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A poster for the “Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon,” scheduled for January 2027 in Ibusuki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, sparked speculation on X that it had been made with generative AI. The event’s organizing committee had previously stated on its official site that an illustrator created the artwork, but on September 8 it reversed course, admitting AI had been used in the production process, apologizing, and correcting the credit to “graphic designer.” On 5ch, users pointed out not only the unnatural shape of the rapeseed flowers but also a mismatch between the number of bathers and the number of umbrellas in the sand-bath scene, and opinions were split over whether using AI was even a problem in the first place.
Sep 9 (Wed), 1:50 PM
A poster for a full marathon held in Ibusuki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, has drawn a string of claims on X that it was made using generative AI. The official website had described the artwork as the work of “an illustrator who has created numerous event posters and other pieces within Kagoshima Prefecture,” but on September 8 the event’s organizing committee revealed that generative AI had been used in the production process and corrected the site’s description, clarifying that the work was actually done by a “graphic designer.”
The poster in question is the promotional artwork for the “44th Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon,” scheduled for January 10, 2027. The design itself had been public since July 24, but on September 7 a post on X claiming it “shows the telltale signs of generative AI art” went viral. Users raised doubts about both the visuals and the official explanation, with comments like “the shape of the rapeseed flowers—the whole point of the image—is completely wrong” and “it’s obviously AI-made, so why credit an illustrator?”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
The flower in the front left is totally off
If they were going to let AI do it, they didn't even need to outsource the job
Using AI is fine, but there's something strange about how eerie and uncanny the overall composition and angles feel
Sure, ad agencies might lose work,
but what's actually the problem?
Probably because the claim that it was "the work of a well-known (presumably) illustrator" turned out to be a lie
here's what non-AI rapeseed flowers actually look like
https://www.kagoshima-kankou.com/storage/tourism_attractions/51481/responsive_images/GlBcD43PNDdLV5K5BwRjqvhyxGdbhP7Q4vZMeM7U__1024_682.jpeg
https://img.kewpie.co.jp/recipes_src/recipe/img/large/QP10011458_1L.jpg
Yeah, TV spots are increasingly adding a disclaimer that they were made with generative AI
It's getting to the point where you can assume almost anything that isn't live-action footage is AI
Right?!
That cracked me up more than the rapeseed flowers honestly
That's exactly it
I can imagine the designer knew this is what you'd get with AI, but then the client made them do revisions and it ended up like this
looks like severed heads on display (reference to "gokumon" — the historical practice of publicly displaying executed criminals' heads)
Yeah, that's worse than the flowers
It gave me a jolt
Right now it's still so obviously AI that you can tell instantly,
but it'll probably evolve to the point where you can't tell the difference at all.
Maybe the charmingly rough "so-bad-it's-good" artists will be the ones who survive
There are AI-generated images out there that don't look all that unnatural,
so really it comes down to the creator's taste
It's really more like "AI's fine, just raise the quality" lol
Nobody minds a designer using AI
That doesn't make sense either
Why is it the audience demanding higher quality…?
Though it's still full of stuff to mock, like duplicate race bibs and creepy plastered-on smiles
Mt. Kaimon looks the most wrong lol
The people's faces really scream AI
Wonder why it gives off that vibe
The mountain in the background looks nothing like Mt. Kaimon—that's clearly Mt. Fuji
Why are people buried in sand with just their heads sticking out?
Because the sand-steaming hot spring is Ibusuki's famous attraction
Though it has nothing to do with the marathon lol
You don't know about Ibusuki's sand-steaming hot springs?
Wonder what they spent the leftover budget on
Exactly lol
Some self-proclaimed designer they found online
Background and Key Points of the Debate
The debate split into two issues: whether using AI itself was acceptable, and whether the organizers had lied about having used it. The committee had originally stated on its site that a real illustrator created the piece, so the main source of criticism was less the AI use itself than the fact that this credited background turned out to be false. On the thread, users pointed to specific AI-typical glitches—like the mismatched number of bathers and umbrellas in the sand-bath scene—while others pushed back against quality complaints by dismissing critics as “AI police,” leaving the discussion at a standstill. Disclosing the use of generative AI in promotional material has become increasingly common in the advertising and commercial industry in recent years, and this correction appears to follow that broader trend. That said, the details of how the work was commissioned and how the budget was allocated haven’t been made public, so the suspicions of profit-skimming raised on 5ch remain speculation for now.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread ““The Rapeseed Flowers Are Off” — Marathon Poster Credited to an Illustrator Draws Criticism, Organizers Admit AI Use and Apologize.”
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