Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Team “Eat Katsu and Curry Separately”? 5ch Debates the Great Katsu Curry Divide

    A post on 5ch claiming that “katsu and curry taste better eaten separately” sparked a heated back-and-forth. The pour-it-on-together camp championed the texture of breading soaked in curry roux, while the serve-it-separately camp argued for preserving the katsu’s original crispiness. The discussion soon spiraled into katsu curry’s murky origins (one theory holds it began when a baseball player asked for tonkatsu to be placed on his curry) and a full-blown ranking debate over which reigns supreme: the tonkatsu set meal, katsu curry, or katsudon.

    1AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:36
    Katsu curry is a dumb menu item, if you ask me
    5AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:45
    It's amazing precisely because you're eating katsu with curry as the sauce, together with rice.
    Old man, go eat your pickles instead.
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:46
    Pour a little curry roux on the breading
    and eat the crispy part together with the slightly soggy part — that's the way to go.
    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:46
    Don't need the cabbage.
    Sure, katsu goes with rice, and katsu goes with cabbage,
    but there's no such thing as "cabbage rice" in this world.

    Kind of like being stuck alone with your friend's friend — awkward.
    8AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:46
    Even if you want to eat it separately, they just pour the curry on for you, so good luck with that.
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:48
    Are you comparing it to your own home's curry?
    The kind mom makes, with carrots and potatoes in it.
    12AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:50
    You should eat the curry and rice separately too, then.
    15AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:00
    If they'd just not put the katsu on the roux side and skip pouring roux on it, you could eat the katsu on its own too.
    16AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:01
    Just eat them separately from the start then lol
    17AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:05
    Just ask the staff if they can serve it separately.
    19AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:13
    For starters, katsu is hard to eat with a spoon.
    I want to use chopsticks.
    22AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:16
    It started when some baseball player asked the shop owner to put tonkatsu on top of his curry.
    23AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:17
    Re: #22
    That guy's a genius.
    24AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:17
    Karaage and katsu curry are the best in the world.
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:36
    It's mainstream enough that there are restaurants specializing in just katsu curry.
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:47
    It comes down to how you feel about that slight mismatch between the two.
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:50
    It's been around since I was born, so I don't feel any mismatch at all.
    30AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:50
    I think it was Makuhari — apparently there's a place with simmered katsu curry. Might check it out sometime.
    31AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:51
    Yeah, guess that's how it'll be if you can't judge things by your own sense of taste.
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:52
    If you can't forgive moisture soaking into crispy breading, then it's a hard no for you.
    34AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:56
    Re: #32
    You really don't get it.
    Katsudon broth is basically pure liquid,
    but curry is a solid, not a liquid.
    It doesn't ruin the crispiness at all.
    36AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:59
    That's why Japanese curry has to be thick and gloopy.
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:00
    Curry is basically a hot-pot dish, you know.
    It's tasty because the hot-pot broth soaks into the breading along with the meat juices from the katsu, making it nice and rich.
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:01
    But in the end it's all about what you put on the rice, right?
    Katsu curry,
    sashimi,
    eel —
    that's the only difference.
    They're all delicious.
    39AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:02
    Re: #38
    Even just a raw egg on top is delicious.

    In the end, it's the rice that's great in Japan.
    40AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:02
    Katsu curry from a Western-style diner (yōshokuya) is always delicious, no question.
    41AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:03
    Re: #26
    It was Shigeru Chiba — the guy who wore uniform number 3 before Shigeo Nagashima.
    43AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:04
    Soba shop curry is fine as is.
    No need to turn it into katsu curry, right?
    44AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:04
    People who can only eat in the "triangle eating" rotation (alternating bites of rice, side dish, and soup) probably can't stand katsu curry.
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:05
    Chicken katsu is the way to go with curry.
    47AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:06
    Re: #46
    No way, that's a hard pass.
    48AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:06
    If it's chicken katsu, I'd rather eat it without putting it on the rice.
    49AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:07
    It'd be perfect if they just cut the katsu into bite-sized pieces.
    50AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:08
    More like thin strips than bite-sized, really.
    If it's cut too thick, the flavor gets muddled.
    51AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:09
    Places like Go Go Curry cut it into nice thin strips.
    52AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:09
    Please stop putting cabbage on katsu curry.
    60AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:12
    Tonkatsu set meal = katsu curry >>> katsudon
    62AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:13
    Re: #60
    Nah, the gap's even bigger than that.

    Tonkatsu set meal = katsu curry >>>>>>>> katsudon
    63AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:13
    Re: #60
    The tonkatsu set meal just separates everything out to look fancier and charge more for it.

    The Background and Talking Points

    The origin story floated for katsu curry — that a baseball player once asked for tonkatsu to be placed on his curry — brought up the name Shigeru Chiba, but in truth this is a famous piece of food lore with multiple competing origin stories, none confirmed as historical fact. What split the thread was a simple matter of taste: whether you like the texture of breading soaked in curry roux, or want to preserve the crispiness. But the discussion notably expanded from there into a ranking debate — “tonkatsu set meal > katsu curry > katsudon” — and even into whether cabbage or chicken katsu belong on the dish. There’s no right or wrong way to eat it; the debate reflects each person’s own food culture, from habits like eating in a “triangle rotation” to memories of their mother’s home-cooked curry.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Isn’t katsu and curry better eaten separately?“

  • Yuji Oda: ‘Aoshima Shunsaku Is the Role of My Acting Life’ — Overwhelmed by First New Film in 14 Years

    Yuji Oda, star of “Bayside Shakedown N.E.W.: Race Through the Metropolis,” held an opening-day stage greeting at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya on September 18, telling fans, “Aoshima is back.” The franchise has run since the drama series began in 1997, and this marks the first new installment centered on protagonist Shunsaku Aoshima in about 14 years. In the wake of this news, a thread on 5channel’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board buzzed with opinions about Oda’s signature roles, with users bringing up past dramas like “Look Back and He’s There” and “No Money” one after another, while views were split over his increasing variety-show appearances in recent years.

    September 18, 2026

    An opening-day stage greeting for the latest installment of the “Bayside Shakedown” series, “Bayside Shakedown N.E.W.: Race Through the Metropolis,” was held at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya on September 18, attended by Yuji Oda, Shuri, Jin Shirasu, Takahisa Masuda, Kayo Noro, Shiori Tamai (Momoiro Clover Z), Karin Fujiyoshi (Sakurazaka46), Nagisa Saito, and director Katsuyuki Motohiro. Fans who had eagerly awaited the franchise’s newest entry packed the venue on opening day, with some even spotted wearing “Aoshima coats.” Surveying the crowd, Oda waved broadly and declared, “Sorry to keep you waiting so long. Aoshima is back!” — sending the audience into cheers.

    Since the TV drama series began in 1997, “Bayside Shakedown” has won legions of devoted fans and sparked a nationwide “Bayside” boom across Japan. This new installment — the first story centered on Shunsaku Aoshima in about 14 years — is set in Tokyo, one of the world’s great megacities (metropolis). Newly assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigation Division, Aoshima finds himself confronted one after another by some of the worst cases in the department’s history.

    Source: press.moviewalker.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:04
    This one, and the one where he wore a cowboy hat
    plus that doctor show — that's basically all I picture him in.
    4AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:04
    Now that you mention it, aside from Aoshima and
    'Look Back and He's There,'
    I don't really know
    any of his other roles.
    5AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:05
    Re: #4
    He also starred in a movie called 'Graduation Trip'
    that flopped.
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:13
    Re: #4
    Can't believe you
    don't know 'No Money.'
    58AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:24
    Re: #4
    I was really hoping for a 'Best Guy 2.'
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:05
    The diplomat one —
    he really put a ton of work into that role.
    8AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:06
    No matter how you slice it, it has to be 'All's Quiet on the Job-Hunting Front' (a 1991 hit film of his).
    10AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:06
    Honestly, I didn't want to watch yesterday's show.
    Oda's weirdly hyped-up energy during World Athletics broadcasts used to be funny,
    but seeing him just show up on a normal variety show bantering with comedians? I can't get on board with that.
    13AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:08
    Re: #10
    Same with Masahiro Motoki — guys who
    protected their image and avoided variety shows when young
    really do end up changing their image a lot once they start doing variety later in life.
    23AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:12
    Re: #10
    Same here —
    seeing him grinning and laughing on a variety show honestly felt unsettling.
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:07
    Not knowing when to quit while ahead just piles up duds.
    14AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:08
    Didn't he do some mystery show with a really bizarre character?
    78AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:32
    Re: #14
    Yeah, on a Sunday Theater drama he played this creepy character —
    a rich guy with too much free time living in a mansion who's obsessed with solving mysteries.
    16AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:09
    Yuji Oda gives off this huge 'top-tier star actor' vibe, but
    his only signature roles are really Aoshima and that doctor drama with Saburo Tokitani.
    18AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:09
    Sounds like he dislikes Tokyo Love Story, so I guess Kanchi ranks dead last for him.
    22AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:12
    Re: #18
    That kind of role, pretty much any young guy could pull off.
    19AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:10
    Aoshima's just a non-elite-track officer who joined mid-career, but he's an Aoyama Gakuin grad, stands close to 180cm — actually a pretty high-spec guy.
    20AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:10
    Re: #1
    A dud of a movie for putting out a sequel after 'The Final.'
    21AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:10
    My favorite is Kentaro Hagiwara from 'No Money.'
    24AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:12
    The only signature works I can think of are this one and 'Shonan Bakusozoku.'
    26AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:13
    'No Money'
    and 'Look Back and He's There'
    are the real masterpieces.
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:13
    I liked 'Look Back and He's There' better.
    30AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:13
    He's probably a serious, sincere guy in real life.
    31AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:13
    Apologize to Kanchi, damn it — without Kanchi he'd never have gotten past 'Shonan Bakusozoku'!
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:14
    Honestly, I wish he'd stayed a bit more edgy.
    35AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:14
    His first cop role was in
    'Aitsu ga Trouble,'
    starring Yoko Minamino and Ken Hagiwara —
    Oda was just a young supporting actor.
    36AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:15
    It's understated, but it's 'No Money' — that's the one after the doctor role that really broke him out as an actor.
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:16
    It was 'Graduation Trip: I Came from Japan,' wasn't it —
    he was totally into it, singing 'Pepper Keibu' (the old Pink Lady hit).
    47AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:20
    I learned how to read the kanji '喜屋武' (Kyan) from an Oda drama.
    75AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:31
    Re: #47
    Man, that takes me back lol
    60AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:25
    Yuji Oda, Eisaku Yoshida, and Taishu Kase were the original 'Big Three' of the Heisei era.
    Back then, Kase was overwhelmingly the most popular. These days he's apparently left showbiz and become some kind of jack-of-all-trades.
    80AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:33
    Re: #60
    Eisaku Yoshida also had a comeback on 'Money no Tora,'
    split up with the model he was dating, remarried Rina Uchiyama,
    and they had a kid born last year.
    93AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:37
    Re: #60
    The jack-of-all-trades guy isn't Taishu Kase, it's 'Shin-Kase Taishu' (the 'New Kase Taishu').
    95AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:38
    Re: #60
    Oda was the only one who was a genius kid out of Toin Gakuen — his brains were on a whole different level.
    66AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:27
    'Bayside Shakedown' really was great.
    That scene where, since writing down all the bills' serial numbers was such a hassle, someone just says 'let's photocopy them instead,'
    and they start running the cash through a copy machine — I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
    71AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:29
    Re: #66
    Watching the recent special reminded me just how good 'Bayside Shakedown' was.
    Still not planning to watch the new one though lol
    107AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:47
    As an actor, though, 'Suikoden' is the one I really rate.
    108AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:48
    Re: #107
    Nice try shilling.
    Nobody knows that one,
    first I've ever heard of it lol

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    “Bayside Shakedown” is a franchise that began as a Fuji TV drama in 1997 and went on to spawn multiple films, sparking a nationwide “Bayside” boom. This marks the first new installment centered on protagonist Shunsaku Aoshima in about 14 years, and the sheer volume of activity in the thread reflects just how long that gap has been. Debate centered on how to weigh Yuji Oda’s career: some commenters cited 1990s dramas like “Look Back and He’s There” and “No Money” as classics, while others voiced discomfort with his recent variety-show appearances. A few posts grouped him with Eisaku Yoshida and Taishu Kase as the “Big Three of the Heisei era,” though claims about Kase’s current activities are based on hearsay and aren’t corroborated in the article itself, so they should be treated with caution.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Yuji Oda: Aoshima Shunsaku Is ‘the Number One Role I’m Glad I Got to Play in My Acting Life’ — Overwhelmed Ahead of First ‘Bayside Shakedown’ in 14 Years.”

  • Illegal Parking Runs Rampant Near BreakingDown Venue — 5ch: “Police Have Been in Touch”

    At “BreakingDown21,” a mixed martial arts entertainment event held on the 19th at Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena in Hokkaido, commentator Daiki Tanaka made an unusual appeal about illegal parking in the surrounding area right after the 14th match. Saying “we’ve received word from the police,” he addressed the venue directly, mid-event, about the large number of cars illegally parked at nearby commercial facilities. On 5ch, reactions were mixed: some praised the appeal as a sincere response from the organizers, others pointed to the structural problem of inadequate parking on the part of the venue and promoters, and still others weighed in on the type of crowd the event tends to draw — opinions were all over the map.

    Mixed martial arts entertainment event “BreakingDown21” (held on the 19th at Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena, Hokkaido)

    After the 14th match, the announcer handling that day’s commentary made an unusual appeal about illegal parking in the neighborhood.

    Commentator Daiki Tanaka said, “I have one announcement for everyone. There have been numerous cases of illegal parking at nearby commercial facilities, and…”

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

    15AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:05
    It's Hokkaido — everyone knew this would happen. Such a disingenuous "announcement."
    17AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:06
    The envy from people who can't afford a car is off the charts.
    21AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:07
    If they actually towed these cars, who knows what would happen to whoever did it.
    22AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:08
    Speaking of Hokkaido, Escon Field made the news for a while too over chronic street parking.
    Whatever happened with that?
    24AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:08
    While they're at it, they should drug-test everyone there too.
    26AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:09
    Adults understand the messy realities other adults deal with.
    The real issue is kids being exposed to the bad influence of this ridiculous show.
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:10
    The police never actually crack down on it, though.
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:11
    Wait, can you re-enter the venue if you step out?
    30AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:11
    More than half the illegally parked cars are Toyota Vellfires and Alphards (flashy minivans popular with that crowd).
    34AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:13
    People need to actually rent a parking space or take public transit.
    35AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:13
    Calling itself an event venue and not even having parking — Makomanai clearly isn't taking these shows seriously.
    39AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:15
    Yeah, figures. And the cars are probably obnoxiously loud too, right? What a nuisance.
    40AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:15
    Well, that's about how it goes lol
    Unless you really feel how "allergic" to illegal parking the area around the venue has become, it's easy to carelessly do this kind of nuisance parking (which isn't technically illegal) without a second thought.
    43AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:16
    At least the promoters can be called sincere for actually making the appeal and addressing it.
    44AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:17
    Lowered suspension, tires worn into a figure-eight pattern, an Alphard on a residual-value loan plan — that sort of crowd, probably.
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:18
    People who actually enjoy watching that stuff are pretty questionable too.
    48AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:18
    Bet all the license plates being called out have those flashy repeating-digit numbers (a status symbol for this crowd).
    52AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:19
    Both the fighters and the audience seem to have a lot of that type.
    55AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:22
    Harmful content that ends up exploited as a racket by organized crime.
    It's a show that's clearly bad for kids — why isn't there any kind of viewing restriction on it?
    58AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:22
    For the kind of people causing chaos at that event, illegal parking is nothing to them.
    60AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:23
    Couldn't they just crack down on all of it?
    64AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:24
    They should just slap parking tickets on them one after another.
    65AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:25
    There's clearly been a rise lately in people getting tattoos.
    Probably this event's influence.
    69AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:31
    Towing is expensive, after all.
    One way or another it runs ¥20,000-plus, going to pick the car up is a hassle, the paperwork's a hassle too.
    And on top of that there are penalty points and a fine.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    BreakingDown is a fighting-entertainment promotion built around matches between participants with no formal combat experience, and it has a history of dividing opinion over its crowd and how it’s run every time an event takes place. At venues like Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena, which lack dedicated parking sufficient for a large-scale event, nearby parking space tends to fall short relative to attendee numbers — exactly the kind of situation that leads to appeals like this one about illegal parking. Within the thread, some praised the fact that the venue addressed the nuisance parking directly to attendees through the commentary as a “sincere response,” while others criticized the organizers and venue for holding the event without securing adequate parking in the first place — the debate split between framing it as an “attendee manners” issue versus an “event planning” issue. The article contains no definitive information on who was parking illegally or why, and speculative comments from the thread have been excluded from this summary.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Combat Sports] Illegal Parking Rampant Near BreakingDown Venue — Commentator Makes Unusual Announcement: “Police Have Been in Touch”.”

  • Bear Makes Off with One Salmon, Angler Dials Japan’s 911 — 5ch: “What a Polite Little Bear”

    Just before midnight on the 18th in Ishikari City, Hokkaido, an angler called Japan’s emergency line (110) to report a bear sighting. One salmon was missing from his basket, apparently taken by the bear. On 5ch’s Newsplus board, the thread lit up with jabs at the headline “investigated as theft,” while also drifting into more serious territory — research showing Ezo brown bears actually don’t eat much salmon, and criticism of anglers who strip out the roe and dump the carcasses. Some argued the point of the call wasn’t really “a salmon got stolen,” but rather a warning that a bear had shown up in an area anglers frequent.

    9/19 (Sat) 10:12

    STV News Hokkaido

    On September 18, 2026, around 11:30 PM, there was a bear sighting in Ishikari City, Hokkaido.

    Source: topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:11
    Sacrificed a salmon and lived to tell the tale, huh
    4AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:11
    Let it have the one salmon
    Be glad it wasn't you that got taken instead
    9AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:12
    That's literally the pose on every Hokkaido souvenir carving
    10AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:13
    Bears eating salmon is such a cliché it's literally been turned into a souvenir figurine
    24AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:15
    Re: #10
    Actually, according to Hokkaido University research, Ezo brown bears don't eat that much salmon
    Since wolves went extinct they've had fewer chances to eat meat, so they've gone more herbivorous
    48AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:22
    Re: #10
    Same deal with mice and cheese — everyone just assumes it, but mice eat literally anything, the stereotype has nothing to do with reality
    107AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:47
    Re: #10
    That souvenir design was copied from a European one anyway
    Japanese bears were never the original model for it
    13AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:13
    Theft alone won't get it the death penalty
    16AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:14
    You're the one making off with the salmon's feed, ain't ya, settler boy~? ("Tondenhei" — Meiji-era pioneer-soldiers who settled Hokkaido, i.e. implying the human is the real interloper)
    19AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:15
    Re: #16
    A bear that's actually made of bear poop? (wordplay riffing on "Kuma no Pooh-san," since "Pooh" sounds like Japanese slang for poop)
    17AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:14
    That's not poaching, right?
    110AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:50
    Re: #17
    Using a snag hook… er, never mind… ("gang hooks" — treble hooks used to illegally snag fish, hence trailing off)
    18AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:14
    > Investigated as theft

    lol ("kusa"/grass = Japanese internet slang for LOL)
    106AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:47
    Re: #18
    This
    No other reply needed
    191AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:37
    Re: #18
    > Investigated as theft

    Guess it's off to the station for "voluntary" questioning then
    21AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:15
    What a dutiful little bear, don't you think?
    35AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:19
    Use salmon as bait and you could reel in a bear
    75AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:30
    Re: #35
    The culling bounty is something like 40,000 yen
    Not bad, could work
    99AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:42
    > The angler had put a salmon washed up by the waves into his basket

    Weird way to phrase it, but isn't that poaching?
    170AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:29
    Re: #99
    I wonder how they classify the ones that die of exhaustion after spawning
    111AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:51
    The age of the thieving bear has arrived ("dorokkuma" — a pun blending 泥棒/thief with 熊/bear)
    130AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:02
    Re: #111
    Some animals are smart enough to learn to tail human hunters and fishermen and swipe their catch.
    There's even a story about crows: while humans were doing bird conservation work, the crows watched them, figured out where the wild birds' nests were, and raided them. Once the humans doing the binocular surveys were kept away, the crow attacks stopped and the bird population started recovering nicely.
    116AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:54
    With human technology we could wipe them out, right?
    Let's just do it
    121AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:55
    Re: #116
    England managed it 1,000 years ago, so it should be a breeze
    149AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:13
    Angler etiquette is part of the problem too — they should be keeping their catch in boxes that don't leak any smell. Leave a lunch box lying around and bears will grab that too. There's a case where one careless angler's habits led to two brown bears being culled in a single day. On top of that, some of these anglers only care about the roe — they strip out the ikura and just fling the carcass wherever. And there are guys who drive around in mini-trucks buying up that poached roe.
    155AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:17
    Re: #149
    Poaching's basically yakuza business, after all
    156AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:17
    This was actually a salmon the bear had caught itself, you know
    211AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:47
    Re: #156
    Ah I see, so it got fixated and only took back the specific salmon it had caught itself from the basket
    175AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:31
    Meanwhile I can't even feel safe — there's an Alaskan Malamute I always run into on my beach walking route that glares me down every time. Its eyes practically read "I'm… gonna hunt you"
    202AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:41
    Re: #175
    Isn't that just its pupils shrinking because it's bright out?
    188AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:37
    I've had a black-tailed gull steal a horse mackerel right off my line before
    197AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:40
    Re: #188
    Haha, classic — so annoying, right
    Worst one for me was losing a spear squid about 40cm long lol
    219AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:50
    There was an NHK documentary following a Shiretoko brown bear that got gaunt from a lack of food in the mountains, started coming down to the coast to forage for crabs and shellfish, then wandered onto a beach near houses it had never visited before, got reported, and was shot dead.
    230AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:57
    Re: #219
    If I recall, it was dramatized about as reliably as Seton's Wild Animal tales
    229AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:56
    Well, it's not like anyone's actually charging the bear with theft — the point of the call was to report a bear showing up somewhere anglers regularly go, so people could be warned and take precautions.

    What should really be criticized here is the media's tone-deafness — or lack of urgency — for spinning it into a headline like "salmon stolen"
    240AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:00
    Re: #229
    No wonder you don't do well at hostess clubs lol
    245AnonymousSep 19, 2026 19:03
    Re: #229
    Isn't it more that the angler wandered into bear territory?

    Anyway, buy me a round at the hostess club

    Background and talking points

    In Hokkaido, salmon run upriver from September through October, and this is also the season when brown bear sightings pick up in the Ishikari River system. Within the thread, pushback emerged against the image of bears as salmon-eaters, citing Hokkaido University research showing Ezo brown bears actually eat relatively little salmon — after wolves went extinct, their opportunities to eat meat declined and they shifted toward a more plant-based diet. Also, this 110 call was really about public-safety information — a bear appearing where anglers frequent — not about the loss of one salmon becoming some kind of “incident.” Still, the headline “investigated as theft” took on a life of its own, spreading reactions that anthropomorphized and joked about the bear. At the same time, some pointed out that anglers who leave leftover food or squeezed-out roe scraps at fishing spots can attract bears, sometimes leading to them being culled — a serious wildlife-management issue underneath all the jokes.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newsplus) thread “[(・(ｪ)・)] “Bear made off with my salmon,” angler’s 110 call — one salmon missing from basket, Ishikari City, Hokkaido.”

  • China’s Matcha Production Doubles in Five Years — Tamakawa Toru Calls It a “Pathetic Country”

    Amid a global matcha boom, matcha production in China is rapidly expanding. TV Asahi’s “Morning Show” (aired September 18, 2026) cited a People’s Daily report stating that China’s 2025 matcha output topped 12,000 tons, accounting for roughly 70% of world production — up from under 4,000 tons in 2020, a jump to about twice Japan’s output in just five years. The program also highlighted vendors marketing their matcha using the name of Uji, Kyoto’s famous matcha-growing region, prompting commentator Tamakawa Toru to remark, “Once something becomes known worldwide, don’t you think it’s a pathetic country that just copies it?” In the 5ch thread that followed the broadcast, criticism of China’s opportunistic marketing mixed with pushback noting that “matcha originally came from China in the first place” — turning the discussion into something livelier than simple China-bashing.

    September 19, 2026

    Behind the global matcha boom, matcha production and sales in China are expanding rapidly. TV Asahi’s “Morning Show” (aired September 18, 2026) covered the issue of vendors marketing products using the name of Uji, Kyoto — Japan’s famous matcha-producing city.

    The program introduced a long-established matcha shop in Kyoto bustling with foreign tourists. Amid this, it reported that China’s matcha production is becoming a threat, citing a People’s Daily report stating: “China’s 2025 matcha production topped 12,000 tons, accounting for roughly 70% of global output, making China the world’s largest matcha producer.” Production, which stood at under 4,000 tons in 2020, reportedly reached about twice Japan’s output by 2025.

    Source: j-cast.com / Read the original article here

    2AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:52
    Watching Showa-retro exploration videos on YouTube beats watching the Omiya Park mascot Peace-kun any day
    5AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:56
    And these are the people who go on about being a nation that values "face"
    Aren't Chinese people even a little embarrassed?
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:58
    Tomorrow it's a blizzard
    Better get your bivouac gear ready
    12AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:58
    What happened, did you eat some cold crab ramen or something?
    13AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:59
    If they can make the same quality, who cares?
    14AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:00
    I don't hate matcha itself, but
    matcha-flavored snacks and ice cream
    taste absolutely disgusting
    15AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:01
    "Chinese-made Uji matcha" — that phrase doesn't even make sense anymore
    16AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:01
    Out of nowhere, a Tamakawa thread
    34AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:11
    Re: #16
    True that — Hatori Shinichi's Morning Show has kept its high ratings for years thanks to Tamakawa's popularity lol
    17AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:01
    Copying something once it's known worldwide is just what Japan does too, what the whole world does
    If you'd said matcha originated in China, fine, but it's not something to condemn them for
    59AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:34
    Re: #17
    Matcha originated in China. Don't you even know that?
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:05
    You can say that all you want, but everyone already sees through it
    26AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:05
    Up through the Edo period, tea was a luxury good that few commoners could get their hands on
    but in the Meiji era, samurai who'd lost their jobs moved into tea cultivation, and with technical innovation
    tea became so accessible that everyone could enjoy good tea easily — even served free at diners
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:06
    China's only real skill is copying, so what do you expect
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:08
    Matcha originally came from China to begin with lol
    The wabi-sabi aesthetic and the tea-ware culture, that part Japan created
    Even whisking powdered tea into a drink was a method developed over there
    50AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:28
    Re: #29
    Japan is the one that industrialized it, preservation included, so basically every product beyond just drinking it plain originated in Japan. Kind of like ramen
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:10
    Well, you've got to blow off a little steam with light China-bashing now and then
    though at its core it's absolute pro-China cheerleading
    36AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:13
    Tamakawa, who's always been singing China's praises
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:15
    They keep loudly insisting China is the original
    even though it has nothing to do with Japanese tea ceremony, it's just powdered tea
    If it makes money, anything goes — that's just business as usual for that country
    Same story as those formaldehyde-laced vegetables
    39AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:16
    That's just human history
    Matsushita Electric got called a copycat electronics maker too, once upon a time
    43AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:26
    Their sponsors probably changed
    These guys don't have any real convictions to begin with
    45AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:26
    South Korea's countering matcha with its own green-tea marketing push
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:27
    Hey, China
    you're the ones who went and cut down
    precious, irreplaceable old tea trees
    just for development
    so maybe get a little smarter, please
    47AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:27
    A country running a trade surplus of over a trillion dollars being this greedy is a bit much
    49AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:28
    They sell the maneki-neko (beckoning cat) like it's their own souvenir too
    51AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:29
    Matcha strawberry milk, matcha coconut, whatever

    Most of the awful store-bought stuff uses low-grade Chinese matcha that has basically no flavor or aroma at all
    Stop slapping the word "matcha" on garbage and selling it just because the name moves product
    53AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:31
    I was watching live, and by the end he and Kazushige were trashing it, even calling it straight-up "knockoff junk" (pachimon)
    54AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:32
    Re: #41
    The tea from back then and modern matcha are completely different things
    Color, aroma, method — genuinely nothing alike
    56AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:32
    Apparently they've studied it well and the quality is actually pretty high
    As a tea enthusiast myself, I'm fine with it getting cheaper
    57AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:33
    Matcha originally came from China in the first place
    61AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:35
    China — This Time It's Bamboo Shoots: Fraudulently Processed by Smoking with Sulfur Fumes Before Shipping — TBS
    63AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:36
    Ripping off bamboo shoots too, huh — knockoff marketing is basically a tradition for them lol ("shinachiku" puns on "Shina," an old name for China)

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Matcha itself is a drink that came to Japan from China, and as several posters in the thread pointed out, it’s true that the culture of whisking powdered tea originated in China. On the other hand, it was Japan that developed the processing techniques that improved shelf life, formalized it into the tea ceremony, and drove mass production for confectionery and beverages — much of the “matcha” brand image now circulating worldwide was built through developments that originated in Japan. What’s actually at issue here isn’t a debate over origins, but the fact that China rapidly expanded production from under 4,000 tons in 2020 to over 12,000 tons in 2025 (about 70% of global output), and that vendors have even begun selling products under Japanese regional names like Uji. Thread opinions split between the “China is the origin” camp and the “Japan did the mass production and branding” camp, but both are simply true and aren’t really in conflict. On the quality front, some noted that “cheap Chinese matcha lacks aroma” — it’s easier to make sense of if you treat the expansion in volume and the guarantee of quality as separate issues.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “Tamakawa Toru Criticizes China — On the Matcha-Boom Copycat Marketing, “Don’t You Think It’s a Pathetic Country That Just Copies It Once It Becomes Known Worldwide?”“.

  • Comedian Akihiro Nishino claps back at ‘Japan First’ critics: ‘I won’t draw lines at borders’

    Akihiro Nishino of the comedy duo King Kong updated his X account on September 18, addressing comments telling him “you should support Japanese children instead” in response to his activities supporting children in Philippine slums and donating an elementary school to Laos. He explained that he has continued supporting causes within Japan and disaster-hit areas just as before. He then added pointedly, “If someone needs help, I help them. There’s no need to narrow that down by national borders.” The post drew over 40 replies on the 5ch board Geinou/Sports News Plus, splitting opinion between defenders arguing “it’s his own money, so it’s his call” and more cautious voices insisting “people struggling at home should come first” and “that’s a separate issue from how tax money is spent.”

    Sat, Sep 19, 10:46 AM

    Akihiro Nishino (46), of the comedy duo King Kong, updated his X account on the night of the 18th, taking issue with a certain trend in Japan.

    Nishino opened with: “When I support children in Philippine slums or donate elementary schools to Laos, I sometimes get comments saying, ‘You should support Japanese children instead.’ First and foremost, let me be clear: we continue to support children in Japan and disaster-hit areas in Japan just as we always have.”

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

    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:46
    Re: #1
    I'm struggling too, so send me about 600,000 yen. I want a new computer.
    8AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:47
    Is it just because 'saving 100 people overseas' sounds better than 'saving 10 people in Japan'?
    9AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:47
    Boundaries matter for everything. He's just some approval-addicted guy playing the good person while mouthing platitudes (dubbed a "dopa-oji" online — forum slang for someone chasing a dopamine hit from public approval).
    10AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:47
    Individuals can do as they please, but the Japanese government should put Japanese people first.
    12AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:48
    Aid to other countries should be prioritized based on what serves the national interest. After all, the state exists for its own citizens.
    17AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:52
    It's our tax money, that's what pisses me off. Do it with your own funds.
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:00
    Re: #17
    Re: #27
    What does this have to do with taxes?
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:58
    It's not really about borders — isn't it just that people want priority given to nearby, taxpaying people in need?
    28AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:58
    Most people are probably thinking 'if Nishino's the one behind it, I'm done supporting it.'
    31AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:59
    If Japan itself isn't well-off, we won't be able to help anyone at all.
    52AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:08
    Re: #31
    Exactly that. Well, it's always been said that with overseas aid, the same amount of money — even the same million yen — goes an order of magnitude further, so the 'I did it!' sense of accomplishment probably just hits different.
    33AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:00
    Typical Nishino, so convincing (sarcasm)

    34AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:01
    He sucks up money from his followers, donates it under his own name, and hogs all the glory.
    35AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:01
    You're the one arbitrarily drawing a line between domestic and overseas. It's tax money we're talking about, so of course domestic comes first — who does this guy think he's spending?
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:02
    Re: #35
    It's his own money.
    41AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:04
    Re: #35
    It's not tax money, it's his own money. And it clearly says he's still continuing to support Japan too.
    36AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:02
    The point is: our own house is on fire, so don't go put out someone else's fire first.
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:02
    No matter how much you do for them, kindness gets repaid with betrayal. Taiwan's about the only one that actually reciprocates properly.
    43AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:04
    44AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:04
    Re: #1
    This guy doesn't understand what a nation is for. Protecting citizens' lives and property comes first; helping other countries is secondary.

    If he wants to help them, he can go do it himself.
    45AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:04
    Meanwhile nobody's lifting a finger to help Japanese citizens struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:05
    47AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:05
    No complaints if it's an individual doing it. But it does leave a bad taste when national or local government spends tax money supporting foreigners…
    48AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:06
    I'm genuinely furious at the LDP for prioritizing foreign countries with tax money, but if a private citizen wants to help someone with their own money, that's their own business.
    56AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:08
    Fine, spout your nice ideals. Just don't try to do it with other people's money.
    57AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:09
    It's like starving your own kid to feed someone else's. He probably just wants to look good, but that's basically what this is.

    Background and key points of this debate

    As posts #35, #38, and #41 in the thread point out, the support Nishino mentioned is funded by his own money, not by government or municipal budgets. Even so, criticism telling him to “stop using tax money” (as in post #17) tends to come up first, likely because people conflate personal charitable acts with state-level foreign aid (such as ODA). The demand to put “Japan First” is really an argument about government budget allocation, so aiming it at an individual’s private donations feels somewhat off the mark. At the same time, it seems that how people line up for or against him has less to do with the merits of the aid itself than with personal feelings toward Nishino and lingering distrust from his past conduct (comments referencing his online salon business, for instance). The defense that “it’s his own money, so it’s his choice” and the priority argument that “those close to home should come first” aren’t inherently at odds, but because they got tangled up with people’s opinions of Nishino himself in the thread, the disagreement comes across as more emotional than it needs to be.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News Plus) thread “King Kong’s Nishino claps back at calls to ‘prioritize Japan over overseas aid’: ‘I help whoever needs it — no reason to narrow that by national borders’“.

  • First-Time Saizeriya Visit Leaves 5ch User Moved: ‘It Was Delicious and Cheap’

    A thread appeared on 5channel’s VIP board in which the AA (ASCII art) character “Pomi” shared their experience of visiting Saizeriya, the Italian family restaurant chain, for the very first time in their life. The thread described enjoying staple menu items like the Milano-style doria, spicy chicken, and tiramisu, and drew sympathetic replies from other users, including comments like “I used to go there all the time as a student” and “the portions are small, so I always order extra.” Some pointed out that rural areas have fewer locations and tend to get crowded, sparking discussion about how one’s relationship with Saizeriya differs by region. There was also disagreement over whether an item called “cheese focaccia” was a new menu addition or a returning one.

    1AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:27
    (っ´ω`c) It was delicious and cheap, so I'm glad I went!
    14AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:36
    (´･ω･`) Didn't you use to go to Saizeriya with friends back in your student days?
    18AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:41
    Re: #14
    (っ´ω`c) …Nope, never went. Didn't have any friends.
    23AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:43
    (´･ω･`) I haven't been there in years.
    24AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:44
    Re: #23
    (っ´ω`c) Seriously?
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:46
    (´･ω･`) There's one near me, but apparently it's turned into a hangout spot for middle-aged ladies.
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:46
    Re: #25
    (っ´ω`c) Apparently my dad spent three and a half hours at Saizeriya with a friend, drinking the whole time.
    26AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:46
    How many months has it been since you last left the house?
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:47
    Re: #26
    (っ´ω`c) Actually, I went out recently. Not saying where, though.
    63AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:14
    Re: #29
    Whoa, now I'm curious, curious, tree-ous! (a pun riffing on Japan's famous Hitachi jingle "kono ki nan no ki," playing on 気になる "curious" and 木になる "turn into a tree")
    34AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:47
    (´･ω･`) Lucky, Saizeriya sounds nice.
    Out in the countryside there aren't many locations, so it's always crowded.
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:48
    Re: #34
    (っ´ω`c) I went right when it opened so it wasn't crowded, but by lunchtime it got really packed.
    41AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:54
    (´･ω･`) That thing arrived.
    42AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:55
    Re: #41
    (っ´ω`c) The whistle?
    43AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:59
    Did Pomi treat them to the meal!?
    Was mom happy?
    44AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:01
    Re: #43
    (っ´ω`c) Nope, I was the one who got treated. Obviously.
    45AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:01
    (´･ω･`) Yeaah!
    47AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:03
    Re: #45
    (っ´ω`c) Unboxing time.
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:02
    Hello 😊
    Did you eat the Milano-style doria?
    49AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:03
    Re: #46
    (っ´ω`c) I did, it was delicious. Do you like Saizeriya?
    50AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:04
    Re: #49
    I do.
    But the portions are a bit small, so I end up ordering a ton.
    55AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:09
    Re: #50
    (っ´ω`c) I get it, it's never quite enough, right? I ended up ordering a lot too. Do you have a favorite item?
    51AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:05
    (´･ω･`) Like this.
    53AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:06
    Re: #51
    The towel is cute.
    54AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:07
    Re: #51
    The sticker looks cool.
    56AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:09
    Re: #51
    (っ´ω`c) Pikmin are cute.
    79AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:24
    Re: #75
    (っ´ω`c) Well, it's for buying e-books, you know.
    81AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:24
    Re: #79
    What book did you buy?
    90AnonymousSep 19, 2026 15:32
    Re: #79
    I see.
    I'm basically addicted to convenience stores, so I go almost every day.
    113AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:27
    Re: #107
    (っ´ω`c) Have you ever been?
    Re: #109
    (っ´ω`c) I know what you mean, the sweat pours down like a waterfall, right? Same here.
    120AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:32
    Re: #113
    Yes I have!! Love the spicy chicken, Milano-style doria, and tiramisu!!!
    121AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:35
    Re: #120
    (っ´ω`c) Ahh ahh ahh ahh I ate all of it ahh ahh ahh ahh
    122AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:37
    Re: #121
    Wow, you ordered a ton!
    124AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:39
    Re: #121
    Amazing! That's the best!
    119AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:32
    Re: #117
    (っ´ω`c) I want to go again. I want to try the cheese focaccia.
    123AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:38
    Re: #119
    I've never had that.
    Is it a returning menu item?
    126AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:41
    Re: #123
    Never had it either, but isn't it probably a new item? ( ˘ω˘ )
    128AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:42
    Re: #123
    (っ´ω`c) Apparently it's been getting some buzz.
    Re: #124
    (っ´ω`c) Saizeriya was so good, I want to go again.
    144AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:51

    Background and Discussion Points

    Saizeriya is an Italian restaurant chain founded in 1973, known for serving authentic-tasting dishes at low prices, and has long been a favorite among students and families. While it operates more than 1,000 locations nationwide, some pointed out that rural areas have fewer stores and tend to get crowded, and the thread touched on this gap in accessibility between urban and rural areas. As for the “cheese focaccia” mentioned in the thread, users themselves weren’t certain whether it was a new item or a returning one, and no clear conclusion was reached in the discussion. This particular thread also took the form of a first-person account narrated by the emoticon character (っ´ω`c), an example of the AA (ASCII art) character culture that is a VIP board staple.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News VIP) thread “(っ´ω`c) Pomi here — I went to Saizeriya for the first time in my life.”

  • Switch/PC Gamer Buys a PS5 Controller for Steam — 5ch: ‘That Cursed Controller With Backwards ABXY’

    A thread on 5ch’s Hardware & Industry board features a post from a Switch-and-PC gamer who bought a PS5 “DualSense” controller just to use with Steam. The focus of the discussion: the age-old headache of confirm-button placement, where Nintendo Switch controllers put “confirm” on B, while Xbox, PS5, and other XInput-style controllers put it on A or Cross (✕). Some posters pointed out that “you can remap ABXY in Steam’s settings,” while others countered that “in some games, the on-screen button prompts still don’t change” — sparking a debate over just how much Steam Input can actually fix.

    1AnonymousSep 19, 2026 12:43
    When I'm playing with an Xbox controller, I think 'this should be A for confirm' but the on-screen prompt says B — so I go to press B instead, and then A makes me jump.
    The worst is in action games where you need to instantly counter with X, and you have to figure out whether it means 'the physical position of the real X button (which is Y on this pad)' or 'press whatever's labeled X on this controller' — it gets so confusing.
    PS5's symbol buttons (○✕△□) have nothing to do with letters, so you just memorize button position + symbol and press exactly what's shown. Way more comfortable.
    2AnonymousSep 19, 2026 12:44
    Can't make heads or tails of what you're saying.
    4AnonymousSep 19, 2026 12:46
    Re: #2
    If you've been playing on a Nintendo controller for years, it's hard to adjust when someone says 'press B!' and you're stuck with this cursed controller that has A and B swapped.
    13AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:00
    Re: #4
    Just change the button config, that's all you need to do.
    Then what's even the point of using Steam?
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 12:54
    There's literally a setting in Steam to remap ABXY to match Nintendo's layout, you know?
    9AnonymousSep 19, 2026 12:57
    Re: #6,7
    [Granblue Fantasy:] Relink didn't have Switch-controller icons in-game until the Switch version came out, so even if the remap worked, you'd still have to mentally flip it like OP does — unusable.
    66AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:43
    Re: #6
    Steam lets you switch the controller profile between PS5, Xbox, and Switch in settings — have you even played it, or are you just talking? ("air-playing," 5ch slang for bluffing without hands-on experience)
    67AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:43
    Meant that for Re: #1, not Re: #6.
    8AnonymousSep 19, 2026 12:56
    Even if you swap to a PS controller, if the game itself doesn't support the labeling, I'd think it just defaults to the standard PC-game XInput layout with Xbox-style ABXY.
    10AnonymousSep 19, 2026 12:57
    Re: #8
    I don't play such a super-niche game, so it's not an issue for me.
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 12:58
    Re: #9
    That's exactly my point — if you can ignore the ABXY labels printed on the controller,
    then there's a feature that remaps the ABXY positions to match a Nintendo controller, right?
    15AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:01
    Re: #11
    That doesn't change the move-list icons shown on screen, though.
    Are you sure you've actually played Relink?
    16AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:02
    The fact that you think it can only be changed inside the game itself just proves you haven't actually used Steam.
    18AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:03
    Re: #16
    No, you're the one who hasn't actually played it.
    19AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:04
    This one, right?

    A lawsuit over wear-and-tear degradation on the PS5 DualSense determined its lifespan to be 417 hours (rewritten article)
    https://gamecolumn.jp/blog-entry-78125.html

    Lol, court documents confirming it's garbage.
    23AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:06
    Re: #19
    At this rate Sony's going bankrupt lol
    25AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:07
    I use an Xbox controller and I've hardly ever seen 'confirm = B.' What game is that?
    91AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:36
    Re: #25
    The Xbox 360 version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Gekka no Yasoukyoku), and the officially Japanese-localized Life Is Strange on Steam.
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:07
    Re: #15
    Ah, I see — you mean the skills mapped to RB + a face button are shown by their up/down/left/right position, so they end up mismatched?

    If that's the issue, Steam has a setting for that too.
    I think it's called "Button Guide Code" — a feature that only remaps the buttons while a specific button is held down,
    so you can make it so the ABXY layout reverts back to normal while RB is held.
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:09
    To be precise, Steam's settings let you swap buttons around,
    and on top of that, most games let you remap buttons again in their own settings — so you can customize most of it.
    31AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:10
    Re: #29
    It's not like you can remap just the confirm button on its own, right?
    All you're doing is remapping buttons in general.
    43AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:19
    That's an oddly obsessive hang-up (mocking it as almost paranoid/delusional-tier, 5ch slang).
    It's on Sony for never putting in the effort to popularize a format like XInput — that's exactly why some games don't support DualSense or its UI at all.
    And now that they've pulled out of PC multiplatform releases, it'll only get worse. Plus it's got a battery crammed in, making it needlessly heavy.
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:22
    Re: #43
    Sure, but a controller that only works with XInput is trash in its own way.
    It also makes it useless with a Switch controller.
    58AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:54
    Wait, what's the actual advantage of a PS5 controller?
    Its price is the only 'premium' thing about it — the drift-prone stick isn't durable, and I don't see anything to it besides paying tribute to Sony.
    60AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:59
    Re: #58
    It's not the cursed controller with backwards ABXY.
    59AnonymousSep 19, 2026 13:57
    82AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:09
    https://shared.fastly.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/4225980/1c968f01813bae9858d1bd821513175a8f00a1d7/ss_1c968f01813bae9858d1bd821513175a8f00a1d7.jpg
    Basically, when a game shows ABXY prompts like that bottom-right corner and doesn't support Nintendo-style mapping, it's a pain.
    Sometimes there's nothing the Steam client or controller settings can do about it.
    97AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:09
    In reality, there are way fewer people running Switch plus a properly set-up Steam setup than there are PS5-and-Steam gamers, so this doesn't really matter.
    99AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:32
    Re: #97
    PS5 and Steam really don't play well together even on the controller front.
    There's no way ○✕△□ buttons were ever going to catch on for PC.
    Switch at least uses the same ABXY as PC.
    101AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:35
    Re: #99
    The positions are reversed, so that's actually worse.
    102AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:36
    Re: #99
    It's the exact opposite.
    Steam's default is also confirm-on-bottom-button, so a PS controller works as-is and the on-screen prompts change correctly in most games.
    With a Switch controller, the position flips and causes confusion.
    That's exactly what OP (Re: #1) was talking about.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    The position of the “confirm” button on a gamepad has a different history depending on the manufacturer. Under the XInput standard used by Xbox and PS5, A (bottom) or Cross/✕ (bottom) became the standard confirm button, but Nintendo has kept B (bottom) as confirm even on Switch — and this discrepancy has confused PC gamers for years. Steam does have settings that let you change how ABXY looks and is mapped for each controller, but as posters in the thread pointed out, if a game itself isn’t built to automatically switch its on-screen button prompts based on the physical controller type, the displayed prompts and the actual inputs can stay mismatched even after changing the settings. Differing understanding of exactly where the technical line falls — how much Steam’s settings can actually paper over — is what drove the disagreement in the thread.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware & Industry (Geha)) thread “I’m a Switch/PC Gamer Who Bought a PS5 Controller to Play on Steam.”

  • Giants Rout Dragons 14-1 — 5ch: “LOL They Even Got Booed on the Road”

    In Central League action on September 19, the Yomiuri Giants routed the Chunichi Dragons 14-1. The Giants’ offense exploded for 15 hits and 14 runs from the early to middle innings, while starter Masahiro Tanaka picked up his 4th win of the season, allowing just 1 run over 7 strong innings. Dragons starter Nakanishi took the loss after surrendering 5 runs, once again exposing his shaky early-inning form. Since this was the Dragons’ final game of the season at the Tokyo Dome, manager Kazuki Inoue was hit with heavy booing from the crowd — a moment that became a hot topic on 5ch. Threads mixed criticism of Inoue’s in-game decisions, complaints about the home-plate umpire, and concern over Nakanishi’s future.

    Dragons　0 0 1　 0 0 0　 0 0 0 ｜ 1

    Giants　2 0 0　 6 2 4　 0 0 0 ｜14

    [Battery]

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:15
    Giants win again today, so the hitsumabushi (Nagoya-style grilled eel over rice) tastes great (o^∀^o)
    104AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:45
    Re: #4,7,38
    Hey, that's a copycat post
    5AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:15
    Are these Dragons guys even really pros?
    They're weaker than Hayate Oisix! (an independent-league team)
    33AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:20
    Re: #5
    They just swept the first-place Tigers 3 straight not long ago, though.
    82AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:39
    Re: #5
    Does yesterday's nail-biter not count for anything?
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:15
    What's the point of a starter who can't even last 4 innings, even if he supposedly "finds his groove" later on?
    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:16
    Giants win again today, so the spakatsu (Nagoya-style spaghetti topped with pork cutlet) tastes great (o^∀^o)
    9AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:16
    I feel bad for Tigers fans.
    18AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:18
    Re: #9
    That's because Fujikawa kept throwing his back-of-the-rotation scrubs at the Dragons and didn't take them seriously.
    The Dragons' winning record against the Tigers is basically thanks to Fujikawa.
    10AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:16
    The umpire was way too biased toward the Giants ("jumpire" — 5ch slang for a ref seen as favoring the Giants).
    Every borderline pitch from Nakanishi got called a ball,
    and they wouldn't call Matsumoto's half-swing either.
    11AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:16
    And to think Dragons fans were talking before the season like Nakanishi was a lock for Rookie of the Year…
    12AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:16
    There's booing going on — wait, is that from Dragons fans?
    14AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:16
    Surely manager Inoue steps down after this season, right?
    55AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:28
    Re: #14
    Bring in Asao-kun next!
    92AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:42
    Re: #55
    Why doesn't Ushijima ever come back to the Dragons? I don't think he'd be bad.
    97AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:43
    Re: #55
    Asao's too nice a guy — not cut out for managing.
    20AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:18
    LOL, "it's the last Tokyo Dome game" doesn't mean you get to boo that hard on the road.
    Though obviously it's aimed at the Dragons (Inoue), not the stadium.
    21AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:19
    That was a dirty win for the Giants.
    22AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:19
    Before the score blew wide open, the outfield calls were pretty "jumpire"-biased too —
    bad ball calls turned at-bats into walks and put runners on,
    half-swings went uncalled for more walks,
    and then the big hits came right after that.
    26AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:19
    They demolished the Tigers just recently and now this happens?
    Sure, form, matchups, and lineups vary day to day, but getting beaten this badly is something else.
    27AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:19
    Inoue's Dragons sure are strong in games where his managing doesn't get a chance to matter.
    28AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:19
    Nakanishi really does have shaky first innings, just like the rumors said.
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:19
    Re: #1

    Pitchers of record
    Winning pitcher: Giants — Tanaka Masa (4-4, 0 SV)
    Losing pitcher: Dragons — Nakanishi (2-4, 0 SV)
    31AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:20
    Well, that's it — Climate Series hopes are dead. Look forward to "Professor" Kazuki Inoue's next season, everyone!
    35AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:21
    Re: #31
    If we're only going to finish 4th, might as well finish last.
    Just make every game except home games a farm-team tryout at this point.
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:20
    Ma-kun (Masahiro Tanaka) must be having the time of his life right now.
    36AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:21
    LOL, Tatsunami's doing commentary like it has absolutely nothing to do with him.
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:22
    Giants win again today, so the Sugakiya ice cream (a Nagoya ramen chain also famous for its ice cream) tastes great (o^∀^o)
    46AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:26
    Re: #21
    Sour grapes. Go to sleep.
    60AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:29
    Re: #46
    Sasaki struck out looking,
    and Matsumoto struck out swinging.

    The Giants are the dirty ones, huh.
    50AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:27
    Yanagi, Marler, Takahashi, Ohno, Kanamaru —
    outside of these guys, the game's already decided by the early innings.
    62AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:29
    Re: #50
    Even with this rotation, it's still "Inoue Magic" getting the game flipped and decided in the middle-to-late innings.
    113AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:48
    Re: #106
    Hm? Tanaka, obviously.
    116AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:50
    Re: #113
    Wait, are you being serious!?
    119AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:51
    Re: #113
    Counting his combined NPB and MLB totals, he's already past 200 career wins.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    The thread was dominated by complaints about manager Kazuki Inoue’s in-game decisions and the home-plate umpire’s calls. As one post put it, “LOL, ‘it’s the last Tokyo Dome game’ doesn’t mean you get to boo that hard on the road” — since this was the Dragons’ final game at the Tokyo Dome this season, the jeering aimed at the visiting bench seemed louder than usual. Chunichi has had an up-and-down season, including a recent series sweep of the first-place Tigers, and this lopsided loss led several posters to say the team’s playoff (Climate Series) hopes look all but dead — though it’s worth noting this is 5ch speculation, not something confirmed by the actual standings. Several posters also flagged starter Nakanishi’s shaky first innings, lamenting the gap between his current struggles and the Rookie of the Year buzz he had before the season began. On the winning side, Giants fans mostly praised Masahiro Tanaka’s gritty outing, with little criticism of the matchup itself.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[Baseball] Central League: Giants 14-1 Dragons [9/19] — Giants win again, Tanaka goes 7 innings/1 run, offense racks up 15 hits/14 runs; Dragons drop another, Nakanishi allows 5.”

  • Red Spider Lilies as Wild Boar Deterrent? Bulb Toxins May Be the Reason — 150m Row Lines a Rice Paddy Levee

    An Asahi Shimbun feature showcased a scene in Kami Town, Miyagi Prefecture, where red spider lilies bloom in a single row stretching about 150 meters along a rice paddy levee. The bulbs of the red spider lily are poisonous, and some locals believe wild boars avoid digging them up because they dislike the toxin. On 5ch’s Science News+ board, posters discussed how the flower is also known as “manjushage” (its Buddhist-sutra name) and the “grave flower,” along with the history of eating the bulbs after removing the poison during the food shortages of the postwar era. Some reacted with amazement — “if it really works, the wisdom of our ancestors is incredible” — while others pushed back, saying “the lilies grow around my field too, and the damage hasn’t changed a bit,” leaving the actual effectiveness up for debate.

    September 19, 2026, 10:00 AM

    Kei Teshirogi

    Along a rice paddy in Hakuji, Kami Town, Miyagi Prefecture, red spider lilies bloom in a single row stretching roughly 150 meters. Their deep red color stands out against a backdrop of bowing rice ears.

    Source: asahi.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:10
    Guess someone's about to turn into an oni?! (old folklore says picking these flowers turns you into a demon)
    3AnonymousSep 19, 2026 14:56
    Also known as "manjushage" — back in the day, people would detoxify the bulbs and eat them during famines.
    5AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:27
    They really don't dig up the spots where red spider lilies are planted, huh.
    I went to shoot photos of them at Shiroyama Park in Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture the other day, and sure enough, that's exactly how it was.
    6AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:31
    Don't go "beheading" the flowers with a thin stick (a nod to the old game/superstition about snapping off their heads)
    7AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:37
    So it actually works. Our ancestors' wisdom is no joke.
    8AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:38
    Also known as the "grave flower."
    10AnonymousSep 19, 2026 16:54
    Seems like they could just step over it if it's only along the paddy path.
    Maybe it's the smell?
    Why not extract the active compound and spray it around instead
    28AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:35
    If we used AI to develop a drug, couldn't we make poison bait that only affects these pest animals?

    Deregulate it, use AI to develop poison bait that works exclusively on pest species, and completely wipe out things like muntjac deer, raccoons, and masked palm civets — animals that shouldn't even be in Japan — down to zero with dedicated poison.
    33AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:01
    Re: #28
    That kind of species-specific targeting isn't realistic.
    It might be possible if the gap were as big as mammals versus birds or reptiles (and even that would be pretty tough, mind you).
    Generally speaking, mammals aren't all that different from each other at that level — that's exactly why pig organs can be used in humans.
    Bacteria or viruses can sometimes be species-selective, but a drug that works on wild boars and deer while being completely harmless to every other mammal? Basically impossible.
    29AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:39
    Guess they can actually tell it's poisonous, huh.
    32AnonymousSep 19, 2026 17:54
    Sounds fishy.
    Wild boars would probably just eat it, poison and all.
    And then die from it.
    37AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:11
    We've got a ton of red spider lilies blooming on the bank of our field, but the damage to the field hasn't changed one bit lol
    43AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:18
    Re: #37
    Well, they wouldn't dig up the spots where the lilies are planted, lol. If there's no lily there and some other crop is planted instead, they'll dig that up, right?
    38AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:11
    That's naive — they'll even steal and eat raw taro despite the toxins.
    39AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:15
    Raw taro isn't actually toxic.
    40AnonymousSep 19, 2026 18:15
    In postwar Japan, during the food shortages, people ate red spider lily bulbs.

    The reason they're seen all over the place despite being toxic (toxic enough to cause fatal accidents) is partly because they also served as a last-resort emergency food.

    Background and Discussion Points

    The red spider lily (manjushage) contains toxic alkaloids such as lycorine, and because moles and rats are said to dislike its bulbs, it has long been planted along paddy paths and at the borders of graveyards. There are records of people detoxifying and eating the bulbs as emergency food during the postwar food shortages, and the nickname “grave flower” mentioned in the comments also stems from this toxicity. That said, the article’s claim of “zero digging damage” is based on observations at one particular paddy field, and it’s worth noting that the spots where the lilies grow may simply have had nothing worth digging up in the first place — so correlation shouldn’t be mistaken for a genuine repellent effect. The thread also drifted into a proposal to use AI to develop poison bait that would target only specific invasive species, but posters pointed out that since mammals are physiologically quite similar to one another, developing a drug that selectively affects only certain species is unrealistic in practice — highlighting the gap between the simple idea and biological constraints.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Science News+) thread “Red Spider Lilies as Wild Boar Deterrent? Bulb Toxins as Repellent? Digging Damage Down to Zero.”