Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

Gravure idol and cosplayer Minami Awa (29) reported on October 1 via X (formerly Twitter) that she’d been targeted by a “bump attacker” (butsukari-ya — people, often men, who deliberately slam into pedestrians, frequently targeting women) at Tokyo Station. She said the man was slim and short, and that she, weighing 70kg, came out the clear winner — he staggered back, glared at her, and walked off. Her line “I didn’t eat all this for nothing” caught attention online, and on 5ch a debate broke out over whether it was really a deliberate attack or just an accidental collision.

10/1 (Thu) 11:47

Gravure idol, cosplayer, and talent Minami Awa (29) updated her X account by the 1st, revealing she’d been the target of a bumping incident.

She reported, “I ran into a bump attacker at Tokyo Station today.” She explained further: “As it happens, he was a somewhat slim, short guy, so at 70kg I won easily. He went flying back a little, glared at me, and walked off.” She addressed her followers: “Tough luck for him — I didn’t eat all this for nothing. Everyone, watch out for bump attackers too.”

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “70kg Gravure Idol Reports Crushing a ‘Bump Attacker’ at the Station: ‘I Didn’t Eat All This for Nothing’ — Previously Had a Handshake Event Cancelled Due to Zero Fans.”

“Kappo Komeo,” a restaurant in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, has announced its closure. The restaurant previously caused a food poisoning outbreak, and Komeo is reportedly involved in running it. On 5ch’s Entertainment/Sports News+ thread, commenters speculated the closure might really be a rebrand aimed at a “comeback,” pointing out that the crab ramen shop “Kani wo,” also said to be linked to the same operator, is still open as usual. Others focused on hygiene management, suggesting HACCP (hygiene control plan) records may not have been properly kept, leaving opinion split on what’s really behind the closure.

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Komeo Announces Closure of “Kappo Komeo”.”

To mark the 80th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s birth, Queen: Budapest — a concert film documenting the band’s 1986 Budapest show — opens in theaters on October 7. The release prompted a music critic’s piece on Queen’s enduring appeal, which was picked up on 5ch [Japan’s largest anonymous forum network] and sparked a flood of comments about favorite tracks and “greatest album” debates. Some pushed for the Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack era, others questioned the synth-heavy direction from The Game onward, and opinions split sharply over claims like “they only caught on here because of a Kimutaku drama” [a nickname for actor Takuya Kimura] and “overseas they rank below Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd.”

Tue, Sep 29, 6:05 PM

2026 marks the 80th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s birth. The historic 1986 Budapest concert, captured at the peak of Queen’s powers, hits theaters October 7 as Queen: Budapest. More than half a century on, why does Queen still command such devotion? Music critic Yuichi Masuda — who has followed the band in real time since 1975, later served as editor-in-chief of Music Life magazine, and supervised the Japanese subtitles for Bohemian Rhapsody — breaks down the appeal.

(snip)

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

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisupo Sokuho+ [entertainment/sports news board]) thread “Queen, Beloved for Over Half a Century — 5 Essential Songs to Start With.”

Chonmage Ramen, the comedy duo formerly known as Indians, appeared at a Tokyo event on October 1 and revealed that one year and four months after their name change, public recognition of the new duo name is “about 60%, still a tough struggle.” In a thread on 5ch’s Geinou Supo Sokuhou+ board, users ran through examples of renames that worked out (Summers, Cream Stew) alongside past cases where a new name never stuck and the act reverted to its old one (Animal Kaidan, Rafurekuran’s switch to Cotton, etc.), fueling a growing consensus that “duos who actually succeed after renaming are the minority.” Meanwhile, some questioned the naming sense itself, while others had fun pitching alternative name ideas.

Thu, Oct 1, 3:12 PM

Comedy duo Chonmage Ramen attended a sampling event for Nobel Confectionery’s “VC-3000 Throat Tablets” in Tokyo on the 1st.

Akihiro Tabuchi, who showed up in a yellow full-body tights costume, spent about 30 minutes handing out the product. Mingling with everyone from kids to foreign visitors, he was thrilled: “I’m so grateful it was such a huge hit. If I get fussed over like this, I want to dress like this all the time — I had almost 100 times more photos taken of me than usual.” His partner Kimu laughed along: “He’s practically sparkling. If he’d bring this look to our manzai act too, I’d actually look forward to smacking him.”

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

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou Supo Sokuhou+) thread “[Comedians] Chonmage Ramen, One Year and Four Months After Renaming, Recognition Rate “About 60%. Still a Tough Battle” — Formerly Indians.”