Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

Yumeno Kyusaku’s novel Dogra Magra is famous for the striking obi (belly-band) blurb slapped on its 1976 Kadokawa Bunko paperback: “Anyone who finishes reading this will suffer a mental breakdown within hours.” Preorders for a new special edition have now become a hot topic on 5ch, where the thread mixed comments like “I’ve already got the paperback, but ¥7,000 is a tough call” and gripes about the cover design with a broader debate over which of the “Three Great Mystery Novels” — alongside The Black Death Mansion Murders and An Offering to Nothingness — still holds up as an enjoyable read today.

“Anyone who reads this through to the end is said to suffer some form of mental breakdown within a matter of hours. Whatever happens to the reader is a result of this book’s phantasmagoric, bizarre content, and we cannot be held responsible — please understand this in advance.”

This was the tagline printed on the obi strip of the first printing when Yumeno Kyusaku’s two-volume novel Dogra Magra was published by Kadokawa Bunko in 1976.

This writer (BuzzFeed Japan’s Ando) has also attempted to finish Dogra Magra, but gave up in the face of its bewilderingly convoluted structure, where it’s impossible to tell where reality ends and dream begins.

Source: buzzfeed.com / Original article here

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Books] Special Edition of Yumeno Kyusaku’s Notorious ‘Dogra Magra,’ Said to ‘Cause Mental Breakdown,’ Opens Preorders.”

Actress Natsuna (37) has shared private swimsuit photos taken in Singapore, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Geinou/Sports News+ (“Geisoku”) board. Alongside warm reactions like “A sight we rarely get to see,” “This level is just right,” and “Thoroughly enjoyed it,” much of the thread veered away from the photos themselves and into a retrospective on Natsuna’s career — debating her NHK morning drama “Jun to Ai,” the star-studded cast she appeared alongside in the film “Saki,” and long-standing plastic surgery rumors.

“This level is just right” — Natsuna’s swimsuit photos draw reactions: “Bound to turn heads,” “Thoroughly enjoyed it”

▼ “Wow! A sight we rarely get to see”

TV personality Natsuna (37) has shared private photos taken in Singapore.

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

17AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:32

Guess her husband's face is off-limits, huh

25AnonymousSep 13, 2026 08:36

Re: #17
Wasn't he a "regular guy" who's secretly a company president?

59AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:35

64AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:45

Re: #59
Hey Ninomiya, trade places with me right there

65AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:46

Re: #59
She said she had a modesty patch (maebari) on

77AnonymousSep 13, 2026 10:26

Re: #59
She's already done this — calling it a "rare sight" makes no sense

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Actress Natsuna shares swimsuit photos! “A sight we rarely get to see,” “This level is just right,” “Thoroughly enjoyed it”.”

Comedian Takashi Yoshida of the duo Black Mayonnaise posted a question on X (formerly Twitter): “Some people online use the word ‘chīgyū’ to mock others, but what does it actually mean?” The post sparked discussion on 5ch’s Entertainment/Sports News Plus board. “Chīgyū” (literally “cheese beef bowl”) is internet slang that caught on as a jab at unglamorous-looking men assumed to enjoy cheese gyūdon (beef rice bowls), but on the thread, comments split between “I know what it means, I just don’t get the mentality of people who say it” and “Honestly, I used to say it without even knowing what it meant,” fueling a debate over the term’s origin and how it’s actually used.

Black Mayonnaise’s Yoshida

@bmyoshida

Some people online use the word “chīgyū” to mock others, but what does it actually mean?

Source: x.com / Original post here

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News Plus) thread “[Entertainment] Black Mayonnaise’s Yoshida: “Some people online use the word ‘chīgyū’ to mock others, but what does it actually mean?”.”

A “prefecture-by-prefecture supermarket power map” made by a Waseda University student is making waves online. Created by cutting out each chain’s logo into the shape of each prefecture in Illustrator, it shows Aeon-affiliated chains (Aeon, Jusco, etc.) taking the top spot in 34 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, leaving the map of Japan almost entirely painted “Aeon color.” The thread lit up with people comparing the map to their own experience of their hometown, as well as discussion of supermarket industry history — how major chains like Daiei, Nichii (later Mycal), Seiyu, and Ito-Yokado once fought it out across the country, only to vanish one by one and be absorbed into Aeon’s dominance.

Japan’s map turns almost entirely “Aeon color”… Waseda student’s supermarket power map stuns the internet! Why Aeon tops the chart in 34 prefectures

Are all supermarkets really the same? Not even close. There are supermarkets where absolutely everything is cheap, ones known for strong private-brand products, ones stocked with fresh vegetables… Knowing how to use the different supermarkets in your area can massively boost your quality of life.

In other words, every supermarket chain has its own character, and expansion requires real strategy. It’s a free-for-all — like Japan’s warring states era.

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

64AnonymousSep 13, 2026 10:02

Supermarket inequality

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Japan’s map turns almost entirely “Aeon color”… Waseda student’s supermarket power map stuns the internet! Why Aeon tops the chart in 34 prefectures.”

A two-shot photo of talent Yoko Kumada (164cm) standing next to famously tall model Yuchami went viral online and became a hot topic. Yuchami had previously drawn attention for a similar height gap when she appeared as a presenter on a horse-racing program alongside jockeys, and this photo once again threw her towering height into sharp relief. On 5ch’s Geinou/Sports Express+ thread, reactions poured in from every angle — comparisons to Akiko Wada (174cm) and comedian Abareru-kun (179cm), plus speculation over Yuchami’s real height.

“Shocked by how huge Yuchami is” — full-body shot of Yuchami next to Yoko Kumada

Last year, when she appeared as a presenter for a horse race, the height gap with the jockeys became a hot topic

164cm Yoko Kumada looks tiny… Two-shot with Yuchami spreads shock online: “This is glitched,” “She’s really that tall?”

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

75AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:23

She's about even in height with Abareru-kun, who's 179cm

98AnonymousSep 13, 2026 09:34

Re: #75
I already knew about Yuchami so that's no surprise, but I'm shocked Abareru-kun is around 180cm
I figured he was more like 170 because of his build, but he's actually huge

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[Celebrity] 164cm Yoko Kumada looks small… Two-shot with tall Yuchami spreads shock over the height gap: “Unbelievable,” “She’s really that tall?”.”