Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Aichi Asian Games: Meals Are Three Pieces of Chicken, Lodging Is a ‘Refugee Camp’

    At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the head coach of Thailand’s national teqball team revealed on social media that lunch at the competition venue was “way too small — you can only pick one vegetable side dish,” according to Thai media reports. Photos reposted on 5ch show the athletes’ meal consisting of little more than vegetables and about three pieces of chicken. The thread also raised reports of leaks in the container-style lodging, the “refugee camp” label used by overseas media, and claims that the Indian team was kept waiting 14 hours for their rooms — fueling broader doubts about the whole operation just before the opening.

    [Asian Games] Vegetables and three pieces of chicken… “Are we supposed to compete on this?” — the shocking meal

    With the official opening of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games approaching, day after day the games’ inexperienced organization is coming under fire.

    Thai outlet Khaosod reported on the 17th that “Rewat Papchamphu, head coach of Thailand’s national teqball team, joked after receiving lunch at the Asian Games teqball venue that ‘the portion is way too small — you can only choose one vegetable side, you can’t have two kinds.’”

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

    2AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:04
    The organizers…

    This is what happens when Governor Omura dumped everything on that notoriously awful French company
    Even when people complain, they just get ignored
    4AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:04
    Nagoya's just cheap
    39AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:13
    Re: #4
    They're cheap, but they do spend when it counts
    5AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:04
    That's plenty.
    If it's not enough, pay for your own Uber Eats!
    7AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:05
    Don't complain about a mere Asian Games.
    Are you confusing it with the Olympic Village? lol
    8AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:06
    I'd rather watch the garnish dandelion on a sashimi plate than watch "Peace-kun" from Omiya Park on YouTube (a local mascot) — way more entertaining
    9AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:06
    It was supposed to be a buffet, but the budget didn't work out,
    so now you just tell staff what you want and they plate it for you?
    10AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:06
    Beautiful Japan — welcoming guests with "omotenashi" hospitality (the famous Japanese term for selfless hospitality) by serving them the same lunch as its own schoolkids
    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:07
    What was it like in China last time?
    13AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:07
    Re: #1
    Isn't this the kind of thing each country's own catering staff bring in themselves?
    14AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:07
    Which company is this, ripping people off and skimming a cut off the top?
    16AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:08
    The people defending this in here not even questioning Japan's current state — that's the scary part
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:08
    Don't underestimate Japan's cost-of-living crisis.
    Japanese people are putting up with it too, so foreigners have no business complaining when they come here
    19AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:08
    Why is this so shoddy?
    Feels like they're short on budget, staffing, and management all around
    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:08
    Re: #1
    Huh?
    You can get seconds, right?

    Isn't it buffet style?
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:09
    If they had this little enthusiasm, why bid to host it in the first place?
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:09
    Apparently a French company is running the whole event's operations — is that part of the problem?
    31AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:11
    Re: #23
    Not really.
    They've pulled it off fine elsewhere —
    Japan just lacks the hosting ability
    24AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:09
    They bid to host it and then couldn't even run it properly,
    and online it's all finger-pointing and abuse hurled at Asia —
    this country has really become an embarrassment…
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:10
    Bet they only actually spent about a tenth of the budget after all the skimming
    28AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:10
    And this is the games that cost 370 billion yen lol
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:11
    The second the 'Cool Japan' campaign ends, this is what we get
    34AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:12
    Can't help it — Japan's a superpower of middlemen skimming off the top
    41AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:13
    Sports just ramp up inflammation in the body.

    Every disease is inflammation.

    Eventually it turns into cancer.
    42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:14
    Japan's sports world gets way too glorified.
    That's why they can't see their own problems
    43AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:14
    Filling-free yakisoba, a plain salted rice ball, and bare udon noodles —
    served with a big smile: that's "omotenashi" hospitality for you
    49AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:15
    Re: #43
    Halal accommodations?
    45AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:14
    Re: #1

    Let me show you the meal the Thai team actually got.
    You're not allowed to serve yourself — staff only doles it out
    and you can't get any more after that.

    The athletes got hungry and had to go find
    their own food at shops outside.




    i.imgur.com/YK3rPHL.jpeg
    46AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:14
    Are they mixing this up with the Olympics? It's just a regional tournament
    56AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:15
    Re: #46
    They're confused enough that—

    in Asia, they're probably still used to being wined and dined

    if you want special treatment, go to the Olympics
    47AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:14
    Re: #37
    Komeda's no good, it's bad —
    huge sandwiches with no flavor to them,
    basically everything wrong with Nagoya packed into one bite (Komeda: a Nagoya-based coffee chain)
    48AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:14
    This is what happens when you hand it over to a French company —
    you get treated like a joke
    51AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:15
    Olympic budgets
    [Paris Olympics] Bid: 1.2 trillion yen → Final: 1.2 trillion yen
    [Tokyo Olympics] Bid: 0.8 trillion yen → Final: 3.7 trillion yen
    63AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:18
    Re: #1

    The container-style lodging is just cramped — you can't even stretch your legs out
    Overseas media reported it as a "refugee camp"
    On top of that, there's even water leaking



    i.imgur.com/EXA34Bo.png
    66AnonymousSep 20, 2026 01:19
    Re: #1

    The Thai team had no lodging and had to sleep on the lobby floor


    The Indian team waited 14 hours for their room to be ready


    Indian team:
    "The room wasn't ready"
    "There was no breakfast"
    "The team bus never showed up"
    "No nutrition food or fruit either"
    i.imgur.com/MGgsNwz.jpg

    Background and Points of Debate

    The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games reported here is a regional event, different in both scale and budget from a national-level undertaking like the Tokyo Olympics (2021), and commenters in the thread pointed out that some operational duties have been outsourced to an overseas company. The claims about meal portions and lodging conditions are based on social media photos and local media reports; no official explanation from the games’ organizing committee had been confirmed at the time of writing. Opinion in the thread split between those who saw the problems as failures of the operating structure — pointing to overlapping reports of leaks in the lodging and long waiting times — and those who saw them as excessive expectations for an event of this scale, arguing that the Asian Games was never meant to guarantee the lavish treatment of the Olympics. One point readers could easily misread: the individual reports about food, lodging, and wait times don’t all trace back to a single cause — they were reported as separate incidents involving different teams and venues.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Aichi Asian Games] Vegetables and three pieces of chicken… “Are we supposed to compete on this?” — the shocking meal at the venue, revealed by the Thai coach on social media.”

  • Someone Parked in My Contracted Spot Without Permission—Owner Scrambles to Cope

    A post on 5channel’s Newsoku VIP board drew attention after a user said someone had parked in their contracted parking spot without permission. The poster had just had their assigned spot changed at the management company’s request, but when they returned, they found a stranger’s car parked in the new spot as well. The management company was closed and couldn’t be reached, so they called the police and took down the license plate number — but were told it wasn’t clear whether anything could be done, since the jurisdiction on file didn’t match where the car was actually parked. The thread filled up with replies discussing the frustrating reality that someone whose spot has been taken over often has almost no real recourse.

    1AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:58
    Me
    4AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:58
    I'll quietly key it with a 10-yen coin (a coin-scratch to the paint) so no one notices
    13AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:02
    Re: #4
    If they catch you, they'll probably stab you
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:59
    Kasa-Bon (OP's nickname)! I heard you drowned in the typhoon, so I was worried sick about you!
    16AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:03
    Re: #6
    That was a close call, but I made it
    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:59
    Not this again
    What is going on with that parking lot
    17AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:03
    Re: #7
    Seriously rough. I just want to buy a house at this point
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:02
    So what happened with the illegal parker, did they move it (´・ω・`)?
    21AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:04
    Re: #11
    Still parked there
    15AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:03
    Lost the lottery too, one thing after another
    23AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:04
    Re: #15
    Oh right, that happened too……
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:05
    Gotta call the parking lot's management company (´・ω・`)
    28AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:05
    Re: #25
    They're closed right now
    30AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:06
    Called the police, and they just contacted the car's owner for me
    35AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:08
    Re: #30
    Cops are scary
    But I got the license plate number
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:07
    Though the address I've got registered with the police doesn't match where I actually am, so I'm not sure they'll actually follow through
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:08
    Re: #32
    Aaaargh, it's all because of that
    33AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:07
    Where's your car right now (´・ω・`)?
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:09
    Re: #33
    Paid to park it somewhere else until tomorrow morning
    42AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:10
    If the police can't help, guess you'll just have to use a paid coin-parking lot
    Better go find a decent parking spot elsewhere
    45AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:11
    Re: #42
    Where would I even find a decent parking lot……
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:12
    Check the reviews for the lot you're contracted with now
    And look at reviews for other nearby lots to see what they're like
    Not sure parking lots even have reviews though
    52AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:25
    Re: #46
    I don't think they do
    50AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:24
    When someone illegally parks on you, you really can't do anything but eat the loss
    Block them in and you're the one in the wrong, put up a notice and that doesn't work either
    58AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:26
    Re: #50
    Everyone just needs to live a little more humbly
    61AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:27
    Is the management company open tomorrow (´・ω・`)?
    63AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:28
    Re: #61
    Looked like they would be!
    67AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:31
    Didn't you say something got posted on it yesterday or the day before
    Even though you were parked properly in your contracted spot
    Something's off with that parking lot, isn't it? Is it even legitimately run (as opposed to yakuza-run)?
    70AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:32
    Re: #67
    Yeah, that happened
    That's why my spot got reassigned, but when I got back there was a car parked in the new spot too. Rough.
    73AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:34
    What is the management company even doing, this is infuriating
    77AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:35
    Re: #73
    I wish they had 24-hour contact
    101AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:45
    Re: #53
    Apparently Sub-chan immobilized some people who'd been illegally parked for days, then went and confronted them
    105AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:48
    Re: #101
    That's just harassing the harassers
    106AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:50
    Might as well stick a copy of your coin-parking receipt under the wiper
    109AnonymousSep 19, 2026 20:55
    Re: #106
    People who illegally park don't feel a thing about it — that's exactly why they can do it
    131AnonymousSep 19, 2026 21:55
    Take a photo of the illegally parked car, make sure the plate is visible
    133AnonymousSep 19, 2026 21:56
    Re: #131
    If it's still there tomorrow morning I'll take one
    134AnonymousSep 19, 2026 21:56
    Re: #133
    If Bon-chan's place were nearby I'd go mess with that car for you
    136AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:00
    Re: #134
    You're a real lifesaver
    138AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:03
    Re: #134
    Though knowing you, you'd probably mess with Bon-chan first

    Background and Key Issues

    Unauthorized parking in a privately contracted spot is treated differently from a parking violation on a public road, and tends to get handled as a civil dispute between the contract holder and the person who parked without permission. Even when police are called, they can confirm the license plate and contact the owner, but they generally have no authority to forcibly move or remove the vehicle — and if the registered jurisdiction doesn’t match where the car is actually parked, the response gets even slower. Commenters also pointed out that if the victim blocks the car in or puts up a notice, it can backfire and put them in the wrong, meaning the situation often ends up close to something the victim just has to accept and move past. Some replies also brought up past cases where disputes over illegal parking escalated into actual violence, but since those involve real criminal cases, this article does not cover them.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Newsoku VIP) thread “Guy gets his contracted parking spot taken by someone else lolololololol.”

  • Yoshiko Mita to Move In With Her Imprisoned Son — Family Once Branded a “Mooching Hell”

    Actress Yoshiko Mita has decided to live together with her second son, Yuya Takahashi, who is currently serving time for violating the Stimulants Control Act, according to a report from “Josei Seven Plus.” Takahashi was first arrested in 1998 as a high school senior and has since been arrested repeatedly on drug-related charges; at the time, Mita drew criticism for reportedly giving him a monthly allowance of over 500,000 yen. On 5ch, the thread buzzed with jabs at the mother (“it’s about time she cut the apron strings”), discussion of the system requiring a guarantor for parole, and claims that the family had several other “problem children.”

    Yoshiko Mita Reportedly “Decides to Live Together” With Imprisoned Son Yuya Takahashi… “I’ll Take His Whole Fee” — Family Once Reported as Trapped in “Mooching Hell”

    In a report published September 18 by “Josei Seven Plus,” actress Yoshiko Mita was said to have decided to move in with her second son, Yuya Takahashi.

    “Mita’s second son, Yuya Takahashi, who has worked as a singer and actor, has been arrested repeatedly on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Act. When he was first arrested in 1998, he was a high school senior. At the time, it was also reported that Mita was giving the suspect Takahashi a monthly allowance of over 500,000 yen, drawing criticism for her overprotectiveness.

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

    2AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:57
    Seriously, cut the apron strings already.
    He's long past adulthood — let him fend for himself.
    3AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:58
    She's at the age where she should be the one getting cared for…
    52AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:20
    Re: #3
    Sounds like she's fully planning on making him care for her someday.
    She's never given a thought to his feelings, not even when he was a kid.
    60AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:22
    Re: #52
    It's probably the serious, low-key eldest son who ends up as her caregiver.
    He was raised pretty strictly. The second son, who she doted on more, turned out like this because she spoiled him.
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:58
    Best Mother: Yoshiko Mita
    Best Father: Ebizō (has a secret child)
    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:59
    Seriously, just cut him off already.
    If she actually moves in with him, she'll probably end up dead.
    8AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:59
    Once he burns through the inheritance, he'll probably do something stupid and get arrested again.
    9AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:59
    What happens after she's gone?
    He'll probably blow the inheritance living it up, run out of money fast, and turn to crime.
    12AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:01
    What really shocks me is that he was in prison…
    I thought he'd gotten married and had kids.
    51AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:19
    Re: #12
    Same, my memory of him stopped right there too.
    18AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:03
    If the 500,000-yen allowance is true, I want Mita to adopt me too (´・ω・`)
    20AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:04
    If she's handing out allowances like that, I'll gladly volunteer to be her son.
    21AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:05
    No, that's not it.
    His mother has to act as guarantor for him to get parole, right?
    So this "living together" thing is basically forced on her.
    Once he's served his full term after parole, she'll kick him out again.
    32AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:10
    Re: #21
    What happens in cases like this if you can't find a guarantor?
    Does that mean you can't get out even after serving your full sentence?
    42AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:17
    Re: #32
    Doesn't a probation volunteer (hogoshi) get assigned instead?
    48AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:18
    Re: #32
    I don't know the details either, but if you serve out your full sentence you shouldn't need a guarantor.
    A guarantor is only required for parole before the sentence is fully served.
    But apparently if you don't have a guarantor, you can still get parole by living at a rehabilitation facility until your term is up.
    22AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:05
    Cut ties and make him stand on his own two feet. Coddling him is exactly why he keeps running back to drugs.
    23AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:05
    Wasn't there also that time a car Mita bought him ended up being used in a murder case?
    25AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:06
    Worse than any celebrity nepo-kid out there.
    He's even tied, indirectly, to a past murder case through lending out that car.
    33AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:10
    Re: #25
    Keiko Awaji's son was pretty wild too, you know.
    Though he ended up taking his own life in the end, so I guess he's "better" than this idiot son.
    26AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:07
    Well, the mother earned and paid taxes enough to cover her son's share too.
    That's still more of a contribution to society than plenty of ordinary people manage.
    27AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:07
    It's wild that even with this many arrests for addiction, it took this long for him to actually get real prison time.
    So what does that say about young people who get sent to prison over far fewer drug offenses?
    Or was he dodging real sentences this whole time thanks to his parents' influence?
    30AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:10
    I only remember the first incident.
    Had no idea he'd done it that many times.
    31AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:10
    Was this son basically an errand boy, getting used and exploited by all kinds of people?
    34AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:12
    First things first, three years at Totsuka Yacht School (a notoriously harsh Japanese "delinquent reform" boot camp).
    Use that allowance money to pay for it.
    35AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:12
    Re: #33
    So there were other problem sons besides this still-living idiot one?
    65AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:23
    Re: #35
    Eldest son: declared bankruptcy
    Second son: no details available, an ordinary private citizen
    Third son: died in a traffic accident
    Fourth son: broke into the family home to steal, was arrested, then took his own life
    36AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:13
    Only two years in prison even on his fifth arrest?
    That's an incredibly light sentence.
    Seems pretty likely he'll be right back at it once he's out.
    50AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:19
    Her son probably told her she had to be his guarantor to get bail, and she reluctantly agreed, ending up stuck living with him.

    In the past she would've just dumped the whole thing on her close friend Lee Ryeo-seon and looked the other way, but now that Lee has passed away, she had no choice but to take him in herself.
    She'll probably cut him loose again once he's out and they've lived together just for show.
    61AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:22
    Re: #50
    Ah, so that's the real story.
    Guess she doesn't have much of a maternal instinct after all.
    57AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:21
    Wasn't Yoshiko Mita ranked #1 on Japan's top-earners list back in the '90s?
    Makes you wonder where all that money kept coming from.
    66AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:23
    Re: #57
    She played the ideal Japanese mother on screen and was the reigning "queen of commercials" from the '90s onward.

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    For someone serving time on charges like drug offenses to be granted parole, a guarantor (identity guarantor) is often required, and it’s not unusual for a family member to take on that role on condition of living together. In the thread, one recurring view was that this “decision to live together” may be less about rebuilding an emotional bond and more a practical necessity tied to that system. The Mita family has repeatedly made headlines as a “mooching hell” ever since the son’s first arrest in 1998, when it emerged that Mita had been giving him a large monthly allowance, and this latest news is being read against that backdrop. That said, some posts speculate well beyond what’s publicly confirmed, including claims about other siblings’ histories, so it’s worth noting that parts of this remain unverified.

    *This article was compiled by excerpting and summarizing the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Yoshiko Mita Reportedly “Decides to Live Together” With Imprisoned Son Yuya Takahashi… “I’ll Take His Whole Fee” — Once Reported as “Mooching Hell”.”

  • Pachinko Player Loses ¥69,000, Then ¥95,000 the Very Next Day — Post Sparks Reactions

    A confessional thread appeared on “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (a 5ch live-commentary board) after a poster admitted to losing big two days in a row at pachinko — ¥69,000 one day, ¥95,000 the next. The poster confessed to feeling “done with this” and even “wanting to die,” while explaining a habit of only playing machines they personally like, and a tendency to raise their bets when trying to win back losses. When they described losing ¥90,000 in three hours, some commenters did the math on the maximum number of balls that can be fired per minute and suspected the figure was exaggerated, while other hardened veterans came forward with their own tales of losing ¥120,000 or even ¥300,000. The discussion ended up being less about the exact amounts lost and more about how to deal with gambling itself.

    1AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:17
    I'm so done with this 🤢
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:22
    Was watching some video
    and it said someone lost ¥90,000 in three hours, I was shocked
    That's not entertainment anymore
    24AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:29
    Re: #11
    Sounds fake
    With pachinko you can only fire 100 balls a minute, so even firing nonstop for 180 minutes that's 18,000 balls — ¥72,000 should be the max you could lose
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:29
    Re: #11
    I lose about ¥10,000 every 30 minutes
    ¥90,000 in three hours? What kind of play style is that
    28AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:30
    You've got enough composure left to start a thread, so you'll be fine
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:31
    Re: #28
    No, I want to die
    Help me
    I want my Ren-tan (a cutesy nickname, likely for a character or mascot)
    30AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:31
    Stick to slots only
    If you focus on reset-hunting or grinding "ena" (an energy-gauge/pity system in some slot games), you can still enjoy it without too much damage
    35AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    Re: #30
    I've got zero motivation for anything but my favorite machines
    Playing a machine I'm not into feels as painful as work
    Re: #31
    I've got no composure left at all
    31AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:31
    Losing that much and still having composure to spare, must be rich~
    33AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:32
    It's fine, I lost ¥120,000 today on GOD (a popular pachislot machine series)
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    Re: #33
    Liar 🤥
    Re: #34
    Yeah
    34AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:32
    Obsessing over winning just isn't fun, so it's fine to lose as long as you play machines you like

    It's supposed to be a stress reliever after all
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:34
    Blew through four LT-mode (a bonus continuation mode) continues at a 75% continuation rate, but haven't landed a single win in right-strike mode all September — down ¥300,000
    39AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:34
    Stick to one-yen pachinko (super low-stakes machines)
    43AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:35
    Re: #38
    Liar 🤥
    Re: #39
    That's how I start out, but once I start losing I end up raising the stakes
    41AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:35
    The reason you can pour so much passion into pachinko is because you've lost so much, right
    42AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:35
    Re: #24
    That's plausible if it's slots
    47AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:36
    Re: #41
    Maybe so
    Re: #42
    Slots these days can burn through more than 30 spins per ¥1,000, after all
    45AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:36
    Horse racing's payout rate is 72%
    Lottery's payout rate is 45%
    Smart-slots (at setting 1) payout rate is 97%

    It's actually the easiest one to enjoy
    49AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:37
    Re: #45
    The annoying part about public gambling (horse racing etc.) is having to go to the ticket window in person
    53AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:38
    Re: #45
    Buying lottery tickets is basically idiotic
    60AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:39
    Re: #45
    Pretty sure that math is wrong
    57AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:39
    That's not even that much money
    Try horse racing or boat racing
    It gets brutal
    62AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:40
    Re: #57
    No upper limit is scary
    You end up betting bigger trying to turn things around
    63AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:40
    Re: #57
    No thanks 😖
    Re: #58
    I want to win it back
    58AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:39
    If you don't care about winning, just play low-stakes machines
    Playing the ¥4 or ¥20-per-ball machines means you actually want to win (you want the money)
    59AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:39
    Even asking an AI for advice doesn't get you much
    67AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:41
    Re: #59
    If you want to win, all you can do is stack up small efforts

    There's no one-shot comeback in pachinko
    61AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:39
    You're just leaving it on deposit
    Let's withdraw it next time
    68AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:41
    Re: #61
    No way
    Re: #62
    I'm not doing Ta-kun (nickname for a specific machine)
    Too scary
    65AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:40
    I once lost ¥150,000, then the next day pawned a gold necklace and lost another ¥100,000 — that made me want to die
    What really got to me was hating myself for even briefly, out of desperation, thinking about robbery or snatch theft
    I felt so pathetic for even considering crime that I cried and prostrated myself apologizing at a shrine at night
    70AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:42
    Re: #65
    That's not pachinko's fault, that's on you
    77AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:44
    Re: #65
    I feel you
    66AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:41
    Pachinko parlors should make every machine start on a fair setting
    Even then they'd probably only run the bare minimum, but the variety machines have their nails set so stingy they're unplayable garbage
    72AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:43
    Re: #66
    Fair point
    They only run the main/flagship machines
    Re: #67
    No thanks
    Don't want to put in the effort
    Can't do it
    I'm mentally done
    83AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:46
    Re: #66
    What I can't forgive about pachinko is instantly dropping out of LT mode
    For some reason it keeps bailing out of LT right away, so I've been going to the parlor way less lately
    106AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:26
    Since I started playing slots, the most painful thing is drawing the corresponding symbol one game too late
    That's an emptiness you never feel with pachinko
    113AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:30
    Re: #106
    If you play the Konosuba machine, you'll experience that at least 50 times a day
    115AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:32
    Re: #106
    I went through that a ton on the Kizuna machine — sometimes it's one game too early instead

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Pachinko and pachislot machines are regulated under Japan’s Adult Entertainment Business Law, which sets an upper limit on how many balls can be fired per minute. In the thread, some commenters did the math based on that limit and questioned the truth of the poster’s claim of losing ¥90,000 in three hours. It’s worth noting that actual payout rates vary widely depending on the machine, its setting, and how the parlor adjusts the nails, and the comparison figures for horse racing and lotteries that came up in the thread were just participants’ subjective impressions, not necessarily matching official statistics. Meanwhile, many comments drew a distinction between “playing for fun without caring about winning” and “seriously trying to win,” while the original poster confessed to being unable to break free from a losing pattern of raising bets while trying to win back losses — a struggle that’s hard to write off as just a funny story.

    ※This article is composed from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Lost ¥69,000 at the pachinko parlor, then ¥95,000 the next day.”

  • Why Are So Many People Saying “Japan Is Over”? 5ch Fires Back: “You’re the One Who’s Over”

    A thread on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” board went up discussing people who only ever say “Japan is over” or “Japan has no future.” In response to the original poster’s question, “Is that actually true?”, some commenters agreed, citing the declining birthrate, aging population, and sluggish GDP, while plenty of others pushed back hard with lines like “That’s just people shouting their wishes online” and “You’re the only one who’s over.” Replies invoking entrepreneur Takafumi Horie’s comments and others pointing to the real struggles of the “Employment Ice Age” generation kept the thread from turning into a simple back-and-forth of doom and gloom.

    1AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:00
    So is it actually true?
    2AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:01
    Let people shout their wishes on the internet, come on
    3AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:01
    In terms of the declining birthrate and aging population, yeah, we're declining
    4AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:01
    They just want people living happy, successful lives to feel miserable too. The harassment from "weak men" (net slang for socially/economically disadvantaged men) is brutal
    5AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:01
    Horiemon (entrepreneur Takafumi Horie): "You're the one who's over"
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:02
    Living a life where you keep saying "it's over, it's over" right up until you die
    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:02
    The World Robot Olympiad results are the reality, you know
    9AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:04
    It's mostly people from the "Employment Ice Age" generation (those who graduated into Japan's brutal 1990s-2000s hiring freeze)
    16AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:11
    Re: #9
    Hit hard by the Lehman Shock, couldn't land jobs despite having good degrees
    I know guys like that — highly educated, still living with their parents and working part-time
    10AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:04
    It's true Japan is declining, but the EU and Israel are falling apart at an even faster pace. Feels like everyone's racing to see who can collapse most dramatically first
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:05
    Africa, the Islamic world, India — in the end it's all about population numbers, so these are the ones who'll end up ruling the world
    12AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:05
    Honestly, at this point it's basically a chant. Just praying
    13AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:06
    Is it even true that looking at the residents of the Ikkoku-kan boarding house in the bubble-era manga Maison Ikkoku would make you think Japan was dirt poor?
    19AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:13
    Aging population and shrinking population — it's a pretty clear-cut future
    20AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:14
    It's a fact, so there's nothing to be done about it. No point profiling people over this one
    21AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:14
    The world was supposed to envy us — what happened?
    22AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:15
    It's scary how many bottom-rung guys like me there are now
    23AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:15
    Celebrity gossip thread → "You still watch TV? lol"

    Then why'd you even bother posting here?
    30AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:26
    Japan's finished lol
    33AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:32
    Re: #30
    You're the only one who's over, as always
    35AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:33
    Honestly there's no future in a lot of ways…
    41AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:35
    Re: #35
    You've got a future though, right?
    95AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:51
    Americans are saying Japan is the best. Prices and rent are way too cheap
    101AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:53
    Re: #95
    Isn't that the same guy who says the working conditions are so bad he only wants to visit as a tourist?

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The “Employment Ice Age generation,” repeatedly mentioned in the thread, refers to people who graduated school from the late 1990s through the early 2000s and faced the harsh hiring environment known as Japan’s “employment ice age.” The problem of people who couldn’t land regular full-time jobs back then and are now reaching middle age while still stuck in non-regular employment remains a live issue in social security and labor policy today. On the other hand, the claim that “GDP and the birth rate are both hopeless” is partly rooted in real statistical shifts — such as Japan’s nominal GDP being overtaken by Germany in 2023, dropping it to fourth place in the world. The clash in the thread comes down to a gap in temperature between those who cite these structural numbers as grounds for pessimism and those who treat the very act of complaining as a personal failing — and it’s worth noting that both sides are cherry-picking certain facts to make their case.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (“Nandemo Jikkyo G”) thread “[Ultra Bad News] Guys Who Only Ever Post “Japan Is Over” or “Japan Has No Future” lol.”

  • Fujisawa’s Kugenuma Named Japan’s #1 ‘Neighborhood People Want to Keep Living In’ — 5ch: ‘Isn’t This Just a Realtor’s Wish List?’

    News that Kugenuma Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, took the top spot for the first time in Recruit’s “2026 Neighborhoods You Want to Keep Living In Ranking (Tokyo Metro Area Edition)” — based on data from the real estate site SUUMO, which Recruit operates — became a hot topic on 5ch. Shibuya Ward also placed near the top in the same ranking, but on the thread, a skeptical take along the lines of “Isn’t this really just a ranking of properties realtors want to sell?” quickly gained traction, sparking arguments over what Kugenuma is actually like and whether popularity is shifting from Shonan toward Atsugi and Ebina.

    In the “2026 Neighborhoods You Want to Keep Living In Ranking (Tokyo Metro Area Edition)” conducted by Recruit, which runs the real estate information site SUUMO, “Kugenuma” (on the Enoshima Electric Railway) in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, took the top spot for the first time.

    Kugenuma is one of the tourist spots in the Shonan area. Among the neighborhood’s appealing qualities, items like “I feel attached to what makes this town unique” and “Living here gives me a sense of purpose” ranked highly.

    ◇Kugenuma: “A lively area”

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

    4AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:06
    Sounds more like a ranking of neighborhoods stuffed with properties realtors are desperate to unload.
    48AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:30
    Re: #4
    Has to be it lol
    23AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:17
    It's Southern All Stars territory. (the legendary J-rock band associated with the Shonan coast)
    26AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:18
    Re: #23
    Southern All Stars are from Chigasaki, so that's not it.
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:21
    Shibuya's going downhill fast — even Tower Records and Loft look like they're on the way out.
    47AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:30
    Re: #29
    Are those places even that essential these days?
    50AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:30
    Re: #29
    Tower Records and Loft lol
    68AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:39
    Who'd actually want to live in Sendagaya? There's nothing there.
    89AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:49
    Re: #68

    There's Hope-ken! (a famous local ramen shop)
    95AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:51
    Re: #68
    There's the skating rink.
    100AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:55
    Re: #68
    It's close to Kitasando, Killer Street, Aoyama, and Harajuku. A quick bus ride and you're in Azabu/Hiroo too. Surprisingly stylish and quiet neighborhood.
    72AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:43
    Where does Yukigaya-otsuka rank?!
    79AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:44
    Re: #72
    That neighborhood's kind of sketchy though.
    93AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:49
    Re: #72
    You still catch that station-slope commercial once in a while, so it must be popular. (a well-known ad filmed on the hill in front of the station)
    91AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:49
    If I could, I'd want to keep living in Ginza or Nihonbashi.
    98AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:53
    Re: #91

    Not many convenience stores or vending machines around there — actually pretty inconvenient to live in.
    96AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:51
    It's just a survey about the Tokyo area anyway, right? Honestly none of it appeals to me — that's how it looks from outside. ("Tonkin" is a mocking nickname for Tokyo used by people from elsewhere in Japan)
    99AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:54
    Re: #96
    And yet here you are, checking out a thread about the Tokyo metro area anyway.
    97AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:52
    I read it as "Help! Kugenuma won't sell!" — well, can't be helped I guess.
    102AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:56
    Re: #97

    Isn't it about time you graduated from the "5ch fan theory" that popular-neighborhood rankings are secretly just realtors' wish lists?
    115AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:00
    Re: #102
    Popularity's actually shifting to Atsugi and Ebina, and Shonan properties aren't moving. Time to educate yourself.
    117AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:02
    Re: #115

    Huh? Places like Atsugi and Ebina are packed with rundown apartments the moment you step away from the station.
    123AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:03
    Re: #117
    Go see it for yourself lol. There's a massive development area right by the station now — no rundown apartments left lol. You sure you're not thinking of the Sagami Line? lol
    126AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:04
    Re: #123

    That's exactly why I said "the moment you step away from the station."
    137AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:07
    Re: #126
    Shinjuku and Ikebukuro are also packed with rundown apartments once you get a bit away from the station lol
    135AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:07
    Fujisawa maybe, but Kugenuma? No way, seriously. Back in the day it was more the kind of area where poor people lived.
    142AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:09
    Re: #135
    Is that from before the mansion district went up?
    146AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:11
    Re: #135

    A friend of mine who lives in Kugenuma pointed out manga artist Yuujin's house — an over-the-top, Greek-style mansion kind of like Yukio Mishima's place. The late Nagisa Oshima's house (where his widow, actress Akiko Koyama, still lives) was an old-fashioned Japanese-style home.
    159AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:23
    Re: #106
    I got sick of the brainwashy ads plastered inside Tokyu trains and the surprisingly low caliber of the residents, so I escaped to eastern Tokyo. ("TQ" is shorthand for the Tokyu railway, from its station-code prefix)
    160AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:25
    Re: #159
    Tokyu trains are nice and clean. Back when I lived along the Tobu line, I really appreciated that. Tobu trains look grubby even brand new.
    173AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:31
    Re: #160
    Even with the same level of crowding, you can tell people's manners by whether they make way for others getting on and off. The Saikyo Line is literally the worst — it's like a cattle car.
    177AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:32
    Re: #173
    Seriously, a train line really tells you a lot about the manners of the people living along it.
    179AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    Re: #173
    Is the Saikyo Line about the only one with security cameras as standard equipment?

    Background and Points of Contention

    SUUMO’s “Neighborhoods You Want to Keep Living In Ranking” is a satisfaction survey of people who actually live in each area — a different sample from the more familiar “Neighborhoods You Want to Live In Ranking” (an open popularity poll, regardless of where respondents currently live). Because this distinction doesn’t come across easily, skeptical reactions along the lines of “Isn’t this just a promotional ranking for real estate companies?” have become a 5ch staple every time the results come out, and this time too, the first comment along those lines quickly drew agreement. Where the thread split was over how popular the Shonan area actually is: claims that popularity is shifting toward inland redevelopment areas like Atsugi and Ebina drew pushback from posters who said they knew the areas firsthand. Views on Shibuya were similarly divided — some pointed to changes among commercial facilities around Shibuya Station as proof it has “gone downhill,” while others argued the district as a whole remains highly popular, a gap that comes down to how narrowly or broadly people define “Shibuya” and is easy to miss from the original article alone.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “‘Neighborhoods You Want to Keep Living In’ Tokyo Metro Area Ranking #1 Is ‘Kugenuma’ — Shibuya Ward Also Highly Popular.”

  • Aiko Wada: ‘Koji Tamaki is one of the top one or two male singers — his singing is just incredible’

    On the TOKYO MX YouTube show “Aiko Wada Becomes Best Friends with an AI Smartphone,” streamed on the 19th, Aiko Wada heaped praise on singer Koji Tamaki — a favorite impression of comedy impressionist Mr. Shachihoko — saying, “He’s such an amazing singer, I’d put him at number one or two among men.” The remark set off a singing-skill debate on 5channel’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board over “who’s really number one,” with names like Yosui Inoue, Akira Fuse, Chiharu Matsuyama, ASKA, Hideki Saijo, MISIA, and Toshinobu Kubota all coming up one after another. Some judged by vocal power, others by tone or expressiveness, and there was even disagreement over what “good singing” actually means.

    Sat, Sep 19, 10:48 PM

    Singer Aiko Wada (76) appeared in an update posted on the 19th to TOKYO MX’s YouTube channel “Aiko Wada Becomes Best Friends with an AI Smartphone,” where she spoke about a male singer she’d rank as “number one or two.”

    The episode featured impressionist Mr. Shachihoko as a guest. When Tamaki’s name came up among his impression repertoire, Akko (Wada’s nickname) gushed, “He’s such an amazing singer, I’d put him at number one or two among men.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:09
    So you're saying you were looking down on Hiroshi Itsuki and Saburo Kitajima this whole time?
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:13
    Yosui Inoue is #1, no question.
    31AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    Re: #6
    They aired an old Anzen Chitai & Yosui Inoue concert on TV the other day (Anzen Chitai = Tamaki's band), and yeah, Inoue's greatness really stood out.
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:37
    Re: #6
    I like Yosui Inoue best too. He and Miyuki Nakajima are the only ones who are truly, genuinely skilled.
    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:14
    There's this whole trend where if someone asks 'who's a great singer,' you just say Koji Tamaki and call it a day.
    8AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:15
    For women, the great singers are MISIA, Mari Hamada, and Akane Minato.
    12AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:17
    Re: #8
    I don't like MISIA. She sings like she's going 'aren't I such a great singer,' just getting herself off on it.
    56AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:48
    Re: #8
    Honestly I think Miwa Yoshida at her peak was better than MISIA. Something about MISIA's voice and enunciation feels muffled to me — not that I'm a huge Yoshida fan either, but still.
    9AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:16
    Nobody can touch Kyo from Dir en grey.
    10AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:17
    It's less about skill and more that his voice is just good — not muffled in the low register, not grating up high.
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:17
    What's the actual standard for 'good singing' here anyway? I'm sick to death of all this high-tone belting lately.
    13AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:17
    Does Horipro basically have to force Tokyo MX's YouTube channel to give Wada a show no matter what? (lol) (Horipro = Wada's talent agency)
    14AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:18
    He's good, but sometimes he over-arranges a song to the point the original barely survives.
    15AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:18
    Re: #1
    Chiharu Matsuyama: 'Obviously I'm the best singer around!'
    18AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:21
    His tone isn't even that great though.
    19AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:26
    Overrated. Toshinobu Kubota is way better, hands down.
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    Re: #19
    Kubota's the one who's overrated. His singing style is just a knockoff of Black music. All he's got is vocal power — same as MISIA.
    42AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:38
    Re: #27
    Kubota was on Utaban once for a segment testing vocal range, and his range turned out to be really narrow — even he panicked. (Utaban = a Japanese music variety show)
    21AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:27
    Tamaki's probably like 10th at best.
    22AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:28
    I want to know who's #1 and #2. In rankings of Japan's best singers as voted by music-industry people and musicians, Koji Tamaki is always #1.
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:32
    No vocal power doesn't automatically mean 'skilled,' right? A thin voice that sounds like it's about to give out isn't what I'd call good singing.
    26AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    I thought 'wow, what an incredible newcomer' listening to Hiromi Iwasaki sing — then Takashi Hosokawa came out and blew me away.
    33AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:34
    All-time, I'd have to say Hideki Saijo. The guy was just absurd.
    Re: #26
    Takashi Hosokawa's great too.
    34AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:34
    Re: #26
    What an insane old man, lol
    57AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:50
    Re: #26
    That Newcomer Award race was intense. The Grand Prize song 'Cyclamen' was great too.
    28AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    It's ugly how Tamaki fanboys keep trashing other artists.
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    It's ASKA, obviously.
    45AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:40
    Re: #29
    Did you actually listen to that duet track that just came out? Different styles aside, Tamaki's emotional delivery felt way above the rest to me.
    30AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    Tamaki's voice is totally different depending on the era. Honestly I'm not a huge fan of the thick, growly voice with all the vocal runs he's been doing lately.
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:34
    Akira Fuse or Chiharu Matsuyama, maybe?
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:40
    Re: #32
    And Masashi Sada — the one guy Chiharu himself admits is good.
    36AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:35
    Enka singers who started out in min'yo folk singing are all great — it's so obvious nobody even bothers pointing it out. (min'yo = traditional Japanese folk song)
    40AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:37
    Re: #36
    I saw Kohei Fukuda on Nodo Jiman and he was great — way better than when I saw him on Kohaku. (Nodo Jiman = amateur singing show; Kohaku = NHK's New Year's Eve music special)
    58AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:50
    Isn't Higedan's vocalist way better though?
    There's no way Tamaki could pull off those long tones even doing a handstand. (Higedan = the band Official HIGE DANdism)
    65AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:54
    Re: #58
    Higedan? No way.
    72AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:01
    Re: #58
    Today's songs are technically way harder to sing — Tamaki's stuff is just flat-rhythm old-school kayokyoku pop.
    78AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:04
    What even is the definition of 'good singing' anyway? Vocal power's non-negotiable, I guess.
    80AnonymousSep 20, 2026 00:05
    Re: #78

    Melodies are completely tapped out these days.

    Everything just ends up sounding the same.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The remark was sparked when Koji Tamaki happened to turn up in impressionist Mr. Shachihoko’s repertoire, prompting Aiko Wada to blurt out her honest opinion. The claim that “Koji Tamaki always ranks #1ollo in vocal-skill rankings voted on by music-industry insiders and musicians” has long circulated in the entertainment world, though no specific survey or source is clearly identified. In the thread, people who judge by vocal power, people who judge by tone and sustained long notes, and people who judge by expressiveness and vocal-run technique each named different singers — the fact that “good singing” has no single yardstick was a major source of the talking-past-each-other. While support for veteran acts like Yosui Inoue, Akira Fuse, and Chiharu Matsuyama stayed strong, opinions were split on newer-generation artists like MISIA and Toshinobu Kubota too, hinting at a generational divide in taste.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Aiko Wada: ‘Koji Tamaki is one of the top one or two male singers — his singing is just incredible’.”

  • 1 in 16 Salaried Workers Earns ¥10 Million a Year — 5ch: “Normal Effort Gets You There”

    A survey showing that 6.2% of salaried workers — roughly 1 in 16 — earn more than ¥10 million a year was featured on 5ch’s News Speed+ board. Looked at by household income instead, the share rises to 13.8%, or about 1 in 7 households. Thread comments pushed back on how to read the statistics, with some saying “that’s way lower than it feels” and others noting that “in reality, the ¥10-million-plus bracket is concentrated in big cities and large companies — they’re not evenly spread across ordinary workplaces.” Opinion also split on just how hard ¥10 million is to reach, with some saying “you’ll get there with normal effort” and others countering “it’s not that easy.”

    (omitted)

    [Annual Income ¥10 Million] 1 in 16 Salaried Workers

    First, let’s check how many people individually earn more than ¥10 million a year in salary.

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

    5AnonymousSep 19, 2026 21:58
    Guess there really are that many people worth 10 million times more than me 🥺 ("ワイ" is slangy Kansai-style for "me")
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:18
    Re: #5
    The yen's just turned into scrap paper — today's ¥10 million is probably worth about what ¥6 million was 30 years ago.
    142AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:00
    Re: #5
    0 × ¥10 million is still 0, you know? (jab implying the previous poster earns nothing)
    16AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:05
    You lot making ¥3 million lmaooo
    20AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:07
    Re: #16
    It's not like you're some high school dropout or something
    169AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:07
    Re: #16
    Everyone on 5ch makes ¥10 million-plus, obviously
    19AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:07
    There's no way 6% of employed workers earn ¥10 million or more.
    What's the trick here?
    Feels like there's some sleight of hand in how they define "salaried worker."
    206AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:19
    Re: #19
    You're just living at the bottom of society — out in the real world, people clearing ¥10 million aren't rare at all.
    Every single house in my subdivision is definitely over ¥10 million.
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:10
    Meanwhile the average income in America is over ¥10 million when converted to yen.
    Rough being from a poor country.
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:12
    Re: #27
    But prices there are more than 3x higher too.
    60AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:29
    > As a ratio, that's roughly 1 in 16. Picture 16 people working on the same floor — one of them would be in that bracket.
    In reality, people earning ¥10 million are clustered together, so
    someone on ¥4 million and someone on ¥10 million aren't working on the same floor.
    63AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:31
    Re: #60
    What a sloppy article, honestly.
    If anything it's concentrated in cities over rural areas, and even within cities, concentrated at big corporations.
    114AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:52
    Re: #60
    Nah, it actually happens.
    At big companies that use staffing agencies, the income gap within the same floor can be huge.
    103AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:48
    Re: #102
    That's not calculated from listed-company average wages though.
    104AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:49
    Re: #103
    If you're gonna say it's not from that, then show the data and say so.
    108AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:50
    Re: #104
    If you want a source, back up your own claim first.
    If you don't know, just Google the National Personnel Authority — it comes up instantly. Go check how many employees the surveyed workplaces have.
    115AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:52
    Re: #108
    I'm the one saying "from listed companies," and you're the one saying "it's not," right?
    Anyone can just say "it's not" —
    that's all talk.
    116AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:53
    Re: #108
    How many employees minimum? At least a few thousand, right?
    124AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:55
    Re: #115
    Here you go.
    Even a kid can pull up public government info — do your homework before criticizing, it's embarrassing.
    You don't seem capable of reading primary sources, so I'll link something easy to understand instead.
    https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/20250325-OYT1T50020/
    129AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:56
    Re: #124
    Links could have viruses, so can you just type it out instead?
    130AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:56
    Re: #129
    I'm not that nice — Google it yourself.
    134AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:58
    Re: #130
    The government's data gets manipulated all the time, you know.
    Can't be trusted.
    Do you actually trust it?
    How many times has data been falsified so far?
    144AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:01
    Re: #130
    Say an acquaintance of yours committed theft.
    No matter how many years pass, people would still say "that guy's a thief."
    Even if they don't say it out loud, they wouldn't trust him again.
    That's the same idea.
    137AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:00
    Re: #134
    LOL.
    You're the one who demanded data, and now you won't be satisfied unless I psychically guess which data source you'll approve of?
    147AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:02
    Re: #137
    How many times has the government falsified data?
    149AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:02
    Re: #147
    Dunno.
    Do you know the answer?
    162AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:05
    Re: #149
    For example —
    say you committed theft once.
    Would the people around you trust you afterward?
    146AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:01
    Re: #144
    Seriously don't get it.
    153AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:03
    Re: #146
    If you don't get that, you don't understand human nature — guess we can't have a deep conversation.
    175AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:09
    I think you can hit ¥10 million just by putting in normal effort though
    190AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:13
    Re: #184
    Even blue-collar work like construction can easily clear ¥10 million these days.
    Depends on your effort.
    193AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:15
    Re: #190
    That's a lie.
    216AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:23
    My parents and relatives are rich so I just live as an unemployed part-timer, but
    since I get to spend every yen I make, I'm slowly getting bored of spending.
    223AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:27
    Re: #216
    So you're not even allowed to get involved in your family's business — that's a pretty sad position to be in.

    Background and Key Points

    The original article appears to be based on individual salaried-worker figures drawn from the National Tax Agency’s “Statistical Survey of Actual Status for Salary in the Private Sector” or similar data. The 6.2% (1 in 16) figure is purely a ratio among salaried workers as a whole, and differs in both population and methodology from the 13.8% (1 in 7 households) figure calculated on a household basis. Household income tends to come out higher because it combines multiple earners’ income, such as dual-income couples. The thread split mainly over two points: first, surprise that the real number is “way lower than it feels,” alongside the observation that salaried workers earning over ¥10 million are concentrated in big cities and large companies (in reality they’re not evenly distributed across workplaces or regions — there’s significant skew by industry and company size). Second, opinion clashed over just how hard ¥10 million is to reach, with views split between “you’ll get there with normal effort” and “that’s not realistic,” depending on education and occupation. It’s also worth noting that the article’s own analogy — “1 out of every 16 people on the same floor” — is itself a bit misleading once you account for how unevenly that income bracket is actually distributed.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “[Annual Income ¥10 Million] 6.2% of salaried workers, or 1 in 16. By household income it’s 13.8%, or 1 in 7 households.“

  • Rice Falls Below ¥3,000 per 5kg — 5ch: ‘Our Only Option Now Is Anything But Rice’

    The average retail price of rice has dropped below ¥3,000 per 5kg for the first time in two years. Triggered by the Nankai Trough earthquake advisory in August 2024, a shortage and price spike dubbed the “Reiwa Rice Riot” pushed prices up to a peak of ¥4,416 earlier this year, but as supply and demand eased, prices have fallen steadily over the past nine months. While this is welcome news for consumers, producers who had invested in expanding output are voicing alarm. On the thread, views welcoming the price drop clashed with criticism that agricultural co-ops (JA) and wholesalers are skimming off the profits, along with pointed remarks that it seems contradictory for farmers to cry crisis over falling prices when they claimed to be making “no profit at all” during the price surge.

    The average retail price of rice has fallen below ¥3,000 per 5kg for the first time in two years.

    With meat, eggs, vegetables and other prices staying elevated, the drop in the price of rice — the staple that anchors the dinner table — is welcome news for household budgets. On the other hand, producers are growing increasingly alarmed by the sharp decline.

    Until July 2024, rice prices had been hovering in the high-¥1,000s to low-¥2,000s range. But following the Nankai Trough earthquake advisory issued that August, among other triggers, rice fell into short supply in what became known as the “Reiwa Rice Riot,” sending prices soaring. They hit a record high of ¥4,416 in early 2026. After that, as supply and demand eased, prices turned lower, falling by nearly ¥2,500 over nine months.

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

    17AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:29
    Guess I'll go buy another rice cooker~?
    23AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:31
    Re: #17
    Wait, you can use a rice cooker for more than just cooking rice — you threw it out?
    Not that I actually know what else it's good for lol
    18AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:30
    This isn't a "crisis," it's a sign farmers should seriously pivot to something else.
    Even if you say you can't survive at pre-2023 prices, that's exactly where things are headed again.
    30AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:32
    Re: #18
    Seriously, this.
    Either grow something that actually turns a profit or get into a different line of work.
    26AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:32
    Huh? Prices are just going back to where they used to be.
    You raked in huge profits and now you're complaining?
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:35
    Re: #26
    It wasn't the farmers who made a killing — it was JA (the agricultural co-op) and the big wholesalers.
    Farmers who got motivated last year and invested to ramp up production are now holding their heads in their hands watching prices free-fall since around this February.
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:34
    Apparently more people are living on under ¥500 a day for food.
    So yeah, I get why forum posters here are coming down hard on farmers.
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:37
    Re: #37
    Two years ago I saw cheap pasta on Amazon, and now even that's roughly doubled in price. Tragic lol
    40AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:36
    Everything except rice has had huge price hikes since September.
    Feels like it's up around 20%.
    48AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:37
    Re: #40
    I can forgive price hikes on everything else.
    Just not rice. I'm keeping up my boycott.
    207AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:27
    Re: #40
    Canned goods are brutal too — a single can of Spam is ¥800, ¥880 with tax.
    45AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:37
    We're past the point of debating "cheap vs. expensive."
    Our only option now is something other than rice.
    Japan's rice culture has already been destroyed by the Ministry of Agriculture and JA.
    Give up already, beggars.
    53AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:39
    Re: #45
    It's no good saying you're switching to non-rice options if you just crawl back to domestic rice the moment prices drop.

    The real retaliation is buying imported rice even if it's pricier or older than the domestic stuff.
    51AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:38
    The collusion between JA and pro-agriculture lawmakers


    The skimming middlemen — five layers of wholesalers sucking it dry
    60AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:41
    Even a decent top-tier pasta brand like Barilla can be had for under ¥2,000 per 5kg…
    No matter how tasty the rice is, once it's over ¥3,000 per 5kg I just lose interest in buying it.
    122AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:00
    Re: #60
    Come on, at least go with De Cecco instead of Barilla there.
    Though even that runs about ¥600-something per kg.
    68AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:43
    Single-varietal rice going for ¥1,280 per 5kg near me.
    And it's not even sold out — plenty left on the shelf.
    72AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:45
    Re: #68
    At that price I'd buy it.
    77AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:47
    Last year's Koshihikari, two bags for ¥3,000.
    At Lopia.
    82AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:48
    Re: #77
    Nice, not bad at all.
    84AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:49
    New-crop Koshihikari at ¥1,950.
    At Joyful Honda.

    98AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:51
    Prices are down right now because there's plenty of stock from last year plus this year's harvest, but supply looks unstable going forward and it'll probably spike again.
    And once it starts climbing, today's cheap rice will vanish from supermarket shelves all at once and we'll be back to a shortage.

    Even if there's another price surge, the government's stockpile hasn't been replenished, so there won't be much they can release.
    107AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:54
    Re: #98
    The number of farmers quitting might increase, sure, but prices won't go back up.
    105AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:54
    Didn't people say farmers weren't making a single yen of profit when prices spiked unfairly?
    If that's true, then a price drop shouldn't change anything for them either.
    Was it a lie that higher rice prices had nothing to do with farmers?
    110AnonymousSep 19, 2026 22:56
    Re: #105
    Of course it matters — the higher price was finally a fair price.
    If it drops back down, farmers go back into the red, which is a serious problem.
    121AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:00
    At this point direct compensation for farmers is the only way.
    If farmers keep getting worn down like this, prices will end up staying permanently high.
    This time farmers still had some spare production capacity, so they ramped up output and stock recovered — but next time supply really won't keep up.
    141AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:09
    Re: #121
    The right approach is probably to target subsidies based on farm size and productivity.
    There's no point throwing money indiscriminately at tiny farms with essentially zero productivity.
    That said, small-scale farmers working unavoidable terrain like mountainous areas probably deserve at least some support too.
    199AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:25
    Pre-packaged microwave rice hasn't gotten cheaper at all.
    Come on, reflect the rice market price already.
    211AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:28
    Re: #199
    Iris Ohyama be like: "If we cut the price, the rice we worked so hard to make would sell at a loss."
    228AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    Re: #199
    The 3-pack microwave rice that kept its price low right up to the edge even during the rice price surge has actually dropped to around ¥300.
    I figured they wouldn't bother cutting prices even after rice got cheaper, so this bumped them up a bit in my book.
    208AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:28
    Well, 95% of rice production comes from a small number of large-scale agricultural operations anyway.
    213AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:29
    Re: #208
    And word is those big operations can still turn a profit even at ¥1,000 per 5kg.
    221AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:32
    Re: #208
    Actually, it's the large full-time farming operations that are struggling the most right now.
    Fertilizer, labor costs, interest rates — everything's up, and it's brutal.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The price of rice isn’t directly tied to what producers actually take home. Because rice passes through a distribution chain of collection, wholesale, and retail before reaching store shelves, swings in the retail price don’t necessarily translate one-to-one into farmer profits — and it’s easy to overlook that production costs like fertilizer, labor, and interest rates remain stubbornly high. The thread’s pointed remark that “farmers said they weren’t making money when prices went up” zeroes in on exactly this disconnect, but neither the article nor the posts can pin down whether it was actually JA and the big wholesalers, or the producers themselves, who captured the extra profit. It’s also worth keeping in mind that the government’s capacity to release stockpiled rice has remained diminished since this bout of high prices, which will be a key factor shaping how sharply prices swing the next time supply gets tight.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “Crisis Mounts as Rice Prices Fall — Below ¥3,000 per 5kg, Producers Worry.”

  • Athlete wins competition despite diarrhea, later forfeits points — 5ch: “Continuing without disinfecting shared equipment is rough”

    CNN reported that at a HYROX competition — an indoor fitness event — an athlete continued competing despite suffering from diarrhea and went on to win. The athlete later apologized, saying she was “truly sorry,” and voluntarily forfeited the points she had earned. Since the venue and equipment were shared among competitors, reactions on 5ch were split between criticism over hygiene and the impact on other athletes, and praise for the grit of pushing through while unwell — with many posters also citing similar episodes from other sports.

    CNN

    Sat, Sep 19, 15:13 JST

    At a HYROX competition, an indoor fitness event, an athlete continued competing while covered in diarrhea — and went on to win.

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

    2AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:18
    Watching Showa-era retro exploration videos beats watching the Omiya Park mascot 'Peace-kun' on YouTube any day.
    3AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:19
    I mean, stomach cramps happen — can't really be helped…
    96AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:39
    Re: #3
    Accidents happen, sure, that's understandable. But continuing the event and smearing poop everywhere afterward? That's just crappy.
    4AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:19
    Marathon runners run while soiling themselves all the time. If you're drawing a line, I guess pee's fine but poop means you withdraw, lol.
    67AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    Re: #4
    That Daihatsu women's marathon runner finished her race covered in diarrhea too, you know.
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:20
    Nobody wins in this scenario. The athlete should just quietly celebrate, and everyone else should quietly pretend it never happened.
    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:21
    If she hadn't apologized and given the points back, she probably would've been banned for life or something.
    8AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:21
    Wait, I thought this was pee — it was actually poop?
    12AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:23
    Japanese athletes have such good manners that when nature calls, they promptly step out of the competition.
    13AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:23
    There's no competition worth continuing through diarrhea. She might've given it her all, but that's honestly way too self-centered.
    14AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:23
    She was saying 'a win's a win' at first — guess the backlash got to her. Well, the poop was interfering with other competitors, so fair enough.
    15AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:23
    Lol, this is turning into an 'Urayasu'-style scandal (apparent reference to some other incident) — still, that's some serious guts.
    19AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:24
    Spreading E. coli and Salmonella everywhere — that's basically bioterrorism.
    20AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:24
    BIOTERROR HAS ARRIVED ━━━━(°∀°)━━━━!!
    21AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:24
    This was an indoor event with other athletes competing at the same time. The floor and equipment kept getting contaminated with diarrhea one after another — not stopping her is the crazy part. Worst case, this could've turned into a norovirus outbreak.
    22AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:25
    Ororororororororororororororororororororororororororo (sound effect for retching/diarrhea)
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:25
    She went through all that trouble soiling herself to win, then just handed the points back lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:26
    I heard marathon runners, when they need to poop, just do it mid-run, wrap it in paper, and toss it aside.
    33AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:26
    If this gets a pass, it'll wreck HYROX as a sports business.

    If one athlete soils herself and the event doesn't stop, the other competitors will just drop out on the spot — meaning the one who pooped wins by default. That's a total crap-cheat.
    57AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:31
    Starting tomorrow her nickname is 'Poop Man.'
    81AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:36
    Re: #57
    It's a woman.

    Good or bad aside, that's a different level of guts.
    63AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:33
    In sumo, does wetting yourself count as an automatic loss too?
    73AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:34
    It's rough because the equipment is shared. Other sports probably have similar accidents, but continuing on afterward without disinfecting is rough.
    94AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:39
    Re: #73
    If you've never watched HYROX and don't know what gets shared, you probably won't get it.

    Can't help that a lot of people in this thread don't understand what the actual problem is.
    99AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:40
    This isn't Mario Kart — items should be banned.
    102AnonymousSep 19, 2026 23:40
    Re: #99
    It used to be part of her body, so it's allowed.

    Background and key points of this story

    HYROX is a competition format that alternates between running and functional exercises like carrying heavy loads, and events are typically run with multiple athletes sharing the same indoor venue in rotation. What made this case a real issue — beyond simply being an unfortunate illness — was that the floor and equipment were shared between competitors. In the 5ch reactions, criticism focused less on sympathy for the symptoms and more on the fact that she continued without disinfecting, with the discussion centering on fairness and the safety of other athletes. Some posts speculated about the athlete’s nationality, but the reporting contained no information identifying it, so such claims are baseless assumptions worth noting. Many commenters also cited similar anecdotes from other sports like marathon running, highlighting a broader question for event organizers: where exactly to draw the line between illness and continuing to compete.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Sokuho+) thread “Athlete continues competing covered in diarrhea, slipping on the indoor venue floor — despite winning, says ‘I’m truly sorry’ and forfeits the points earned.”