Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Doubts Raised Over Pachinko’s “Pure Randomness” Claim — 5ch: “If Positive-EV Play Really Worked, Elite Grads Would Be Flooding In”

    Sparked by an exposé on a blog written by someone claiming to be a former pachinko parlor executive, a 5ch thread turned skeptical about pachinko’s “pure randomness” — the official line that payouts are decided purely by mechanical lottery, with no manipulation by the parlors. Posters argued that if positive-EV play could really deliver stable winnings, math-savvy elite university grads would be flooding into the hobby, while others swapped stories of winning big thanks to staff “consideration,” rumors about certain circuit boards being more prone to hits, and payout adjustments via the hall computer. Opinions split over whether remote rigging is real and over past scandals involving rigged circuit boards.

    A former pachinko parlor executive is spilling the beans

    Source: ameblo.jp / Original article here

    7AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:27
    If positive-EV play (playing only in probability-favorable situations) actually let you win consistently, elite university grads would be swarming in, right?
    12AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:29
    Re: #7
    If you're actually smart, you'd know grinding out small wins at pachinko has zero expected value for your life overall.
    14AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:29
    Re: #7
    Elite grads flocking in for a measly ¥5 million a year, lol
    Talk in your sleep — nobody's got time for that.
    61AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:51
    Re: #7
    Back when I was a student they let me win like crazy
    Slots though, not pachinko.
    23AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:34
    The way the nails are cranked shut tells you there's no remote rigging.
    If they could remote-control it, they wouldn't need to — they'd just drop the odds by 10% instead.
    26AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:35
    Re: #23
    That doesn't hold up — there used to be shops where machines ran wide open but hits were still rare, and they stayed empty the whole time.
    27AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:35
    Re: #14
    These days you don't even hit ¥5 million

    It's basically the same as living off a part-time job.
    43AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:43
    Re: #27
    Ever since smart-slot LT machines became the standard, it's been so unstable you'd go bald from the stress.
    28AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:36
    Apparently the cops turn a blind eye to payout adjustment via the hall computer.
    But targeting a specific individual player counts as illegal remote rigging.
    34AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:39
    Re: #28
    Same kind of look-the-other-way as with soaplands (Japan's licensed brothels).
    30AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:36
    Horse racing had jockeys coordinating fixed races over their phones, lol.
    32AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:38
    Re: #30
    Well, horse racing's at least state-run, so it's probably a bit better than private operators
    And the scale's way bigger too.
    33AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:38
    For Eva 15 (an Evangelion-themed pachinko machine), if there's no hot reach within the first 100 spins in the morning, I ditch it.
    That's how I stay ahead overall.
    35AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:39
    Re: #33
    Enough with the crap theory, man.
    41AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:41
    Re: #33
    I get it — within 100 spins, countdown or story reaches miss a lot lol. But when those reaches do hit, you win big.
    36AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:39
    There was a shop running a 4th-gen Type-A machine service set to 6 (the highest payout setting), and I got wiped out for ¥100,000 with zero BIG bonuses. I complained to the shop owner's brother-in-law and he made a call somewhere.
    After that it went on a streak and paid out exactly ¥100,000 before stopping.
    Haven't touched pachislot or pachinko since.
    42AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:42
    Re: #36
    There was a fight between customers over a machine, and staff told me, 'Sorry about that, please play this machine instead!' I won ¥80,000 on the 'Umi' (sea-themed) machine they gave me and haven't been back since.
    39AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:40
    The fact that math-savvy elite grads don't do positive-EV grinding is the answer in itself.
    Anyone pushing the positive-EV strategy is industry-affiliated.
    40AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:41
    Re: #39
    That's because a regular job has better expected value.
    52AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:47
    Re: #39
    It builds no useful experience, it's grueling, and you barely make money.
    Factor in life's overall expected value and no smart person would normally do it.
    46AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:44
    Years ago some street magician showed up at a hall during business hours and hit on the very first spin — that's when I knew for sure. "Ah, so they really can do anything."
    54AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:49
    Re: #46
    That's a trick aimed at people who don't know about segment displays or reach patterns.
    47AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:45
    If it were really true, someone would've leaked hard evidence by now — that's just how these things go.
    The fact that not a single case exists is itself telling — according to Chappy (nickname for ChatGPT).
    50AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:45
    Re: #47
    What about the Yokohama Bonanza case?
    48AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:45
    Seems plausible that some circuit boards are just more prone to hitting than others.
    51AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:46
    Re: #48
    There are actually shop managers who talk about 'winning boards' and 'losing boards,' so…
    53AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:48
    Re: #48
    Apparently 'superior boards' genuinely do exist.
    There was even that demo-board mix-up scandal before.
    https://note.com/shiny_echium517/n/n2d1d95cc348d?sub_rt=share_pw
    55AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:49
    Re: #48
    No matter how programmed it is, the board and power supply are still analog components.
    Wouldn't be strange at all if some machines, or some spots in the hall, were just more prone to hitting.
    56AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:49
    If it actually got you to ¥5 million a year, I could see pachinko-obsessed elite grads doing it.
    Not like everyone lands a job at a big company anyway.
    65AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:53
    Re: #56
    Factor in the hours it eats up and the lack of any future prospects, and it has no expected value.
    63AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:52
    They bring in a celebrity host and it's still 1k-13 (only 13 balls per 1,000 yen) — that's pachinko for you.
    67AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:54
    Re: #63
    Cracked up when a host got a terrible draw number and the shop straight up told them to stop playing pachinko, lol.
    64AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:53
    The fact that it's written you can't win big money through expected value alone is the answer.
    If you could actually win ¥5 million, plenty of 'elite' types who flunked their entrance exams would show up too.
    66AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:54
    Re: #64
    If you flunked the entrance exam, that makes you low-education, doesn't it?
    71AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:56
    Re: #66
    Whether someone's 'elite-educated' is subjective anyway.
    74AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:58
    Re: #71
    Educational background is objective, though.

    Flunk the exam and you're a smart person with a low-tier education.
    79AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:59
    Re: #74
    To someone who only finished middle school, a high school diploma might look 'elite.' To a Todai (University of Tokyo) grad, even MARCHO (a tier of top private universities) might look low-tier.
    80AnonymousSep 26, 2026 13:00
    Re: #79
    That's still objective though.
    98AnonymousSep 26, 2026 13:15
    Re: #79
    Guess it's 'MARCHO' now instead of 'MARCH.'
    When did that change?

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    Pachinko payouts operate on the premise that machines run according to models certified by the Public Safety Commission, while hall computers (“horukon”) handle day-to-day “setting” changes and manage the overall balance of payouts. This itself is openly practiced within the industry. But “remote rigging” — externally rewriting lottery results to target a specific customer — is a separate matter entirely and violates the Entertainment Business Law, a distinction that’s easy for readers to miss since the thread often conflates the two. Past cases of demo-board mix-ups and rigged circuit boards being uncovered have kept these rumors persistent. The thread split over whether positive-EV play (choosing to play only in probability-favorable conditions) really works: some argued that if it did, math-capable elite grads would flock to it as a wealth-building strategy, while others countered that with earnings capped at roughly ¥5 million a year, the time commitment and risk make it unappealing regardless of educational background.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Livegalileo) thread “Surely nobody in this day and age still believes in pachinko’s ‘pure randomness,’ right? (lol)“

  • Chage Reveals the Secret Origin of the Duo’s Name: ‘Back in Our Amateur Days, It Was Chage and ASKA’

    Singer-songwriter Chage (68) appeared alongside Yu Hayami on TOKYO FM’s late-night program “TOKYO SPEAKEASY,” which aired in the early hours of September 24, and looked back on the origins of the duo name CHAGE and ASKA. He revealed that in their amateur days they were billed as “Chage and ASKA,” in that order and wording — a detail that sparked discussion about how it later changed. On 5ch, users reacted to the backstory behind the name CHAGE and the story of how ASUKA became ASKA, while also debating the chances of a reunion given ASKA’s past drug conviction.

    Chage: “In our amateur days, it was ‘Chage and ASKA’” — reveals secret story behind the duo’s name

    9/25 (Fri) 12:35

    Singer-songwriter Chage (68) appeared alongside Yu Hayami on TOKYO FM’s “TOKYO SPEAKEASY” (Mon–Thu, 1am), which aired late on the night of the 24th, and looked back on how CHAGE and ASKA got their name.

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

    11AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:10
    Just a one-hit wonder known for that coconut song (´・ω・`)
    15AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:20
    Re: #11
    It's kind of amazing that it's still used in commercials to this day
    28AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:55
    Re: #11
    I liked Ishikawa Yuko — cute and sexy.
    Didn't she and Ch◯ge end up on bad terms? (Some articles say it started partway through…)
    12AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:11
    I wish they'd reunite for the 50th anniversary, even if it's just a limited-time thing
    14AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:16
    "Hoshizora no Distance" ("Distance Under the Starry Sky") — I still sing that one at karaoke
    16AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:26
    There's an urban legend that CHAGE comes from adding a C to "(hage)" [Japanese for "bald"], but wouldn't that technically have to become "CHAGEC" — like "Chagekku"? Doesn't that sound off?
    32AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:09
    Re: #16
    ASKA was originally spelled ASUKA, but apparently he changed it after being called "Asuuka" while recording overseas
    18AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:27
    Re: #15
    It sounds like a novelty song, but listening to it again, it's actually really cool
    21AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:31
    I've heard they also considered flipping the order to "Asuka & Chage"
    22AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:32
    Kind of like Simon and Garfungle? (sic)
    25AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:42
    Same naming pattern as "Yotsuba&!" [a manga title]. Guess nowadays it'd be "Chage&!"
    26AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:45
    ASKA's still releasing music and doing live shows, so they might as well just reunite already
    27AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:53
    Re: #26
    Asuka recently put out a song with Koji Tamaki that's kind of a "yeah yeah yeah" type track
    29AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:56
    Before their debut, it seems like they were trying to push CHAGE as the front man — so at what point did they pivot to pushing ASKA instead? I think it's rough that he never got to release that "Epilogue" single
    38AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:20
    I wonder if it's actually CHAGE who's the one refusing to reunite?
    48AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:32
    Re: #38
    He's not refusing — he's literally bringing up ChageAndAska on the radio like this.
    Speaking of Chage, I liked the song "Fifty-Fifty." There are more hidden gems than you'd expect.
    39AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:21
    Why does CHAGE always wear a hat?
    42AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:25
    Apparently it started out as a friend-unit put together by some producer type — a way to give a 2nd-place finisher from the Popcon [Popular Music Contest] qualifiers a shot at winning the finals.
    It turned into a real business once it took off.
    44AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:26
    Guess it breaks down when you mess with something like that… because they were never equals to begin with!
    45AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:28
    Already 68, huh.
    Guess he'll probably never sing with Asuka [ASKA] again.
    46AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:29
    Space Ape Gori → Space Ape Gori vs. Spectreman → Spectreman (a nod to how old tokusatsu show titles kept shifting)
    47AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:30
    There's no ChageAndAska comeback happening unless Asuka drops that overblown pride of his
    49AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:34
    Just write a song called "Drugs Are Scary" already (´・ω・`)
    51AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:35
    I found out through a YouTube recommendation, but I was surprised CHAGE put out a new song recently.
    I was impressed he's still writing new music at his age.
    Some of CHAGE's songs are kind of mediocre (though plenty are good too), but I think he's more original than a lot of his peers.
    That said, "Oto Ginga" is basically a recycled "Only Lonely," and the song after that sounds just like "Under the Big Chestnut Tree" [a well-known Japanese children's song].
    53AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:37
    Whether it's a ChageAndAska song or an Asuka solo song, it's always Asuka's voice that comes to mind.
    I can't even remember what the other guy's voice — the one with the sunglasses — sounds like.
    64AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:48
    I think it used to be spelled ASUKA.
    67AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:51
    Re: #64
    I think it was "Asuka Ryo" [his real stage name]
    71AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:55
    Re: #64
    The story goes that overseas people kept pronouncing "ASUKA" as "Osuka" instead of "Asuka," so he dropped the U

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    According to one post, CHAGE and ASKA were formed in 1979 as a project unit created specifically to advance through the Popcon qualifiers, and the early details of who led the group and in what order their names were billed have rarely been discussed officially. ASKA was arrested in 2014 for violating the Stimulants Control Act, and that incident still casts a shadow over the group’s subsequent hiatus and the persistent hope for a reunion. In the thread, opinions were split between users questioning CHAGE’s musical contribution and others countering that CHAGE actually led the group in its early days. The theory that ASUKA became ASKA because of how it was pronounced during overseas recording sessions was also raised — though it should be noted this remains hearsay with no official confirmation.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Music] Chage: ‘In our amateur days, it was Chage and ASKA’ — reveals secret story behind the duo’s name.”

  • Naotaka Yokokawa Cracks Top 10 in Mr. Olympia Debut, Advances to Finals

    At the Mr. Olympia contest — the world’s premier bodybuilding event — currently underway in Las Vegas, USA, Japan’s Naotaka Yokokawa made his debut appearance and advanced past prejudging into the finals. He didn’t make the first six called out in the initial round (the “First Callout”), but was placed at the top center position in the next tier, the “Second Callout,” locking in a spot in the top 10. On 5ch, commenters lined up to compare just how impressive this feat is to achievements in other sports like baseball and tennis, while discussion also spread around the steroid culture unique to bodybuilding and the health risks athletes face.

    Professional bodybuilder Naotaka Yokokawa, making his first appearance on bodybuilding’s biggest stage — the Mr. Olympia contest, which kicked off in Las Vegas, USA — has finished the prejudging round and secured his spot in the finals.

    In prejudging, which began in the early hours of the 26th Japan time, competitors took the stage in order of entry number, and Yokokawa performed the mandatory poses right next to three-time defending champion Keon Pearson (USA). Being compared directly with the champion right off the bat drew huge cheers from the venue.

    After each competitor performed their individual mandatory poses, judges moved on to the comparison rounds to rank them. Yokokawa didn’t make the six athletes named in the First Callout (the top contenders at that stage), but was called out in the following Second Callout, where he was placed at the very top, center position, as poses were repeated — sealing his spot in the top 10.

    Source: vitup.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:45
    Looks bad for your health
    18AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:54
    Re: #2
    Well yeah, they've given up on health for the sake of muscle
    62AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:13
    Re: #2
    Wasn't Daisuke Hori a bodybuilder too?
    But isn't it kind of cool that they keep pushing anyway?
    A lot of pro athletes end up living with joint pain for the rest of their lives too — chasing the top always comes with some kind of risk attached
    73AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:22
    Re: #2
    That's a mindset scrubs who just want to live a long life could never understand
    7AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:47
    Seriously the best result ever by a Japanese guy, that's amazing
    8AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:47
    So he missed the top 6, huh
    9AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:48
    Re: #8
    Yeah, unfortunately
    11AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:51
    I like short sleepers better, they're funnier
    13AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:51
    If he takes the top spot right off the bat that'll be legendary
    16AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:52
    I don't really get how impressive this actually is
    21AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:55
    Re: #16
    It's like reaching the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam in men's tennis — hasn't happened for a Japanese player since Kei Nishikori
    28AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:57
    Re: #16
    Like winning the Ballon d'Or, or the MLB home run title, or becoming heavyweight boxing champion, or taking Olympic 100m gold
    32AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:58
    Re: #16
    It's like getting a boob job and ending up with the biggest breasts in the world
    26AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:56
    Who's better, him or Big Hide?
    33AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:58
    Re: #26
    Big Hide's an actual champion, so
    Still, Yokokawa's amazing
    He's just got the frame for it
    35AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:59
    Re: #26
    Hide's already a legend at this point
    Yokokawa probably wouldn't be where he is now without Hide either
    27AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:56
    Sounds like RIKACO is showing up for the final judging
    30AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:57
    He seriously looked like Yujiro Hanma from the manga Baki
    Though he looks like he might die young
    34AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:58
    Sure, everyone's juiced up, but this guy's transformation has been way too rapid ever since he was on TV — I worry about his health more than the other bodybuilders.
    39AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:01
    Yamagishi used to get told over and over that he had no talent, unlike Yokokawa
    40AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:02
    It's basically a twisted sport of gambling on how much of the stuff you can take without dying, lol
    42AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:04
    Does making the top ranks mean it's a clean physique built with just protein and training, no doping?
    45AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:06
    Re: #42
    It's a competition that's built around steroid use from the start.
    So it's not technically doping.
    Though it's still bad for your body
    46AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:06
    Yokokawa
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSt5-P8aEAAR-Ww.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSuu7qNaQAA8lW9.jpg:orig#.jpg
    57AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:10
    Re: #46
    He's a real mass monster, lol
    He's about 170cm too, and his build is closer to a Western physique, which is nice
    58AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:10
    Re: #46
    Is this natural?
    Why do his shoulders look like that
    83AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:24
    I prefer the body without the paint/tan on it.
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HS5x-URbAAALid4.jpg
    https://newsdig.ismcdn.jp/mwimgs/c/a/1360mw/img_cab3f3f5fed59b57b82d1964748268c6295040.jpg
    85AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:25
    Re: #1
    It's starting
    https://www.youtube.com/live/BpaJRzr_4YQ
    102AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:37
    Re: #85
    Watching it now, but is it just normal for the women to be on male hormones too?
    86AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:27
    Re: #58
    That's not the shoulder
    It's called the trapezius — the muscle running from the neck out to the shoulder
    You know, the spot that feels great when someone massages your shoulders
    98AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:34
    Re: #86
    I think they're using "shoulder" in the broad sense there
    You yourself said "shoulder massage" right after saying it's not the shoulder
    It's not like they actually think it's the bony corner part of the shoulder
    87AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:28
    Who's more impressive, him or Daisuke Hori?
    91AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:30
    Re: #87
    Yokokawa was already at a level where people suspected he was on steroids before he'd even started
    94AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:32
    Re: #87
    It's like the difference between sandlot baseball and the Yankees
    Yokokawa's not quite at Ohtani's level, but he's close
    89AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:30
    Most people have 6-pack abs, but fun fact — Yokokawa's got a 4-pack
    97AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:34
    Re: #89
    There aren't many bodybuilders with better abs than Yokokawa, it's the ideal X-shape
    He didn't look all that natural to begin with anyway

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    Mr. Olympia, founded in 1965 and hosted by the IFBB Pro League, is the world’s premier bodybuilding competition. In prejudging, competitors are compared through mandatory poses and narrowed down via a “First Callout,” where the top contenders are named first, followed by a “Second Callout” for the next tier. Yokokawa didn’t make the six in the First Callout, but was placed at the very top of the Second Callout group, effectively locking in a top-10 finish for the finals. The steroid debate that kept coming up in the thread is different from the illegal “doping” issue seen in most sports. In the pro bodybuilding world, anabolic steroid use is openly treated as a given, and comment #45’s remark that “it’s a competition built around steroid use” captures that reality accurately. Without understanding this background, it’s easy to mix up health concerns with actual rule violations.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Bodybuilding] Naotaka Yokokawa Cracks Top 10 in His First Mr. Olympia — Finals Coming Up Next.”

  • “Don’t Eat While Fiddling With Your Phone”: Ramen Shop Owner’s Complaint Splits Opinion — 5ch Says “Both Customers and Shops Have the Right to Choose”

    “I want people to eat ramen fresh and fast — if you dawdle over it while scrolling your phone, the noodles go soggy, and it inconveniences the customers waiting behind you.” A ramen shop owner’s complaint along these lines drew attention on 5ch. Some restaurants have already started banning this kind of “eating while distracted” during busy hours, and some local governments are even considering ordinances restricting phone use to prevent accidents. The thread saw a clash between those who think customers should follow shop rules and those who think a paying customer’s freedom shouldn’t be restricted — with many eventually landing on: “both customers and shops have the right to choose.”

    1AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:21
    A ramen shop owner has sparked buzz online after voicing complaints about "customers who eat ramen while fiddling with their smartphone."
    According to the owner, ramen is meant to be eaten right after it's served, and when customers eat slowly while using their phone, it not only lets the noodles go soggy but also affects the shop's table turnover.
    "If you came here to eat ramen, I want you to actually eat the ramen — when people drag it out while staring at their phone, it inconveniences the customers waiting behind them."
    8AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:27
    Why are ramen shops full of uptight people, both staff and customers?
    It's just ramen, isn't it?
    14AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:29
    (reply to Re: #8)
    Being staff still outranks being "just a customer," I'd say.
    9AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:27
    Shops get to pick their customers too.
    Anyone who won't follow the rules can just be banned.
    11AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:28
    (reply to Re: #9)
    Damn, badass… lol
    17AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:29
    Places with a line out the door are a no-go.
    If you want your phone, go eat slowly at a neighborhood Chinese diner instead.
    22AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:31
    (reply to Re: #17)
    It depends how packed the seats are.
    If it's empty, fine, but sitting there scrolling your phone after you've finished eating when the place is full? That's trash.
    20AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:30
    (reply to Re: #14)
    Is that really how ramen shops think?
    26AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:32
    (reply to Re: #20)
    The customer is the one paying money and asking to be fed.
    27AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:32
    (reply to Re: #26)
    You're just not getting it, man.
    37AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:36
    There've always been plenty of people eating ramen while staring at their phones.
    45AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:38
    (reply to Re: #37)
    Using your phone while you're still eating is fine by me. But if there's a line of people waiting and you're hogging a seat scrolling your phone after you're done eating — that's not okay.
    41AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:37
    It'd be fine if they put up a big sign with that rule outside the shop.
    If it's only posted inside, it's too late — you're not obligated to follow it.
    46AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:39
    (reply to Re: #41)
    Though if they tell you to leave, you gotta leave.
    49AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:40
    There've always been people reading manga while eating ramen.
    It's just been swapped out for smartphones.
    60AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:43
    (reply to Re: #49)
    Lingering after you've finished eating has been frowned upon since the Edo period.
    Old-school Edo folks used to mock people like that as country bumpkins.
    79AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:54
    Just let people eat their ramen however they like.
    If you want better table turnover, put in the effort yourself instead of pushing it onto customers.
    80AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:55
    (reply to Re: #79)
    Then don't bother coming.
    87AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:59
    Shops used to have manga and newspapers lying around.
    Reading those while you eat isn't any different from using a phone.
    92AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:03
    (reply to Re: #87)
    Ramen shops today aren't run the same way they used to be, and even back then plenty of places had signs saying "please don't read while eating." The other side is telling you it's a problem for them, so "it was fine before, so it's fine now" isn't even a real argument.
    90AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:02
    [Phone-While-Doing-Things] Ramen arrives, but… they're watching a "video" on their phone
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtI5EYTElao&t

    Smartphones have become an indispensable part of daily life, but a movement to ban "phone use while doing other things" is now spreading. Some ramen shops have banned "eating while on the phone" during busy hours, and local governments are also stepping up efforts to pass ordinances aimed at preventing accidents.
    93AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:03
    (reply to Re: #90)
    An actual ordinance for this is hilarious, lol
    96AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:04
    This has nothing to do with phones.
    Just put a sign at the entrance saying "Finish eating and leave within 10 minutes of being served!"

    How long are they gonna let a mere ramen joint act so full of itself, lol
    99AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:06
    (reply to Re: #96)
    That's fair if they can also guarantee the wait time is always under 10 minutes. Making customers wait, but not returning the favor while they eat, is unfair, right?
    107AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:09
    I'm pro phone-while-eating myself, but if it's banned, that's fine too.
    There's always the option of just not going.
    112AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:12
    (reply to Re: #107)
    Exactly. Both customers and shops have the right to choose.
    Just work it out somewhere both sides come away satisfied.
    109AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:10
    All they do is boil noodles and arrange toppings, and they act like they're some kind of chef.
    114AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:13
    (reply to Re: #109)
    Right, all they can make is ramen but they act like a chef, lol
    117AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:14
    Well, honestly, it's just bad manners, plain and simple.
    121AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:16
    (reply to Re: #117)
    I mean, I don't even want to linger at a ramen shop in the first place.
    134AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:20
    (reply to Re: #121)
    Especially true at counter seating.
    129AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:19
    I'm at the point where even people photographing their food at restaurants annoy me, but then I heard some of them submit those photos to their doctor, so now I can't really bash them for it anymore.
    132AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:20
    (reply to Re: #129)
    I take photos because I can't remember what I ate otherwise.
    130AnonymousSep 26, 2026 12:19
    There used to be old guys like this, right?



    The fact that you get mad the moment it's a smartphone is proof you've gotten old. Same goes for getting angry at people taking notes on their phone.

    Background and Key Arguments

    For context, ordinances restricting “phone use while doing other things” were originally enacted by local governments to prevent accidents like walking or cycling while staring at a phone — a different issue entirely from restaurant etiquette. In the thread, the two got conflated, with the existence of such ordinances being used to bolster the shop’s side of the argument, even though they carry no legal force in this context. The debate split into two main points: how far a paying customer’s freedom can be restricted, and whether slower table turnover is the shop’s own management problem or a matter of customer manners — neither side reached a resolution. Diners have long read newspapers or manga while eating, but lingering after finishing a meal was frowned upon even back then, with some pointing out that only the device has changed, from print to smartphones.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Fair Point] Ramen Shop Owner: “Stop Fiddling With Your Phone While You Eat! I’d Rather You Never Come Back”“.

  • Nadella Signals Xbox Strategy Shift: Focus Turns to Xbox and PC, Consoles Go Exclusive-Only

    Reports that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Xbox must be “a great publisher, and at the same time a great platform on both PC and Xbox,” sparked discussion on 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (“Geha”) board. In the thread, claims that Xbox’s business has run a 10-20% profit margin clashed with foreign media reports suggesting Xbox “has never turned a profit,” while stalling Game Pass subscriber growth and data showing Xbox accounted for only 8% of platform sales for Resident Evil Requiem were also cited. Speculation about consolidating PC sales from Steam onto the Microsoft Store, plus remarks suggesting that whether Hideo Kojima’s new game releases on PlayStation is up to Xbox, were brought up too — leaving posters divided on just how far this shift toward an exclusives-first strategy will go.

    1AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:14
    The goal is very clear: Xbox must be both a great publisher and a great platform for video games on PC and Xbox.
    14AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:31
    That's weird
    The Xbox fanboys ('chika,' 5ch slang for hardcore Xbox stans) kept chanting how great Xbox is doing

    "We need to find a sustainable, appropriate business model"

    so what's going on here?
    19AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:34
    Re: #14
    They were making a profit.
    It just never came anywhere near the absurd profit-margin targets Nadella imposed.
    17AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:33
    I don't think Xbox's current market is big enough to sustain AAA games.
    They'll end up relying on Steam anyway — and by not releasing on PS, they'll actually shrink the value of the whole high-end console market (PS/Xbox).
    26AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:37
    Re: #17
    If PS ever exits, PC and Xbox would just split up whatever market is left — no big deal.
    73AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:30
    Re: #17
    Honestly, even Xbox games that go multiplatform on PS barely sell — only Forza really moves units — so it wouldn't change much.
    18AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:33
    Resident Evil Requiem tops $500 million, per Alinea's estimate

    Sales breakdown by platform:

    PS5 – 48%
    Steam – 43%
    Xbox – 8%

    https://x.com/nextgenplayer/status/2103573504121885083?s=61
    23AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:36
    Re: #19
    'Xbox has never made money' — Nadella finally says it out loud
    https://gagadget.com/en/714961-xbox-has-never-made-money-nadella-finally-says-it-out-loud-amp/
    28AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:40
    Re: #23
    Xbox's business had a 10-20% profit margin, at least through fiscal year 2023.
    29AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:42
    Re: #28
    I'd think it's pretty obvious which one's more accurate — Nadella's own words, or some media outlet's fantasy article.
    30AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:42
    Re: #28
    Xbox's finances are opaque — they only ever vaguely compare revenue year-over-year, they've never disclosed actual profit.
    32AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:42
    The first wave of exclusives is Gears E-Day and Crockwork.
    Asha has no pride in Xbox's history — she already shipped even Halo off to Activision — so depending on the numbers, Gears will get thrown under the bus too, without mercy.
    37AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:44
    Re: #32
    Sounds like you're still salty that 'trash-tation' (a derogatory 5ch nickname for PlayStation) got axed.
    34AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:43
    Re: #23
    Here we go again, twisting the hardware-loss-leader story.
    38AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:45
    Re: #34
    Oh, so we're just pretending the inconvenient numbers don't exist now, huh?
    39AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:46
    Xbox ('the box') has nothing to do with Japanese gamers at all.

    It's weird this thread even exists.
    42AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:49
    Re: #39
    Exactly.
    You can't even find one to buy anywhere.
    50AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:54
    The whole foundation just isn't there. Even if it sells on Steam, Valve takes a 30% cut.
    If people bought from the Microsoft Store instead, that 30% would disappear — but nobody who already uses Steam is going to bother switching to the garbage PC Store.

    And if Steam ends up running on the next-gen Xbox anyway, everyone will just buy it on Steam and get the 30%-off deal regardless.

    So will the Xbox version even sell? No — it's all Game Pass subscribers, nobody actually buys it.

    And has that Game Pass subscriber count exploded? Not at all — it hasn't budged, if anything it's dropped.
    54AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:02
    Re: #50
    Asha: 'Don't worry, thanks to my genius Game Pass is back on a growth trajectory.'
    60AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:07
    Oh really? 34 million (2024) → 30 million (2026) — so exactly how much did it 'grow'?
    62AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:12
    Re: #60
    With dev cycles dragging out and no big titles shipping, of course it's not growing.
    65AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:18
    With the Xbox market shrinking the way it is now,
    isn't it going to be really tough to make a AAA game like CoD or TES profitable on the PC market alone?
    68AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:21
    Re: #65
    Is there even any hope left for consoles over the next five years or so…?
    70AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:22
    Every studio they've bought just keeps shrinking at this point.
    Re: #65
    Unlike Battlefield, CoD has always been mainly a console game.
    71AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:24
    TES and Fallout are way too far off in the future to even bother trolling with.
    Besides, those franchises don't actually move hardware as much as people think.
    74AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:31
    Re: #71
    Even the flagship title Starfield didn't move any consoles at all.

    And for the record, that was the best-selling Xbox exclusive of roughly the last decade (though that might change now that FH6 came out this year).
    Even that flopped on hardware sales, so it's really not as simple as 'release an exclusive and consoles sell along with it.'

    Plus the punchline is that even Starfield's main sales ended up being on Steam.
    75AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:36
    This is probably another call from Asha Sharma, who's apparently in charge of AI too — but now it sounds like they're scrapping the 'Copilot+ PC' and 'Copilot' names altogether.
    Is there any point to all this nonstop scrapping and renaming?
    77AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:40
    Re: #75
    Because she couldn't take the lead on AI at all.

    Xbox at least has a hand full of big IPs to fight with, though, so maybe there's still a chance there.
    85AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:12
    You really do see it a lot — any negative Xbox thread instantly turns into 'but PS, but PS!' ('PS-gah,' the classic deflection).
    92AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:27
    No, according to the leaks, they're cutting Steam loose —
    PC will be Microsoft Store exclusive.
    96AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:33
    Re: #92
    CoD: Infinite Warfare: 'Nobody's in multiplayer' — Microsoft Store issues refunds
    https://fpsjp.net/archives/265139


    Are we really going back to that era?
    93AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:27
    So how's this gonna play out lol

    > Kojima admitted that whether Physint ultimately releases on PlayStation is still unknown,
    > and that the decision is up to Xbox.
    95AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:33
    Re: #93
    Just like Nadella said — consoles are Xbox-exclusive now.
    94AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:31
    Won't Xbox Anywhere let it work on Steam too?
    99AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:37
    Re: #94
    Their policy is to prioritize brand image over money, so they won't be partnering with other platforms.
    102AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:41
    Eh, so-so.
    https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2026/09/25/htevm-ew8aa3i26-1790349126593.jpg

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    This discussion kicked off after reports that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Xbox “must be a great publisher, and at the same time a great platform for both PC and Xbox.” While some claim Xbox’s business has historically run a 10-20% profit margin, foreign media reports have also cited remarks suggesting “Xbox has never turned a profit,” and interpretations of the numbers were split even within the thread. Reports that Game Pass subscribers fell from 34 million in 2024 to 30 million as of 2026 were also raised as evidence of stalling subscription growth. The main focus was speculation that Microsoft may consolidate PC sales onto the Microsoft Store away from Steam, with skeptics pointing to the 2016 failure of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, when the Microsoft Store had to scramble to issue refunds. Comments about Hideo Kojima’s upcoming title ‘Physint’ — where whether it releases on PlayStation is reportedly Xbox’s call to make — were also brought up, raising the question of how far an exclusivity-first strategy might extend to affect third-party software availability. Some also pointed out that releasing exclusive titles doesn’t necessarily translate into hardware sales, casting doubt on how effective the strategy would actually be.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, aka ‘Geha’) thread ‘Nadella Shifts Policy: Xbox and PC Now the Focus, Console-First Goes Xbox-Exclusive’.

  • Docomo hikes existing plan prices — eximo +¥550, irumo and others +¥330, starting December

    NTT Docomo announced it will raise rates starting December 1, 2026 for existing plans that are no longer open to new sign-ups. The eximo and 5G Giga-Ho series will see a ¥550/month increase, while irumo and Giga-Light series will rise by ¥330/month. On 5ch, the first wave of criticism targeted the “lure customers in cheap, then raise prices” business model, followed by comments linking this hike to the mobile fee cuts demanded during the Suga administration, framing this as the backlash to that push. Discussion also touched on whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications had actually approved this, along with complaints about Docomo’s network congestion and speed issues.

    NTT Docomo will raise prices starting December 1, 2026, primarily for existing plans that are no longer accepting new subscribers.

    eximo, eximo Poikatsu, 5G Giga-Ho / 5G Giga-Ho Premier / Giga-Ho / Giga-Ho 2 / Giga-Ho Premier, and OCN Mobile ONE (30GB) will see a ¥550 increase.

    irumo (3GB, 6GB, 9GB), 5G Giga-Light / Giga-Light / Giga-Light 2, and the Kake-Hodai Plan / Kake-Hodai Lite Plan (smartphone/tablet) / (feature phone) / (SIM-free), among others, will see a ¥330 increase.

    Source: itmedia.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:19
    This is what happens from handing out iPhones on installment plans (zankure) like candy.
    A ton of those are still going to come back as returns/defaults, aren't they?
    178AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:41
    Re: #3
    Guess they underestimated the "carrier freeloaders" as clueless suckers and it backfired.
    9AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:23
    The government finally forced prices down, and now we get a massive price hike anyway.
    91AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:18
    Re: #9
    The second Suga's gone, this happens.
    152AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:59
    Re: #9
    It's probably because of people who just hop from carrier to carrier for deals.
    Honestly, the old two-year contract model with cheap phones and cheap rates worked better for most citizens and for domestic manufacturers.
    Suga stuck his nose in where it didn't belong.
    15AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:27
    The government that approved this price hike bears heavy responsibility too.
    27AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:32
    Re: #15
    It's not the government that approves it, it's the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
    37AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:36
    Re: #27
    Since when did the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications become its own independent government?
    117AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:30
    Re: #27
    Do you even know what "government" means?
    The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is part of the government too.
    25AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:32
    I'm sure they'll fix the dead signal problem in the city center before this price hike kicks in, right?
    36AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:36
    Re: #25
    Docomo acts like congestion is only an urban thing,
    but even out in the countryside it's jammed up constantly.
    64AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:56
    For what we're paying, the signal sure doesn't connect well.
    It's probably all going to the salaries of the useless office workers.
    68AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:01
    Re: #64
    At Docomo's office in central Umeda, Osaka,
    during the lunch hour,
    you see this endless stream of employees pouring out — like, do they really need that many people?
    And they all look pretty well-off too.
    They walk right past the cheap places to eat.
    84AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:17
    Is there actually a price difference between Docomo and au for similar plans?
    I keep hearing Docomo has the strongest signal and connects everywhere — is that actually true?
    Like, Docomo supposedly connects even out in the mountains.
    126AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:38
    Re: #84
    It connects in the mountains, sure.
    Just give up on any station with over 10,000 daily boardings.
    133AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:48
    Re: #84
    Docomo (official disclaimer):

    In places where traffic concentrates — terminal stations, event venues, lunchtime — speeds tend to drop.

    .
    Signals have trouble reaching areas like building shadows, underground, high floors, and well-sealed indoor spaces.

    .
    "Packet stall" caused by forcibly latching onto an unstable 5G signal


    .
    107AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:24
    Is this maybe because of more people switching to povo or UQ mobile?
    116AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:29
    Re: #107
    povo and UQ mobile are basically the same under the hood.
    If you're smart enough to understand the "topping" add-on system, povo is the better deal.
    120AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:31
    The other carriers will probably follow suit and raise prices too — wonder what Rakuten Mobile will do.
    146AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:56
    Re: #120
    They've already raised prices, you know.
    192AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:50
    Re: #120
    I'll tolerate a hike as long as it's capped at +¥330.
    121AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:32
    irumo barely got started before it was already over, huh.
    195AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:57
    Re: #121
    It's probably a plan that was an eyesore for Docomo.
    Put another way, irumo was such a godly plan that they came to kill it.
    131AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:45
    This is all SoftBank's fault.
    SoftBank raised prices even on legacy contracts first, so Docomo followed suit and broke the unwritten rule too.
    138AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:51
    Re: #131
    If you look at it as a forced-migration price hike from an old plan, you could argue Rakuten's "Saikyo" (Strongest) Plan did it first.
    140AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:53
    Re: #131
    That "lure 'em in cheap, then jack up the price" combo is brutal.
    135AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:50
    irumo 3GB → Docomo mini
    Here I am, switching plans with tears in my eyes.
    151AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:58
    Re: #135
    So Docomo mini became the strongest plan now, huh.
    But why the tears?
    154AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:05
    Is it actually legal to raise prices after you've already signed the contract?
    If this kind of thing is allowed, companies can just lure customers in cheap and jack up prices later — total free-for-all.
    156AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:14
    Re: #154
    It is legal, actually.
    Nobody used to do it, but a certain carrier kicked that door open.
    And of course everyone else is following now.
    201AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:04
    Re: #154
    It happens in plenty of other industries too.
    (Not saying that makes it okay.)
    Well, you're always free to cancel and switch elsewhere if you don't like it.
    168AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:28
    Hey, nobody told me about this.
    This is an outrage there's no way to defend against.
    185AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:45
    Re: #168
    It's pretty heavy-handed.
    I don't think anyone's raised prices on an existing plan before, right?
    I'd get it if they just discontinued the plan, but this…
    187AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:46
    Feels like they're already trying to ditch ahamo or something?
    198AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:02
    Re: #187
    Word is they weren't really into it from the start.
    223AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:27
    Re: #187
    Well, obviously.
    It's a plan they made reluctantly after Yoshihide Suga basically strong-armed them into cutting Japan's sky-high mobile rates.
    Same goes for povo.
    207AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:13
    Re: #98
    Kind of like how people who used to have flip phones (garakei) didn't pick Docomo next?
    224AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:28
    Re: #207
    The smart seniors migrated over to SoftBank's "Smartphone Debut" plan.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    This price hike targets only existing plans, adding ¥550 or ¥330 per month, and specifically hits plan groups that have already stopped accepting new sign-ups. The backdrop is the low-cost plans — ahamo, povo, and irumo — that were born out of the Suga administration’s push around 2020 to force mobile carriers to cut their rates; many on the thread read this hike as “the backlash finally arriving.” That said, the approval for such hikes falls under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, not the government directly (though the Ministry is itself part of the government), so the “the government approved this” framing floating around in some comments is a bit imprecise. Unilaterally raising prices on existing contracts is, in fact, permitted under the carriers’ terms of service, and both SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile have already carried out similar hikes. Docomo’s tendency toward slower speeds during congestion — in both urban and rural areas — also came up repeatedly as a long-standing, well-known gripe.

    *This article is an excerpt and summary based on the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “[Telecom] Docomo raises existing plan rates — eximo and 5G Giga-Ho +¥550, irumo +¥110 to ¥330, starting December 2026“.

  • Junya Ito Ranked World No. 2 ‘Most Underrated Player of All Time’ by Overseas Media

    Japan national team midfielder Junya Ito (Genk) has reportedly been ranked world No. 2 among the “most underrated players of all time” by the overseas outlet “football-tribe.” Ito also set up Ayase Ueda’s goal in the September 24 Kirin Challenge Cup 2026 match against Uruguay, keeping his form sharp even after the World Cup. Reactions on 5channel were split: many posts focused purely on football merit, comparing him to Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan and floating candidates for Japan’s next-generation center forward, while others speculated about why his profile hasn’t translated into recognition or sponsorships to match.

    Junya Ito ranked world No. 2! “One of the most underrated players ever”

    Written by: Shota, 2026.09.25, 10:11 am

    Japan national team midfielder Junya Ito (Genk) provided the assist for forward Ayase Ueda’s (Lille) goal in the September 24 Kirin Challenge Cup 2026 match against Uruguay. Having stayed in top form even after the FIFA World Cup in North/Central America, his reputation appears to be climbing overseas too, with his remarkable record in full internationals also drawing attention.

    Source: football-tribe.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:54
    Watching the Naoya Tetsudo (railway) channel on YouTube beats watching Omiya Park's Peace-kun any day.
    3AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:55
    Ito's a late bloomer, so he'll probably just casually make the next World Cup too.
    6AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:57
    If he were French, he'd probably have earned a Les Bleus cap at least once, right?
    10AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:59
    Ito and Mitoma are both indispensable for Japan.
    With Mitoma out injured and Ito gassed by halftime, the second half of that Brazil match was a nightmare.
    43AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:14
    Re: #10
    Brazil was missing several regular starters from Real and Barça too, though.
    49AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:16
    Re: #10
    Yeah, but no one's writing "Ito" in that same sentence, are they (i.e., he's not seen as being in that class of player).
    21AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:06
    He's seriously underrated.
    He's got the ability to play winger for a big club, no question.
    59AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:21
    Re: #21
    His image took a hit, so sponsors won't touch him — that's the real problem.
    He needs to secure his own paycheck like Keisuke Honda did.
    28AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:10
    So who's the overrated one, then?
    32AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:11
    Re: #28
    Marketing-wise, Keisuke Honda.
    These days, his successor in that department would be Ritsu Doan.
    31AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:11
    Re: #1
    So he's ranked above Mitoma, huh.
    111AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:50
    Re: #31
    Mitoma does get proper credit.
    With the national team, though, Ito barely gets marked by opponents — he's just not treated like a threat.
    36AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:12
    If Japan had a center forward like Haaland or Sørloth, they'd be the best team in the world.
    46AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:15
    Re: #36
    Guys like Zion just pop up out of nowhere, so I bet a big center forward will suddenly show up too eventually.
    Patrick's son is in Gamba Osaka's youth academy, and his build is already next-level lol
    48AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:16
    When athletes' and celebrities' careers — and even their real, actual lives — get chewed up this cheaply as jokes by a bunch of trashy internet meme-makers, their value just keeps sinking until they start looking worthless.
    It's way too obvious he was picked out for the meme, not for his actual ability.
    73AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:28
    Re: #48
    Wait, is Ito a meme now?
    66AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:25
    Isn't it just because he's not standing out at his club?
    76AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:30
    Re: #66
    He rides the bench a lot for the national team, sure, but Ito's the one actually delivering for his club.
    He's a player who performs for both club and country.
    82AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:33
    He's overrated, plain and simple.
    92AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:44
    Re: #82
    No way — he was clearly the offensive axis in both the last World Cup and this one.
    If anything, the team would've been dead in the water without him.
    If he were 10 years younger, it wouldn't be surprising to see him at a big club.
    95AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:44
    Honestly, he's more important to the national team than Mitoma.
    100AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:46
    Can't people talk about salaries in football?
    It's always this kind of talk instead.
    105AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:48
    Re: #100
    Talking about "salaries" (lol) is a baseball thing, not a football thing.
    120AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:52
    I actually spotted Ito somewhere in Japan once, and he was spending time happily with his wife.
    Seeing that, I really wish people would quit dragging up old, unverifiable stories from the outside that are already water under the bridge.
    122AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:54
    Re: #120
    Wait, does Ito have kids?

    Background and Talking Points

    The source for this article is a piece published September 25 by football-tribe.com (an outlet that covers overseas football news in Japanese), reporting that following Junya Ito’s assist for Ayase Ueda’s goal in the September 24 match against Uruguay (Kirin Challenge Cup 2026), he was ranked world No. 2 among the “most underrated players of all time” abroad. Ito’s club, Belgium’s Genk, isn’t what you’d call a “big club,” and the argument that his actual performances outstrip his name recognition is one that’s come up repeatedly in overseas media. Reactions on 5channel mostly stuck to pure football merit — comparisons with fellow national team players like Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan, and mentions of young center-forward prospects — while some posts speculated that sponsors are reluctant to sign him. Worth noting: that speculation is just individual posters’ impressions, not confirmed information.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[Football] Junya Ito ranked world No. 2! “One of the most underrated players ever”.”

  • Nintendo Stock Downgraded — Target Slashed from ¥7,800 to ¥5,500; 5ch: ‘I’m Buying, So Drop It to ¥5,000’

    On September 25, UBS downgraded Nintendo (7974) from “Neutral” to “Sell” and cut its target price from ¥7,800 to ¥5,500. Reactions were split on the hardware/industry (Geha) board — some welcomed the drop, saying “I’m buying, so knock it down to ¥5,000,” while others voiced concern over slowing Switch 2 sales and how things have looked since September’s price hike. Discussion also turned to the Zelda remake’s release timing and the console price staying unchanged, with opinions divided on how to read the reasoning behind the downgrade.

    Nintendo <7974> UBS Neutral → Sell ¥7,800 → ¥5,500 9/25

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

    3AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:16
    Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah (´・ω・`)
    5AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:16
    Just the 'anal-yst' pulling their usual stock manipulation again (5ch pun on アナリスト, "analyst")
    6AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:16
    Just keep it falling — drop it below ¥5,000 already, I'm buying
    7AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:17
    Switch 2 has already peaked.
    Honestly the only fix at this point is to wind it down early and put out new hardware.
    15AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:21
    Re: #7
    It's not an era where you can just drag things out by releasing new hardware anymore
    10AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:17
    Switch 2 sales are slowing down hard
    18AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:24
    GTA6's company's stock won't stop crashing either —
    they probably know something
    31AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:57
    If it really plays out like this, shorting from Friday's closing price nets a 30% profit.
    I'll pass on that one, though.
    40AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:07
    Re: #31
    There's no way it drops that fast.
    Are you even paying attention here? (エアプ, lit. "air-play" — 5ch slang for talking like you have experience you don't)
    33AnonymousSep 26, 2026 08:59
    US sales in August were solidly good, so there's really no reason for it to drop
    34AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:00
    Re: #33
    Wonder what's happened with September's numbers.
    Can't wait to see, honestly.
    37AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:04
    I figured they'd raise it to ¥70,000 after New Year's, but maybe they're discontinuing the Japan version before the year's out?
    39AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:07
    Re: #37
    The Zelda-remake-edition console is priced about the same as before, so that seems unlikely.
    Still, next year's probably going to be rough.
    38AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:05
    Re: #34
    It's doing fine thanks to the Ocarina of Time effect, so September's fine too.

    Nintendo Switch 2 System
    30K+ bought in past month
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3GWXLTS/
    43AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:08
    Re: #38
    Wonder how Europe's doing, though
    47AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:18
    Re: #39
    Normally Zelda would launch on Nintendo Day, November 21, but it's been unnaturally moved up, and the hardware's coming out even earlier than that — so December's sitting oddly empty, which bugs me.
    50AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:25
    Re: #47
    Zelda's November 5 date is just avoiding GTA.
    There's no Nintendo software in December because overseas, the holiday shopping season kicks off in November.
    49AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:25
    Has it come out that the September price hike totally tanked momentum overseas?
    52AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:28
    Re: #49
    Does the US even count as "overseas"?

    Nintendo Switch 2 System
    30K+ bought in past month
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3GWXLTS/
    55AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:30
    Re: #52
    How much is that actually selling, though? That's just Amazon numbers (尼, forum shorthand for "Amazon").
    74AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:30
    Re: #52
    If that's "past month," isn't that just last-minute buying before the price hike?
    I can't really tell if that number's big or small,
    but what I actually want to know is sales since the hike.
    64AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:12
    Buying, so hurry up and drop to 5,000 already
    67AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:19
    Re: #64
    If that's how you feel, you'd be better off just shorting it
    71AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:26
    By the way, UBS has had Sony's target price above ¥5,000 this whole time lol
    82AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:39
    Re: #71
    ¥5,000 lol — that's literally lower than Nintendo's, lmao (草, forum laugh-slang)
    72AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:27
    Switch 2 could go for a Guinness World Record —
    biggest sales collapse in console history.

    Selling over 20 million in year one and then crashing that hard,
    turning into a failed console — who could've called that?
    80AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:38
    Re: #72
    If they applied, they'd get approved without breaking a sweat
    81AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:38
    Re: #67
    People say this a lot, but if you want to survive in game-sector stocks with this much uncertainty, buying outright is really the only way to go.
    Even with a stock you're sure will drop, shorting just shortens your lifespan.
    89AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:48
    Re: #81
    Then don't go around casually saying you'll "buy" it
    91AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:53
    Re: #89
    ? Not really following.
    If Nintendo stock drops I'm in real trouble with bigger losses, but I get the logic of wanting it to drop because you want to buy in cheap.
    92AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:56
    Re: #91
    If you know it's dropping soon, just short it too — that makes it a hedge.
    Then once it hits 5,000, flip around and buy.
    94AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:06
    Re: #91
    Averaging down, lol (ナンピン). At some point you should just cut your losses and let it go.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    A brokerage’s “investment rating” comes paired with a target price — a downgrade is an analysis predicting a future decline in share price, not a statement that business performance has changed immediately. Some posts in the thread judged company size purely by share price, but comparing corporate value properly means looking at market capitalization — share price multiplied by shares outstanding — a distinction that’s easy to miss versus simple share price levels. On Switch 2 sales trends, last-minute demand ahead of September’s price hike and the real post-hike pace are easily conflated, and the thread itself raised exactly that: “I want to know sales since the price hike.” The original article doesn’t spell out the specific basis for the downgrade, and until actual sales trends show up in upcoming quarterly earnings, there’s limited material to judge whether the downgrade is justified.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) board thread “Nintendo Stock Downgrade ¥7,800→¥5,500.”

  • Asian Games Men’s Marathon: Kazutaka Yamashita Wins Gold — 5ch: “It’s Only Asia, After All”

    At the Asian Games men’s marathon, Kazutaka Yamashita (29, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) won gold with a time of 2:10:49. Nineteen runners took off in light rain, and after the pack’s pace picked up past the 15km mark and dropped several runners, Yamashita moved to the front around the 30km mark and pulled away in the closing stretch after a head-to-head duel with India’s Balwar, finishing solo for the win. On 5ch threads, congratulatory comments mixed with a cooler take on the race’s overall level — remarks like “it’s only Asia, after all” and “he only won because no African runners were there” — sparking a debate over how to judge a low-2:10s finishing time, whether pacemakers were used, and how marathon records get officially certified.

    The men’s marathon was held, and Kazutaka Yamashita (29, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) won gold with a time of 2:10:49.

    Nineteen runners took part in light rain, starting at 7:30 a.m. A lead pack of 16 formed, with the front constantly shuffling at a slow pace. Past the 15km mark the pace suddenly picked up, and Yuya Yoshida (29, GMO Internet Group) fell off here.

    Yamashita, who had calmly stayed with the lead pack, moved to the front around the 30km mark, and when he picked up the pace the group broke apart. The closing stretch turned into a head-to-head duel with Balwar (India), but Yamashita made his move just before the 36km mark, opened up a gap, and finished solo. His trademark “Ichitaka smile” was on full display.

    Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:48
    Impressive, but it's still just Asia after all
    4AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:48
    If it's 'Marathon Japan,' I want at least a 1-2 finish
    5AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:48
    Guess he proved 'if your legs don't cramp, you win'
    6AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:49
    It's just China — even winning it feels like a shrug, 'so what?'
    24AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:01
    Re: #6
    ?What are you even talking about?
    7AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:49
    Seriously? I figured Kenya would take it again, but well done
    14AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:52
    Re: #7
    I said it's Asia, didn't I (no Kenyans allowed here)
    8AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:50
    Re: #1
    Whoa, amazing!
    Congratulations! 🎉
    10AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:51
    Over 2:10? Isn't that level kind of low?
    75AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:10
    Re: #10
    Whether there's a pacemaker or not makes a huge difference
    80AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:18
    Re: #10
    Can't be helped, it's this brutally hot time of year
    17AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:53
    Guess you can win when there's no African runners around
    22AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:58
    Re: #17
    That's true for every region, not just Asia
    19AnonymousSep 26, 2026 09:57
    That's a pretty slow time… and it's cool out today too
    42AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:13
    Re: #19
    2:01:41 — that ranks 7th all-time on the world record list, set on 9/29/2019
    27AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:03
    Aren't there any Africans in the Middle East?
    29AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:05
    Re: #27
    Isn't Bahrain's team full of naturalized Kenyans or Ethiopians?
    30AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:06
    Re: #27
    Bahrain keeps taking in athletes who switch nationality
    73AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:56
    Re: #27
    Bahrain's women's team totally gave off that Kenya & Ethiopia vibe
    32AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:07
    Only 19 runners in the field?
    34AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:08
    Re: #32
    At a glance you'd think even that Cambodian rep could get in, but only top elite runners qualify
    51AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:21
    Re: #32
    I was surprised how few there were at the start

    It was about as many as the lead pack right after the gun at the Olympics or Worlds — looked kind of lonely
    46AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:15
    In the end, are there any Aoyama Gakuin grads or GMO runners who've actually done well at big international meets?
    50AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:21
    Re: #46
    Not a single one
    52AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:22
    Marathons are all the same distance, but how is course difficulty from hills and elevation change even regulated? Is it just the distance and everything else is a free-for-all?

    Times vary so wildly I got curious
    60AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:27
    Re: #52
    To address that unfairness, starting in 2029 it'll switch to 100-some laps on a track

    Flat course no matter where you hold it
    53AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:23
    Japan's runners are way too lax about this just because it's not an MGC (Marathon Grand Championship) qualifier race

    Just dangle a carrot like 'break 2:06 and you get a spot' and be done with it

    That's exactly why everyone flocks to the Hofu Yomiuri Marathon instead
    63AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:34
    Re: #53
    If you can put up a time like that in summer, breaking 2:04 in winter would be a breeze
    57AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:24
    The men's marathon world record is 1:59:30, set by Sebastian Sawe (Kenya) at the London Marathon on April 26, 2026.

    He became the first human ever to break 2 hours (a 'sub-2') in an officially record-eligible race.


    This Asian Games time isn't even in the same conversation (lol)
    62AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:33
    Re: #60
    Seriously? Lame
    65AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:37
    Re: #62
    It's not lame at all

    F1 Monaco is just 80 laps, and the Indy 500 is just going around 200 times, but everyone still watches
    66AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:37
    Now that I think about it, African runners dominate marathons, but you don't hear much about nationality-switching in this sport
    67AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:41
    Re: #66
    Bahrain's female runner naturalized from Ethiopia
    71AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:54
    With today's temperature and just a bit of light rain, conditions should've been great for a marathon — a low-2:10s time is slow
    77AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:14
    Re: #71
    Like someone said above, in marathons without pacemakers the time doesn't really mean much
    76AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:10
    By the way, South Korea has won Olympic gold in the men's marathon before
    79AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:16
    Re: #76
    Was that during Japanese colonial rule?
    81AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:20
    Re: #79
    They also won it at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
    83AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:29
    Re: #81
    Beating Morishita was impressive — I remember him wearing a headband and showing sheer grit

    Background and Talking Points

    Because eligibility for Asian Games athletics is limited to athletes from the host continent, African powerhouses like Kenya and Ethiopia — who hold the marathon world records — don’t compete, so the overall time level is far below that of a world-class field. The thread’s point that “you can win when African runners aren’t in the field” isn’t off base; it’s worth keeping in mind that this is a different animal from the Olympics or World Championships. Likewise, a finishing time in the low 2:10s isn’t unusual for a tactical, championship-style race without pacemakers, so it can’t be directly compared to a record-attempt marathon. Opinions in the thread were split over Japanese runners’ motivation to enter races that aren’t official MGC (Marathon Grand Championship) qualifiers, but Japan’s Olympic selection system and results at international meets are separate issues, and conflating the two can skew the judgment. It’s also worth noting that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries previously had success at the Asian Games marathon through Hiroto Inoue, so Yamashita’s gold continues something of a company lineage.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Asian Games] Men’s Marathon: Kazutaka Yamashita Wins Gold! Following in the Footsteps of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Senior Hiroto Inoue.”

  • Can Japan learn from BYD’s kei EV ‘Racco’ entering the market? 5ch: ‘Off to a slow start, only 1,500 units against target’

    Nikkei’s editorial ‘Can Japan Learn from BYD’s Kei Car Entry?’ was published on September 24, 2026, and sparked discussion on 5channel’s Breaking News+ board. Posters in the thread point out that BYD’s in-house-developed kei EV, the ‘Racco,’ has managed only 1,500 units out of the gate against an annual sales target of 10,000. Some see significance in the fact that a former Nissan engineer was involved in its development, and speculate it may be laying the groundwork for markets like Europe, India, and Africa where small cars sell well — while persistent skepticism over battery safety and after-sales support kept opinion divided.

    [Editorial] Can Japan Learn from BYD’s Kei Car Entry? – Nikkei

    September 24, 2026, 19:05

    BYD developed a dedicated platform for its kei EV ‘Racco’ (July 28, Minato Ward, Tokyo)

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:48
    > Nikkei

    Puff piece
    46AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:04
    Re: #4
    Yeah…
    With a target of 10,000 units and only 1,500 out of the gate, there's no way they hit that target
    14AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:54
    Kei cars only sell in Japan anyway, and with the shaken (mandatory vehicle inspection) system, there's no way a foreign company can break in
    119AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:25
    Re: #14
    This 'Racco' car is really just a trial run in Japan — they're watching how it does on kei cars' home turf while planning to sell it widely across Asia and Africa.

    It'll probably hit a ceiling in Japan pretty quickly, but the real goal only makes sense as a foothold to expand into third-world markets.

    The plan is to slip in quickly wherever Japan hesitates to move.
    145AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:31
    Re: #14
    Japan could be selling these but sits around doing nothing, then lets China swoop in and snatch it right out from under them — that's the Japanese for you, a bunch of dimwits
    162AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:34
    Re: #14
    Actually, hold on — small cars like kei cars actually sell well in Europe and India. Southeast Asia and Africa also favor reasonably priced options.
    21AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:58
    > BYD's competitiveness is backed by a high rate of in-house parts production,

    it says, and then

    > it's essential that Japanese automakers also break free of old frameworks and cooperate closely with a wide range of companies.

    …huh? So which is it, make parts in-house or outsource to a bunch of companies? This article is seriously wishy-washy.
    23AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:59
    Re: #21
    Even someone like me with a hensachi (academic percentile score) under 60 can understand it though
    29AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:01
    Re: #21
    'The Nikkei Weird Times' (a pun swapping in 珍, 'bizarre,' for 新, 'new' in Nikkei's name)
    61AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:07
    Re: #21
    I thought the same thing. What's this article even trying to say?

    Re: #23
    Please, explain it so even a dummy like me can understand
    24AnonymousSep 26, 2026 10:59
    Reference footage

    The Racco
    27AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:00
    You do see BYD's Racco around town. Most of the time it's a happy-looking Japanese family driving it.
    36AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:02
    Re: #27
    D-Chain, servicing and backup
    38AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:02
    Re: #27
    Saw a Sealion 7 in Tokyo for the first time — it was seriously huge. That thing probably can't supply power to your house during a blackout, right? Might still be worth considering if you live in a detached house though.
    28AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:01
    Re: #1
    > BYD developed the Racco in about two years

    lol
    41AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:02
    Re: #28 Re: #1
    The Racco is really just a copy of the N-BOX. Maybe what Japanese automakers should learn is China's shamelessness?
    72AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:12
    Re: #28
    The article probably means it as praise, but from a buyer's perspective, something thrown together that fast is scary — I wouldn't want to ride in it.
    58AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:07
    The Racco's developer is a former Nissan guy. What we should learn is that engineers work hard if you pay them well.
    65AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:08
    Re: #58
    Wait, you actually believe that? lol
    66AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:08
    Re: #58
    So it's Japanese-made then. Oh, is that so. Still not buying it though — the parts are all Chinese, right?
    141AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:30
    Re: #58
    That guy himself said the car was already finished by the time he joined BYD lol. Even so, wanting the 'made by a Japanese engineer' label shows they're taking their marketing seriously.
    120AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:25
    There are always those old guys on 5ch who stubbornly refuse to acknowledge BYD
    124AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:27
    Re: #120
    Will BYD still be supplying parts 40 years from now?
    125AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:27
    Re: #120
    Funny how people who used to trash TikTok, LINE, and Xiaomi so hard now love them lol
    127AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:27
    Re: #120
    So did you actually buy a BYD? lol
    123AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:26
    Re: #119
    No need to deliberately build a kei-sized car that's luxurious and heavy though
    133AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:28
    Re: #123
    A kei car like Toyota's Progrès (a compact luxury sedan from the late '90s) wouldn't be a bad idea
    215AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:45
    Re: #123
    Exactly right.

    If they build out variations on this platform, they'll end up with an easy, low-cost car tailored to each local market. They'll probably adjust things like suspension and wheel size for each region too. The other side is basically unstoppable — they can afford to ignore profitability entirely. I want Japanese automakers to band together and fight back.
    151AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:32
    BYD? No way. They can hype it up all they want, but Japanese people aren't stupid.

    It's not so much that EVs are being rejected — it's that Chinese manufacturing attitudes are garbage, that's why they're not selling.

    You can't put your own life or your family's life in a Chinese-made coffin on wheels.

    If any motor journalist recommends it, stop trusting anything they write from now on — those guys will write whatever they're paid to.
    165AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:34
    Re: #151
    Same thing happened with smartphones — everyone said the Chinese Communist Party would steal your personal data, and they still sold like crazy in the end. That's just the times we live in.
    169AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:36
    Re: #165
    So are you saying they're actually selling well? lol
    182AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:39
    Re: #165
    With a phone, you can just buy a cheap one and replace it if it breaks, but a car is a major purchase — once it breaks, just holding onto it costs money, and scrapping it costs money too. Reliable manufacturer and dealer support is obviously essential, and it's a real problem if the manufacturer's gone in 5 or 10 years. That goes double for Chinese companies that seem to think they can just shut up shop the moment things get inconvenient.
    184AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:40
    Re: #182
    Actually, the warranty is longer with Chinese makers though…
    211AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:44
    Re: #184
    BYD's warranty is split up by component — the battery, which is their strong suit, has a long warranty, but everything else is about the same as Japanese makers or even shorter. Mitsubishi, for instance, gives a flat 10-year warranty across everything from their kei EV to the Outlander PHEV. Don't just go off vibes, actually look it up.
    212AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:44
    Re: #184
    That's only true as long as the manufacturer doesn't disappear or abandon support and pull out. Even Mercedes and BMW get question marks over support reliability just for being foreign brands — so a Chinese upstart that's only been around 20-odd years, making EVs whose reliability is questionable and that need regular battery replacement, is even more of a risk.
    193AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:41
    As for batteries too, Chinese-made ones catch fire a lot.
    203AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:43
    Re: #193
    You guys said the same thing about Samsung phones catching fire, right? The moment you all started saying that, Samsung went on to be world No. 1 for 12 years straight.

    And it looks like they're back on top again.
    220AnonymousSep 26, 2026 11:45
    Re: #193
    Toyota, Tesla, Daihatsu, and Suzuki have all started sourcing batteries from BYD. If they caught fire, they wouldn't be using them.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Kei cars are a uniquely Japanese vehicle category, treated as a domestic-only segment due to tax breaks and the shaken inspection system — but demand for compact, affordable cars is also huge in Europe, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa, and the thread floats the view that for BYD, the ‘Racco’ is less about the Japanese market itself and more a foothold for expanding into emerging markets. Skepticism remains strong over the safety of Chinese-made batteries and whether the manufacturer will still be around down the line, but posters also point to the fact that Toyota, Suzuki, and Daihatsu have adopted BYD batteries for their budget models, so opinions on quality are far from uniform. It’s also easy to overlook that warranty terms vary by component — the battery may carry a long warranty, but other parts are often little different from, or even shorter than, domestic makers’.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread ‘[Racco] [Editorial] Can Japan Learn from BYD’s Kei Car Entry?‘.