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The story
On the night of October 3, 2026, after Hanshin clinched back-to-back Central League pennants, the now-traditional “Dotonbori Dive” kicked off in Osaka’s Dotonbori River. The moment the title was decided, five men dove in one after another, egged on by the crowd — one of them jumped in three times solo — and the scene was electric, with a confirmed total of 6 people diving in 9 times combined so far. It all unfolded under the watch of more than 800 police officers on security duty. On 5ch, some took it in stride, saying “Shibuya for soccer, Dotonbori for Hanshin — it’s tradition,” while plenty of others questioned whether the people diving in were really Hanshin fans or just opportunists looking for an excuse to cause a scene.
2026.10.03 (Sat)
On the 3rd, the day Hanshin’s Central League back-to-back pennant was decided, the diving began again this year in the Dotonbori River in Minami, Osaka.
The moment the pennant was clinched, five men dove in one right after another. Egged on by the crowd, each splash set off a huge roar. Swept up by chants of “one more!”, one tough guy dove in three times on his own. So far, 6 people have made a combined 9 splashes into the Dotonbori River.
Source: daily.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Dotonbori for Hanshin — it's tradition
There's too many people to stop them, so what can you do
replying to myself
watched the clip and got it
pretty much all of them went in the water
Is that thing hanging off your belt just a toy?
The "Han-criminals" (a mocking nickname for Hanshin, playing on how "Hanshin" sounds like "crime") quietly clinched the pennant while everyone was busy watching the Asian Games lol
maybe these aren't Hanshin fans at all,
maybe they just want an excuse to cause a scene?
Probably, but some of them are wearing the team jersey…
kind of hard to say "I'm not a fan" when you're wearing the uniform
Re: #35
The Osaka-based media eggs it on too, which makes the bad influence even worse
an estimated 5,300 people dove into Dotonbori
Still looks filthy to me though (´･ω･`)
and stick it in the hands of the Colonel Sanders statue (the KFC mascot statue that was famously thrown into this very river back in 1985)
I just want to go back to that day 41 years ago, watching them win in the living room with my family…
I'd build a pool called "Dotonbori"
and let people dive into that instead
Even a tiny entry fee would make a fortune
but when Hanshin wins it's treated like harmless victory fun?
That's where this whole thing started, right?
I guess the turning point out of their dark ages was when Hoshino became manager (Senichi Hoshino, former Hanshin manager)
Apparently piranhas are surprisingly timid and almost never attack people
It used to be a river crawling with E. coli and who knows what else •́ω•̀)?
Still dirty, but way better than it used to be
Background and Key Points of This Topic
The Dotonbori Dive is said to have become a tradition after Hanshin’s 1985 pennant win, and records suggest an estimated 5,300 people dove in when the team won again in 2003. At the same time, stories of deaths linked to the river’s poor water quality have been passed down over the years, so safety concerns linger beneath the festive mood. The thread split over whether the people diving in are genuinely Hanshin fans or just opportunists looking for an excuse to cause a scene — some pointed out that divers wearing team jerseys suggest real fandom, while many others argued they’re not real fans at all. Commenters also noted a double standard: celebratory chaos at Shibuya Scramble Crossing after soccer matches is often criticized, while the Dotonbori Dive tends to get a pass as a “traditional event.” Although the river’s water quality is said to have improved in recent years, ensuring safety and covering the cost of security remain ongoing challenges.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “Dotonbori Dive kicks off after Hanshin’s pennant win — Five fans belly-flop in a row the instant it’s clinched! Tiger fans in a frenzy! Chaos erupts with shouting amid tight security from over 800 police officers… [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★]“
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