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The story
A thread on 5ch’s Newsspeed VIP board described a coworker whose body odor is so strong it lingers in the room even after they’ve left. Posters speculated about the cause — sebum, dirty clothes, or simply not bathing — while the original poster explained that even the boss won’t step in, saying it’s hard to say something since the coworker means no harm. The thread expanded into discussion of how to actually bring up body odor, its possible links to depression or neurodivergent traits, and even the existence of a real condition called “fish odor syndrome,” with posters offering a wide range of opinions on just how hard it is to say something.
What people said
Is it body odor? Same smell every single day.
He's a 45-year-old guy.
Not sure, but his hair is always greasy and matted.
I don't think it's hair product.
Maybe his body odor is so thick and sticky it just doesn't dissipate.
Seriously, right?
You can tell "oh, so-and-so was just standing here, weren't they?"
because the smell lingers that strongly.
Especially winter coats.
Some people say it's probably just his house's smell stuck to his clothes,
but I think it's body odor.
so the boss should use that as an opening — like "Hey, you okay? You smell a bit, are you keeping up with baths? Is something bothering you?"
He's definitely not depressed.
He's more like… can't read the room, kind of like he might be neurodivergent, and his sense of personal space is off.
Sounds kinda kinky.
Nah, I don't actually know if he's depressed or not.
It's just that saying "hey old man, you stink" is harder than
opening with "you got something on your mind?" as a way to ease into the smell thing.
Someone already tried that — he's slow to pick up on his work, so they asked if anything about the job was bothering him, and he just smiled brightly and said
"I'm totally fine!!"
I already talked to the boss.
But the boss says it's hard to tell him "you smell" too, so he won't say anything.
Like I said, I don't actually know if he has something on his mind or not.
I'm just saying it's easier for the person doing the warning to bring it up that way.
Also, there are conditions like fish odor syndrome where you get body odor even if you bathe properly.
Is that really a real condition?
Since turning 30 I can definitely tell my mouth and armpits have a smell — I'm probably giving off body odor elsewhere too without realizing it.
If you're self-aware enough to worry about it, you're probably already taking care of it properly, right?
If you were managing it, you wouldn't smell anywhere near that bad.
You're fine.
Does that hellish scenario actually happen?
Your only real option is to write it on paper: "I know you're a good person and I'm sorry, but the smell is really bad, so please do something about it," and just leave it somewhere.
Do it gently and diplomatically, since there's a chance he'll snap back with "I don't smell!"
Even the boss says
"it's hard to bring up since he's not smelling on purpose,"
and won't talk to him about it.
Maybe that's what it is.
Go buy a 100-yen pack of cumin and give it a sniff.
Someone who drinks every day can smell pretty rough.
Part of it's that alcohol boosts your metabolism, but it's also because your body breaks the alcohol down and converts it into sweat and sebum.
Apparently he does drink quite a lot.
There is no other solution.
That's the thing — his sense of distance is off, and he's the one who comes and sticks right up next to you.
Re: #1
OP, you're being hit on!
Sure — I'll join the Open Chat, so send me the link.
Background and Key Issues
Workplace body-odor problems are difficult to handle precisely because it’s so hard to raise the issue directly with the person involved, and that tension sits at the center of this thread. While most posters speculated about lifestyle-related causes — sebum, alcohol metabolism, infrequent laundry — medical conditions like “fish odor syndrome” (trimethylaminuria), a metabolic disorder that produces body odor regardless of hygiene, genuinely exist, meaning some cases can’t be explained by the person’s cleanliness habits alone. Posters also proposed indirect approaches, like asking about someone’s health or personal worries, as a way around the awkwardness of a direct comment — reflecting the workplace-specific concern that a blunt remark could be taken as harassment. At the same time, some comments casually linked the cause to neurodivergence, but that remains pure speculation, and it’s worth noting that drawing a simplistic connection between body odor and neurodivergent traits risks being misleading.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread “Help me, this guy at work smells.”
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