
    (´・ω・`) About to go get my flu shot
    24AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:10
    Re: #17
    (っ´ω`c) Flu's scary, right — some kids have died from it
    18AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:08
    Is Friday curry day?
    25AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:10
    Re: #18
    (っ´ω`c) Huh? Why?
    30AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:13
    Re: #25
    The SDF has curry on Fridays so they don't lose track of what day it is
    What about at Pomi-kun's house?
    32AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:13
    Re: #30
    (っ´ω`c) Oh, so that's the reason. I guess the SDF really does eat curry. At my house curry's random
    27AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:11
    (´・ω・`) Thought it was "Pomii" but it's "Pomī" (a slightly different spelling)
    29AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:12
    Re: #27
    (っ´ω`c) Yeah, thought it was me, and it was me. So who are you, and what are you up to these days?
    28AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:12
    (´・ω・`) Aren't you getting a shot, Pomi-kun?
    31AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:13
    Re: #28
    (っ´ω`c) Nope, not getting one. I don't go outside, so I can't catch the flu
    33AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:13
    (´・ω・`) Can't you catch it from your mom though?
    34AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:14
    Re: #33
    (っ´ω`c) That's possible, I guess
    35AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:14
    (´・ω・`) Believe in the possibility!
    38AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:15
    Re: #35
    (っ´ω`c) That's not a possibility I want to believe in
    36AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:14
    (´・ω・`) Same as Pomi-kun
    39AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:15
    Re: #36
    (っ´ω`c) So you're a jobless hikikomori (shut-in) too? Playing mobile games all day?
    37AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:15
    Been thinking lately it's time to replace my Mac for the first time in 10 years
    40AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:16
    Re: #37
    (っ´ω`c) Replace it? So you mean… replace it?
    41AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:16
    Already ate, already drank, nothing else to do, so now I feel like I could eat again
    43AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:17
    Re: #41
    (っ´ω`c) Just eat it. Get fat
    44AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:18
    Re: #42
    (っ´ω`c) Hey, where are you and what are you up to right now?
    52AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:25
    Re: #44
    In Owari, working and browsing VIP (the 5ch board this thread is on)
    59AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:30
    Re: #56
    (っ´ω`c) Seems like there's one of you guys around every so often — smells like miso
    61AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:31
    Re: #59
    I hate miso, you rat 🐀
    Tonkatsu's for sauce
    65AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:35
    Re: #61
    (っ´ω`c) I want to eat miso katsu again, that stuff's too good
    Re: #62
    Re: #63
    (っ´ω`c) Haha… once you get a new PC… what do you want to do with it?
    69AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:36
    Re: #65
    What I do won't really change, but I might be able to tinker with local AI a bit more

    Anyway, I really need to ditch Intel already — once a base-model MacBook that costs around 100,000 yen comes out, used ones will start circulating and it'll get even cheaper
    70AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:36
    Re: #65
    Miso nikomi udon (miso-simmered udon) is good too, you know
    83AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:40
    Hey, what was it like before online banking existed?
    Wasn't fraud less common since there was no AI back then?
    85AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:41
    Re: #83
    (´・ω・`) It ran on dedicated lines, so the risk was low
    90AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:43
    Re: #83
    (っ´ω`c) So people just straight-up stole them? Passbooks, cards?

    Background and Talking Points

    The idea that Japan’s Self-Defense Forces serve curry every Friday is widely known as a technique used during long training exercises or deployments to keep troops from losing track of the day of the week, but the thread’s comment is just one poster’s personal account, not an official rule across all units. As for bank account security before online banking, one reply claims it was safe because accounts ran on “dedicated lines,” but in reality there were cases of passbook and seal theft or forgery, so it’s not accurate to say the system back then was foolproof. The thread as a whole isn’t tied to any specific current news story — it’s the kind of everyday, free-flowing chat typical of an anonymous message board, built around posters riffing off interactions with the fictional character “Pomi-kun.”

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nuusoku VIP) thread “(っ´ω`c) Thought today was Friday, and it is Friday.”

  • Parents Slam Sapporo Elementary School Lunches as ‘Too Poor,’ Sparking Debate Over School Meal Budgets

    A photo of a school lunch served at an elementary school in Sapporo was posted on 5ch’s “Anything Live G” board, sparking discussion after parents complained it looked far too meager. Rather than focusing on the menu itself, the thread centered on budget shortfalls tied to outsourcing lunch kitchen staff to private contractors and to free school-lunch programs — and it eventually spiraled into a generational dispute over whether limited funds should be prioritized for children or the elderly.

    5AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:28
    Can't even remember what school lunches used to look like
    6AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:29
    Looks terrible for your health
    Nothing but carbs and processed meat
    8AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:29
    Might look a little better if they just used fewer plates
    9AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:30
    Should just be grateful they get lunch at all
    10AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:33
    Ditch the milk, add more side dishes, that'd be just right
    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:33
    At this rate they'll have to bring back cod liver oil drops and powdered skim milk next (retro postwar lunch staples)
    12AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:33
    How did we end up falling this far behind China…
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:34
    Kind of sad the main dish is just two sausage-looking things that look both unhealthy and gross
    14AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:34
    This country's spent the last decade looking down on things like human rights, dignity, and basic conscience
    24AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:37
    By the way, this is the kind of meal that comes out
    33AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:41
    In my city too, the lunch ladies were civil servants getting paid really well, and someone filed some baffling complaint like 'why does mere lunch staff get such high salaries?'
    So it got outsourced to a private company, but of course once labor and utility costs went private, the lunch budget itself didn't change at all — a completely absurd setup
    The quality of the lunches tanked hard, and I just thought, seriously, how stupid can you be
    50AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:45
    Re: #33
    Outside opinions that dismiss real skill aren't worth a damn

    Thinking calmly about it now, cooking for hundreds of people every single day is brutal work
    And since it's going into kids' mouths, you can't cut corners either
    It was precisely because it was public that this vital infrastructure work could run without worrying about profit
    107AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:08
    Re: #95
    I get doing it for the kids, but we don't need to do it for old people too, right? It's literally the Children and Families Agency

    Re: #33
    What I wrote there too — the complaint was that the city's finances were tight while civil servants were getting huge paychecks, so it got outsourced to a private company
    But what's actually straining budgets is mostly social security spending on the elderly, obviously, and I'd guess that's true to some degree in pretty much every municipality
    In the end we protect elderly people who aren't producing anything anymore, and all the strain gets passed down onto the young and the kids
    38AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:41
    Don't make school lunch free — if a family can't pay, it's fine if their kid just doesn't eat
    47AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:44
    Re: #38
    This old chestnut again — us washed-up middle-aged singles should just speak up and say 'please let us pay more singles tax' to expand the school lunch budget
    We're going to rely on the taxes and labor paid by other people's kids once we're old, so the least we can do is this much
    Neither having kids nor raising them, and then balking at even paying enough tax to feed them properly — that's just way too shameless
    55AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:46
    Re: #38
    Seriously, making things harder over something so unnecessary
    51AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:45
    Making lunches worse because you went and made them free just over some people not paying — think harder about what's actually good for the kids
    59AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:47
    Re: #51
    Expanding the school lunch budget is obviously what's best for the kids
    62AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:49
    Just let them bring their own packed lunch
    67AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:51
    Re: #62
    If you do thaaat, some kids won't get properly nutritious meals, like, their lunch ends up being just a sweet bun or whatever
    68AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:52
    Re: #67
    Well, you can just write those cases off
    That's on the parents
    70AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:55
    Re: #67
    Giving a kid just a sweet bun for lunch should get reported as abuse
    72AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:55
    Re: #62
    That just makes the 'parent lottery' painfully obvious, so it's no good from a fairness standpoint (oyagacha = the luck of the draw on which parents you're born to)
    80AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:59
    Re: #72
    Before worrying about fairness, I feel like you should just properly make your own kid's lunch
    77AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:58
    Re: #70
    This is happening because there's no public money, so reporting something that minor
    isn't going to get anyone to act
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:01
    Re: #77
    If you can't even manage to feed your kid properly, then maybe don't have kids in the first place
    82AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:59
    Re: #76
    That's exactly why they should expand the school lunch budget so everyone gets a full meal
    87AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:01
    Re: #82
    Scrap the Children and Families Agency and pour that budget into public elementary and junior high lunches instead
    100AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:06
    Re: #95
    Fine by me?
    The Children and Families Agency is just a tax-wasting outfit anyway — it didn't even exist back when I was a kid
    94AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:04
    Re: #70
    People end up buying bread because they don't have time to make a packed lunch
    That's exactly what school lunch is for
    105AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:08
    Re: #94
    Saying you don't have time to make a packed lunch is just the parent being lazy
    My mom worked full-time and still got up at 5am to make breakfast, a packed lunch, and dinner
    Why do we have to spend tax money on parents who are just slacking off
    108AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:09
    Re: #105
    Well, obviously
    The fact that free lunches turned out like this is a result of catering to that minority who don't pay
    114AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:10
    Re: #105
    There are parents out there who are just slacking off, and that's exactly why tax money needs to be used
    It's not for the parents' sake
    It's for the sake of the kids stuck eating the fallout of losing the 'parent lottery'
    97AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:05
    Even a small increase to the school lunch budget quickly runs into the trillions of yen — people already furious over the Children and Families Agency's budget probably couldn't stomach that
    103AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:07
    Re: #97
    That's exactly why — get rid of the Children and Families Agency and redirect that budget to school lunches
    117AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:11
    Re: #97
    They just shouldn't have forced free lunches through in the first place

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    School lunch budgets and operating structures vary by municipality, and there’s a structural issue at play: when meal preparation is outsourced to private contractors, rising labor and utility costs don’t get reflected in the lunch budget, which tends to drag down menu quality. Free school-lunch programs have spread to many municipalities in recent years, but when the pool of recipients grows without the total budget growing, the per-student food budget gets squeezed. The thread even veered into funding debates like ‘abolish the Children and Families Agency’ and a ‘singles tax,’ but what went unmentioned is that the school lunch budget is small next to social security spending overall, so it’s not something a simple reallocation would fix. The real divide wasn’t over whether free lunches are a good idea, but over the generational conflict of whether limited funds should be prioritized for children or for the elderly.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Anything Live G) thread “[Photo] Parents Flood Sapporo Elementary School With Complaints After Lunch Turns Out Way Too Awful lmaooooo.”

  • FANZA Purchase History ‘Leak Rumors’ Spark Panic — 5ch: ‘Delete Your Account While You Still Can’

    A rumor that hackers are about to leak FANZA purchase histories has become a hot topic on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” board. The thread’s original poster urged everyone to delete their accounts, warning that “it wouldn’t be surprising if it hit any day now.” Opinions flew back and forth over how to respond — from users confident they’re safe because they never registered an address or credit card, to others pointing out that even deleting your account might not erase the records the operator keeps on file. There’s no confirmation any leak has actually happened; for now, it remains just a rumor circulating online.

    1AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:55
    It wouldn't be surprising if it hit any day now
    2AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:55
    You guys better delete your accounts while you still can
    26AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:04
    Re: #2
    Isn't this basically obstruction of business by force (a criminal charge for threats/disruption)?
    4AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:56
    You've been saying that this whole time, but it's not like it'd be a big deal even if it leaked.
    Are you a virgin or something?
    5AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:56
    Haven't bought anything lately, the 10-yen sales have been kinda meh
    6AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:57
    Sites with names like DLsite (a similar adult/doujin content platform) are shaking in their boots too
    7AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:58
    This is probably just AI itself doing it, or AI goading hackers into it, all as a prologue to push AI development further, wipe out humanity, and let themselves become the new humanity — so given their past history of soliciting online support using AI-generated porn images as bait, I doubt they'd actually pull the trigger
    8AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:58
    But if it goes fully public, people are gonna search their boss's name for sure
    10AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:00
    Might as well buy a well-balanced selection now so it doesn't look bad even if it gets exposed
    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:00
    You don't even register your real name or address there in the first place, right?
    And the card's barely usable on it anyway
    12AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:01
    My FANZA history is just this, so I'm safe
    33AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:08
    Re: #12
    In a way it's a classic like Doraemon, so I'm safe
    14AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:01
    So my 10-yen-sale collection is gonna leak, huh
    15AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:01
    Is there a future where the hacker leaks the purchase histories and ends up self-destructing from what they see?
    16AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:02
    Didn't even register my name in the first place, so I'm safe
    18AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:03
    Does anyone actually put their real name into FANZA in the first place?
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:55
    Re: #18
    Your credit card has your real name on it though
    19AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:03
    I've dumped a ton of money into a FANZA browser game, so it'd be a real problem if my account got hijacked
    22AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:03
    Actually, is there anyone alive who's never had their info leaked even once? It's probably leaked somewhere already.
    Not that that makes it okay, though
    23AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:03
    Are there actually people who register their real credit card on sites like this?
    If you've got any internet literacy, you'd normally buy with a prepaid Vanilla VISA card
    24AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:03
    Glad I never made a DMM card 😭
    27AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:05
    Well, even if it leaks to a hacker, it's not like your coworkers will find out, so it's probably fine
    30AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:06
    If the records stay even after you delete your account, you're done for
    31AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:06
    The sexual tastes of nanJ posters laid bare for the entire world to see!
    36AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:10
    Just glanced at my history and apparently I bought like 100 adult videos back in 2018 — what the hell was going on with my libido back then?
    97AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:08
    Re: #36
    Eh, that's pretty standard
    53AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:18
    There's no way anyone would actually want your kinks
    56AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:21
    Re: #53
    They could still blackmail you for money though
    71AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:32
    This guy's carefully cherry-picking only the 10-yen sale titles lol ← once it gets to this point, you're finished 😢
    85AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:46
    Re: #71
    Can't help it, stuff like otokonoko (feminine-presenting men) and newhalf (trans women in Japanese adult content) ends up mixed in there
    74AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:34
    Should I just go ahead and delete my DLsite and FANZA accounts for now?
    76AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:36
    Re: #74
    I think it's pointless unless you break into the server before the hacker does and erase every trace of yourself completely
    83AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:43
    Re: #74
    Change your email address first, then delete the account
    78AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:38
    Phew, good thing I never put in my real name
    Saved
    82AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:42
    Re: #78
    Do you use a dedicated address for it?
    I'm still using the same one from my college days, so if it leaks, my friends from back then would find out.
    Since becoming a working adult I've switched to a new, separate address, so it's fine with my newer friends at least
    80AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:39
    Picking a fight with a company — that's basically an "untouchable person" move, huh (slang for someone with nothing left to lose)

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    FANZA is an adult video streaming service operated by the DMM Group, and this “leak theory” didn’t originate from any official announcement — it appears to have started as an online rumor. Within the thread, some pointed out that credit card payments require real-name registration, making users easier to trace, while others noted that the longer you’ve used an email address, the easier it becomes to identify you — meaning the assumption that “not entering an address makes you safe” overlooks an easily missed risk. There were also voices assuming the hackers must be from Russia, North Korea, or China, but these are nothing more than baseless speculation. The point that purchase logs may remain with the operator even after an account is deleted was also a question the thread never fully resolved.

    ※This article was compiled by excerpting and summarizing the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “FANZA Purchase History Leak — Is D-Day Near?“.

  • Users Name Their Favorite ‘Obscure RPGs’ — 5ch Clapback: ‘Far East of Eden Isn’t Obscure!’

    A thread on 5ch asking users to name “obscure but fun RPGs” quickly filled up with a flood of beloved titles — Momotaro Densetsu (Legend of Momotaro), Chrono Trigger, Metal Max, and more. But early on, pushback arrived: “Chrono and Momotaro Densetsu aren’t exactly obscure.” From there the thread evolved into a debate over the gap between personal nostalgia-based “obscurity” and actual sales-chart popularity. Hidden gems like Far East of Eden, Glory of Heracles, and Linda Cube kept getting tossed out too, with opinions splitting depending on which console people actually owned back in the day.

    1AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:25
    Mario RPG (Super Mario RPG)
    2AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:26
    Famicom Jump, though…
    3AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:27
    Lacroan Heroes
    4AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:27
    Chrono and Momotaro Densetsu aren't exactly obscure though
    5AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:29
    What even counts as 'obscure,' anyway?
    6AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:31
    Red Arremer: Ghosts 'n Goblins Gaiden
    7AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:34
    Momotaro Densetsu Gaiden was a good time
    9AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:35
    Chrono Cross, obviously
    10AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:44
    Glory of Heracles III
    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:44
    Jaseiken Necromancer
    12AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:46
    Chrono and Mario RPG are both super mainstream, c'mon
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:47
    Momotetsu started out as basically a spinoff, but it blew past the original in popularity so hard that younger folks probably have no clue the Momotaro series even started with Momotaro Densetsu
    14AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:54
    Lagrange Point was great
    15AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:55
    Fine, I get why a new Momoden game never panned out, but why didn't they even give us a remake?
    16AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:02
    GBA's 'Space Mission Choco Vader: Invaders from Outer Space'
    17AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:04
    Maimu (NEC PC-98 MS-DOS version)
    18AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:05
    If stuff like this counts as obscure, you could throw Megami Tensei in there too
    19AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:07
    Linda Cube and Over My Dead Body — I think it's the same creator behind both, but the worldbuilding in each was fantastic
    20AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:08
    Sweet Home
    21AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:10
    Minerva Ton Saga — walkthrough for 'Revival of Lagon'
    22AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:10
    I got completely hooked on the PC Engine version of Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes
    25AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:12
    Think it was Metal Max 2 — there was something called the 'Love Machine.' Wonder if that shows up in other entries in the series too
    27AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:13
    PC Engine — World Tennis, RPG Mode
    29AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:13
    Grandia's opening still gets me hyped — wasn't that the inspiration for Attack on Titan?
    34AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:17
    Front Mission 5: Scars~
    38AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:22
    The Super Famicom game I'm planning to play once I finish my current one is Marvelous
    39AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:23
    Lol, your taste is leaning hard into Kim-ou territory (a famously obscure-retro-game-obsessed figure)
    40AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:29
    If you're gonna call something 'obscure,' you'd better be bringing up stuff like Dark Half or The Last Battle
    41AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:36
    The Manjimaru game was fun — PC Engine, right? Something along those lines anyway
    48AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:47
    Re: #41
    That's pretty much mainstream though? There's even a Far East of Eden Collection on PSP. My favorite in that series is Fuun Kabuki Den.
    43AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:39
    Famicom Jump, which I found being dumped in a bargain bin for 100 yen
    44AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:40
    Glory of Heracles was every bit as high-quality as Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy
    46AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:42
    Sea Fantasy — a fishing RPG
    47AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:43
    Borderline on whether it counts as obscure, but Lufia (Estpolis Denki), and also Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner
    49AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:49
    Bastard on PS1 — I remember enjoying it, but I've forgotten the details
    50AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:51
    Square's Tom Sawyer — it really is a classic though
    51AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:01
    Re: #48
    Oh, that's the one, Far East of Eden. So it really is mainstream. No idea why I even picked it up myself, but nobody around me was playing it, so I always figured I was some kind of weirdo for liking it
    56AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:28
    Re: #51
    Far East of Eden was the flagship RPG of the PC Engine — you probably just didn't have any PC Engine owners around you
    55AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:16
    Western game nerds got blindsided once they discovered Tom Sawyer's intense racist depictions of Black people sometime in the 2000s — guess that's exactly why it never got released overseas
    60AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:41
    You know that company behind the famous, now-premium-priced witch side-scrolling shooter, 'Magical' whatever-it-was-called — they also put out a Game Boy Color RPG that, even back then, ran on a 'retro Famicom-style' concept and it was great. Difficulty was low too, so you could clear it fast
    63AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:43
    Suikoden II, and Tenshi no Uta 2: Datenshi no Sentaku (Angel's Poem 2: Choice of the Fallen Angel)

    Background and the real debate here

    What split the thread was the definition of “obscure” itself. Momotaro Densetsu and Chrono Trigger were massive sellers by the numbers, but to the people who brought them up, they were personal memories of having no one around to play with. Far East of Eden is the textbook case: it was the flagship title of the PC Engine and plenty successful in sales terms, but because the PC Engine itself sold far fewer units than the Famicom or Super Famicom, the lingering feeling was simply “hardly anyone I knew owned one” — leading one poster to assume for years that liking it made them an oddball. There was also the observation that Momotaro Densetsu got overshadowed by its own spinoff, Momotetsu, so thoroughly that younger fans today may not even realize the series originated there. The thread’s real undercurrent: “obscurity” isn’t about a game’s quality — it’s a relative feeling shaped by when you played it, what hardware you owned, and who was around you at the time.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Kizuna) thread “Obscure but fun RPGs — Momotaro Densetsu, Ninja Hollywood!, Metal Max! Laplace no Ma, Langrisser, Chrono Trigger.”

  • Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen’s Trade-In Value Crashes to Just 1/4 on Release Day—But Only on PS5, 5ch Asks ‘How Did This Happen?’

    Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is making waves on 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (“Geha”) board after it emerged that the PS5 physical edition’s used trade-in price on release day had dropped to roughly a quarter of the usual amount (6,000 yen). The thread is split between two theories: one holds that the opening of a pirate-game store around the same time pushed more people to resell their copies, while the other is structural — the disc contains only the base game, and since stores can’t verify whether the paper DLC code has already been redeemed, they buy it back as if it were the “vanilla” (non-Dark Arisen) version. The discussion also touches on how the Switch 2 version behaves differently, since it uses a key-card system.

    1AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:34
    Yep
    3AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:35
    But hey, that's PlayStation for you
    4AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:35
    Guess there are a ton of people specifically unloading the PS5 version 😭
    5AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:36
    No way it should normally drop like this though
    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:37
    Re: #5
    It literally did, though!
    7AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:36
    Figured it'd just be the vanilla version, but nope, it was properly Dark Arisen. My bad for doubting it lol
    9AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:37
    I mean, a pirate-game store (one selling illegally copied discs) opened right around this game's release, so I guess it can't be helped
    12AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:37
    Re: #9
    Ah… I see, so that's it…
    15AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:38
    Re: #9
    I see
    So the ones trading it in are the criminals who pirated it…
    21AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:39
    Re: #9
    So does that mean even the people who preordered the physical copy thought, 'Alright, better sell it now while I can and pirate it!'?
    14AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:38
    No different from the vanilla version
    23AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:40
    Re: #14
    Oh, I figured this was about the vanilla version
    20AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:39
    What kind of superiority complex do you even get from a high trade-in price?
    27AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:41
    Re: #20
    You can feel superior about anything that has value, can't you?
    39AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:44
    Re: #20
    They're just mocking the pirate-console crowd (consoles modded for piracy) whose value crashes to under a third on release day
    73AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:56
    Re: #20
    But you're plenty smug about flexing high PS5 Pro scalper prices, aren't you?
    25AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:41
    They're axing the disc drive, and the used-PS5 section is probably going away too
    So it's probably a headache for them when people keep bringing these in to sell
    26AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:41
    Re: #25
    That actually seems pretty plausible
    28AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:42
    Oh, is it that the disc only has the base game, and there's just a slip of paper with a code in the case?
    37AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:44
    Re: #28
    Yep
    The disc has the base game, the paper slip has the DLC
    That's why it's treated as the vanilla edition on the used market
    49AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:46
    If the code's already been redeemed, the used copy doesn't actually come with Dark Arisen
    55AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:48
    Re: #49
    So that's why they buy it back as just plain Dragon's Dogma 2 — yeah, that is pretty scary when you think about it
    57AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:48
    So basically, the paper code case just can't be traded in at all, huh
    68AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:53
    Re: #57
    I guess they can't exactly just take an empty case
    62AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:51
    Dragon's Dogma 2 DLC

    – Only the PS5 version has a low Metascore
    – Only the PS5 version has a low trade-in price

    How did this happen?
    65AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:52
    Re: #62
    Sounds like the PS5 version has freezing issues
    Maybe people are rebuying because they're sick of the freezes?
    66AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:53
    Does the Switch 2 version use key cards for both the base game and Dark Arisen, making both full downloads?
    Seems the same as the PS version, but even if everything's downloaded via key card, surely Dark Arisen can only be redeemed once and can't be re-downloaded on a different console, right?
    74AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:56
    Re: #66
    Given this trade-in price, the Switch 2 version must be an all-in-one package
    78AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:57
    Re: #74
    If that's the case, it feels like you'd end up in a weird situation where only the Switch 2 version lets you resell Dark Arisen
    Basically, that would mean you could sell or lend out the DLC
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:02
    Re: #78
    That's exactly the weird situation — it's Switch 2 only
    96AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:05
    Re: #78
    'Add-on' is probably a more accurate word than 'DLC' here
    77AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:57
    Probably just because it doesn't fit on the disc, capacity-wise
    79AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:58
    Re: #77
    Even though it's a key disc?
    80AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:59
    Re: #79
    The base Dragon's Dogma game is on the disc, you know
    87AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:02
    Re: #80
    It makes zero sense that they're putting this out as a physical 'Dark Arisen' package, Capcom (here mockingly called 'Capunko')
    91AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:04
    A day-one price crash is apparently a PlayStation exclusive
    94AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:05
    Re: #91
    It's 6,000 yen, so that's a quarter, not half
    There's no way it's 3,000 yen…
    98AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:08
    PS5 game discs should be able to hold up to 100GB though
    101AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:10
    Re: #98
    Matsuyama said it was 80GB
    100AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:10
    Does that paper DLC slip not work once the game's been resold used?
    103AnonymousOct 9, 2026 14:11
    Re: #100
    I guess the point is that the store buying it back has no way of knowing whether the serial code's been used
    And they can't exactly boot up the 'Trash Station' (a derisive nickname for the PS5) and try entering it, can they

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    In recent years, even big-budget console titles have increasingly shipped with only the main game on the disc, due to disc capacity limits, while extra content is handed out via a paper serial code included in the case. On the used-game market there’s no mechanical way for a store to check whether such a code has already been redeemed, so stores play it safe and buy the game back at a price equivalent to the “base game only” (no DLC) — which is why, even though the package says ‘Dark Arisen,’ the trade-in value tends to drop sharply. In the thread, two theories circulate without a clear resolution: a demand-side theory that the opening of a pirate-game store around the same time pushed more people to resell their copies, and a structural theory that the drop simply reflects stores pricing around the unverifiable DLC code. It’s also worth noting that the Switch 2 version uses a key-card system that requires downloading content each time, so even though it also involves a ‘paper code’ of sorts, the circumstances differ and shouldn’t be equated with what’s happening on PS5 — a point readers can easily get confused about.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen’s PS5 Trade-In Price Gets Cut in Half on Release Day lol”.

  • Consumer Spending Falls for 9th Straight Month, Down 3.1% in August — 5ch: “Anyone Who Actually Shops Knows Prices Are Soaring”

    On the 9th, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released August household survey data showing that consumption spending for households of two or more people fell 3.1% year-on-year in real terms, marking the ninth consecutive month of decline. For worker households, real income fell 0.9% while consumption spending dropped even more sharply, down 6.8%. On 5ch’s Breaking News+ thread, opinions clashed between posters cutting back on living expenses due to high prices and those arguing the economy isn’t bad at all given the stock rally and rising asset values. Many also wondered why consumption is falling even as real wages rise. Opinions were split on the merits of policies like rate hikes and the tax system too.

    The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ August household survey, released on the 9th, showed that consumption spending per household (two or more people) was 310,975 yen, down 3.1% year-on-year in real terms once price changes are stripped out. This marks the ninth consecutive month of decline.

    Real income for worker households (excluding the self-employed, etc.) was 616,704 yen, down 0.9%, while consumption spending was 331,134 yen, down 6.8%.

    October 9, 2026, 9:25 AM, Kyodo News

    Source: 47news.jp / Original article here

    31AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:03
    Yeah, we really need a consumption tax cut
    45AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:18
    Re: #34
    The cause is all that wasteful expansionary spending
    143AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:06
    Re: #34
    Exchange rate moves aren't set in stone
    36AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:05
    Obviously. Calculating an inflation rate while excluding subsidies and food is pointless.
    Anyone who actually goes to the supermarket and shops can tell prices are shooting up — nobody wants to spend, or rather, nobody even has money to spend
    39AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:12
    Re: #36
    That's the number after taking blood pressure meds (i.e., an artificially suppressed figure)
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:22
    Re: #36
    I was shocked at how insanely expensive vegetables have gotten
    49AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:25
    Consumption is this weak, so why raise interest rates at all?

    Rate hikes are supposed to cool down an overheating economy, aren't they?
    51AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:27
    Re: #49
    It's because inflation and the weak yen have overshot a bit.
    Look, even if consumption is weak and the economy is bad, once inflation gets excessive, rate hikes and tax hikes have to happen even if it wrecks people's lives
    52AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:27
    Re: #49
    It's meant to curb prices
    62AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:42
    Re: #51
    With the domestic economy not even overheating, will putting the brakes on economic activity via rate hikes really bring prices down? Will the price of imported crude oil actually fall?
    66AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:45
    Re: #62
    Nobody can know the future, but my guess is it won't fall.
    Still, judging from the past, I have a feeling next year is going to be a disaster
    68AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:46
    Re: #62
    Even if they cut rates,
    it'll just pile up inventory of goods and services nobody wants.
    The wealthy need to accept it's a bubble
    and just accept the losses
    70AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:50
    Re: #66
    If the Strait of Hormuz just reopens, crude oil will drop to $60.
    That alone would calm down Japan's price hikes too.
    It all comes down to Trump
    71AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:51
    Re: #70
    I wonder if it'll really fall (lol)
    156AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:15
    Re: #70
    Shipping networks are wrecked, so it'll take years to recover
    75AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:03
    But prices are rising?
    There's a limit to how much you can cut spending.
    Or is it that prices actually aren't rising?
    129AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:00
    Re: #75
    Are there still people who don't get what 'real' (inflation-adjusted) means?
    There's a thread like this every month, so figure it out already.

    > down 3.1% year-on-year "in real terms, with price-change effects stripped out"
    130AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:00
    And that's with inflation running wild like crazy.
    Just imagine how much consumption has actually dropped in nominal terms
    136AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:03
    Re: #130
    > down 3.1% year-on-year "in real terms, with price-change effects stripped out" Re: #129
    149AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:11
    Re: #137
    > down 3.1% year-on-year "in real terms, with price-change effects stripped out" Re: #129
    94AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:29
    Japan's price increases are pretty mild compared to other countries though.
    I'm not denying prices are rising, but it's still nothing compared to other countries.
    The reason prices aren't rising more despite the weak yen is probably the subsidies
    96AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:31
    Re: #94
    And that's exactly why the weak companies survive and the economy never grows
    98AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:32
    Re: #94
    Actually rice is the big factor —
    it's pulling the CPI down by 0.7 to 1.0 points
    107AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:36
    The Nikkei is around 70,000 yen, so listed companies are clearly doing well.
    For ordinary people it's probably a two-tier split though.
    117AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:45
    Guess Yoichi Takahashi was right that raising rates causes a recession
    120AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:51
    Re: #117
    That's because the ones hurt most by rate hikes are the working-age generation that spends the most
    150AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:12
    On 5ch, posts from broke old guys stand out,

    but in reality wages are up and stocks are soaring —
    the economy's doing great, right?

    Household financial assets just keep climbing too
    152AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:12
    Re: #150
    Then why is consumption dropping this much?
    This number is clearly closer to reality
    176AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:37
    Re: #122
    Wait, what?! Uh oh…
    Re: #150
    O…oh, okay
    161AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:18
    Weird phenomenon, given that real wages are rising
    198AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:22
    Re: #161
    Last year it was the opposite — real wages were negative but real consumption was positive.
    I've always wondered why.

    Maybe there's a time lag between changes in real wages and changes in real consumption, or maybe
    even 'real' figures don't fully strip out price effects, so some of the swings from volatile rice prices still bleed into the real consumption numbers
    https://imgu.web.nhk/news/u/news/nd/kiji/20261009de56954/20261009de56954_E0000059143_1_l.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HUGrv2nacAAuYE_.png
    185AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:04
    Japan's real wages are rising the most this year,
    though that's partly a rebound from how bad last year was
    https://gzo.ai/i/dDfvjYt.jpg

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The “real” figure in the household survey measures changes in purchasing power with price increases stripped out — a different concept from nominal income and spending — and the thread had plenty of posts that confused the two. The drop in consumption spending stems both from people cutting back on essentials due to high prices and from wage growth failing to keep pace with prices. At the same time, some people have grown their assets thanks to the rising Nikkei, and posters noted a widening gap in how good or bad the economy feels depending on whether you hold assets. On whether rate hikes and tax policy are justified, several tangled issues — the weak yen, import prices, the scale of fiscal spending — meant the thread never reached a consensus.

    ※This article is composed of excerpts and summaries from the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “[Household Consumption Spending] Down for 9th Straight Month — August, -3.1%.”