Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Woman: “I wish someone had told me sooner that marriage and childbirth get harder once you hit your late 30s”

    A woman’s post reading “I wish someone had told me sooner that marriage and childbirth get harder once you hit your late 30s” went viral on a thread in 5ch’s “Livegalileo” (a general live-commentary board). Commenters brought up singer Koda Kumi, who was once publicly slammed for making a similar remark, with some saying sarcastically “she said it and people just attacked her for it,” while others argued this kind of information should really come from family. Meanwhile, some pointed out that the marriage rate for men in their 30s is already around 50%, questioning why late marriage gets framed as a women-only issue.

    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:55
    Did some guy from J-board (a 2ch/5ch sports-and-news board) sneak into Girls Channel (a women's gossip forum) and spam "women really shine in their 40s" as a psy-op, and did it actually work?
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:56
    Re: #7
    This was going on way before that.
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:59
    Re: #7
    I sometimes go on Girls Channel and give advice like "women are happier staying single" and "men are trash, don't bother marrying one." I'm not lying, so it's fine, right? 🤔
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:02
    Koda Kumi said this exact thing and everyone just piled on and criticized her for it. This is basically the Galileo Galilei of the Heisei era (persecuted for telling an inconvenient truth).
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:05
    Re: #25
    Same with the "Christmas cake theory" (a 1990s saying likening women past 25 to unsold Christmas cake) — stuff old folks just took for granted back then.
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:07
    You say "I wish someone had told me," but normally someone in your family tells you this. Your mom or grandma should've said something — if you didn't listen, that's on you.
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:09
    Re: #32
    🦉 How to undo a bra hook 🦉
    Bet a lot of people here don't even know that one. Not really in a position to call others clueless.
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:08
    Grandma: "Aren't you going to get married? Grandma's worried about you."
    Woman: "Uh… can't hear you, can't hear you."
    That's basically how it really goes.
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:10
    Re: #37
    Too busy with work every day to even see grandma.
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:11
    Honestly, living alone costs more than raising kids does, so real estate companies and the women's fashion industry ran campaigns promoting it, and it worked way too well — to the point the country's now past the point of fixing it.
    48AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:12
    Re: #45
    Yeah, that's basically it.
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:12
    Re: #40
    I got an earful from relatives at a funeral. You're bound to hear something whenever relatives gather, whether it's New Year's or a funeral. Grandma, uncles, aunts — they'll definitely say something.
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:13
    Re: #47
    Do you know how to undo a bra hook?
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:13
    I wonder how, 100–200 years from now, people will look back on today's countries that worship free love above all and end up childless and shrinking because of it.
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:14
    Re: #50
    Artificial wombs are about to hit the market, so anyone with money will just have kids even in old age.
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:17
    So it's going to become an era where any old man or woman without personality or intelligence issues can have kids — including lesbian and gay couples, of course.
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:19
    Re: #60
    Artificial wombs won't work for old women even so — donor sperm or not, there's no way for a woman that age to have her own biological child.
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:18
    What about you guys? If you're getting up there in years and still single, you're not exactly one to talk about that woman.
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:20
    Re: #61
    Stop.
    Just stop, please.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:19
    If you just live a normal life you'd naturally pick up on info like that, though.
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:22
    Re: #62
    That's because women who live a normal life end up getting married…
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:23
    Re: #70
    Men who live a normal life end up getting married too, you know.
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:24
    Re: #74
    The marriage rate for men in their 30s is already down to half these days.
    89AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:30
    Every guy knows this, so why don't women? Shouldn't it normally be the other way around?
    91AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:31
    Re: #89
    Men are the ones being evaluated, so we know full well that once you hit 35 or so, you're basically written off. Women, though, seem to think all the attention they got when young will last forever. It's the same with men's physical stamina — it declines and you don't notice until it's already happened, you just can't tell in advance.
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:34
    Even if she had been told, pretty sure she still wouldn't have done anything about it.
    99AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:36
    Re: #96
    Once you start living alone, you stop having people around you for long stretches of time — you go from being surrounded by family to being around only coworkers.
    98AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:35
    She's a victim of mass media, honestly. Magazines and dramas used to be full of stuff glorifying career women while looking down on stay-at-home wives.
    100AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:37
    Re: #98
    Yeah, that's exactly how the Heisei era (1989–2019) felt.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The “Christmas cake theory” mentioned in the thread is a phrase from the 1990s that crudely compared a woman’s “marriageable age” to unsold Christmas cake, and it has been brought up again and again in debates over attitudes toward the ideal age for marriage and childbirth ever since. Medically, it’s well established that egg count and quality decline with age, and the statistical probability of natural conception drops after the late 30s — but exactly when and from whom this knowledge should be passed on varies greatly depending on family environment and upbringing, so it’s not something that can be reduced to simple blame based solely on one person saying “I didn’t know.” The thread also brought up Koda Kumi’s past remarks and the “marriage rate among men in their 30s,” but it’s easy to overlook that marriage rate is the result of social choices, whereas declining fertility is a biological change tied to age — two issues that really should be discussed on separate terms.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Livegalileo) thread “[Sad News] Woman: “I wish someone had told me sooner that marriage and childbirth get harder once you hit your late 30s”.”

  • ‘Yabai Tshirt-ya’ Sells Only Half the Tickets for One Tokyo Show — Band Asks ‘Why Though?!’

    On September 14, the rock band “Yabai Tshirt-ya-san” (lit. “That Awful T-shirt Shop” — a self-deprecating name) revealed ticket sales figures for their tour on their official X account. As part of their 10th-anniversary year, the band is in the middle of a solo tour running since August, with six shows scheduled at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo between October and November — but the fifth show, on November 10, has reportedly sold only about half as many tickets as the others. The band pleaded “Why though?!” and “It’s such a rare chance!”, pointing out that it’s their first unrestricted live-house show since the pandemic. On 5ch, users traded jokes about the band’s name and songs, while others pointed out the gap in ticket sales compared to other artists.

    9/14 (Mon) 18:05

    Rock band Yabai Tshirt-ya-san updated their official X account on the 14th, revealing the current state of ticket sales for their solo tour.

    The band, marking the 10th anniversary of their major debut and currently on their solo tour “‘Magical Tank-top Parade’ ONE-MAN TOUR 2026” since August, posted under the heading [Sad News]: “We’re doing 6 shows at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo in October and November, but only the 5th show on 11/10 has sold half as many tickets as the others.” They continued, “Why though?!?! Tank-top Flower for Friends is such a great album!! Plus, the tour for this album happened during the pandemic, so it was our first-ever hall tour — meaning this is actually our first chance to enjoy it in a live house with no restrictions, and it’s such a rare opportunity!!!!!!”

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

    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:31
    SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:31
    So is it a band or a T-shirt shop?
    Pick one already
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:59
    Re: #3
    The band's the T-shirt shop —
    Yazawa's the towel shop (referring to rock legend Eikichi Yazawa, famous for his towel merch)
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:32
    It's still two months out, it'll be fine!!!!!
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:32
    Success Blocken!!!!!! (shouting the title of one of their songs)
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:33
    It's rare, which is exactly why people are wary and it's not selling
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:34
    Fun fact: Yabai Tshirt-ya-san is actually made up of former BUMP OF CHICKEN members
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:46
    Re: #9
    Not a single true word in that whole post
    Impressive, honestly
    110AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:56
    Re: #9
    Hey! Come back and say something
    That was kind of funny lol
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:35
    Are they popular or are they a rare gem? Pick a lane
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:36
    I know them from the SB69 collab
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:36
    Listening to them in the morning or late at night really wakes you up
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:37
    Does everyone know the band Ice Cream Neverground?
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:37
    Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-Shoujouji
    temple guy, right? (echoing the classic folk song 'Shojoji's Raccoon Dog Festival')
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:37
    Because the cute girl in their fanbase got married…
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:37
    I used to listen to them nonstop up through 'Kawa-E'
    Looked it up, that was 8 years ago lol
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:40
    It's just not an era where you can make big money off music anymore
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:27
    Re: #23
    The band name was originally a jab at musicians who do nothing but sell merch
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:43
    The name just isn't good
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:56
    Re: #27
    Never heard a single one of their songs
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:43
    There it is, finally!!!!!!!!!!
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:53
    Re: #29
    Oh, that actually changes my impression a bit lol
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:44
    Fix this ripoff-supermarket system already — trying to sell unsold stock at full price forever
    Don't shove the stuff that's about to expire to the front of the shelf!!
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:45
    Calling them a popular band is a stretch when I don't know a single song
    People are just laughing at the weird band name
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:46
    They're a boring enough band that even Kyuso Nekokami looks good by comparison
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:48
    If they renamed themselves 'Yabai Tonkatsu-ya-san' and picked a fight with Yabaton, they'd sell out for sure (Yabaton is a famous Nagoya tonkatsu chain)
    39AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:48
    Just the one date, huh
    This'll sell out once it gets closer to the show
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:49
    Still wearing your Michishige T-shirt?
    I've been wearing mine as everyday wear this summer too (Sayumi Michishige, ex-Morning Musume, known for her merch)
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:49
    Doesn't this just mean they can pull a crowd at festivals but struggle to sell out solo shows?
    Vaundy's already sold out a national tour two years in advance, for comparison
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:04
    Re: #41
    Even Bialystocks is selling out
    And that's still months to half a year away
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:50
    'Internet Daisuki Man' — if they leaned all the way into dirty lyrics, guys would love it but women would hate it (referencing one of their song titles)
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:51
    Hotels in Tokyo are so expensive you'd have to really love them to bother going
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:51
    They're loud and obnoxious even at festivals
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:54
    Ah, this is that same old 'we've got a ton of unsold tickets' thing again

    Background and Discussion Points

    Yabai Tshirt-ya-san formed in 2012, and their name is said to derive from a self-deprecating joke about “musicians who put a lot of effort into selling merch.” The topic that sparked this thread is that just one out of six scheduled shows is selling more slowly than the rest — not that the tour as a whole is struggling. On multi-date tours, it’s not unusual for a single show to lag due to the day of the week or timing, and commenters pointed to acts like Vaundy and Bialystocks, whose shows months to half a year out are already sold out — framing this less as a simple popularity problem and more as a quirk specific to that one date. At the same time, a fair number of commenters questioned how well-known the band’s name and songs actually are, and the disagreement over the link between name recognition and turnout is something the original article alone doesn’t fully clarify.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Popular band Yabai Tshirt-ya-san’s [Sad News]: Tokyo tour tickets not selling — ‘Why though?!’ ‘It’s such a rare chance!’.”

  • Actor Hiroshi Fuse’s Talent Agency Files for Bankruptcy — We Asked the Man Living in His ¥300 Million Mansion, ‘What Now?’

    It’s been reported that Bariki-ya Co., Ltd., the talent agency headed by actor Hiroshi Fuse (68), received a bankruptcy commencement order from the Tachikawa Branch of the Tokyo District Court on August 4. Fuse is known for starring in “trendy dramas” like *I’ve Always Loved You* and for his role on the variety show *Ito-ke no Shokutaku*, and he reportedly still lives in a ¥300 million mansion. On 5channel’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board, opinions split between posters pointing out that it’s the company, not Fuse personally, that went bankrupt, and others countering that small companies almost always require the president’s personal guarantee. Speculation also flew about whether reports of his past ¥200 million annual income were true, and about why his TV appearances dried up.

    [Exclusive] Popular 68-Year-Old ‘Trendy Drama’ Actor Faces Bankruptcy… Life Upended by Caring for His Parents — We Asked the Man Living in a ¥300 Million Mansion, ‘What’s Next?’

    On August 4, Bariki-ya Co., Ltd., the talent agency where Hiroshi Fuse serves as representative director, received a bankruptcy commencement order from the Tachikawa Branch of the Tokyo District Court.

    Fuse is best remembered for starring in numerous “trendy dramas” in the past, and he also won over households nationwide on Nippon TV’s variety show *Ito-ke no Shokutaku*.

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

    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:42
    Whenever I hear 'trendy drama actor,' all I picture is someone who blew all their money and had to sell the mansion.
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:46
    Re: #4
    That's just your Junichi Ishida image talking.
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:42
    Re: #1
    The ¥200 million annual income thing's gotta be fake, right?
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:58
    Re: #6
    Back in the day he was always the lead or near-lead in some drama or other. ¥200 million+ wouldn't be surprising at all.
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:42
    Isn't this guy in the same box as Leo Morimoto? (5ch slang implying 'quietly faded from the spotlight')
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:43
    Just from the headline I thought it was Junichi Ishida.
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:43
    It's rare that *Ito-ke no Shokutaku* became such a huge hit with that particular lineup of regulars, right in the middle of the era when edgy variety shows starring young comedians ruled TV.
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:43
    I remember watching that drama with Hiroshi Fuse and Tsuru-chan where he gets dumped in the lamest way possible. That was back when Senri Oe was still singing.
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:51
    Re: #11
    I watched that too — wasn't he Tsurutaro's younger brother, running a kimono shop? Played the popular-with-the-ladies role.
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:44
    Post a picture of both Akira Fuse and Hiroshi Fuse — which one's which? Is the intense-looking one Akira?
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:44
    He did something awful to Cho-chan, didn't he.
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:44
    Hey mister, that's so trendy! Mm, Trendy Angel! (riffing on the comedy duo Trendy Angel's catchphrase)
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:45
    Whoa… Hiroshi Fuse ended up like this…?
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:47
    Fuse Akira
    Fuse Hiroshi
    Kume Akira
    Kume Hiroshi
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:47
    I know him as 'Hyper DVD Guy.'
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:47
    Relapsing again and again like that — rough for Hiro Furumura.
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:47
    Are all the regulars from Ito-ke no Shokutaku still alive?
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:49
    The 'you' in *I've Always Loved You* refers to Fuse's character, right? He got totally overshadowed by Shiro Sano's Fuyuhiko though. Maybe that's where his luck started running out.
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:01
    Re: #38
    Brings back memories. You only find that out at the very end, right.
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:51
    > He was seen that day walking with a long piece of cardboard tube as a makeshift cane.

    Does that mean he can't even afford a cane?
    117AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:08
    Re: #44
    He's right on the borderline of needing a cane or not. It's easier with one, so he ends up using whatever's handy as a substitute. If he falls and hits his head it'll be bad news, so he really should carry one — but at 60-something, carrying an actual cane probably feels too 'old man' for him.
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:56
    The bankruptcy is the company's, right? If the house isn't pledged as collateral, there's no personal guarantee involved. This kind of misleading framing is exactly what today's trash media does.
    99AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:05
    Re: #66
    Nah, for small/mid-size companies the owner's personal guarantee is basically mandatory. Textbook limited shareholder liability like that only really applies to big corporations.
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:58
    The Monkey's Paw
    Shadow Tag
    The Man Who Drinks Water
    86AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:02
    Re: #69
    You list all that and forget 'Murderer Mr. Takahashi'? No way.
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:58
    Wasn't his wife Kaori Tsuchiya?
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:59
    Re: #73
    That's Fukkun you're thinking of — Fukawa, not Fuse.
    79AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:01
    Even after bankruptcy, doesn't the house get seized?
    122AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:09
    Re: #79
    The bank probably figures it's still recoverable, collateral included. Tokyo real estate's been rising, so their call is that it's fine to leave things as-is for now — but they'll move to seize it the moment things look shaky.
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:01
    Can't figure out why the money dried up. According to a FLASH article, here's what he said:

    > In an interview with web media outlet 'bjb': 'Even now I still get the occasional TV offer, but I rarely come across a project I find genuinely interesting, so I turn them down.'

    > The article adds: The scandal over his affair badly damaged Fuse's image, and combined with his own defiant attitude, his TV appearances as an actor kept declining.
    100AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:05
    Re: #81
    So which is it — is he just being picky, or did the offers actually dry up?
    91AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:03
    Had to look him up before it finally rang a bell.
    103AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:06
    > He was seen that day walking with a long piece of cardboard tube as a makeshift cane.

    Does that even work as a cane?
    109AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:07
    Re: #103
    Probably the long cardboard core from a roll of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

    Background and Talking Points

    What went bankrupt this time wasn’t Hiroshi Fuse himself, but Bariki-ya Co., Ltd., the talent agency he heads, with the order issued by the Tachikawa Branch of the Tokyo District Court. On the thread, the point that split opinion the most was between posters noting that ‘bankruptcy = the company,’ meaning his home wouldn’t be seized without a personal guarantee, and others countering that for small, closely-held companies a representative’s personal guarantee is essentially standard practice. Fuse became widely known in the ’90s for ‘trendy dramas’ like *I’ve Always Loved You* and as a regular on *Ito-ke no Shokutaku*, but his TV appearances reportedly declined after reports of an affair. Whether the reported ¥200 million annual income was accurate, and whether he was simply choosing his projects or the offers had actually dried up, remains unclear from his own comments alone, and the thread never got past speculation on that point. One thing readers can easily misunderstand is that a company’s bankruptcy doesn’t mean Fuse lost all his personal assets — whether assets like his home are seized right away depends on whether there’s collateral involved and on the lending institution’s judgment.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread ‘[Entertainment] Popular 68-Year-Old ‘Trendy Drama’ Actor Faces Bankruptcy… Life Upended by Caring for His Parents, We Asked the Man Living in a ¥300 Million Mansion ‘What’s Next?’.’

  • Morning Musume Composite Photo Sparks ‘Reconciliation’ Jokes as Makino and Kitagawa End Up Glued Together

    A thread went up on 5ch’s Hello! Project board about a composite group photo of Morning Musume members past and present, apparently produced by the group’s management. Because of how the photo was laid out, Mariai Makino and Rio Kitagawa ended up pressed right next to each other, setting off a wave of joking “reconciliation” comments from posters. Alongside that, people pointed out that photo editing had made the 6th-generation members look like completely different people, and that it was hard to tell who some of the pictured members even were — with the rough quality of the composite itself becoming the main topic of conversation.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:43
    At this point you can just call it a reconciliation, right?
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:43
    https://gzo.ai/i/EHYA74b.jpg
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:46
    Re: #2
    Where's my Sayu in this?
    Oh wait, never mind — what happened to these three 6th-gen members' faces lol

    Eririn, Reina, Sayu — none of these even look like them
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:51
    Re: #4
    lol
    They should've just made a thread out of this instead
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:52
    Re: #4
    Reina's turned into Kurumi Takase or something lol
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:45
    Re: #2
    The 12th gen are getting way too much special treatment
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:47
    Re: #3
    If everyone before them had quit, it'd only be one photo, so they lucked out
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:48
    The 12th gen probably doesn't have a group photo because they didn't get along
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:48
    Re: #7
    Probably because Nonaka's still in the group
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:48
    Top right is 6th gen
    Bottom right is Kitagawa
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:49
    Re: #11
    I get it, but they look like totally different people
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:49
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:49
    Can't tell who's between the 13th-gen member and Kitagawa
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:50
    Re: #17
    That's Mariai Makino, right?
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:52
    42AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:53
    Re: #34
    Yeah, yeah!!!
    This is the shot I actually recognize lol
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:54
    Re: #34
    Mikitty's bone structure is on another level, total celebrity face (Mikitty = Miki Fujimoto's nickname)
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:57
    Re: #34
    Yeah, this one right here lol
    52AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:54
    Only a handful of them were ever truly amazing:
    Abe
    Goto
    Tsuji & Kago
    Ishikawa
    Fujimoto
    Takahashi
    Tanaka
    Michishige
    Sayashi
    Sato
    And it's been how many years since Sato already?
    No new aces have come up since
    99AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:02
    Re: #52
    I'd love to see a Dream Morning Musume reunion lineup with these members
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:56
    Re: #2
    Why does every single 12th-gen member get their own individual slot lol
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:57
    Re: #63
    And a huge one at that
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:57
    Re: #63
    Probably because they're the ones who did the most for the group
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:57
    Haga's doing the 20th-anniversary pose, this whole thing's a mess
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:00
    Re: #72
    Lmaooo
    The agency really half-assed this
    94AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:01
    Re: #72
    Nice catch
    137AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:13
    Re: #72
    I guess depending on how you look at it, the 0 in her left hand could pass for a 9?
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:59
    Re: #2
    Rio Kitagawa's ended up looking like Momo Kitahara
    Honestly this version's cute too

    139AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:14
    Re: #77
    Who even is this lol
    104AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:03
    Sorry, but who are the four people in the top right?
    117AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:06
    Re: #104
    Michishige, Tanaka, Fujimoto, Kamei
    118AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:06
    Is this the 1st-gen group photo from after they'd already turned into 'aunties'?
    122AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:07
    Re: #118
    Probably from when they shot the MV for their 20th-anniversary song 'Morning Coffee'
    121AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:07
    Kaga looks exactly like she does in real life, but Yokoyama's slightly off
    126AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:07
    Re: #121
    Nah, both of them are slightly off
    143AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:15
    Who is this lol

    150AnonymousSep 14, 2026 21:16
    Re: #143
    Looking dignified lol
    There's a bit of a 'Chii' vibe to this one (nickname of another member she resembles here)

    Background and Key Points

    Morning Musume was formed roughly 27 years ago, and counting graduates, more than 40 members have passed through the group over its history. What sparked discussion this time was a composite group photo — apparently official material from the group’s management — bringing together members from every generation. Because it stitched together source photos shot at different times with varying image quality across generations, the composite was prone to mismatched facial outlines and coloring. Opinions in the thread split between people enjoying the joke that Mariai Makino and Rio Kitagawa’s close placement amounted to a “reconciliation,” and those pointing out that the edited faces of the 6th-generation members looked like entirely different people. The flood of replies devoted to identifying which past members appeared in the photo also reflects just how long Morning Musume’s history is and how many members the group has had.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Reconciliation] Management’s historical Morning Musume photo accidentally squishes Makino and Kitagawa together lol.”

  • Rosy Chronicle’s Emergency Livestream Hit by Audio Trouble — 5ch: ‘Choppy Streaming in the Reiwa Era? Seriously?’

    Starting at 7:30 PM on September 14, idol group Rosy Chronicle held an emergency live stream on YouTube titled “Even If You Scold Me, I Won’t Cry; Even If You Love Me, I Won’t Cry.” On 5ch’s live-commentary thread, viewers began flagging technical problems almost immediately — hard-to-hear audio, choppy video — and doubts about the agency’s streaming setup spread quickly. At the same time, plenty of comments focused on the members’ expressions and outfits, making for a thread that mixed frustration over the glitches with genuine attention to the performance.

    Rosy Chronicle

    @Rosy_Chronicle

    /／

    Source: youtube.com / Original post here

    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 17:29
    No Hazumi in it, so it's not sumo then
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:21
    Evening — "Even If You Scold Me, I Won't Cry; Even If You Love Me, I Won't Cry"
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:28
    Is Souman probably at school?
    Nah
    Isn't Hanarena a student too though
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:28
    Emergency Summer 'Inazuma Call' Tutorial (a synchronized fan chant used at idol shows)
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:30
    It's officially confirmed to be about 'Naji-Ai' talk after all (fan shorthand for the stream's title)
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:32
    Skipped the ad and the main stream started right away
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:33
    Audio and picture that already scream 'this is gonna be a janky stream'
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:34
    Guess they decided to go with Kamirena as center
    Good call
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:35
    Had YouTube open the whole time waiting and it just never started, what is this
    Refreshed the page and then I could watch it
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:36
    The stream's such a mess in every way, I'm losing the will to watch
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:36
    A stream where they stuck the loud one in the back
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:37
    Are they only streaming because the MV's been racking up views??
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:38
    They're probably not even using a phone, just some cheap webcam you'd clip onto a PC
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:39
    Shouldn't they test the stream first and then start it like an hour later or something
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:42
    Reina-chan is so cute (*´д｀)
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:42
    Feels like they're leaning into the song more than usual
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:47
    The front row and back row have such different energy, you'd never guess it's the same group
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:48
    Choppy streaming in the Reiwa era? What's going on with the agency's internet connection
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:49
    The content looks so interesting but the audio, come onnnn!!!!
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:51
    The agency should properly edit this stream and re-upload it
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:52
    Is that forehead-baring hairstyle from early spring considered a 'dark history' now? (an embarrassing past look, in idol-fan slang)
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:54
    Honohono's thin, sparse bangs are bugging me
    91AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:57
    Kamirena-chan is super cute today
    98AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:58
    Re: #91
    She's always cute!!
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:58
    1,000 people showed up and this is the quality? Rough
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:58
    Karin-chan mentioned using some long skinny camera that looks like a remote control, so that's probably why
    https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/H/HLJH8008/20241008/20241008160118.jpg
    97AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:58
    Hey, if you're gonna do this, give more advance notice
    I was home the whole time and only just noticed
    100AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:59
    Gothic's audio is so bad it sounds like she's saying 'oshikko' (pee)
    102AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:59
    Hasumipi and Payumechi did a 3-person Instagram Live together recently
    though Hasumi only appeared by voice
    111AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:02
    Honohono's barefoot
    152AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:12
    I think this every time there's a terrible stream, but why don't they test it before going live
    155AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:13
    Re: #152
    Do they seriously have zero awareness that people are watching
    Doesn't feel like the work of an actual talent agency

    Background and Talking Points

    This stream was announced via the group’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, and most of the thread’s reaction focused less on the stream’s actual content than on its technical quality. Small idol groups’ livestreams often lack the dedicated studios and broadcast equipment of major agencies, which makes webcam or smartphone streaming prone to audio and video trouble. On 5ch’s idol-related threads, pointing out this kind of ‘rough streaming quality’ is practically a recurring topic, and this time too, comments like ‘they should test it before going live’ kept popping up. That said, whether the root cause was the connection or the equipment never went beyond speculation within the thread, and the posts don’t make clear whether the agency ever offered an explanation.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “■ Rosy Chronicle ■ YouTube Live: Emergency YouTube Live Stream of “Even If You Scold Me, I Won’t Cry; Even If You Love Me, I Won’t Cry” ■ 19:30- ■ 1.”

  • Morning Musume-Led Stage Play ‘Stacy’s’ Airs on TV — 5ch Reacts: ‘Best Hello!Project Stage Production Ever’

    On September 14 at 8:00 PM, the Nihon Eiga Senmon Channel aired the musical ‘Stacy’s: Reslaughtered Girl Opera,’ starring Morning Musume. Originally staged in 2012 and directed by Kenichi Suematsu, the show is set in a near future overrun by the ‘Stacy phenomenon,’ in which girls who suddenly die come back as zombies. To coincide with the broadcast, a live-reaction thread sprang up on 5ch’s Hello!Project board. While some posters hailed it as ‘the greatest Hello!Project stage production ever,’ the thread mostly buzzed with detailed back-and-forth about which members had speaking lines and the circumstances behind cast changes at the time.

    1AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:18
    Stacy's: Reslaughtered Girl Opera 【Two Months Straight: The World of 'Hello!Project' Acting】
    Starring: Morning Musume. Director: Kenichi Suematsu. A musical set in a near future overrun by the 'Stacy phenomenon,' in which girls who suddenly die come back as zombies. (2012, 120 min)
    9/14 (Mon) 20:00–22:10, Nihon Eiga Senmon Channel
    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:22
    This is the greatest Hello!Project stage production ever made
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:25
    https://gzo.ai/i/4ZO6oeP.jpg
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:50
    Re: #3
    Ma-chan is soooo cute (Nagasaki dialect for 'kawaii')
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:29
    People tend to assume only Tanaka, Sayashi, Kudo, and Ishida have lines, but actually Ikuta gets some too
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:57
    Re: #4
    Turns out the only decent role Iikubo ever really got was 'the Attendant' (『ご学友』, a formal companion role) in this
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:31
    Didn't have this recorded. When's the rerun?
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:39
    9/25 at 6:25 AM, right after 'Sleeping Beauty' (『眠れる森の美女』)
    https://www.nihon-eiga.com/timetable/daily/20260925.html
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:41
    A miracle of a production where the ages of the characters and the actual Musume members lined up perfectly. There's a flavor there you can only get when the actors' real ages match the roles — something a skilled adult actor playing 'young' just can't replicate.
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:48
    But that's not how it turned out
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:53
    I've seen the Shimokitazawa run
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:57
    They're running this for two months? They should have the Hello!Pro members promote it more
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:58
    This one has a zombie video too
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:58
    Doesn't look any different in 4K, but I guess I'll watch that version anyway
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:59
    Recording started
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:01
    Was Reina even in this? Honestly the only ones I remember are Sayashi and Duu
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:02
    Even if you set your recording reservation by searching 'Wada Shunsuke,' this one doesn't come up (Wada Shunsuke, a composer often used as a search keyword for related recordings)
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:03
    Right, this was an Oken (Kenji Ohtsuki) work
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:04
    Where's Chayu?
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:04
    Zukki's name is in the credits
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:04
    Chayu's not in this?
    29AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:04
    Ma-chan was only in her first year of middle school — she could actually memorize lines?
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:05
    Re: #29
    She doesn't have any lines though
    30AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:05
    Kawai Gaku, now that's nostalgic
    32AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:06
    So Iikubo's in this one but not in LILIUM
    33AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:06
    She's not? What kind of stage production is this lol
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:07
    This was right after Sayu became leader, yet Sayu herself isn't even in it
    41AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:10
    Is this actually any good?
    44AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:12
    Re: #41
    You'll get it once you watch the whole thing. I felt the same way around this point in the story on my first watch too
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:12
    Compared to LILIUM, the quality on this one is pretty rough
    47AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:14
    Not exactly something I'd want to hug, once it's been split into 165 pieces
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:15
    I read it because it's Oken's universe, but I didn't think it was all that interesting. Boyoyo~n
    54AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:20
    Actually, Reina was a stand-in for this role, you know. Gaki-san (Goto Maki) was originally supposed to play it
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:22
    Re: #54
    Why'd they swap her out?
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:20
    I heard Oken's older brother worked on this as a cameraman, and passed away in an accident shortly after this
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:23
    Weather's bad so it's full of static, can't watch it properly
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:24
    There was a member holding milk and coffee backwards at some point, who was that again?
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:25
    This is getting kind of ominous. Is this actually a scary story?
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:28
    Re: #56
    My bad, mixed it up. It's not this one — Reina was the stand-in for Mitsui in the previous year's stage production

    Background and Talking Points

    ‘Stacy’s: Reslaughtered Girl Opera’ is a stage production written and directed by Kenichi Suematsu, originally staged in 2012 and starring members of Morning Musume. Reactions to this broadcast were split — some praised how closely the performers’ real ages matched their roles, while others felt it didn’t quite land — showing there’s a real range in how people receive the work. The thread was also full of behind-the-scenes tidbits that have never been officially compiled, like who did and didn’t have lines and the circumstances behind cast changes; it’s worth noting these are based on posters’ memories rather than officially confirmed facts. More than a decade after the stage run, some of the members who appeared have since gone on to lead roles, and several posts carried that particular sense of hindsight that comes from looking back with that knowledge.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello!Project board) thread ‘■ Morning Musume ■ Stacy’s: Reslaughtered Girl Opera ■ 20:00-22:10 Nihon Eiga Senmon Channel ■‘.

  • Saori Yoshida to Make Singing Debut — Major Single ‘I’m Here’ Drops October 28

    Saori Yoshida, who won gold in women’s wrestling at three straight Olympics — Athens, Beijing, and London — has been confirmed for a major solo debut as an artist under Tokuma Japan Communications. She’ll release the single “I’m Here” on October 28, with a release event also planned. On 5ch, comments ranged from skepticism about the move (“who’s even the target audience for this?”) to personal well-wishes (“hope she finds happiness”), with a string of posts comparing her singing style to other celebrities-turned-musicians like Mikuru Asakura, Aimyon, and Motoko Obayashi — a mix of bafflement and curiosity over the surprise announcement.

    Saori Yoshida confirmed for singing debut — major single “I’m Here,” theme “Going for the win, now” — release event also planned

    Former Japan national wrestling team member Saori Yoshida has been confirmed for a major solo debut as an artist under Tokuma Japan Communications. She’ll release the single “I’m Here” on October 28.

    Yoshida won gold medals at three consecutive Olympics: Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012.

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

    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:27
    I'd love to know who's actually asking for this
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:29
    I just hope this person finds happiness
    Hasn't she had any luck meeting someone?
    21AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:30
    Is this a solo guitar-and-vocals type of thing?
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:37
    Re: #21
    Thought it'd be some fired-up fight anthem, but nope — it's an acoustic guitar ballad called I'm Here
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:30
    Guess being the 'strongest of the primates' means you get to do whatever you want (her old wrestling nickname)
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:31
    Mikuru Asakura's singing was kind of an EXILE vibe, but Yoshida might be going more Superfly?
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:31
    Isn't this supposed to be an entrance theme for when she switches to women's pro wrestling?
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:31
    Wait, she's a guitar girl now??

    She might just breeze past Aimyon
    34AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:32
    She's turning into Motoko Obayashi from Deka Moni (a TV unit of tall female celebrities)
    35AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:32
    If she's doing this dead serious, I might die laughing
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:32
    This has more impact than Denny losing
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:32
    Saori be like: 'That's right, that's right, that's right, that's right — alriiight!!' (her signature post-match victory catchphrase)
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:33
    Wish she could've fought Bull Nakano in her prime
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:33
    Feels like it's been a while since we got news like this
    Sensing an economic upturn
    43AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:33
    She should team up with the son of Goro Kishitani and Kaori Okui
    And just have his mom write the song too
    45AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:34
    Not even a world-class prophet
    could've seen this one coming
    46AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:34
    Major promotion, singles match debut?
    49AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:34
    Wish she'd become a pro wrestler instead
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:35
    You guys kept calling her 'cute' as a joke and now she's actually starting to believe it
    Take responsibility
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:37
    The kind of work that comes to someone who racked up a bunch of gold medals and even got the People's Honor Award
    is showing up in weird commercials and travel shows
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:39
    Re: #62
    Medalists in super-niche sports really aren't that big a deal
    Outside Japan nobody would even notice her, so getting this much exposure here is actually a pretty good deal
    75AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:40
    Kinda reminds me of that 'That's the spirit!' catchphrase performer
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:40
    There's an actress who looks a lot like her, you know.
    Must be bad for that actress's business
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:40
    Her image took a hit after the Icho bullying scandal
    79AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:41
    Can she even play guitar? Who's producing this?
    81AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:42
    A scene from the music video (imagined)

    Background and key points of this story

    Saori Yoshida won gold at three consecutive Olympics, from Athens 2004 to London 2012, and also received Japan’s People’s Honor Award. Tokuma Japan Communications is a real record label spanning genres from enka to anime songs, so this announcement reflects a genuine major-label music contract rather than a one-off publicity stunt. On the thread, skepticism about commercial viability (“is there even demand for this?”) sat alongside comparisons to other non-musicians turned singers like Mikuru Asakura and Aimyon, plus plenty of straightforward support for her new venture — no single view dominated. One thing readers might misread: athletes launching music careers isn’t unheard of, and performers with combat-sports backgrounds releasing songs have precedent, so Yoshida’s case is really an extension of that pattern. That said, specifics like her singing genre or production team hadn’t been announced at the time of writing, so most of the thread’s speculation on those points remains just that — speculation.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “[Wrestling] Saori Yoshida confirmed for singing debut! Major single ‘I’m Here’ out October 28, release event also planned.”

  • Mano Ohtsubo’s Christmas Outfit Goes Viral for the First Time — Fans Sympathize Over ‘Costume Gap’

    A photo of Hello! Project idol Mano Ohtsubo in her Christmas costume spread across social media, earning her her first-ever “manbazu” (a post that racks up over 10,000 likes/retweets). What drove the spread wasn’t so much the quality of the outfit itself, but sympathy over how plain it looked next to other members’ costumes, plus talk of a “gap” in how much effort or budget goes into each member’s outfit. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, reactions ranged from words of encouragement for her and complaints aimed at the agency, to worries about her going viral for a negative reason, and even mockery of the sympathy narrative itself.

    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:35
    That just makes it sadder, honestly
    3AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:35
    Pea pod 🫛 lmao
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:35
    Come on, quit it with that
    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:35
    Don't call it a 'gap'
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:36
    If this keeps happening she's gonna end up mentally worn down — agency, knock it off already
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:36
    Her first-ever manbazu, and it's… this
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:36
    Kinda looks like holly, cute though
    9AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:37
    Don't make her go viral for a negative reason, damn it
    10AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:37
    She's got great style and she's cute, so I really wish they'd dress her up properly
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:38
    Alright! At this rate Hana, Mano, and Yuna are all getting their own manbazu (playing on the members' nicknames)
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:38
    You're the one slapping the 'gap' label on her and dragging her down, aren't you
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:39
    Serious 'Tamenaga' déjà vu here (echoes a past viral costume-gap moment involving member Yukine Tamenaga)
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:39
    THIS ISN'T HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GOOOO!!
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:40
    Feels bad — this is probably gonna saddle her with some weird character image now
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:42
    What exactly did they promote this girl for again?
    24AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:42
    Congrats on the first manbazu
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:42
    Yeah, this is gonna be awkward for her, I bet
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:42
    I haven't forgotten how you guys used to rip on Juice=Juice's members
    and now you're jumping on this 'she looks great' viral bandwagon
    28AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:42
    <'That's not what I meant'

    always comes standard as part of the package
    36AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:43
    Guess they're copy-pasting BEYOOOOONDS (ビヨ) threads now too
    37AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:43
    How many manbazu is this for Yuna now?
    57AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:45
    But Ohtsubo's got real leadership qualities, so…
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:50
    Since she was kind of getting buried among the new members, there was a stretch where the BEYOOOOONDS senpai were being considerate and writing about Mano a ton on their blogs
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:51
    Plain at a glance, but look closely and it's actually pretty striking
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:54
    Stuff like this hits Ohtsubo's parents the hardest
    68AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:55
    Way to go, Mano
    That just means way more people got to see you
    Stay positive!
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:56
    The trainee showcase costumes were way more elaborate than this
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:00
    Re: #69
    Depends on the person
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:01
    Mano-chan should just roll with the 'pitiable character' role
    79AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:02
    Sounds like she's gonna end up asking to change her member color too, like someone else did
    80AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:02

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    In Hello! Project, fans have long pointed out that when trainees get promoted to full members, they tend to get fewer costume and exposure opportunities compared to more senior members in the group — and the word “gap” gets used in that context. This particular manbazu spread less because of the photo’s quality and more because of the sympathetic take that “maybe different members just get different amounts of budget spent on their costumes.” Where the thread split was over whether to simply welcome this wave of sympathy, or to see it as “going viral for a negative reason doesn’t actually help her” — what the agency’s actual intentions were remains pure speculation within the thread, never confirmed either way. It’s also easy to misread the term “manbazu” itself: it’s just slang for when retweets or likes top 10,000 on social media, and doesn’t necessarily mean the reaction was a positive one.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Mano Ohtsubo Goes Manbazu with Her Christmas Costume, Kitaaaa (ﾟ∀ﾟ) !!“.

  • Kickboxing Returns to Japanese Terrestrial TV After 16 Years — 5ch: “Watched the Famous ‘Vacuum Flying Knee’ Again After All This Time, Turns Out It Never Actually Landed”

    TV Tokyo announced on September 14 that it will broadcast the third “GOAT” kickboxing festival event live nationwide from Tennozu Studio in Tokyo on October 25. The card includes three bouts, among them a title match between ISKA World Super Featherweight Champion Ryusei and Rodrigo Bogado, marking Japan’s first terrestrial kickboxing broadcast in roughly 16 years, since 2010. On 5ch, ironic jabs about TV Tokyo’s abrupt cancellation of its pro baseball night-game broadcast in late August mixed with nostalgic reminiscing about the old kickboxing boom epitomized by Tadashi Sawamura’s “vacuum flying knee,” and the discussion spread into a debate over the ratings battle with baseball and soccer.

    ENCOUNT Editorial Team, 2026.09.14

    Three bouts announced, including Ryusei vs. Rodrigo Bogado

    The kickboxing festival “GOAT” held a press conference in Tokyo on the 14th, announcing that its third event will take place on October 25 at TV Tokyo’s Tennozu Studio. Three bouts were confirmed, including a title match between ISKA K-1 Rules World Super Featherweight Champion Ryusei (25, BRAID/TEAM SUERTE) and Rodrigo Bogado (26, Argentina). A live broadcast across the TV Tokyo network was also announced — the first live terrestrial kickboxing broadcast in Japan in about 16 years, since 2010.

    Source: encount.press / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:09
    Never even heard of this organization.
    90AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:13
    Re: #2
    G-O-A-T


    Kind of a mouthful.
    4AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:09
    The Vacuum Flying Knee
    48AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:03
    Re: #4
    I'm pushing 50 and I never even watched it live back in the day.
    50AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:06
    Re: #4
    Humanity landed on the moon in 1969 and there was a whole space boom going on.
    Back then a lot of things got space-themed names.
    Apollo chocolate, the "moon somersault" in gymnastics…
    The "vacuum flying knee" was the same kind of thing.
    83AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:05
    Re: #4
    I watched old footage of the former "Demon of Kickboxing," Tadashi Sawamura, on YouTube.
    I used to go nuts for that "vacuum flying knee" as a kid — watching it again after all these years, it doesn't land.
    The knee never actually makes contact. Was it staged the whole time?
    6AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:10
    Didn't Tenshin do that move on RIZIN over on Fuji TV?
    8AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:10
    Wait — TV Tokyo suddenly bailed on its Giants night-game broadcast, and now they're airing kickboxing?!
    11AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:13
    Kickboxing always makes me think of TBS.
    That opening with "Cobalt no Sora" playing right after the title call still gets me.
    15AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:16
    Re: #11
    Was that the one with the "Kiiiick Boxin'!" chant?
    27AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:25
    Re: #11
    I used to go to the public bathhouse with my dad on Mondays and watch it there.
    13AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:14
    Atsushi Tatsushima had his 100th career fight a few years back — is he still active?
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:17
    The only guy I actually know is Yoshinari Nadaka.
    He's a kickboxer too, right? Why isn't he on the card?
    He's probably the most famous kickboxer out there.
    Maybe there's some messy inter-promotion politics going on.
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:23
    Re: #16
    He's a Muay Thai fighter.
    The rules are a bit different from kickboxing.
    Well, he's on the god-tier level of Buakaw and Saenchai, so he'd probably dominate under kickboxing rules too.
    70AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:31
    Re: #16
    Yeah, he's a Muay Thai fighter.
    He fought under kickboxing rules for the first time recently, but he's really a guy who shines under Muay Thai rules.
    17AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:17
    Ever heard of "Brajaa Chicchaa"? (likely a joking garbling of some fighter's actual name)
    18AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:17
    Re: #15
    That's the one! ^ ^
    I remember it was sponsored by YKK even back then.
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:25
    Soccer getting snubbed again, huh?
    31AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:30
    Re: #26
    It's for real — TV Tokyo suddenly axed its baseball broadcast.
    And now they're airing kickboxing instead lolololol

    https://rio2016.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/base/1786533689/137

    137 Pinch Hitter Nameless@commentary happens on the baseball board (Wacchoi 475f-UN9N [240f:f0:1621:1:*]) sage 2026/08/12 (Wed) 21:38:20.13 ID:d1oT3gbO0
    This month's last terrestrial night-game broadcast is on TV Tokyo
    Jingu Stadium
    Yakult vs. Giants
    2026.8.27, first pitch 18:00
    TV Tokyo
    19:00-20:54

    138 Pinch Hitter Nameless@commentary happens on the baseball board (Wacchoi 475f-UN9N [240f:f0:1621:1:*]) sage 2026/08/12 (Wed) 21:40:02.30 ID:d1oT3gbO0
    This might even challenge the all-time lowest ratings record.
    August 27 could go down in ratings-thread history.
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:17
    Re: #31
    Oh please, soccer ("ball-kicking") hasn't even been broadcast on BS once.
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:35
    Re: #58
    Lol, sounds bitter.
    Kickboxing >>>> Giants-Yakult game lol
    38AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:42
    The Maeda-Tatsushima era was a lot of fun.
    Nagahashi — who'd later play for the Japan national soccer team — was even introduced on TV back then as Tatsushima's friend.
    93AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:15
    Re: #38
    That's the only era I really know.
    I liked Joe Tsuchiya.
    40AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:44
    A friend of mine had a "Demon of Kickboxing" lunchbox.
    55AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:09
    Re: #40
    I had the backpack, but by then the boom and the show had long ended, so my friends made fun of me for it.
    51AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:07
    Is Sawamura still around?
    53AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:08
    Re: #51
    He passed away 5 years ago.
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:20
    How many kickboxing organizations are there again?
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:25
    Re: #59
    Basically countless, if you count all the little indie promotions running shows out in the regions.
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:23
    Wasn't Benny Urquidez a kickboxer?
    65AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:26
    Re: #62
    Isn't he more of a general "martial arts" guy?
    71AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:34
    Can we please just unify the rules.
    Just make everything Muay Thai rules.
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:46
    Re: #71
    If anything, it's pretty well established by now that Muay Thai and kickboxing are treated as separate sports.
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:50
    Kiiick! Kiiick! The Demon of Kickboxing!
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:06
    Re: #78
    He's confirmed to be the "Demon of Fixed Fights" lol.
    Same type as [sumo yokozuna] Chiyonofuji — genuinely strong, but somehow racked up win after win through rigged matches anyway.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Japanese kickboxing was once a massively popular Showa-era phenomenon, with TBS’s “Kickboxing Broadcast” pulling in huge ratings, but terrestrial broadcasts had been absent since 2010. The thread’s talk of Tadashi Sawamura’s “vacuum flying knee” touches on a long-standing claim — that the knee never actually made contact and the move was essentially staged — an anecdote that has repeatedly resurfaced as a point of skepticism about the overheated media coverage of that era, and it came up again in this thread. Meanwhile, TV Tokyo abruptly canceled its professional baseball night-game broadcast in August 2026, and posters connected that cancellation to the new kickboxing broadcast, with many comments mocking what looked like terrestrial TV turning its back on baseball in favor of a minor sport. That said, this isn’t simply a ratings-driven programming swap — TV Tokyo has its own long track record of investing in combat-sports broadcasts, so the simple “dropped baseball for kickboxing” narrative deserves some caution. The thread’s questions also reflect the reality that Japan’s kickboxing scene today has a proliferation of competing promotions, meaning well-known fighters don’t necessarily all end up on the same card.

    *This article is an excerpt and summary based on the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[TV Tokyo] Kickboxing returns to live terrestrial broadcast after 16 years — TV Tokyo to air it… announcing 3 major world title matches with “the future on the line”.”

  • “Jiga-chan” Posts on VIP Board Seeking X Followers — Original Songs and Art Spark a Reaction

    On 5ch’s “Nnews VIP” board, a poster who calls themselves “Jiga-chan” revealed their X (Twitter) account and started a thread calling out, “Anyone want to connect?” The poster shared original music within the thread and also pointed to a separate account where they post artwork, trading messages with other posters about their age and creative process. They say they usually draw digitally, but plan to try an analog collage piece for a December exhibition. Some commenters, however, questioned whether the account was really genuine and whether it was okay to follow without asking, sparking a side discussion about how to treat a self-introduction that originates on an anonymous message board.

    Unlocked it.

    Source: x.com / Original post here

    5AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:35
    Give this song I made a listen (*´▽｀*)
    https://xxup.org/R9AQz.mp3
    7AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:38
    Re: #5
    Listened to it! Kind of a fun, upbeat song
    133AnonymousSep 14, 2026 20:00
    Re: #5
    Listened to it, that's a seriously good ballad
    12AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:39
    Done with work?? Nice job today!!
    14AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:40
    Re: #12
    Thanks~ I worked hard today
    16AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:40
    Re: #10
    Someone with no tripcode once mistook me for the real "Jiga-chan" and asked if that was me
    20AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:41
    Re: #16
    Eh!? No way
    19AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:41
    The fish they had for sale at My Basket lol (a Japanese discount supermarket chain)
    22AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:42
    Re: #14
    Nice one 😌
    What are you having for dinner?
    25AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:44
    Re: #22
    Actually I already ate~
    Rice and natto
    23AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:43
    Re: #17
    Glad to hear it
    Getting unfollowed really stings, you know
    26AnonymousSep 14, 2026 18:44
    Re: #23
    I won't unfollow you!
    56AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:04
    Tomorrow's my day off ✊
    59AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:05
    Re: #56
    Lucky 😭 I'm working again tomorrow
    62AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:08
    Re: #59
    Aw, no…
    While you're off, go check out some fabric!
    67AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:12
    Re: #62
    Already ordered the fabric~
    58AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:05
    Re: #51
    It's fine, go ahead and laugh and joke about it, that's okay too
    Because I just want everyone to have fun together
    60AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:05
    Re: #58
    Let's have fun together~
    61AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:06
    https://x.com/171xnh_?s=11
    This is the account where I post my art
    63AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:09
    Re: #61
    Wait?? That's so cute 😭!!
    I love the coloring and how colorful it is…
    66AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:12
    Re: #61
    B-based on the style of this art, is Jiga-san 25 or younger?
    64AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:10
    You seem like you'd be pretty good at pixel art too…!
    72AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:13
    Re: #64
    Drawing pixel art is fun
    69AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:12
    Re: #66
    I'm 23~
    73AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:14
    Re: #69
    Nyaa, really!? Didn't expect you to be that young, I'm surprised! Hmm, interesting~
    75AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:15
    Re: #73
    You're that surprised, huh lol
    74AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:15
    Re: #72
    I'm so jealous you can draw!!
    I keep thinking it'd be nice if I could make my own album art (;_;)
    76AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:16
    Re: #74
    Album art, nice~
    77AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:17
    Gotta do my best at the December exhibition to become a real artist
    79AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:18
    Re: #77
    Nice! I want you to draw lots of girls lol
    78AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:18
    Does Jiga-chan draw digitally?
    I hear coloring's easier that way!
    82AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:19
    Re: #78
    I usually draw digitally, but for the exhibition I'm planning to make an analog collage~
    83AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:20
    Re: #82
    So you can do analog too~!!
    Getting to show work alongside all kinds of people sounds fun, but it seems like it'll take a lot of energy 😭
    86AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:22
    Re: #83
    Yeah~ but analog is harder…
    I'll do my best for the exhibition
    84AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:21
    Re: #79
    I draw girls and androgynous characters~
    96AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:25
    Re: #84
    Compositions that break down halfway into pixel art… have that "yumekawa" (dreamy-cute aesthetic) vibe going on, so good 🥰
    85AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:22
    Do you draw "otoko no ko" (boys who look/dress like girls)!?
    88AnonymousSep 14, 2026 19:23
    Re: #85
    Sure, I'll draw one lol
    I'll draw an otoko no ko with wings

    Background and Talking Points

    Threads like this pop up regularly on the VIP board — a genre where someone identifies themselves and asks for social media followers — and there’s no way to verify authenticity beyond the poster’s own word. Details like age, occupation, and working style are all based purely on the poster’s own statements, with no third-party confirmation available. Some commenters in the thread voiced doubts, asking “Is this really them?” and “Is it okay to just follow without asking?”, making the question of how much distance to keep from a self-introduction that started on an anonymous board a loose but recurring theme. Aside from that, the actual back-and-forth — reactions to the original songs, talk about art style, plans for the December exhibition — stayed friendly small talk throughout, with no sign of backlash or conflict. Readers should keep in mind that posts like this are ultimately just self-reported claims on an anonymous board, and neither the linked account’s authenticity nor its connection to the thread’s original poster has been officially confirmed.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Nnews VIP) thread “I’m the one they call Jiga-chan, anyone want to connect on X.”