Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

17-Year-Old Shin Ohashi Wins Double Gold with World Record 2:04.83 in 200m Breaststroke

At the Asian Games underway in Aichi and Nagoya, 17-year-old Shin Ohashi set a new world record of 2:04.83 in the men’s 200m breaststroke, capturing his second gold of the tournament. The time stands out even compared to Kosuke Kitajima’s world record from his competitive days, which was in the 2:07 range, and 5ch lit up with astonished comments like “This is like something out of a manga.” At the same time, many pointed to Akihiro Yamaguchi and Kyoko Iwasaki of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics — both of whom set world-class marks as teenagers only to struggle afterward — raising concerns about his future development, making for a thread mixing excitement with worry.

Sports Nippon

[ September 24, 2026, 17:28 ]

Aichi/Nagoya Asian Games, Day 6 — Swimming (September 24, 2026, Tokyo Aquatics Centre)

Source: sponichi.co.jp / Read the original article here

2AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:38
Watching Showa-retro exploration videos on YouTube is way more fun than watching Peace-kun from Omiya Park (a mascot at the park's zoo) anyway.
4AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:39
Whoa, a world record, that's amazing~ (´^ω^｀)
Olympic gold's basically locked in already~
5AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:39
"I've never been this happy in my entire life."
9AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:41
This is the "Asian Games" (lol) for you
Japan just dominates the moment they get even slightly serious

11AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:42
A high school record that's also a world record? This is straight out of a manga.
15AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:44
Re: #1
Forget that, it's Ohtani we should be talking about!
Base hit right after his comeback!
18AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:47
Making this big a deal over a new high school record is way overkill
This place is full of idiots
19AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:47
Swimming's got itself a new hero.

20AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:47
Swimming's been kind of flat for like 5 years, so this is great, right?

22AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:48
Wasn't there a guy named Yamaguchi who also set a world record in high school and then just fizzled out afterward?
Hope this kid doesn't repeat that and grows into his talent safely.
34AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:56
Re: #22
Yeah, he was insanely fast for like 3 months there.

23AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:48
Just peak for the Olympics, please.

24AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:49
Yeah… Kyoko Iwasaki too…

27AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:49
Why is it that younger swimmers tend to be stronger?
Meanwhile Daiya Seto was out here trying to turn his affair scandal into motivation.
38AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:59
Re: #27
For women it's pretty clear-cut — once the body matures, i.e. fat increases, it becomes a disadvantage, so they compress as much as possible with high-tech swimsuits.
But I wonder about men
Does it really have that much of an effect?

30AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:51
Kosuke Kitajima's world record back in the day was in the 2:07 range…
2:04 is just absurd (　・ω・)
31AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:52
A star is born.
Swimming's been kind of meh lately, so this'll get things exciting.
33AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:55
"On TV the cheers for China sounded louder, but in person the cheers for Japan were actually louder."

If that's true, that's a real problem.
35AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:58
Breaststroke is this weird stroke that basically only Japanese people do anyway.

39AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:59
17 years old, huh
At that age I was at the arcade playing KOF (King of Fighters) every single day.
40AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:59
This is no fluke, not even a little!
41AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:59
Posting a great time at a regional meet doesn't mean much
It's only worth remembering if you do it at the Olympics.
42AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:59
In the end it all comes down to whether he can peak for the Olympics.

43AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:00
Apparently Japanese people are good at breaststroke because they're "flat" (a pun on 平泳ぎ/breaststroke, literally "flat swim").

44AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:00
Feels like it's been a while since swimming had a new rising star, huh?
49AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:03
Re: #44
The 200m breaststroke actually gets its world record broken pretty often.

Guys like Akihiro Yamaguchi and Ippei Watanabe, for example.

47AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:01
World record's impressive and all
but he'll probably lose at the Olympics anyway.

51AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:03
Guess holding swimming events in Tokyo was the right call after all
It's got flair and no mistakes.

53AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:03
Whoa, no way
a world record at the Asian Games?
Hurry up and wrap the table tennis broadcast so they can show this already.
59AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:08
Re: #53
Nagoya's a pool where good times come out, after all.

57AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:07
But swimmers always seem to get cocky and screw up their personal lives — that's the only image I've got of them.

60AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:08
At the Olympics, winning (gold) comes first, and records are more for meets like this one, or so I thought — but swimming does have peaking, though pacing/tactics don't really factor in much, huh.
63AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:11
A 17-year-old setting a world record — does that mean the competition level isn't all that high?

69AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:16
Even though it's a world record, this thread's barely growing.
Guess the Asian Games just doesn't get much attention.
70AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:17
Re: #69
TBS's exclusive broadcast deal was a mistake.
73AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:21
Re: #69
Well, it's breaststroke.
If you think of freestyle swimmers as dolphins, this is a frog, right?
While the dolphin swims 100m, the frog can't even make it 10m.

Background and Key Points of This Topic

As posters noted, the world record for the 200m breaststroke stood in the 2:07 range even in Kosuke Kitajima’s era, so 2:04.83 is a standout figure by any historical measure — and for a high schooler to reach it is itself extraordinary. There is precedent for concern here: swimmers like Akihiro Yamaguchi and Kyoko Iwasaki also produced world-class results as teenagers, only to struggle in the years that followed. The thread’s mix of excitement and worry reflects those precedents rather than being baseless. Some also pointed out that because the Asian Games draws less attention than the Olympics, a world record here generates less buzz than it otherwise might — though the record’s official status is the same regardless, and the focus now shifts to whether he can maintain or improve on this time at the World Championships and Olympics being held in Tokyo. The headline’s reference to “correcting his form in solo practice the night before” comes from the original article and indicates he was adjusting his technique right up until the event, though the thread excerpts don’t go into further detail.

※This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Asian Games] 17-Year-Old Shin Ohashi Wins Double Gold with a Stunning World Record of 2:04.83 in the 200m — Corrected His Form in Solo Practice the Night Before“.

September 24, 2026
Tokyo announces plan for fully driverless taxis — 5ch asks: ‘Who’s liable if there’s an accident?’

Taxi-hailing app GO, Google-affiliated Waymo, and Nihon Kotsu have announced plans to launch fully driverless taxi service in Tokyo sometime in 2027. Toru Hashimoto, the former mayor of Osaka, questioned on social media whether taxi companies could really commit to a business model that eliminates the need for human drivers. On 5ch, opinions were divided over who would be liable if an accident occurred during autonomous operation, hopes that the service could help ease the labor shortage, and how far the service area might eventually expand.

Toru Hashimoto on the driverless taxi plan: “Will taxi companies really commit to a robotaxi business that makes human drivers unnecessary?”

Toru Hashimoto (57), a lawyer and former governor of Osaka Prefecture who also served as mayor of Osaka City, posted on his social media on the 24th.

He was responding to the announcement that taxi-hailing app GO, Waymo (a subsidiary of Alphabet, the US parent company of Google), and major taxi operator Nihon Kotsu plan to launch Japan’s first fully driverless taxi service in Tokyo sometime in 2027.

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

2AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:38
They'll probably demand a dedicated lane be built for this next.
4AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:41
Don't need commentators or lawyers weighing in on this, do you?

6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:42
If a driverless car causes an accident, who actually ends up liable?
47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:06
Re: #6
That's exactly why this won't take off. If the company that builds the automation bears full liability, nobody's going to do it.
69AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:18
Re: #6
Why not just follow the US model on that?

22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:53
Self-driving isn't just "convenient because you don't have to drive yourself." It's a car with a driver who works 24 hours a day for free. You can drive to an izakaya and drive home. In rural areas with no public transit, elderly people could go visit any place or person, anytime. For domestic travel too, no worrying about train transfers — just say where you want to go and you're there.
https://x.com/hirox246/status/2096134671910478229
59AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:12
Re: #22
Aren't you assuming personal ownership there? The feasibility of taxis versus private cars is completely different.

25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:55
After the Great East Japan Earthquake, there were so many reported cases of ghosts hailing taxis in the disaster area that a university student actually wrote their graduation thesis on it. And then there's the old Showa-era story about a taxi picking up a lone female passenger who vanishes on arrival, leaving the back seat soaking wet. Either way, that's zero revenue — the business doesn't work.
27AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:56
Re: #25
Sorry, but that's gotta be made up.

35AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:02
It's weird that only taxi companies get to do this. Any operator should be allowed in.
42AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:05
Re: #35
Sounds like construction-related fields have already started doing this, though only at large sites. If it works with taxis in Tokyo, a scaled-down version could work for rural bus routes too — though it seems there are separate plans in the works for rural areas.

37AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:03
First thing I think of with "robotaxi" is the one Schwarzenegger rides on Mars — forgot the movie's name.
38AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:04
Re: #37
Total Recall.

43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:05
Told you so. If you crack down hard on everything — harassment, compliance, labor standards — management is just going to run to AI and automation to cut labor costs. Don't say I didn't warn you when unemployment starts climbing.
51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:09
Re: #43
The bigger driver is the labor shortage — that's why they're rushing this. If it works out for taxis, you get a driver working 24 hours for free, and fares drop too — and this applies across every industry. Even pharmacies: if AI takes over, you don't need pharmacists. Tons of possibilities.

52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:09
This won't work unless they start with roads that don't have bicycles cutting across.
61AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:13
Re: #52
Yeah, there are a lot of problems. To safely run driverless vehicles you'd need 360° cameras on every road, bicycles linked to My Number [Japan's national ID system] with instant fines for violations — basically a full surveillance society, otherwise driverless cars will end up hitting people. And even after hitting someone, the driverless car would win in court.
74AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:20
Re: #52
Probably limited to major roads at first. If they lower the fare to match, there'll be demand.

57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:11
I took taxis three times recently for errands and every single driver was unpleasant, so honestly I'd prefer self-driving. For the fourth trip I didn't even want to deal with it, so I just walked an hour instead. Deliberately taking the long way, bad attitude, and once the meter jumped up twice right after we'd already stopped and arrived — unbelievable.
88AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:33
Re: #57
Is this a story from the Showa era? No taxi company like that exists anymore.

62AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:14
For now there's no need to cover narrow residential side streets. Just covering the roads buses run on would already make a huge difference.
66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:17
Re: #62
If driverless vehicles succeed, you wouldn't even need buses anymore. There's already a reservation-based vehicle system being trialed in rural areas — something like pre-booked, shared-ride Hiace vans, so elderly people wouldn't have to walk to a bus stop.

64AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:15
Japan always gets left behind by the rest of the world because there's always someone whining about things.
71AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:19
Re: #64
It's also a legal issue. Unless operators get some degree of legal advantage even in cases where someone's killed, nobody's going to enter this market — a single fatality could wipe out years' worth of revenue.

68AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:17
This is way better than legalizing unlicensed private taxis. I mean, if the AI robot driver annoys you, you could just yank it out and drive yourself, right?
73AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:20
Re: #68
With full automation there won't even be a driver's seat. That's how it is in America.

70AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:18
Just a matter of time before we see a runaway-vehicle accident — should be interesting to watch.
82AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:27
Re: #70
Yeah, feels like it's gonna happen, nya~

77AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:23
If self-driving works out, I bet eventually operators other than taxi companies will get let in too.
83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:28
Re: #77
Hired cars, fixed-route light delivery vans, fixed-route buses, reservation-route tour buses, fixed-route logistics trucks — and there are separate plans for logistics too. If AI can automate jobs where human lives are directly on the line, then robots can handle pretty much any job.

84AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:29
If driverless taxis stick strictly to the speed limit, seems like it'll cause traffic jams.
85AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:31
Re: #84
That's actually a key point. The real fix is having every single vehicle be self-driving. It's been said for ages that if all vehicles operate under the same conditions, traffic jams wouldn't happen.

89AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:34
What happens if someone throws up in the car?
91AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:35
Re: #89
Just torch it with the flamethrower installed in the car for a quick cleanup, then it's the shortest route to the hospital.
94AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:41
Re: #89
If the passenger runs off, wouldn't they just report it to the police using the in-car camera footage?

90AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:35
What happens to the actual drivers' jobs going forward, though?
93AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:39
Re: #90
There's a massive labor shortage anyway, so it should be fine. Might as well put them on logistics work too.
96AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:43
Re: #90
They can't fire existing employees, so wouldn't they just scale back hiring instead? Though I'm sure some companies will ignore labor law and fire people anyway.

Background and Key Points of Debate

Fully driverless “robotaxis” are already running commercially in the US, where Waymo has led the way in cities like San Francisco and Phoenix; the GO–Nihon Kotsu partnership essentially imports that technology to Japan. In Japan, the 2023 revision to the Road Traffic Act legally recognized Level 4 automation (fully autonomous driving under specific conditions), and pilot runs have been progressing in rural areas — but this would be the first time it’s introduced as a commercial taxi service in central Tokyo. Opinions in the thread split mainly over two points: who bears liability when an accident occurs, and whether operators other than taxi companies should be allowed to enter the market. Rules for compensation when a driverless vehicle causes a personal injury are still being worked out in many countries, and it’s unclear whether the US-style framework can simply be transplanted to Japan. Commenters also tended to conflate the very different cost structures of personally owned self-driving cars versus commercial taxis.

*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Nihon Kotsu and two other companies announce fully driverless taxi plan… Toru Hashimoto: ‘Will taxi companies really commit to a robotaxi business that makes human drivers unnecessary?’“

September 24, 2026
YouTube ‘Mukbang’ Videos Face Calls for Regulation as Chewing Noises, Purging Suspicions Spark Backlash

Following a crackdown on mukbang YouTubers in South Korea, calls are growing in Japan too for tighter regulation of “big-eating” (ōgui) videos on YouTube. The backlash has repeatedly flared up over loud chewing noises and suspicions that some creators purge immediately after eating huge quantities. On 5channel, opinions split sharply between “just don’t watch it if you don’t like it” and “with food prices rising and people struggling, content built around wasting huge amounts of food shouldn’t be allowed” — leaving no consensus on whether mukbang videos are acceptable at all.

Support Grows in Japan for Stricter Regulation of YouTube “Mukbang” Videos — Viewers Worn Out by Repeated Uproars Over “Loud Chewing” and “Purging” Suspicions

“Mukbang” (big-eating) is one of the most popular genres of content on YouTube. Loved by creators ranging from self-proclaimed big eaters to major YouTubers, the format itself may now be facing restrictions.

The trigger was a series of developments surrounding mukbang YouTubers in South Korea.

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

5AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:23
Regulate the 'nuisance streamer' types too
7AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:24
Re: #5
I don't like mukbang so I'm not exactly sympathetic, but
something about the order of what gets regulated first feels off
there's way worse stuff out there than this

6AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:24
Would even someone eating Haijii-san-level portions get flagged too? (Haijii is a well-known Japanese big-eater YouTuber)
9AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:26
We're in an era where even faces and looks can be altered in real time with editing, so whether someone's actually eating or has eaten is already meaningless — there's no point arguing about it.

13AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:29
Gal Sone: "Nom! Nom! Nom!" (Gal Sone is a famous Japanese competitive eater)
23AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:35
Re: #13
Gal Sone's gotten too heavy lately, kind of a letdown
wasn't her whole selling point that she stays thin despite eating so much?

16AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:32
No, just don't watch it.
You don't even need to wait for it to get banned — just don't watch it.
17AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:33
Just don't watch it.
Is there really any other take?
18AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:33
They're probably throwing it all up backstage anyway
19AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:33
Who was it that had all their back teeth wrecked?
Dissolved from the habit of vomiting

20AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:33
"Just don't watch it" lol
It's not even broadcast TV, what are you even talking about? lol

Seriously, every excuse from the people complaining makes zero sense
21AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:35
Re: #20
You're pretty kind, huh

22AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:35
Is Okarina's eating videos gonna be a problem too? (Okarina — Japanese comedian/YouTuber)
24AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:36
I actually like Jumbo Takao though (competitive eater)
25AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:39
A heavy person just eating a normal meal isn't a problem — that's just their regular diet.
The real problem is stuff like skinny people doing speed-eating time attacks, or those twins who binge eat despite clearly struggling mentally.
26AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:39
Mukbang belongs in the same category as 'world's most amazing people' freak-show stuff — like people whose eyeballs bulge out or whose necks are abnormally long — so it's understandable some people find it unpleasant.

28AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:40
A world where literally everyone talks with their mouth full of food
32AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:43
Don't need mukbang shows either.
Enjoying one big plate of food is fine, but plowing through plate after plate isn't necessary.
33AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:46
I hate TikTok food ads so much that I report or block them every single time one shows up

42AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:55
Just don't watch it
50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:03
Re: #42
"Just don't watch it" doesn't cut it.
All these mukbang gimmicks happening constantly drive food prices up.
Don't forget there are poor people out there who can't even eat enough.

46AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:01
This is basically what the purging looks like

47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:01
I want monetization cut off for videos that exploit kids or pets too. That's abuse.
52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:06
Re: #47
The problem is that once monetization gets cut, those kids or dogs instantly become 'useless burdens' to the people involved, and you'd see a wave of them getting killed or abandoned.
That outcome is even worse than the abuse itself, so this needs to be handled carefully.
First you'd need to line up places to take in the kids and dogs who are no longer 'useful' for videos.

56AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:08
There are so many people struggling with rising food prices, yet
content built around wastefully dumping huge amounts of food shouldn't be allowed.
58AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:10
Re: #56
But that's a drop in the bucket, honestly

57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:09
I wish YouTube would let you set filters by genre.
AI content especially — I don't need it.

Let us set it so AI stuff doesn't get shown at all, across the board.
66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:13
Re: #57
But then you wouldn't be able to watch AI dramas either

Well, I do want AI videos that don't label themselves as AI to get banned —
it ties into people believing lies and even politics, and I think there'll be people who copy something thinking it's real and end up dying in an emergency.
81AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:32
Re: #57
Re: #66

I don't want to lose the ability to watch INMU KING

61AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:10
Re: #58
What do you mean?
Are there actual numbers backing that up?
67AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:14
Re: #61
Well, the number of people doing this while eating out at restaurants is relatively tiny anyway

65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:12
"Viewers worn out" — just don't watch it then.

Are you forcing yourself through some self-inflicted torture of watching it?
And then complaining on top of that?
68AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:14
Re: #65
Yeah, pretty much

Background and Key Points of This Debate

Discussion around mukbang-style videos has picked up because South Korea has already moved to restrict or demonetize this kind of content, raising the question of whether Japanese creators and YouTube itself will follow suit. The thread’s disagreement broke down into roughly two axes: first, a clash between the “personal responsibility” camp — arguing viewers can simply choose not to watch — and those supporting regulation out of concern over food waste and rising prices; second, where exactly the line should be drawn on mukbang content, with some singling out speed-eating time attacks or performers who appear to be binge eating under psychological strain as the real problem, while others saw nothing wrong with big-portion eating content itself. It’s also worth noting that the specifics of South Korea’s regulatory framework and its scope were only touched on briefly in the source article, and the thread itself never pinned down any concrete criteria.

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “YouTube: Support Grows in Japan for Stricter Regulation of ‘Mukbang’ Videos — Viewers Worn Out by Repeated Uproars Over ‘Loud Chewing’ and ‘Purging’ Suspicions.”

September 24, 2026
Japan Squad Announces Uruguay Starting XI: Kuryu Matsuki Named to Start, Set for Senior National Team Debut

On September 24, Japan’s national team announced their starting lineup for the Kirin Challenge Cup match against Uruguay (in Miyagi). Southampton’s Kuryu Matsuki starts at right wing-back, marking his first-ever senior national team debut. Playing a 3-4-2-1 system, brothers Kaishu Sano and Kota Sano form the double pivot, while Yuito Suzuki and Ritsu Doan take the shadow striker roles. On 5ch, discussion buzzed around confusion over the announced formation not matching pre-match reports of a “back four,” misunderstandings about Ko Itakura’s return to the squad, and debate over Matsuki’s best position.

On the 24th, Japan’s national team faces Uruguay in the Kirin Challenge Cup at Q&A Stadium Miyagi. Ahead of the 7:05 PM kickoff, the starting lineup was announced, with first-time call-up MF Kuryu Matsuki (Southampton) starting at right wing-back for his senior national team debut.

The formation is the same 3-4-2-1 that has served as Japan’s base system through the North/Central America World Cup, with Tomoki Hayakawa in goal. The back three, from left, lines up as DF Hiroki Ito, DF Ko Itakura, and DF Ayumu Seko. The double pivot pairs brothers MF Kaishu Sano and MF Kota Sano, with wing-backs MF Keito Nakamura on the left and Matsuki on the right. The shadow roles go to MF Yuito Suzuki on the left and MF Ritsu Doan on the right, with FW Daizen Maeda as the lone striker.

The registered squad totals 26 players. Of the 30 called up, GK Zion Suzuki, who remains on a separate training menu due to side pain, and DF Tomoya Ando, who did not travel to Miyagi due to lower back pain, along with FW Keisuke Goto and MF Ryunosuke Sato, were left out of the matchday squad.

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

4AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:15
Double Sano
Matsuki at right back
Maeda as lone striker

You even trying with this lineup?
7AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:16
Re: #4
Everybody's in vacation mode, both sides alike.
41AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:32
Re: #4
It's a four-match stretch, don't get so worked up about it.

8AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:16
Re: #1

⚽ Japan National Team Schedule

Live tonight — Kirin Cup
9/24 (Thu) 19:05 kickoff

Japan vs Uruguay 🇺🇾
Q&A Stadium Miyagi
📺 Fuji TV

Kirin Cup
9/28 (Mon) 19:25 kickoff
Japan vs Venezuela 🇻🇪
Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima
📺 Nippon TV

Kirin Cup
10/1 (Thu) 19:10 kickoff
Japan vs Ecuador 🇪🇨
Yokohama International Stadium
📺 TBS

Kirin Cup
10/5 (Mon) 19:30 kickoff
Japan vs Panama 🇵🇦 or New Zealand 🇳🇿
National Stadium (Tokyo)
📺 TV Asahi

https://dec.2chan.net/up2/src/fu7310443.jpeg
10AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:17
Re: #1

Japan National Team Squad

☆ First call-up

▽GK
Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima)
Reo Brian Kokubo (Sint-Truiden)
Zion Suzuki (Aston Villa)

▽DF
Ko Itakura (Ajax → Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Go Watanabe (Feyenoord)
Takehiro Tomiyasu (Crystal Palace)
Tomoya Ando (St. Pauli)
Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich)
Ayumu Seko (Le Havre)
Junnosuke Suzuki (Copenhagen)

▽MF/FW
Junya Ito (Genk)
Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace)
Yuki Soma (Machida)
Daizen Maeda (Ipswich)
Kaina Tanimura (Yokohama F. Marinos) ☆
Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Ayase Ueda (Lille)
Ao Tanaka (Leeds)
Shuto Nakano (Hiroshima) ☆
Keito Nakamura (Lyon)
Kaishu Sano (Mainz)
Koki Kumasaka (Kashiwa)
Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)
Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg)
Satoshi Tanaka (Schalke)
Kuryu Matsuki (Southampton) ☆
Kota Sano (PSV)
Kento Shiogai (Wolfsburg)
Shunsuke Saito (Westerlo) ☆
Keisuke Goto (Freiburg)
Ryunosuke Sato (Valencia)

https://dec.2chan.net/up2/src/fu7310443.jpeg

30AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:25
Wait, didn't Itakura withdraw? He's right there though.
40AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:32
Re: #30
That withdrawal was for the Asian Cup.

43AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:33
Wasn't Goto called up? So why's 'Mother Nature' starting instead? (a fan nickname for Maeda Daizen, playing on the kanji in his name)
62AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:39
Re: #43
Well, Ueda's about the only forward getting regular starts these days — both Maeda and Goto have mostly been coming on as subs.

48AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:35
Didn't they say it'd be a back four?
This is clearly a back three.
53AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:37
Re: #48
Poichi (Moriyasu's nickname) said he'd switch systems mid-match.

59AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:39
What happened to my boy Zion?!
66AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:40
Re: #59
He's out with a rib or side injury.

74AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:44
Doesn't Matsuki play out wide at Southampton? He doesn't strike me as having much dribbling power to beat defenders, but the right side sure needs more options.
97AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:49
Re: #74
There are guys who could get the nod on the right once it's 'Oiwa's Japan' (a hypothetical future squad under U-23 coach Oiwa).
Even if Matsuki gets called up now, who knows where he'll be playing six months from now — his best position is still a mystery.

90AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:47
Did Kokubo kill Moriyasu's parents or something?
Man stubbornly refuses to use this guy no matter what.
113AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:54
Re: #90
That's just the correct pecking order though.
With Zion injured, it'd be weirder NOT to use Hayakawa.

102AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:50
Feel bad for Matsuki. He's naturally a defensive midfielder, but in Turkey they mistook him for a forward, and now at Southampton he's stuck out on the right with no real weapon for it, so he's reduced to just being a connector. He clawed his way up through sheer grit, and now the national team's got him at wing-back too?
105AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:52
Re: #102
Looking at his actual track record, isn't there barely anything to call defensive midfield his 'natural' position either?
112AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:54
Re: #102
That's not sad at all.
He's smart enough to find good positioning wherever you put him — from a coach's perspective, 'just throw him in there' makes him the perfect player.
136AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:59
Re: #102
Go enjoy the table tennis instead.
Feeling sorry about ratings at a time like this is way too much lol

110AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:53
Is Hayakawa actually reliable this season?
He's conceding a ton of goals.
121AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:55
Re: #110
He's been getting torched.
Conceding multiple goals almost every match.

117AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:54
Kubo's had it too smooth up to now.
He needs to get knocked down once and build some hunger.
144AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:01
Re: #117
There's probably no footballer whose career has been nothing BUT getting knocked down more than Kubo's…

126AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:57
No Suarez either, so this is basically their 4th-string squad lol
Go watch the table tennis instead, that's a real world championship decider.
134AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:58
Re: #126
I'm recording the table tennis to watch later, so please don't post live commentary about it here, 'kay?

130AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:58
The table tennis is so good I can't change the channel lol
Bet it's eating into the ratings pretty hard.
143AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:01
Re: #130
I'm watching the recording later, so no live commentary here please, 'kay?

133AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:58
Wait, is Matsuki in the shadow role and Doan at wing-back here?
Surely it's not the other way around, right?
It's the rookie's big moment, so let him play his favored position and enjoy it.
147AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:02
Re: #133
Given their club roles, it could well be the other way around.

152AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:04
I always think this, but the Japan men's team has a lot of good-looking guys.
157AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:05
Re: #152
The squad's average looks have shot up recently.

Background and Talking Points

The Kirin Challenge Cup packed four matches into the September 24–October 5 window, a congested schedule that explains the heavy rotation among regulars — the “vacation mode” jab in the thread is a reference to this four-match stretch. The confusion over the formation looking like a “back four” versus the announced 3-4-2-1 stems from manager Hajime Moriyasu’s use of an in-game variable system, a point commenters picked up on themselves. Kuryu Matsuki played primarily as a defensive midfielder at Tokyo Verdy in Japan’s J1 league, but since moving overseas he’s often been deployed in more advanced positions — which is the background behind his right wing-back role for the national team too, and why the “natural position” debate ties directly back to how his clubs have used him. Note also that the idea Itakura “withdrew” is a mix-up with the Asian Cup, not this call-up. And the criticism of Hayakawa’s save numbers is based on a short stretch of club form, a separate question from whether his national team call-up is justified.

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “[Soccer] Japan National Team: Kuryu Matsuki Starts for Senior Debut!! Uruguay Match Starting XI Announced, Yuito Suzuki and Kota Sano Also Selected [Fuji TV].”

September 24, 2026
Companies Relocating HQ from Regions to Tokyo Area Hit Record 204 — 5ch: “No Benefit to Being Based Outside Tokyo”

According to a survey by Teikoku Databank, 204 companies moved their headquarters from the regions to the greater Tokyo area between January and June 2026 — the highest figure in the past decade of comparable data. That’s up 4 companies (2.0%) from the previous record of 200 set in the same period of 2025. Meanwhile, 173 companies relocated their headquarters from the Tokyo area to the regions, up 23 (15.3%) from 150 the year before — the second-highest level after 2021’s 186, when the pandemic drove a wave of departures from the capital. On 5ch, many posters argued there’s no benefit to keeping a headquarters outside Tokyo, while others debated the flow of people tied to Osaka-based firms relocating to Tokyo, and drew comparisons to South Korea’s relocation of capital functions from Seoul to Sejong City.

Survey on Headquarters Relocation Trends in the Greater Tokyo Area (First Half of 2026)

In the period from January to June 2026, 204 companies were confirmed to have relocated (moved in) their headquarters from the regions to the greater Tokyo area. This is 4 companies (2.0%) higher than the previous decade-high of 200 recorded in January–June 2025, marking the second consecutive half-year period with more than 200 such moves.

173 companies relocated (moved out) their headquarters from the greater Tokyo area to the regions. This is 23 companies (15.3%) higher than January–June 2025 (150), the second-highest level after 2021 (186), when a wave of companies left the Tokyo area amid the pandemic.

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

5AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:49
Well yeah, there's no benefit to having your HQ out in the regions.
12AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:51
Re: #5
Same story in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, one of Asia's poorest countries — they've got 37 million people crammed in there too.

8AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:51
It's the opposite overseas.

In prime economic hubs like Tokyo and Osaka, developed countries strip out all government institutions and let rents and land prices climb so high that even university towns flee the area — high-value assets end up doing the work of generating GDP.

Japan is doing the exact opposite, building the world's biggest slum (a 37-million-strong poverty cluster of young women and companies, just like Dhaka, capital of one of Asia's poorest countries).
18AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:54
Re: #8
That just shows how badly politics is failing in Japan. It's a twisted survival instinct — if the base system itself doesn't work, it's game over no matter where you go.
109AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:17
Re: #8
Same with South Korea, right? Everything's concentrated in Seoul.

16AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:52
Setting up HQ in the regions is just inconvenient — you end up having to rebuild it in Tokyo anyway.
22AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:55
Re: #16
The key word is "greater Tokyo area" — Tokyo proper alone actually sees net outflow.

23AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:56
There was a company that moved its HQ functions to Gunma, I recall.
29AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:57
Re: #23
Still got more taste than a tonsil stone (kusai tama), no? (lol)

Clean air, clean water, tastes great (lol)

55AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:03
There's nothing wrong with the countryside concentrating around one hub either. Complaining about "it's all Tokyo's fault" without even trying that won't stop the depopulation.
94AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:12
Re: #55
That's basically "multi-polar concentration" — simply put, a regional-state system where the most prosperous city in each area (Sapporo for Hokkaido, Sendai for Miyagi, etc.) becomes the hub and the surrounding areas turn into commuter towns. Consolidating around the old "six major cities" plus Fukuoka and Sapporo is actually a good idea.
168AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:42
Re: #55
And look at the mess that's already caused — I've heard prefectural capitals now hold over 40% of their entire prefecture's population.

66AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:06
I want to know what Buddhist sect people in Tokyo actually belong to.
70AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:07
Re: #66
Zojoji Temple, where Shinzo Abe's family funeral was held, is Jodo Shu (Pure Land sect) — same as mine.
76AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:09
Re: #66
Soto Zen here. I go clean my dad's grave on his monthly death anniversary.

133AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:27
Let's hear a word from Amuse, the talent agency that relocated out to the countryside during COVID.
135AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:27
Re: #133
Which basically proves that land is really the only thing that sells in Tokyo. Everyone's just paying rent and that's it — you can't make money manufacturing and selling actual products anymore. Even the Gasto in Shinagawa shut down.
225AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:20
Re: #133
Though technically Amuse just moved from Tokyo proper to elsewhere within the greater Tokyo area.

137AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:27
If Osaka people hate Tokyo so much, why do they keep coming here?
148AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:33
Re: #137
Osaka → Tokyo: 40 companies
Tokyo → Osaka: 25 companies
154AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:34
Re: #137
They don't actually hate it. Big Osaka companies open Tokyo headquarters, so people flow from Osaka to Tokyo.

155AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:35
For some reason Uniqlo still hasn't moved its official HQ to Tokyo.
163AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:39
Re: #155
There's no legal definition of "headquarters" to begin with — Uniqlo has already shifted its actual head-office functions to its Tokyo office. Plenty of big companies that started in the regions keep their registered main office back home while running the real command center out of Tokyo.
181AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:51
Re: #155
Same with a lot of publicly listed regional companies — even if the headquarters is technically in the regions, most of them have a Tokyo office that actually holds the real decision-making power.

176AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:48
If the government had even the slightest real intention of revitalizing the regions, it would immediately disperse every institution in Kasumigaseki and Nagatacho (Japan's ministry and parliament districts) out to the regions. The fact that it won't do that means this country is committed to going down with Tokyo no matter what — so of course companies are going to keep concentrating there too.

205AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:07
Tokyo media won't report at all on the news about South Korea relocating its capital. Seoul is genuinely turning around — and it's not just the startup rate that's improving.

South Korea just moved its capital and freed up space in Seoul, and things have been improving across the board:
2023: 0.72
2024: 0.75
2025: 0.80
2026: 0.88

Compare that to Singapore — they hand new parents a lump sum of 8.75 million (yen) per child at birth, but because there's no space, the birth rate still isn't rising at all.

A secondary capital won't cut it — full relocation of the capital is the only thing that actually works.
229AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:25
Re: #205
South Korea moved its capital functions to Sejong and its birth rate and other metrics started turning around. Japan's the only one still pushing single-hub concentration like some developing country.
230AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:25
Re: #229
All Tokyo's got going for it is middleman skimming and real estate.
234AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:27
Re: #229
Barely anyone in Japan actually cares about some "emerging market" like South Korea, lol.

218AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:15
The flower capital, Greater Tokyo — I once longed for it so badly I could've died.
222AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:17
Re: #218
There was an old jingle like that —

"Fun times with Miyako Kotsu, love with Miyako Kotsu,
it's a dream paradise, the flower city of Tokyo"

(Miyako Kotsu was a local bus company; this was from an old regional ad jingle) — something like that.
226AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:21
Re: #218
(There was a time I ran myself completely ragged chasing that dream — "jaw hanging out," as the saying for exhaustion goes.)

Background and Key Points of the Discussion

Headquarters relocation figures are regularly published by Teikoku Databank and other research firms, and in recent years the trend has consistently shown net inflow into the greater Tokyo area. In the thread, some posters pointed to South Korea’s relocation of part of its administrative functions from Seoul to Sejong City as a model Japan should follow, but linking the Sejong relocation directly to the recovery in South Korea’s birth rate oversimplifies things — several other childbirth-support policies were rolled out around the same time, so a simple cause-and-effect claim isn’t warranted. Posters also pointed to Osaka-based companies opening new Tokyo offices as driving people from Osaka to Tokyo, but that accounts for only a small fraction of this survey’s total (204 companies), so it would be premature to blame Osaka firms alone for the pull toward Tokyo. It’s also worth noting, when reading this kind of data, that there’s no legal definition of a company’s “headquarters” — many firms keep their registered main office in the regions while basing their actual central functions in Tokyo.

*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “HQ Relocation to the Greater Tokyo Area Hits Decade High”.

September 24, 2026
Janet Jackson’s Japan Tour: WOWOW Announces Broadcast Cancellation — 5ch Reacts: ‘Overseas Stars Don’t Draw Anymore’

On September 24, WOWOW announced the cancellation of its planned broadcast and streaming of “Janet Jackson Japan Tour 2026.” The only explanation given was “circumstances on the part of the domestic licensee holding the rights to the overseas artist,” with no further details disclosed. Both the September 26 and October 16 broadcast/streaming dates have now been called off. Reactions on 5ch split mainly into two theories — that ticket sales for the concert itself were poor, or that WOWOW’s negotiations over broadcasting rights fees fell through — with speculation flying in both directions without any conclusive evidence.

Thu, 9/24, 8:10 PM

On the 24th, WOWOW announced via its official website that it is canceling the broadcast and streaming of “Janet Jackson Japan Tour 2026 / JANET JACKSON JAPAN 2026.”

The statement read: “The broadcast and streaming of ‘Janet Jackson Japan Tour 2026 / JANET JACKSON JAPAN 2026,’ originally scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026 and Friday, October 16, 2026, have been canceled due to circumstances on the part of the domestic licensee holding the rights to the overseas artist.”

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

4AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:29
Ninety-Nine's All Night Nippon (radio show)
20AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:41
Je-je-je Tour (´・ω・｀) ("je-je-je" is a stock expression of shock, from the drama Amachan)

21AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:41
Just air a Hitomi Shimatani concert instead
27AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:44
Her best-known "work" here is the Janet segment on Ninety-Nine's All Night Nippon

29AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:45
No way they'd schedule a TV broadcast and then suddenly pull the "rights issues" excuse.

1. Empty seats
2. It was a total dud
3. The crowd was all bald guys

My guess is one of these three.
30AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:46
Re: #29
Isn't that different from the actual live show?
32AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:46
Re: #29
4. Michael showed up
43AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:01
Re: #29
They decided at the last minute to bring a bunch of celebrities on stage, so my guess is turnout was bad

31AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:46
WOWOW's only real selling points are live concerts and tennis streaming — are they going to be okay?

34AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:49
This has got nothing to do with boobs or whatever — WOWOW is just getting lowballed.
The streaming of David Byrne's Summer Sonic set got abruptly canceled too. Those overseas promoters handling veteran acts have gotten really money-grubbing lately.
39AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:55
Re: #34
But if they jack up the streaming rights fee and the other side just says "nah, we're good" and walks, ending up with zero income, what was even the point?

37AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:53
Yesterday they were broadcasting the UEFA Women's Champions League — like, who even wants that?
I figured they probably got forced to buy it as a bundle just to get the rights to the men's CL.
41AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:56
Re: #37
U-NEXT got stuck buying the Women's Premier League as a bundle too.

38AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:54
Janet Jackson's kind of a complicated figure, honestly.
I caught her joint show with TLC before but couldn't make this one, so I was really looking forward to it.
44AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:03
Re: #39
I think so too, but apparently if negotiations drag on to the wire without a deal, they just cancel outright — that's how top-down the pressure is.
New Hollywood movies are supposedly insanely expensive too, so WOWOW's lineup ends up being mostly Asian films, obscure Western movies nobody's heard of, and old films everyone's already seen.

Well, Hollywood stuff and Disney Channel content are already locked up by streaming platforms over there anyway.
45AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:07
Went and saw it — turns out it was an aging singer, overpriced tickets, and empty seats.

46AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:07
I'm subscribed to WOWOW, but you can clearly tell they're struggling.
Even Excite Match can barely air the big fights anymore since DAZN and the other streaming services locked up the exclusive rights.
71AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:39
Re: #46
They just can't compete with the overseas players on money.
They'd been trying to push the limits of what pay-TV could do in Japan, though.

47AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:08
Was the venue small enough this time around that it actually sold out?
48AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:10
Wasn't empty exactly —
seats were filled, probably thanks to tickets being handed out everywhere and the opening act.
49AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:11
Wait, "JaneJa" is still touring?
50AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:11
Seriously? They were advertising the hell out of it.
Does stuff like this really happen this close to the date?

51AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:11
Well, the yen's so weak now.
Can't afford anything from overseas.
52AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:11
At least refund the people who subscribed just for this.
53AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:13
Overseas stars just don't draw crowds in Japan anymore.
55AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:19
The promoter last time was Creativeman, but this time it's Ticket Port bringing her over.
Not sure a discount ticket reseller has that kind of clout, but since Re: #1 mentions "circumstances on the domestic rights holder's side," maybe Ticket Port couldn't cover the broadcasting rights fees and everything else. Having a ton of guests probably didn't help either.

57AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:21
They were selling tickets through some scheme I'd never seen or heard of, like a "fourth-round presale."
What even is a "fourth round"?
58AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:21
Still listening to "That's the Way Love Goes" to this day.

59AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:22
Wait, what's the Shingo Katori connection?
83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 01:04
Re: #59
Probably because she appeared on SMAP×SMAP.

61AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:23
This is shocking, and a bummer.
They'd been advertising the WOWOW broadcast the whole time.
62AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:25
Just don't show the audience on camera then — quit trying to save face.
65AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:31
There were probably people who subscribed just for this.
66AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:34
I'd laugh if the replacement programming is just a Janet Jackson music video compilation.

77AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:48
It was totally packed and hyped, actually.
People who didn't go can say whatever they want,
but it was a huge success.
82AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:56
Re: #77
Did you spot Namie Amuro in the crowd?

Background and Key Points

WOWOW has offered no explanation beyond “circumstances on the part of the domestic licensee,” and no specific reason has been made public. This kind of phrasing is a common stock explanation in the broadcasting industry, and in practice it often points to a breakdown in royalty negotiations with the artist’s side, or a change in contract terms with the rights holder. Commenters on the thread split into two camps: those suspecting poor ticket sales, and those suspecting trouble with WOWOW’s own finances. In recent years, WOWOW is said to have been increasingly squeezed out of exclusive streaming rights for popular content by subscription services like DAZN and U-NEXT, compounded by rising costs for acquiring overseas content due to the weak yen. Which factor actually drove this cancellation can’t be determined from the official announcement, and it’s worth stressing that everything here remains speculation.

*This article was compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “WOWOW Announces and Apologizes for Cancellation of ‘Janet Jackson Japan Tour 2026’ Broadcast/Streaming, Explains Reason.”

September 24, 2026
Morning Musume。’26 Signing Event Pairs Shift From Oda/Sugihara to Yuzuketa/Yasuda — 5ch: “They Sat Together on the Bullet Train”

Morning Musume。’26 held an internet signing event on September 24, 2026 to commemorate the release of their 77th single, ‘Lonely…But not Alone/Yes ka No ka Watashi ka.’ Oda Sakura and Sugihara Akisa appeared from 18:00, followed by Yuzuketa Akoto and Yasuda Miyu from 19:30. On 5ch’s live-discussion thread, reactions centered on behind-the-scenes details of the pairings — comparisons of concurrent viewer counts with past pairs (Okamura/Suzuki, Yamazaki/Ishikawa), and the answer to “why pair Yuzuketa with Yasuda?”: apparently because they happened to sit next to each other on the bullet train. Comments also praised Sugihara’s talkativeness and compared the session to past pairings.

1AnonymousSep 24, 2026 12:40
Morning Musume。'26 77th Single 'Lonely…But not Alone/Yes ka No ka Watashi ka' Release Commemoration Internet Signing Event
18:00~ Oda Sakura (autograph board A), Sugihara Akisa (autograph board A)
19:30~ Yuzuketa Akoto (autograph board A), Yasuda Miyu (autograph board A)
13AnonymousSep 24, 2026 16:14
Is there even any point in watching Rimisuta (the members' online autograph-signing livestream) if you lost the lottery draw, or if you're a non-paying viewer?
Non-payers are basically freeloaders, so I guess they're happy with anything as long as they get to see the members?
27AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:06
Re: #13
Some people don't even watch it if they lost the draw.
39AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:19
Re: #13
I'm building AI clones of the Hello! Project members, so I feed the AI their verbal tics and intonation.
I feed it their radio appearances too, but Rimisuta is especially valuable since you get a solid 30 minutes of footage per member.
It's gotten good enough that the **AI clones** could basically run something like Rimisuta between themselves, but they're still struggling with pronunciation, so it's a work in progress.

15AnonymousSep 24, 2026 16:29
I'm the jealous type, so I only want to listen to my favorite's segment.
17AnonymousSep 24, 2026 17:32
Re: #15
If you lose the draw, that's just game over, isn't it?

28AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:06
Morning Musume。'26
@MorningMusumeMg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HS-G-phbIAAKXre.jpg:orig#.jpg
Morning Musume。'26 77th Single
'Lonely…But not Alone/Yes ka No ka Watashi ka' Release Commemoration
<#Rimisuta Internet Signing Event>

For the 18:00 session
the hashtag is
#MeisaOdaSanToRimisutaChu ("Meisa & Oda-san, mid-Rimisuta")
We're looking forward to all your comments 🙂‍↕

Link here
https://youtube.com/live/rHfAc_aE1Zc?si=KE1gV4G9RA_ZPtTa

#OdaSakura
#SugiharaAkisa
#MorningMusume26
#morningmusume26
#HaroPro
#Helloproject

29AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:06
Starting with Oda, huh.
The visuals look kind of rough, so I'll watch it later.
30AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:08
Re: #29
Whether you watch it now or later, the visuals aren't gonna change lol

41AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:22
What is this guy even talking about.
45AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:24
Re: #41
Normally the newer member signs first, right?
49AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:28
Re: #45
? That's about post #39.
53AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:30
Re: #45
For both Suzuki and Ishikawa too, the senior member demonstrated first.

70AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:40
I want to watch "Getter Miyu" (nickname for Yasuda Miyu), but the soccer match is about to start.
76AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:43
Re: #70
I'll just enjoy the soccer from the second half onward.

87AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:52
"You just don't get it~"

I want Meisa to sing "Sou sa~" ("That's right~")
Make sure you land it!

That's a nice thing to hear from Oda — makes me happy.
92AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:53
Re: #87
If that line goes to someone else, it's gonna cause an uproar.

89AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:53
https://news.ntv.co.jp/gimage/n24/articles/5dfe45c4b28041f0bd11e401dc3b0961/37ff494f-3a86-4ed2-8310-17a0a2f93658.jpg?w=1200

Meisa looks like voice actress Ishikawa Yui.

90AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:53
The funniest one was the Suzuki/Ishikawa session last time.
Suzuki being "trained" by Homare was cute, and Ishikawa was hilarious with her airhead moments, like suddenly going dead serious out of nowhere.
93AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:54
Re: #90
Those two felt like little kids.
Sugihara seems like she could land her own radio show.

101AnonymousSep 24, 2026 18:57
Sugihara can really talk.
She might end up hosting Yantan (a radio show) after Rairii graduates.
108AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:00
Re: #101
Rairii ain't quitting~

118AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:11
Why, of all people, did it have to be paired with Yuzuketa…
121AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:15
Re: #118
Because they happened to sit next to each other on the bullet train recently.

120AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:12
Okamura/Suzuki: over 1,700 viewers
Yamazaki/Ishikawa: over 1,600 viewers
Oda/Sugihara: over 1,200 viewers

Wonder how Yuzuketa/Yasuda will do.
122AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:15
Re: #120
Saku-Mei (Oda/Sugihara) topped 1,300.
124AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:16
Re: #120
Factor in the time slot.

132AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:22
The highlight from that session was Homare getting called "Homare-mama" in the comments and looking briefly annoyed about it.

140AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:30
http://instagram.frix7-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-15/820291766_18107684147075020_3783137234049998849_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=101&ig_cache_key=Mzk5MzE5MjIyMTUzMjU5ODI4NQ%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IlNUT1JZLnhwaWRzLjExNzkuc2RyLnJlZ3VsYXJfcGhvdG8uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=hfo1wjXEbpEQ7kNvwEHlEVy&_nc_oc=AdoInNYzuzWBPlpezWNvuqKjO3qSHjD8bhYSmXWPSgN6HNPgYFNiCAKayYvz24aeOSjcHPypiqDMD2bCjJRBl63Y&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-nrt1-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=WPP_j1OoprW9CDk-9GeQnw&_nc_ss=796a8&oh=00_AQKO-J4YwHGyqADVL6VtH3ZpLGhGsg9hmMQgiHnWCAilXw&oe=6ABAB29E
157AnonymousSep 24, 2026 19:33
Morning Musume。'26
@MorningMusumeMg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HS-a-wzbcAAzD7q.jpg:orig#.jpg

Morning Musume。'26 77th Single
'Lonely…But not Alone/Yes ka No ka Watashi ka' Release Commemoration
<#Rimisuta Internet Signing Event>

From 18:00, it's these two!
The hashtag is
#MiyuMiyuToAkoAko ("Miyu-Miyu & Ako-Ako")
We're looking forward to all your comments 🙂‍↕

Link here
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338AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:46
Since Miyu-Miyu can't answer questions while she's busy writing her autograph,
we ended up having to hear "Getter's" answer to a question nobody even asked her.
340AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:47
Re: #338
Moa-chan couldn't quite do that either.
344AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:49
Re: #338
She probably doesn't know how to answer, so the senior member shows her a model answer.
It's both a save and an assist.

Background and Talking Points

“Rimisuta” is an online autograph-signing livestream that Hello! Project holds on YouTube with every CD release — it’s positioned as a broadcast for winners of the shikishi (autograph board) lottery, which is why the thread saw differing opinions over viewing eligibility, i.e. whether it’s worth watching for people who lost the lottery or for non-paying viewers. It’s also worth noting that the viewer-count comparisons refer only to simultaneous YouTube Live connections, which can be affected by overlapping events on the same day (such as the soccer broadcast that day), so reading them as a straightforward popularity ranking would be premature. As for the pairings, no official rationale has been disclosed, and it should be kept in mind that the “they sat next to each other on the bullet train” explanation is itself just speculation within the thread.

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “■ Oda/Sugihara, Yuzuketa/Yasuda ■ YouTube ‘Morning Musume。’26 77th Single Release Commemoration Rimisuta Internet Signing Event’ ■ 18:00~ ■“.

September 24, 2026
Two Rookie VTubers Hit 140,000 Concurrent Viewers on Debut Stream

A thread went up on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” board reporting that a rookie VTuber’s debut stream drew 140,000 concurrent viewers. According to the thread starter, a second debutant, “Sopia-chan,” also pulled in 140,000 viewers. While congratulations poured in, several posters also dismissed VTubers as a whole as “con artists hiding behind illustrations,” sparking a clash of opinions. The thread’s main topics ended up being speculation about the newcomers’ true identities and talent — including theories that one might be the “reincarnation” of a previously active VTuber character, and claims that she’s an even bigger talent than popular streamer Usada Pekora.

1AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:09
Amazing, indeed~ (mimicking her old-timey 'nojya' speech quirk)
2AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:09
The second one, Sopia-chan, hit 140k too
16AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:11
Sopia-chan's got that calculated-cute girly voice🥰
17AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:13
Sopia-chan's the calculated-cute type, yeah

18AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:15
Cute, indeed~

26AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:16
A tardigrade, you say?
35AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:19
Wait, for real? Sopia-chan is the reincarnation of Kakapo, Raden's old ally?😲
36AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:20
This one's got what it takes to surpass Pekora
37AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:22
Most agency VTubers peak on their debut stream, huh

38AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:22
Guess speaking English is basically mandatory now, Hololive's wild
39AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:24
Even the people co-watching are pulling 20-30k viewers each, this agency's insane

41AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:28
It's not right to swap between 'fictional character' and 'real person' whenever it's convenient
42AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:29
Re: #41
Oh, that's because it's [designed by] an individual illustrator

43AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:30
She's putting on a raised voice, but comparing them, it's still Kakapo, no doubt😃
Her profile's science background, PhD, and teaching license are all identical too😃
I'm looking forward to interactions with Raden, but I wonder if they'll play it off like they're meeting for the first time?😲
44AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:31
This batch's rookie avatar designs are pretty solid
I wasn't a fan of Furoguro's design

45AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:32
Is she seriously into chemistry or is that just a character bit?
49AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:35
Re: #45
If she really is Kakapo reincarnated, she's a genius who's already collabed with Kyoto University😲

46AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:33
The antis keep spamming threads, but it's pretty clear who's actually unhinged here
47AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:34
Nanojya-chan and Sopia-chan have great avatar designs😘
Shigure Ui and Mervika are… eh, so-so🤔
48AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:35
We're both '-den' kin — genuinely happy about this (likely a nod to shared naming with Raden)
53AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:37
Re: #49
Oh, that's promising

78AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:39
Glad they get to be labelmates at Hololive together🥹💖

Background and Key Points of Discussion

In the VTuber industry, it’s not unusual for a newly debuted talent to pull six-figure concurrent viewer counts on the very first stream alone. That’s largely down to agency brand recognition and pre-debut promotion, which draw existing fans in en masse from day one — so the “140,000” figure here is best read as a snapshot of launch-day hype rather than a measure of lasting popularity. The term “reincarnation” (tensei-tai), which came up repeatedly in the thread, is VTuber-culture shorthand for a previously active VTuber returning to streaming under a new design and name; without an official announcement from the talent or agency, claims about a newcomer’s “true identity” remain speculation. Posts calling VTubers “con artists hiding behind illustrations” are also worth flagging as a recurring, generic criticism of the VTuber format itself, unrelated to the specifics of this debut. Some commenters also noted the growing expectation that talents speak English, suggesting the push to court overseas fans is starting to shape agency hiring as well.

※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Rookie VTuber Hits 140K Concurrent Viewers, Indeed.”

September 24, 2026
Oku Hiroya Reveals: Popular Manga ‘Thunder 3’ Author ‘Yuki Ikeda’ Was His Own Pen Name All Along

Manga artist Hiroya Oku (59), known for works like “GANTZ” and “Inuyashiki,” revealed on his X (formerly Twitter) account on September 24, 2026 that “Yuki Ikeda is my pen name.” “Thunder 3,” serialized under the Ikeda name, is a popular series that even got an anime adaptation this past July. Oku explained that he used a pen name because chapter one’s twist “would lose its punch” if readers knew his real name going in — he wanted first-time readers to be truly surprised. On 5ch, users discussed how some fans had long suspected the truth based on similarities in art style, as well as the fact that the editorial department had previously described Ikeda as “Oku’s chief assistant, a separate person.”

9/24 (Thu) 21:48

Manga artist Hiroya Oku (59), known for numerous hit works including “GANTZ” and “Inuyashiki,” updated his X (formerly Twitter) account on the 24th to reveal that he is the author of that popular manga.

Oku came clean, writing: “Yes. As you all know. Yuki Ikeda is my pen name,” confirming he is the author of the popular manga “Thunder 3,” which also got an anime adaptation this past July.

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

7AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:16
"The reason I used a pen name is that chapter one's twist would lose its punch with my name attached, so I wanted first-time readers to be as surprised as possible," he explained.

Well, obviously.
9AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:17
The manga could go photorealistic by tracing in photos,
but the anime couldn't use that trick,
so as a workaround they resorted to sticking ●● marks near characters' faces.

11AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:17
More than that, that boring 'giant woman' manga (i.e. Kanreki Hime) wasn't needed, honestly~

13AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:17
Was he lashing out at Yamauchi because it hit a nerve?
27AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:22
Re: #13
What was that about, lol?
83AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:15
Re: #13
Because he got called by his bare name, no honorific.

14AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:18
The moment this series ended, he started a new one in another magazine — pretty blatant.

15AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:18
Oku reads 2ch, and criticism gets exposed, so watch yourselves.
16AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:19
Re: #15
Tastes like victory! (メシウマ — slang for savoring someone else's misfortune)
64AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:51
Re: #15
As usual, it's not just Oku — most manga artists and celebrities sneak onto 5ch too, lol

18AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:19
The back of his head is completely flat, huh.
Wonder why that's the one part he can never draw right.
19AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:20
It was pretty much confirmed once the serialization started running late.
21AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:20
Draw us an epilogue for after Gantz's finale before you retire…
22AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:20
Couldn't they do something about the anime's snail pace?

23AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:20
If I'd known, I wouldn't have started reading in the first place.
Total waste of my time.
24AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:21
Pretty much the same setup as the ending of Gantz.
25AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:21
There was someone on the old Oku thread on Geisports (celebrity/sports board) who kept insisting Yuki Ikeda was a former assistant — wonder how they're doing now.
26AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:22
The alien and spaceship designs had that GANTZ-material feel to them,
so I figured it was either a former assistant or someone from the same studio —
turns out it was the man himself.
Then again, it's in Magazine, so I never imagined it could actually be him.

29AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:24
What's a 'donden'? (short for どんでん返し, meaning a dramatic plot twist)
75AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:04
Re: #29
Come on, you know exactly what it is —
you'd get it if you saw it, straight up.

…huh?

30AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:24
So it really was him.
I'd figured it was Oku's kid drawing it.
33AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:25
I think I'd have still watched it if they'd said so from the start —
I dropped it right at the very beginning.
35AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:28
Seriously?! Had no idea.
I did think the art looked similar, though.

36AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:29
Kanreki Hime is too niche, so maybe he wanted to draw something more shonen-style.
69AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:57
Re: #36
Thunder 3 actually started first.
Apparently Kanreki Hime is meant to be Oku's magnum opus.

37AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:29
Oh —
someone pointed this out in an earlier thread, and it turned out to be true.
38AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:29
If you can tell from episode one anyway, he might as well have just used 'Hiroya Oku.'
39AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:29
It's like saying nobody's ever revealed who drew this King Bomber — yeah right, ha.

40AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:29
Wanting new readers to approach it without preconceptions from the 'Hiroya Oku' name isn't a bad goal.
Anyone who already knows will spot it from the art style anyway, so that's already factored in.
Kind of an interesting experiment, no?

43AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:32
I didn't even know it existed, so if they'd put his name on it I might actually have watched it.
Now that I've skimmed the PV, though… eh, I'll pass.

56AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:43
The fact that this is happening at Kodansha, though…
I wonder if their relationship with Shueisha isn't great?
65AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:52
Re: #56
Since Gantz, it's been:
"Inuyashiki (Kodansha)", "GIGANT (Shogakukan)",
"Kanreki Hime (Shogakukan)", "Thunder 3 (Kodansha)"

58AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:45
I haven't read it so I wouldn't know, but if he's saying 'as you all know,' don't the fans already know?
61AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:48
Re: #58
There was the whole 'former assistant' theory and other stuff going around.
63AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:50
Re: #61
Ah, that makes sense —
no wonder the art style is similar.
67AnonymousSep 24, 2026 23:54
Re: #61
More than a 'theory' — I feel like the editor actually stated publicly that Ikeda was Oku's chief assistant and a separate person from Oku.

89AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:24
Didn't even know there was an anime.
Checked the anime thread and yep, it's the usual Netflix-anime situation.
Still only on thread 2 over there, and doesn't look like they'll even get through it.
94AnonymousSep 25, 2026 00:27
Re: #89
Isn't it on terrestrial broadcast, not Netflix?

Background and Key Points of This Story

Hiroya Oku is known for works like “GANTZ” and “Inuyashiki,” and in recent years has also been serializing “Kanreki Hime” in a monthly magazine. “Thunder 3” ran in a Kodansha monthly magazine and got a TV anime adaptation in July 2026; it was originally published under the name of an unknown newcomer, Yuki Ikeda. On the thread, some fans had long theorized that “Yuki Ikeda = Hiroya Oku” based on similarities in art style, while others noted that the editor in charge had previously stated that Ikeda was “Oku’s chief assistant, a separate person” — a discrepancy Oku himself has not addressed. Worth noting too: Oku says he chose to use a pen name because he wanted readers to experience chapter one’s story without any preconceptions tied to his own name.

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread ““GANTZ” Creator Hiroya Oku: “Yuki Ikeda Is My Pen Name” — Reveals He’s the Author of Popular Manga “Thunder 3,” Explains Why He Used a Different Name.”

September 24, 2026
Japan’s Kabaddi Team Crushes South Korea, But the ‘25% Rule’ Wipes Out the Score — Misses Out on a Medal at the Asian Games

In the men’s kabaddi competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Japan crushed South Korea 62-35 in its final group-stage match, seemingly securing a spot in the knockout round. But a rule set by the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) — that goal-difference results against teams with less than 25% of the maximum possible points don’t count — meant Japan’s lopsided win over South Korea wasn’t factored in, and Japan finished the group stage in 4th place. Taiwan, despite losing to India, locked in at least a bronze medal, while Japan missed out on a medal for the first time in 16 years. On 5ch, reactions split between confusion (“why does a rule like this even exist?”) and defense (“it’s a fair rule to stop teams from padding their goal difference by crushing weak opponents”).

On the 24th, the final group-stage matches of men’s kabaddi at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were held, with Japan, in Group A, thrashing South Korea. It looked like Japan had secured a spot in the knockout tournament, which the top two teams by goal difference advance to — but a rule set by the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), stating that goal-difference results from matches against teams with less than 25% of the maximum points don’t count, meant the lopsided margin from the South Korea match wasn’t counted, and Japan ultimately finished the group stage in 4th place. A medal — which would have been Japan’s first in 16 years — slipped away. (Digital Desk)

In this year’s group stage, Groups A and B each had five teams playing round-robin, with a win worth 2 league points. Japan faced South Korea that day, seizing momentum early thanks to ace Shoya Suzuki’s offense and defensive plays, winning 62-35 to bring its overall record to 2 wins, 2 losses, and 4 points.

In a later match, Taiwan lost to India, with India advancing in first place on a perfect 4-0 record and 8 points. It looked like the remaining knockout spot would come down to goal difference among Japan, Taiwan, and Bangladesh, all tied at 2 wins, 2 losses, and 4 points. But regardless of how the Taiwan-India match went, it was Taiwan that advanced. Since this year’s tournament has no third-place match, Taiwan was guaranteed at least a bronze medal. Why?

Source: yomiuri.co.jp / Original article here

2AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:25
If they'd beaten South Korea by a smaller margin, would they have made 3rd place?
103AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:56
Re: #2
It would come down to goal difference, so that would've actually hurt them more

9AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:27
What would it even take to make someone dedicate their life to kabaddi?
30AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:32
Re: #9
Same goes for soft tennis, honestly — it's barely played outside Asia
126AnonymousSep 24, 2026 21:11
Re: #9
You basically have to be a physical freak to play it, right?

18AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:30
Kabaddi kabaddi kabaddi (raiders chant "kabaddi" repeatedly while holding their breath during a raid)
35AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:33
Re: #18
This right here is exactly why kabaddi is still stuck in "weird niche sport" territory

19AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:30
>In league play, if a team has less than 25% of the maximum points, results against that team aren't counted toward goal difference

What a baffling rule
26AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:31
Re: #19
Happens all the time at soccer World Cups — group-stage advancement coming down to how badly you demolished some garbage-tier team. This rule's meant to stop that.
47AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:35
Re: #19
Isn't it basically just saying that padding your goal difference by running up the score on a scrub opponent is a bit cheap?

21AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:30
Good rule honestly — in world tournaments, one hopelessly weak team throwing off the whole group's balance happens a lot
23AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:31
Isn't that the sport where you compete on how many times you can shout 'kabaddi'?
24AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:31
Maybe the rulebook was only in Hindi or something
25AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:31
Do they really need a minor sport like this in there at all?

27AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:31
Not totally clear on the details, but sounds like it just sucks for them

28AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:31
So basically, if a team's too weak, beating them just gets voided?
31AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:32
Re: #28
Just the goal difference gets voided — the win still counts toward the points

32AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:33
"You'll win, but still get eliminated" — hard to say that before the match, so I guess it can't be helped
33AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:33
Guess it's not like running a sport like this is what's leaving the budget short
34AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:33
There was an article about how several national team players switched over from other sports after reading the manga 'Shakunetsu no Kabaddi' (Burning Kabaddi) back in high school
36AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:34
It's a minor sport, so not knowing every rule can't really be helped

38AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:34
Kabaddi's a household name, but most Japanese people have never actually seen it played, let alone know the rules
39AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:34
What a dumb-sounding rule — don't even need to bother with such a crappy minor sport
40AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:34
This is a fair, great rule — other sports should take a page from it
41AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:35
Doesn't matter if Char shoots down 200 Balls, it still won't count (a Gundam reference — the "Ball" is a notoriously weak mobile suit that Zeon aces like Char rack up easy kills against)

43AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:35
Its popularity got a huge boost from 'Burning Kabaddi,' and this is how it repays that

54AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:38
Japan's really gone downhill, this is bad
74AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:44
Re: #54
South Korea was just so weak they got written off as not even worth counting

73AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:44
This tournament's turned into an embarrassment for Japan
89AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:48
Re: #73
The real embarrassment this time is South Korea, who were such a pathetic scrub they didn't even get counted

79AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:46
There was something like this before too, wasn't there — some regional sport, bobsled maybe?
94AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:50
Re: #79
That one was a case where they didn't even understand the eligibility rules for competing — worse than just not knowing some obscure scoring rule

83AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:47
I think it's a good rule — otherwise you're bound to get teams that just mentally check out
99AnonymousSep 24, 2026 20:51
Re: #83
The match order ends up mattering way too much, though — it'd be absurd if a team advanced on goal difference just because they happened to crush a team that had already given up

Background and Key Points of This Discussion

The “25% rule” behind this elimination is an anti-manipulation safeguard for goal difference used in international tournaments beyond just kabaddi, meant to stop teams from gaming the standings by running up huge scores against extremely weak opponents. The thread largely assumed that “any points scored against a weak team are voided entirely,” but in fact only the goal difference is voided — the league points from the win itself are still added normally (as comment #31 points out), a detail that’s easy to overlook. Combined with reports that the Japan Kabaddi Association itself wasn’t aware of this rule, the confusion here likely reflects the fact that kabaddi is a minor sport that rarely gets detailed rules coverage domestically.

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Asian Games] Men’s kabaddi: Japan crushes South Korea, seemingly on track for a medal, but… eliminated after the IKF’s “25% rule” — a regulation even the Japan Kabaddi Association didn’t know about — is applied“.

September 24, 2026