Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Tokyo Is No Longer a Place Where Regular Salarymen Can Live

    On 5ch’s live-discussion board “Nandemo Jikkyo G,” a post claiming that rent in Tokyo’s 23 wards has become more than double the price of comparable properties in Osaka went viral, arguing that “Tokyo is no longer a place where a regular salaryman can afford to live.” Commenters noted that while starting salaries for new graduates have risen to around ¥300,000 a month, that’s nowhere near enough to keep up with home prices, and many recommended moving out to Saitama or the Tama area instead. Opinion was also split on whether a car-dependent regional lifestyle or a train-based city lifestyle is more comfortable, expanding the discussion beyond housing costs into differences in lifestyle itself.

    1AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:24
    Feel bad for new grads these days.
    Joining a globally active company headquartered outside Tokyo is the right call, QOL included.
    5AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:25
    Re: #3
    Let's get real.
    Ten years ago you could still buy if you worked at a big company, but prices have shot up so much now you can't.
    4AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:25
    Living in a car-dependent rural area is way more livable.
    86AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:57
    Re: #4
    Car-dependent areas aren't that livable.
    The most livable spots are suburbs where you can use both a car and trains.
    7AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:26
    Having to drive just to get to Marugame Seimen (an udon chain)?
    Makes me want to die.
    10AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:26
    Re: #7
    Taking the train there is way more of a hassle.
    With a car you can just load up the family and luggage and move easy.
    47AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:36
    Re: #7
    Driving feels like such a deliberate, special-occasion thing to me.
    Not trying to troll, it's just a fresh perspective.
    13AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:27
    There's a housing allowance, so it's fine.
    19AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:29
    Re: #13
    If a housing allowance could actually buy you a house, that'd be great.
    14AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:27
    Maybe I'll just live in Saitama.
    22AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:30
    Re: #14
    A regular salaryman on around ¥10 million a year has no choice but to commute in from Saitama, Kanagawa, or Chiba.
    48AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:36
    Re: #14
    Even Saitama City isn't cheap anymore, that's the problem.
    17AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:28
    Even for the same floor plan, rent in the 23 wards is more than double what it'd be in Osaka.
    That's just not in range for an ordinary salaryman anymore.
    18AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:29
    But new grads are starting at ¥300,000 a month now.
    23AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:30
    Re: #18
    Not enough.
    Nowhere near enough for anything.
    26AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:31
    Re: #18
    Re: #17
    Feels like you'd need to be pulling in around ¥30 million a year to actually afford to live there.
    25AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:31
    The Tama area is totally livable though.
    Tokyo's subsidies are pretty huge too.
    27AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:31
    Re: #25
    If your company gives you a loan allowance on top of that, that's amazing.
    36AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:34
    Way too cramped.
    40AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:35
    I mean, outside the Yamanote Line you can still buy a house for around ¥70 million, right?
    51AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:36
    Re: #40
    What era are you living in?
    41AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:35
    🙆 (yep)







    42AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:35
    1 in 4 Tokyo residents is a foreigner, so there must be cheap places even foreigners can afford, right?
    Or are these foreign Tokyoites all just a bunch of damn elites?
    46AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:36
    Re: #42
    Foreigners in Tokyo are either in public housing or pulling close to ¥30 million a year, one or the other.
    59AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:37
    'Tama, Urawa, Yokohama — ¥70 million' was something people were saying just a few years back.
    At that level even a salaryman on ¥10 million a year could've bought.
    Now it's doubled… there's no way you can afford it.
    69AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:41
    Re: #59
    A condo in Saitama Shintoshin will run you about ¥90 million.
    62AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:38
    65AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:39
    78AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:49
    Rather than live out in the countryside, I'd live in Inagi.
    81AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:51
    Re: #78
    If your workplace is nearby in the Tama area, that's the best.
    Realistically though, you're taking the Keio Line all the way to Shinjuku, right?
    80AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:51
    For a single salaryman, there's no city as fun as this one.
    90AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:00
    Re: #80
    What's so fun about it?
    82AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:53
    If you're at a big company, isn't there a singles' dorm with meals included for like ¥5,000 a month?
    83AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:54
    Re: #82
    The question is, are you gonna stay there forever?
    Once you leave company housing or the dorm, you're gonna buy a house anyway.
    85AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:57
    Tiny.
    91AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:00
    Tiny.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Prices for new and resale condos in Tokyo have kept climbing in recent years, driven by low interest rate policy, rising construction costs, and an inflow of overseas investment money, so the sense that rents in the 23 wards run several times higher than in regional cities isn’t purely exaggeration. That said, figures thrown around in the thread — like needing an annual income of ¥30 million just to live there — are impressionistic exaggerations and shouldn’t be confused with actual average household income or mortgage lending criteria. What really divided the discussion wasn’t the high rent itself but where to draw the line on what counts as “Tokyo” — assessments of livability shifted dramatically depending on whether the Tama area, Saitama, and Kanagawa were included. On top of that, differing habits around getting around by car versus on foot or by train also highlighted the gap in mindset between city and countryside living.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Tokyo Is No Longer a Place Where Regular Salarymen Can Live.”

  • Tatekawa Shiraku on Tomomi Itano Backlash: ‘Just Say Sorry, I Lacked Common Sense, and It’s Over’

    A family trip video that former AKB48 member Tomomi Itano posted on YouTube has sparked controversy over a scene showing her drying her daughter’s hair in the changing room of the Ritz-Carlton Nikko, with viewers asking “Isn’t that a privacy violation?” and “Did she actually have permission to film there?” On the 5th, Itano explained on X that she had “obtained special filming permission from the hotel,” but a report from Shukan Josei PRIME published on the 7th claimed no such permission had been granted for the changing room. In response, rakugo performer Tatekawa Shiraku wrote on X on the 8th, “Just say ‘sorry, I lacked common sense,’ and it’s over” and “Social media is truly frightening — it’s like it’s hunting for prey every single day.” On 5ch’s Geinou/Sports Breaking News+ board, opinions were split both on Shiraku’s comment and on the backlash itself.

    Rakugo performer Tatekawa Shiraku updated his X account on the 8th, addressing the ongoing controversy surrounding former AKB48 member Tomomi Itano’s video.

    The controversy began with a video Itano uploaded to YouTube documenting a family trip to Nikko. It showed her stay at the luxury Ritz-Carlton Nikko (Tochigi Prefecture), but a scene in which she blow-dries her eldest daughter’s hair in the changing room of the hotel’s large communal bath drew a wave of criticism over privacy violations and accusations of secret filming.

    Whether she had permission to film in the changing room became a subject of debate on social media. On the 5th, Itano explained on her own X account, “As for this scene, we filmed it after receiving special permission from the hotel. The Ritz-Carlton also cooperated with the filming of this video overall.” However, a report published on the 7th by Shukan Josei PRIME stated that no permission to film in the changing room had actually been granted.

    Source: tokyo-sports.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:31
    Lying to save face is the real problem here
    8AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:32
    Secret filming isn't a matter of common sense — it's a matter of criminal law
    147AnonymousSep 8, 2026 23:05
    Re: #8
    It's not secret filming, it's just filming to feed her own need for validation — totally different thing
    9AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:33
    If you're worried your own behavior might spark backlash, maybe just quit social media
    13AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:34
    They always say 'if sorry fixed everything we wouldn't need police,' yet showbiz is somehow always soft on its own
    14AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:34
    When they're in trouble, they can just sue for defamation and play the victim
    16AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:35
    It's because she can't do that and just keeps making excuses and getting defensive that it keeps blowing up
    17AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:35
    We've gone back to the medieval witch-hunt days
    Bullying dressed up as justice
    135AnonymousSep 8, 2026 23:02
    Re: #17
    In this case the biggest problem is that Itano lied, so that's not it
    18AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:35
    She hasn't said 'sorry, I lacked common sense' and she's not going to
    21AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:36
    Hardly anyone is actually engaging in defamation here though
    22AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:36
    I think so too, but she probably just doesn't want to say it herself
    23AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:36
    Yeah, exactly this

    But she hasn't apologized, lol

    Let's see how she reacts to being called someone who lacks common sense by Shiraku
    28AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:38
    Exactly why it won't end — she won't just apologize honestly
    39AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:41
    Re: #1
    It's not that someone's out hunting for prey — she's the one scattering the bait herself.
    All she had to do was apologize honestly, but like a lot of other former idols, maybe it's pride — instead of apologizing she made up a false excuse (one that this time drags the hotel into trouble too), which just scatters even more bait
    48AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:42
    Re: #39
    No, it's about time YOU apologized
    50AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:43
    That's exactly what the media has been doing all along

    'Finding prey,' lol
    51AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:44
    Funny, because she seems like exactly the type who'd be first to complain if some random person took photos
    She'd be the one joking 'ugh, there's always some clueless person filming in the changing room,' don't take cameras in there
    81AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:49
    Re: #51
    Right, right
    You'd normally think celebrities would hate that kind of thing more
    66AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:47
    This could've ended with just one word, but she totally botched the response
    90AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:51
    Re: #66
    Seriously, this should've ended right away with 'my bad, I'll be more careful'
    It's the response afterward that makes her look like a problem
    69AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:48
    Then just don't do it, lol. It's not like someone's forcing her at gunpoint
    74AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:48
    Re: #69
    What exactly do you think she did, in your head?
    84AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:50
    If it's so scary, just quit already, lol

    Jumping into a minefield and dancing around is on you
    87AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:50
    Re: #84
    Quit doing what, exactly?
    92AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:52
    Just stop watching and stop posting then
    It's the celebrities who are desperately hunting for people to envy their high-class lifestyle
    123AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:59
    Guess we should forgive her hugging the Masakado tomb stone naked and licking soy sauce bottles too then (references to past unrelated celebrity prank scandals)
    128AnonymousSep 8, 2026 23:00
    Re: #123
    That kind of thing is just youthful indiscretion
    All that needed was for an adult to tell them 'that's not okay'

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The controversy began with a discrepancy between Itano’s own explanation and a weekly magazine’s report over whether she had permission to film in the changing room — a private space. Rather than a simple accusation of secret filming, the criticism centered on distrust of the facts themselves: after she initially explained that she had “obtained special permission from the hotel,” a subsequent report contradicted that claim. On the thread, opinion split over Shiraku’s phrase “as if hunting for prey every day” — some criticized the surveillance-like atmosphere of social media, while others countered that TV and weekly magazines have long profited from these controversies in much the same way. The pattern where a story that could have ended with a single word of apology instead drags on because of how the person handles it afterward is something that has repeatedly come up in similar past controversies.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “Tatekawa Shiraku on Tomomi Itano Backlash: ‘Just Say Sorry, I Lacked Common Sense, and It’s Over’ / ‘Social Media Is Truly Scary — Like It’s Hunting for Prey Every Day’.”

  • Hello! Project’s Best-Songs Debate: Fans Split Over ‘Resonant Blue’

    A thread on 5ch’s Hello! Project board titled “The Hello! Project best-songs top 4 has to be ‘Gatame Kira,’ ‘Resonant Blue,’ ‘What is LOVE?,’ and ‘Come with Me’” set off a wave of agreement and pushback. “Gatame Kira” got shot down almost instantly (“no way that’s making the list”), while “Resonant Blue” split opinion over whether it was genuinely beloved by fans or just a “village song” (a track adored mainly by staff and insiders, not the wider fanbase). Others chimed in with alternative picks like “MADAYADE” and “Wacha☆Future,” and some lamented a drop in songwriting quality over the last decade, turning the thread into a broader debate about generational differences in how fans view Hello! Project.

    1AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:06
    Taiyo to Ci-Scomoon
    "Gatame Kira"
    Morning Musume.
    2AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:08
    'What is LOVE?' has no business being on this list.
    3AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:09
    I mean, 'Rezo-buru' (short for Resonant Blue) is basically the poster child for the darkest part of the group's whole 'dark era,' if you ask me.
    5AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:11
    'Come with Me' is hard enough that it barely works without Hirose singing it, yet a surprising number of members still line up to cover it.
    6AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:13
    Please add 'Uchouten LOVE' to the list.
    9AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:24
    It's 'Gatame Kira,' 'Koi Revo' (short for Renai Revolution 21), 'The Peace!,' and 'Resonant Blue.'
    Those four are the foundation basically every current Hello! Project song is built on.
    10AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:27
    I think it's a catchy song, but… I don't know, give it a bit more thought.
    12AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:30
    There's no way 'Gatame Kira' makes the cut lol
    13AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:32
    No sugarcoating it:
    Summer Night Town
    Love Machine
    Resonant Blue
    Beyond Time, Beyond Space
    …yeah, it pretty much all comes back to Morning Musume.
    14AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:32
    Who's out here even rating 'What is LOVE?' that highly?

    The other three, sure, I get it even if I don't fully agree — but that one, no.
    15AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:33
    If we're talking Taiyo to Ci-Scomoon, 'Tsuki to Taiyo' (Moon and Sun) was their debut single and it's still their best.
    No idea why nobody ever covers it lol
    16AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:34
    I want to nominate 'Platonic Planet.'
    17AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:35
    So 'Janken Pyon' is a no-go? …Yeah, figured.
    18AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:35
    No 'MADAYADE'?? lolololol
    That's a god-tier track — hits hardcore fans and casual listeners alike.
    22AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:38
    Re: #18
    There are actually quite a few people who say the "biyo~n" bit is too goofy and it rubs them the wrong way.
    19AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:36
    So basically we're all agreeing Takahashi Yuichi is the GOAT here, right?
    20AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:37
    Can't believe 'Wacha☆Future' didn't make the list.
    21AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:37
    Funny how none of you ever pick the weird/off-the-wall songs when it actually comes down to it lol
    23AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:38
    There are way too many songs on my personal list that I love individually but, stepping back, aren't actually 'the best' objectively.
    24AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:39
    Like, the members' parents, the staff, all the older uncle-and-auntie-type fans back in the day — a ton of them were obsessed with 'Resonant Blue.'
    I figured I'd end up feeling the same way once I grew up, but nope, never happened lol
    It's not that I dislike it — it gets me pumped live — it just never made my list of favorites.
    26AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:41
    If you narrow it down to just the last 10 years, the quality really takes a nosedive:
    'Beat no Wakusei'
    '7-bu Zaki no Tsuzuki'
    'Hai to Diamond'
    'Celebrate Celebrate'
    27AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:43
    Was 'Resonant Blue' actually popular, though?
    All I remember is people calling it gloomy and depressing.
    My sense is its reputation only got rehabilitated later, once people started romanticizing it as a hidden gem.
    28AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:44
    Re: #27
    It was a massively popular song — the one and only track the old-guard fans (the type who trash-talk every new single) unanimously crowned a masterpiece.
    29AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:44
    My take is 'Resonant Blue' is the ultimate 'village song' — an insiders'/staff favorite more than a real fan favorite.
    30AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:45
    'Resonant Blue' is the only Hello! Project song I'll sing in public, and people are always floored when I tell them it's an idol song.
    31AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:46
    Why does it even need to be limited to the last 10 years?
    32AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:46
    I don't think it was popular with the general public or on the surface.
    But I heard all the time that the hardcore fans back then, plus the agency staff, show crew, and members' parents and families, all said 'Resonant Blue' was their favorite.

    So I figured, oh, it must be the kind of song music connoisseurs and grown-ups love.
    Thought maybe once I became a proper adult I'd come around to it too…
    but nope, my feelings never changed one bit from when I was twenty lol
    It gets me hyped live, but the lyrics don't land with me at all, and outside of a live performance it just doesn't move me.
    Still, I definitely don't dislike it.
    43AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:55
    Re: #32
    I mean, the general public didn't even know Hello! Project songs back then lol
    So there's no real "public opinion" to speak of in the first place.
    33AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:47
    Probably because it's hard to poke fun at Tsuno Maisa.
    34AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:48
    Re: #28
    Sorry, I was a Berryz Koubou fan back then so I guess my read on it was off.
    Of course I like the song too.
    35AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:48
    My impression is 'Resonant Blue' is actually less popular than 'Seku Bo' (Sexy Voice No.1).
    36AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:48
    Re: #1
    Guess you're just into the powerful, high-energy ones, huh.
    37AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:50
    I prefer the Juice=Juice cover of 'Resonant Blue.'
    39AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:51
    Re: #37
    That one was great.
    Even as a die-hard Morning Musume loyalist (a "Musume cultist"), I liked Juice=Juice's version too.
    38AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:50
    I don't know what the criteria for a 'village song' even are, but 'Resonant Blue' is a work of art that stands apart from today's festival-oriented, "as long as it's hype and goes viral it wins" style of songwriting.
    You could even call it Tsunku's own inner girl given musical form.
    42AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:54
    Didn't know there was a Runo version of 'Resonant Blue.'
    Whoa, I want to see that!
    44AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:56
    When it comes down to pure songwriting quality, it's inevitably the older tracks that win out.
    Tsunku at his peak was just on another level.
    46AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:57
    Don't be mean to me, just hold me tight
    Say Yeah, one more Miracle Night
    On this night that's as sweet as it is painful
    I'm seriously praying for peace on this Earth!
    48AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:59
    Re: #46
    All of those are outside the top 2000, surely.
    47AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:59
    Is 'Chihei Hongan' really better than 'Matenrou Show'?

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Hello! Project is the umbrella name for a family of idol groups whose songs Tsunku♂ produced for many years, with each group — Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou, Juice=Juice, and others — carrying its own distinct musical lineage. The term “village song,” which came up repeatedly in the thread, refers to a track that’s rated far more highly by insiders and staff than by the general fan base, and whether “Resonant Blue” fits that description was the central point of contention. Some also pointed out that quality drops off if you limit the discussion to the last decade, which likely reflects how much more varied the production setup has become in recent years. There’s no single correct answer for a “best four,” and the fact that people’s rankings shift depending on how long they’ve been a fan and which era they’re most attached to is exactly why these ranking threads tend to blow up.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Isn’t the Hello! Project best-4 songs just ‘Gatame Kira,’ ‘Resonant Blue,’ ‘What is LOVE?,’ and ‘Come with Me’?“

  • Ranmaru Kishitani’s Remark “My Goal in My 20s Is to Earn ¥1 Billion” Sparks Debate

    Businessman and TV personality Ranmaru Kishitani said on Miki Fujimoto’s YouTube channel that his goal for his twenties is to earn ¥1 billion, revealing he wants a massive house complete with a pool, pizza oven, and barbecue. The son of actor Goro Kishitani and singer Kaori Kishitani (of the band Princess Princess), his actual day job is running MMBH Inc., a company that helps students apply to universities abroad. He also admitted, “I’ve been earning way too much ever since I started appearing in the media.” On 5channel, reactions split between people calling the goal “a small dream” and others who, given his parents’ wealth, wondered if he’d already hit it.

    Tue, Sep 8, 9:10 PM

    Ranmaru Kishitani, businessman and TV personality and son of actor Goro Kishitani and singer Kaori Kishitani, appeared on an episode of TV personality Miki Fujimoto’s YouTube channel posted on the 8th, where he revealed the story behind his company’s name.

    Kishitani heads MMBH Inc., a company mainly offering support services for students applying to universities overseas. When Fujimoto asked him, “Which makes you more money, your main business or your entertainment work?” he candidly admitted, “In terms of revenue, it’s definitely my main business. But honestly, I’ve been earning way too much since I started appearing in the media.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:49
    Guess I'll crack open a beer while watching Peace-kun, the world's most famous capybara from Omiya Zoo, on YouTube
    4AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:50
    Wow.
    Because of this guy, his parents' reputation just tanked
    5AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:51
    Feels like he's headed for the same fate as Akira Shimizu's son (a notorious washed-up celebrity kid)
    8AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:53
    Is money all he ever talks about? Do whatever you want, but it just comes off as greedy and cheap.
    16AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:55
    A pure white Mercedes
    A penthouse with a pool
    The finest woman in bed, popping Dom Pérignon
    17AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:56
    Total parenting fail, honestly
    22AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:56
    Re: #17
    For a celebrity kid,
    not turning into a criminal already counts as a huge success
    18AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:56
    His parents already hit that goal ages ago
    19AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:56
    Guess having parents like that turns you into this nouveau-riche mindset
    20AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:56
    He's a company exec who's been all over TV and YouTube this much
    and he still hasn't made it?
    21AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:56
    He's probably got seed money and a safety net even if he screws up
    he can just get more from his parents
    so of course he's going to push it as far as it'll go
    24AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:57
    Uh, this is a Yahoo News article… right?
    26AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:57
    Wait, is his old man really that big of an actor to begin with?
    75AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:13
    Re: #26
    "Shin Jingi no Hakaba" (New Graveyard of Honor) is famous overseas too
    91AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:19
    Re: #26

    He's the voice actor for Ta-chan (from the anime "Jungle Emperor Ta-chan")
    and that anime's by the mentor of One Piece's creator
    so technically Ranmaru outranks One Piece

    His mom's probably already made around ¥1 billion just in royalties
    29AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:57
    What he's saying is even more childish than expected
    31AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:58
    Re: #1
    This is exactly the kind of thing that's fine lol, it's refreshingly honest lol
    Get a huge house, a pool, a pizza oven, and raise a retriever! That's the best lol
    34AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:00
    Sounds like a cheap dream straight out of a Hamashō song (nickname for musician Shogo Hamada)
    35AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:00
    By the way, his mom's probably sitting on ¥3 billion
    Apparently she once had a piano imported from Europe worth tens of millions of yen, and Goro Kishitani was floored by the scale of her spending
    36AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:00
    Kind of a small dream, isn't it
    Not about social impact or innovation or anything like that
    46AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:03
    Re: #36
    It's less a small dream and more that his mindset is still stuck in elementary school
    37AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:00
    Did he give up on that thing about running for Tokyo governor?
    38AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:00
    I wonder how much Princess Princess has made in lifetime royalties
    Probably well over ¥1 billion
    146AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:39
    Re: #38
    Still pulling in ¥50 million a year even now
    39AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:00
    You forgot the part about popping Dom Pérignon in bed with the finest woman
    40AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:01
    Someday I'm gonna
    slam Big Money
    down at his feet
    41AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:01
    Still, this kid didn't have any friends even while studying abroad
    42AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:02
    I'm done with this guy, hard pass just from the headline
    116AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:24
    Re: #42
    No need to come into the thread just to announce it, just quietly put him on your NG (block) list
    43AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:02
    I see this guy and Allen on web shows all the time, but I have no idea what demographic is actually into them
    45AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:03
    He seems to be in high demand everywhere, so he'll probably rake it in soon
    If he doesn't blow it on nonsense, he could buy that huge house in no time
    52AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:06
    Does that really need a billion? Lol
    56AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:07
    Re: #52
    Depends on the location, but in central Tokyo, a billion yen won't even cut it anymore
    79AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:15
    Gō-suke (nickname for Goro Kishitani) and Puri-Puri (Princess Princess) don't have enough pull to force their son into the spotlight
    He might've gotten his foot in the door because of them, but staying on TV for years after that is down to his own ability
    107AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:22
    Re: #79
    Isn't he probably signed with an agency like Amuse or something?
    95AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:19
    If you're a company exec, quit messing around on TV and actually do your job. TV's the kind of work people take up when their own business isn't going well.
    121AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:26
    Re: #95
    There's no reason to quit being a TV personality when you get free publicity and get paid on top of it
    Same with those "Minna de Ooyasan" (a real-estate investment scheme) guys — for some reason, being on TV just makes people trust you
    130AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:33
    I made ¥2 billion in my 30s! Through gambling mahjong! But the guy who lost won't pay up, so now I'm in trouble lol
    137AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:36
    Re: #130
    Should've taken a hanging scroll as collateral for the debt — then you could've gone on "Nandemo Kanteidan" (Japan's antiques-appraisal TV show) with it

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Ranmaru Kishitani is a businessman and TV personality, the son of actor Goro Kishitani and Kaori Kishitani of Princess Princess. His actual day job is heading MMBH Inc., a company that supports students applying to universities abroad, and on Miki Fujimoto’s stream he said his main business brings in more revenue while also admitting he’s “earning way too much since appearing in the media.” What split opinion in the thread was how to take his stated goal — earning ¥1 billion for a house with a pool, pizza oven, and barbecue. Some reacted to the sheer size of the number, while others pointed out that his mother, Kaori Kishitani, is said to still earn around ¥50 million a year just from Princess Princess royalties, suggesting that compared to his parents’ wealth, he may have “already achieved it.” There were also comments giving him credit for his track record as a businessman, showing a different tone from simple criticism of a “nepo-baby celebrity.” Note that some replies referenced alleged political remarks by him, but since these could not be confirmed in the source article, they are not treated as fact here.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Ranmaru Kishitani: “My goal for my 20s is to earn ¥1 billion,” “I want to buy a huge house and get these three things: a pool, a pizza oven, and a barbecue…”“

  • Kazu Laser gets his driver’s license — and is stunned by how bad Tokyo drivers are: “Nobody stops at stop signs”

    Kazu Laser, of the comedy duo Maple Chogokin, said on his YouTube show that after getting his driver’s license at age 42, he was shocked by how bad driving manners are in Tokyo. His comment that cars ignoring stop signs stood out sparked a wave of “I’ve experienced the same thing” replies on 5ch, while others countered with a driver’s-side argument that “whether you stop depends on the flow of traffic around you.” Some pointed to National Police Agency statistics showing that failing to stop is the single most-enforced traffic violation nationwide, and the discussion broadened into a wider debate about Tokyo’s traffic conditions in general.

    Sep 8 (Tue), 5:58 PM

    Kazu Laser (42), of the comedy duo Maple Chogokin, appeared in an episode of the YouTube channel “Kazu Laser and Shoinji’s Chill Room [Official],” updated as of the 8th, where he described being shocked by how bad driving manners are in Tokyo.

    Kazu Laser said that after getting his driver’s license, he noticed poor driving manners while driving around Tokyo.

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

    2AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:46
    Guess I'll crack open a beer while watching Peace-kun, the world's most famous capybara from Omiya Zoo, on YouTube
    4AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:47
    Such a beginner 🔰

    Everything's decided by the flow of traffic, baldy
    74AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:15
    Re: #4
    Idiot: "I was just going with the flow"
    Cop: "Not my problem"
    5AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:47
    There are ultra-morons out there who honk at you for actually stopping at a stop sign… scary stuff
    89AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:24
    Re: #5
    I got overtaken for stopping
    These people are insane
    7AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:47
    It's the old ladies on bicycles who never stop
    They don't stop even with a kid riding along
    And cutting diagonally across without even checking is brutal too
    8AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:48
    Please just drive safely instead of getting swept along with everyone else
    11AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:48
    Classic thing every new license holder goes through
    You hit a point where you truly start hating humanity
    And then it's a fork in the road — whether you go dark too or not
    13AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:49
    Try riding a motorcycle instead
    Drive it with a car mentality and you're guaranteed to get caught
    14AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:49
    On a two-lane road, just drive in the right lane from the start!
    Otherwise you have to keep merging right every time there's illegal parking blocking the way.
    15AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:50
    Illegal parking and blowing through stop signs are wrong no matter what the "flow" is
    18AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:51
    There are just too many people, so the number of rude drivers goes up too and they stand out more
    21AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:52
    Don't you normally get a ticket for not stopping?
    Especially at spots where nobody stops, cops usually stake those out — are there really no police in Tokyo? In Kanagawa you actually get ticketed for it
    23AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:53
    The only ones who come to a full stop are the goody-two-shoes

    Normal people just slow down
    25AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:53
    Sounds like he'll never manage to merge lol
    Amateurs shouldn't be driving
    26AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:53
    Actually stop at a stop sign and you'll get rear-ended — then buried in the mountains
    30AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:54
    Can't help it, he's a beginner
    Bet he actually obeys the speed limit too
    34AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:55
    Fumi Nikaidou told him to at least get a driver's license, and Kazu Laser finally did — at age 42
    39AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:58
    Re: #34
    That's just how it goes for guys who got weirdly stubborn about it back when they were single
    "Deliberately not getting a license" has zero upside
    35AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:56
    I'd heard Tokyo drivers had good manners
    Guess that was a lie?
    Still figured it'd be better than Osaka, Fukuoka, or Nagoya though
    90AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:24
    Re: #35
    For what it's worth, Tokyo actually tops the list for number of traffic accidents
    Probably because traffic volume there is overwhelmingly higher, but that still makes its roads the most dangerous, no question
    42AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:01
    Guess he's only bringing this up now that he's middle-aged

    Everyone else got this over with at 18, old man
    47AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:04
    Re: #42
    This is coming-of-age-ceremony-level conversation lol, everyone else finished this ages ago
    75AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:17
    I hear in some regions people turn left or right without ever signaling
    That's wild
    77AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:18
    Re: #75
    Signaling when there's no cars or people around is the dumb move lol
    87AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:24
    I'm shocked he never noticed this before
    Are your eyes just for decoration lol
    97AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:29
    Re: #87
    Getting a license does give you more legal knowledge and shifts your perspective, so of course you'll notice new things
    But since most license holders already went through this phase themselves, it's a bit much when someone rants about it foaming at the mouth

    The interviewer could've just teased him with:
    "Nah, everyone thinks that once they get their license. You graduated way too late lol"
    99AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:31
    Every car actually stops at stop signs
    There's no way a car just doesn't — that leads straight to an accident
    Like he said himself, he might be looking at some different set of rules
    He should get his eyes checked
    104AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:36
    Re: #99
    The graph above is based on the 2022 National Police Agency White Paper's "Traffic Violation Enforcement by Type (2020 and 2021)" data — the number of stop-sign violations enforced was 1,604,972 in 2020 and 1,588,628 in 2021, the highest of any violation category in both years.
    102AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:36
    My personal, gut-feeling impression of driving manners as a Kanagawa resident:

    Tokyo: won't even move aside for an ambulance
    Shiga: every time I go there I see an overturned car
    Kyoto/Osaka: aggressive, scary, out of their minds
    Hyogo: not as bad as Kyoto, but still reckless

    Kanagawa has good manners, pretty normal
    106AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:38
    Re: #102
    Nationally speaking, the Kanto region has good manners
    It's just Kansai that's out of its mind

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    National Police Agency statistics confirm that failing to stop at a stop sign is, year after year, the single most-enforced traffic violation across all categories (as cited in reply 104, from the 2022 National Police Agency White Paper). This suggests that treating stop signs as optional isn’t unique to Tokyo but a nationwide tendency, and that the legally baseless driving mentality of “going with the flow of traffic around you” tends to foster an atmosphere that excuses blowing through stop signs or forcing your way into merges. Commenters cited Tokyo’s high number of traffic accidents as evidence of “poor manners,” but that figure also reflects the fact that Tokyo’s traffic volume is overwhelmingly the highest in the country, so simply equating a high accident count with bad manners would be hasty. The fact that opinions were so divided when comparing driving manners across regions is also worth noting — most of these are subjective impressions rather than statistically grounded claims.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Kazu Laser gets his driver’s license… and is stunned by Tokyo’s poor driving manners: “Nobody stops at stop signs… what is this? Are they playing by different rules?”“

  • Man Makes It Home ‘Just Barely in Time’ Through Torrential Rain, Sweats Every Flooded Road Along the Way

    On the night of September 8, a thread titled “The boy who made it home safe” went up on 5channel’s News VIP board. In it, longtime tripcode-verified regular Kasa no Bon reported that he and his beloved car had made it home safely after driving through heavy rain. Chat ranged over how flooded the roads were, the correct way to apply the windshield water-repellent coating “Glaco,” and concern for the weather on the remote island of Himakajima — but at one point a rumor spread that he’d been “swept away by the floodwater,” which he personally had to deny.

    1AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:53
    Me
    4AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:54
    You said you got flooded!!!!!!!!!!!
    Why haven't you actually done it? 😫
    9AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:55
    Re: #4
    I don't want to.
    15AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:57
    Is your car doing okay with the rain (´・ω・｀)?
    19AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:57
    Re: #15
    It was just barely okay.
    16AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:57
    Glad to get a survival report — there was a whole thread going about Kasanobon getting swept away.
    20AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:58
    Re: #16
    Ugh, that's fake news.
    18AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:57
    I heard Kasanobon's car has a device that makes it explode once the odometer passes 30,000 km.
    21AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:58
    Re: #18
    Seriously?… better trade it in soon.
    22AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:59
    Did you put Glaco on your windshield?
    24AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:01
    Re: #22
    Bought some, haven't applied it yet.
    23AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:01
    Was the road flooded?
    I saw on the news that some flooded spots have already drained.
    25AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:01
    Re: #23
    Surprisingly, the water had receded.
    27AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:02
    Bon got swept away in the flood lol
    30AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:02
    Re: #27
    Which "Bon" are we talking about now?
    32AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:04
    Re: #30
    Bonbon's Eevee Heroes cards (a Pokémon card set) were bobbing along in the floodwater, and Bonby had a good laugh about it.
    34AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:06
    Re: #32
    M-my collection…!!
    36AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:07
    Got an email from Demae-can (a food delivery app) asking if I wanted to order delivery today.
    37AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:07
    Re: #36
    That email must make actual delivery drivers want to commit murder…
    39AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:10
    Re: #38
    The rain's insane in my area too right now
    Even with the windows shut it sounds like a waterfall.
    43AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:13
    Re: #39
    Stay safe out there…
    50AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:15
    Kasanobon takes forever in the bath, you know
    First time checking this thread in like two days and this is what I come back to.
    54AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:28
    Re: #50
    Going in now.
    53AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:22
    If I'd taken the train I might still not be home.
    57AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:29
    Re: #53
    Seriously, same.
    58AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:29
    Re: #54
    The Hustler (his Suzuki Hustler kei car) says: "I want a wash too."
    59AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:07
    Re: #58
    Guess I'll have to wash it then.
    78AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:40
    Re: #77
    Visibility in the car always tanks on rainy days, it's the worst.
    79AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:41
    Re: #78
    It's completely different from a sunny day, it's actually scary.
    82AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:42
    You've got to apply Glaco on a sunny day
    and then let it sit for a full day afterward.
    85AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:43
    Re: #82
    Got it! So I can't apply it yet, then.
    91AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:47
    I wonder if Himakajima is doing okay.
    93AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:49
    Re: #91
    Hope the sea isn't too rough out there.
    96AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:52
    Re: #93
    There's probably a ton of octopus out there! For sure! They're having themselves a takoyaki party.
    99AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:57
    Re: #96
    The octopuses doing the octopus dance.
    94AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:50
    Guess he likes her because Ano-chan (Japanese singer/tarento) is boyish too, *shiver*
    95AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:51
    Re: #94
    That's totally off though (typo for "zenzen chigau" apparently intended)
    110AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:02
    His introvert energy just leveled up
    113AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:02
    Re: #110
    Can't help it, that's just the role he plays.
    118AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:03
    I mean, it's supposed to pour again tomorrow too, right?
    120AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:05
    Re: #118
    Forget the sun, I just want things to hurry up and go gloomy already.
    122AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:05
    Re: #120
    Your typo is terrifying.
    125AnonymousSep 8, 2026 22:07
    Re: #120
    Dreary and depressing.

    Background and Talking Points

    Heavy rain hit many parts of Japan that day, and 5ch’s VIP board saw a wave of posts fretting over flooded roads and rising water. The thread’s original poster, Kasa no Bon, is a long-known tripcode-verified regular who has apparently had a “submerged in floodwater” thread pop up about him before — the same rumor resurfaced this time too, though he denied it himself. There’s no actual confirmation that his car or home ever flooded; this is simply an account of making it home safely through heavy rain, which is easy to misread. Commenters also noted that the water-repellent product “Glaco” needs to be applied on a clear day and left to set for a full 24 hours, since applying it right before a downpour won’t do much good — useful practical info buried in the thread. Some posters expressed concern for the weather on Himakajima island (in Aichi Prefecture), though no actual damage there is mentioned anywhere in the thread.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News VIP) thread “The boy who made it home safe wwwwwwwwww.”

  • Momoko Tanikawa Stuns With a Screamer From Near the Center Circle — Even German Media Left in Shock

    Momoko Tanikawa of Bayern Munich Women scored in the 18th minute of Matchday 3 of the Frauen-Bundesliga against Freiburg, burying a long-range strike from near the center circle in the opposition’s half after spotting the goalkeeper off her line. Bayern Women won the match 4-1, extending their perfect start to three wins from three, and German media reported the goal with astonishment. Reactions on 5channel were largely full of praise for Tanikawa’s decision-making in going for the long-range effort, while also sparking a lively debate comparing goalkeeper positioning and individual differences in kicking power in women’s soccer.

    German media reportedly couldn’t hide their astonishment at the golazo scored by Nadeshiko Japan midfielder Momoko Tanikawa.

    Bayern Women, featuring Tanikawa, hosted Freiburg at home in Matchday 3 of the Frauen-Bundesliga and cruised to a 4-1 win, securing three straight victories to open the season.

    Tanikawa put on a dominant performance in this match. In the 18th minute, she won the ball near the center circle in the opposing half and didn’t miss the fact that the opposing keeper had stepped off her line. Without a moment’s hesitation, she unleashed her right foot — the towering long-range shot sailed into the empty net for a spectacular opening goal.

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

    4AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:20
    Damn TV Tokyo deliberately pulled down the goal footage from the Brazil match once, didn't they?
    Seriously gross.
    5AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:20
    Didn't Kubo score an insane long-range shot like this a while back too?
    6AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:22
    The level of women's soccer is getting scary.
    Scary, just scary.
    7AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:22
    When you get shot on like that in women's soccer, there's nothing a keeper can do about it.
    8AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:23
    This girl just thinks differently from normal players.
    She's probably always looking to shoot on goal.
    9AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:24
    Re: #8
    I think her dad or someone told her to always shoot no matter how far out she is.
    10AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:24
    Meanwhile, over at Bayern Munich Men's, Ito has been frozen out of the squad plans.
    18AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:27
    Re: #10
    Didn't the sporting director and Kompany both deny that? They didn't say he's a guaranteed starter, but they said he's in the squad and there were no plans to sell him.
    11AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:25
    In women's soccer, Tanikawa's kicking power is just broken compared to everyone else.
    29AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:33
    Re: #11
    Utsuki, who used to play, had even more kicking power than that.
    16AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:26
    Shots like this are considered bad manners overseas, you know.
    36AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:38
    Is a long-range shot literally the only trick this player has?
    38AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:39
    Re: #36
    At the very least, she's way better than you, lol lol.
    39AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:39
    If there were data on the total distance of every goal she's scored, she'd probably rank #1 even counting men's soccer.
    68AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:01
    Re: #39
    In terms of single-shot distance, there have been a few keepers who scored directly off a punt kick.
    41AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:40
    Somebody get Kubo-kun to have her teach him how to shoot.
    46AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:43
    Re: #41
    Kubo's a "connector" type (a player who links up play rather than shoots), so he's not even looking to shoot in the first place.
    43AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:42
    But Nadeshiko Japan would lose 30-0 to a junior high team from Shizuoka, right? (lol)
    45AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:42
    Re: #43
    But she's still better than you.
    50AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:45
    Re: #43
    You'd get crushed even playing against elementary schoolers.
    47AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:43
    She's scored long-range goals like this many times before — keepers underestimate her, assuming a shot from that far won't reach because it's women's soccer, so they step up too far.
    53AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:46
    Re: #47
    I mean, regardless of men's or women's soccer, isn't it just normal in the modern game for keepers to step up and cover the space in front of them?
    55AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:49
    Guess Bayern Women are strong too, huh.
    56AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:53
    Re: #55
    Well, basically team strength is proportional to financial power.
    79AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:21
    Re: #55
    Bayern Women extended their unbeaten league run to 45 matches, setting a new Frauen-Bundesliga record.
    ttps://www.allfootballapp.com/ja/articles/5266486-45

    Wolfsburg used to be strong at the European level too, but lately Bayern is just dominant.
    57AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:55
    The position with the biggest gap between men's and women's soccer is goalkeeper.
    A shot like this wouldn't go in against a men's keeper.
    65AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:00
    Re: #57
    This is women's soccer, so that's irrelevant here.
    70AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:08
    Roberto Hongo (a mentor character from the soccer anime/manga Captain Tsubasa) always said, "If you can see the goal, shoot right away."
    71AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:10
    Re: #70
    In that world, the goal is literally beyond the horizon, after all.
    72AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:11
    Wait, there's a Japanese player at Bayern right now? And a woman? What's going on?
    73AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:12
    Re: #72
    If you don't know, don't force yourself into the thread, old man.
    75AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:15
    The level at the U-20 Women's World Cup currently being held in Poland has really shot up too.
    Check out the Canada vs. England match in Group B, the "group of death."
    The speed is on a completely different level from a few years ago — hard to believe this is U-20 women's soccer.
    78AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:20
    Re: #75
    Japan barely beat New Zealand after getting a penalty right at the end of the second half, so I can't expect much at all.

    Background and Talking Points

    Bayern Women, Tanikawa’s club, are off to a hot start with three straight wins to open the Bundesliga season, and as mentioned in post 79, they’re a powerhouse currently extending their unbeaten league streak. This long-range goal was a deliberate strike made after spotting the keeper’s positioning, and discussion in the thread centered mainly on praise for her judgment in “shooting before the keeper can get back to the ball.” At the same time, comparisons came up regarding goalkeeper positioning and reach in women’s soccer, but that’s a tactical topic rooted in physical differences between men’s and women’s soccer, not a knock on Tanikawa’s individual skill. Her “shoot the moment you see it” playing style isn’t new this season either — she’s scored similar long-range goals before, and that’s background that doesn’t come through in the article alone: this is shaping up to be a signature move of hers, not a one-off stroke of luck.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Soccer] German Media Stunned by Bayern’s Momoko Tanikawa’s “Super Long-Range Bomb”! “A Dream Goal From the Center Line”.”

  • Shuto Hits Rare Inside-the-Park Grand Slam — NPB’s First in 27 Years, Only 8th Ever

    In a game between the Nippon-Ham Fighters and the SoftBank Hawks, SoftBank’s Yukyo Shuto hit an inside-the-park grand slam. The ball caromed hard off the outfield fence, and when the Fighters’ outfielder failed to field it cleanly, Shuto was able to race all the way around to home plate. On 5ch, posts poured in expressing amazement at the sheer rarity of an “inside-the-park grand slam” and noting how few times it’s happened in NPB history, while others pointed to Nippon-Ham’s shallow outfield positioning and sloppy fielding as the real cause — opinions split over where to place the blame.

    1AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:48
    That's insane
    9AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:48
    Defense being trash aside, that's just way too fast
    10AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:49
    Guess that weakness they seemed to have overcome is back
    12AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:49
    And he wasn't even running that hard up to first
    16AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:49
    Thought it was a runner from first, turns out it was the batter coming all the way around
    20AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:50
    Isn't that carom fielding way too sloppy?
    He got way more bases than he should have
    22AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:50
    So they were playing that shallow on D that they gave up a running homer while trailing 1-6?
    Are they stupid?
    30AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:51
    Re: #22
    It hit the wall dead-on and center fielder Isobata couldn't handle the carom
    24AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:50
    Hasn't the Fighters' outfield defense dropped off a ton compared to a few years ago?
    29AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:51
    Never even heard of an inside-the-park grand slam before lol
    For real?
    42AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:54
    Re: #29
    1947: Akira Noguchi (Hankyu)
    1950: Kiyoharu Sakata (Hiroshima)
    1974: Sumio Hirota (Lotte)
    1977: Willie Davis (Chunichi)
    1989: Norio Tanabe (Seibu)
    1997: Taisei Takagi (Seibu)
    1999: Hiroki Kokubo (Daiei)

    It's the 8th time in 27 years, so no wonder nobody remembers it
    46AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:54
    Re: #42
    Wait, what was I even confusing this with…
    115AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:17
    Re: #42
    Doing it two years running was quietly impressive though
    31AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:51
    An inside-the-park homer happening at that ballpark (fans' own joking nickname for it) is brutal
    32AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:52
    The Fighters' defense is way too bad right now
    Might be the first time I've ever heard of a "running grand slam"
    45AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:54
    Re: #32
    Sounds like Kokubo pulled it off once before too
    34AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:52
    They were only struggling (basically even) because it's Es Con Field — once they're back at their home dome, this is exactly how it goes
    36AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:53
    Result of getting inspired by Shuto and diving into the fence
    38AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:53
    They brought in Isobata as a defensive replacement and this insane thing happens lol
    Meanwhile Shuto's over there stringing together highlight-reel plays
    39AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:53
    The Fighters sure know how to keep a game from getting boring
    41AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:54
    Brought in a defensive replacement for the outfield and immediately gave up an inside-the-park homer lmaooo
    43AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:54
    THIS is the power of the Hawks!!!!!!
    44AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:54
    Never seen an inside-the-park grand slam before
    47AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:55
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    49AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:55
    https://x.com/PacificleagueTV/status/2097292025414684949
    Pacific League TV clip's up
    62AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:56
    Re: #49
    Shuto's way too fast man
    Even the announcer mistook him for a runner from first — honestly, fair enough
    78AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:58
    Re: #49
    He got home like 5 times faster than I expected, lmao
    84AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:59
    Re: #49
    Right when the overhead camera angle kicked in, it cut away before the important part, lol
    58AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:56
    This game really reminded everyone how much defense matters
    65AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:56
    Re: #58
    Though manager Shinjo apparently isn't going to be reminded of anything
    89AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:01
    Re: #58
    Watch any Hawks-Fighters game and you'll get reminded every single time
    71AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:58
    Wait, you hit one too?

    https://youtube.com/shorts/lswg_aKiX_Y
    114AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:16
    Re: #71
    Kokubo's was a ball that got past a shallow defense with nobody behind it, so that one's understandable
    Today's one, if they'd just fielded the carom off the wall properly, is a triple at most
    90AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:02
    Why was a position player pitching?
    94AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:03
    Re: #90
    He's from Fukuoka, so it's a little treat for the hometown fans
    110AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:13
    Re: #90
    And apparently he shut them down too
    105AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:09
    Wonder how much Shuto's WAR jumped today
    Two homers plus insane defense on top of it
    112AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:14
    Re: #105
    Probably went up like 15 points or something
    118AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:21
    Record over the last 10 games
    vs SoftBank: 0-2-1
    vs Rakuten: 3-0
    vs Lotte: 3-0
    vs Seibu: 1-0
    119AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:22
    Re: #118
    Serving themselves up as cold cuts for the Hawks lmaooo (pun on "Ham" — Nippon-Ham)
    122AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:28
    Re: #118
    Beat Seibu but lose to the "toilet bowl" team?
    What an assist machine (a mocking nickname rival fans use)

    Background and Talking Points

    An inside-the-park grand slam happens when the ball doesn’t clear the fence — often caroming hard off the wall — and the batter, capitalizing on a defensive miscue, circles the bases alone to score. It’s far rarer than a standard home run. As the thread notes, this is only the 8th such instance in NPB history, starting with Akira Noguchi in 1947, and the first since Hiroki Kokubo’s in 1999 — 27 years ago — which explains why it’s such an obscure, hard-to-recall event. Opinions in the thread split over the cause: some blamed Nippon-Ham’s decision to play a shallow outfield in the first place, while others zeroed in on the specific error of failing to field the carom off the wall cleanly. Shuto also had a big day overall, including a home run, which drove posts praising his combined offensive and defensive performance. That said, figures like the WAR increase mentioned in the thread are fan speculation, not official statistics, and should be read as such. Comments about Nippon-Ham’s outfield defense read as criticism of the team’s defensive setup rather than attacks on any individual player.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nanademo Jikkyo G) thread “Shuto’s inside-the-park grand slam wwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Kitagawa Rio’s Golden Week ‘girls trip with fellow batchmates’ photo goes viral — fans argue over who’s actually in it

    Idol Kitagawa Rio posted a photo on social media that she said was taken during a “girls trip with fellow batchmates” (同期, dōki — people who joined/debuted the same year) over Golden Week. Since she gave no explanation of which batchmates were actually in the shot, posters on the 5ch forum threw out three names — Suzuki Serino, Homare, and Mei — and launched into a not-quite-detective hunt for the mystery companions, poring over details like the angle of an arm and a shadowy figure in the background. Opinions split between those backing her groupmates Homare and Mei, and those backing a batchmate from an entirely different field, and the thread rolled on without ever reaching a clear conclusion.

    1AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:26
    Yeah, I'm curious which "batchmate" this is too.
    Given the angle, isn't it pretty clearly Homare?
    5AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:30
    I keep saying this lol
    Only open the thread if you're curious about her or think she's cute lol
    When people want folks like that to click in, that's when they say "just trust me and take a look"
    6AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:31
    Looks like the expression she used to make a lot around Homare and Mei (fans call the pair "Homamei")
    7AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:31
    Re: #1
    It's rare to see her leave the crease from her double-eyelid surgery this exposed
    9AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:31
    The arm visible in the background isn't "Panda's" (apparently a nickname for someone close to her)
    10AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:32
    There's another girl in the back
    There's a girl taking the photo
    So it's the three from the 15th class?
    12AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:34
    It's probably her announcer-track batchmate (アナ→穴, forum slang for announcer)
    With Homare and Mei it's probably just a group LINE chat popping up on birthdays or something, if that
    13AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:34
    It should just be Homare and Mei, period — there's no "which batchmate" about it
    16AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:42
    It's not just announcers — it means batchmates at TV Tokyo in general, right?
    25AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:47
    Re: #16
    How many TV Tokyo batchmates does she even have?
    Her only announcer-track batchmate is Suzuki Serino, right?
    18AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:44
    Why show off only the girls?
    30AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:49
    Re: #18
    It's for her jealous boyfriend's benefit
    20AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:46
    That's the college batchmate who leaked her LINE messages, isn't it
    Guess they made up — so sweet of Kita-chan
    21AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:46
    Well, I guess
    if Homare and Mei had a packed work schedule over Golden Week, then it's probably her TV Asahi batchmate
    22AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:46
    Homare is impersonating Serino
    23AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:47
    Do people even say "batchmate" for college lol
    26AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:48
    Re: #19
    It says batchmate "GIRLS"
    If it were the 15th-gen group, there'd be no need to add "girls"
    31AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:49
    Re: #26
    Ah, I see
    This might be the smoking gun
    I figured Serino-chan was her only batchmate
    but there must be hundreds of non-announcer TV Asahi employee batchmates, men and women both
    27AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:48
    If it's TV Tokyo, there should be other female batchmates too
    it's probably not limited to the announce department
    28AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:49
    She's in the middle of her spring tour — can she even go on a trip during Golden Week?
    33AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:51
    Rio-chan and Homare/Mei genuinely still hang out, so I thought this might be a subtle hint at that, but doesn't look like it
    Reading through here, the evidence just keeps piling up
    34AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:51
    There was a photo from the company entrance ceremony somewhere, right?
    Weren't there something like 30 batchmates total, men and women?
    35AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:52
    This girl is also a TV Tokyo batchmate
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HP9IALyacAAxI6Q.jpg
    44AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:58
    Re: #35
    Huh
    I figured TV show directors were seasoned pros with years of proven results, but I guess a newbie can just get handed the job straight away

    You often see YouTube channels billed as "a channel launched by a former [Network] TV director" to sound impressive
    but I guess that's not such a big deal after all lol
    37AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:55
    Calling out how the senpai use given names for Homare and Mei but only call her "Kitagawa," or scolding people for still treating Homare and Mei like babies even after they became high schoolers
    looking back on it now, it's stopped being funny
    40AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:56
    Alright, girls trip
    Still safe and sound, our Rio-rio
    41AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:56
    And yet she said this before:

    "5:00 PM was supposed to be my interview slot, but somehow Homare went first lol — I'm the busiest one here, so let me speed things up"
    42AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:57
    The idol world really is messed up, making a huge fuss just because someone has a boyfriend
    A female announcer having a boyfriend doesn't get her dragged like that
    46AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:59
    Re: #42
    Maybe she's just not popular enough for anyone to care
    68AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:25
    Re: #42
    Well, idols and announcers are just different, obviously
    45AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:58
    Panda-san wishing Rio-chan a happy birthday made me tear up
    47AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:00
    Rio-rio belongs to everyone
    She's not anyone's yet
    62AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:17
    The moment the previous Kitagawa thread died down, a new one popped up
    was there something toward the end nobody wanted brought up?
    65AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:22
    Re: #62
    Skip the weird innuendo and just say it straight
    66AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:24
    So does that mean down the road Rio-chan could end up on the production side at TV Tokyo, or in management, or sales, that kind of track?
    I've never actually worked as a proper company employee myself, so I'm just guessing based on stuff my customers, friends, and family with real corporate jobs have said lol
    69AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:32
    Re: #66
    Are you the guy who's always starting threads about Aoi and Getter?

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    In the idol world, the exact line-up of “batchmates” — members who debuted or joined the same year — tends to become a hot topic every time someone posts on social media. Because batchmates often appear together, fans piecing together who’s in a photo from details like poses and half-remembered past interactions is a familiar ritual on Hello! Project-related forums. This time opinions split because posters didn’t agree on what “batchmate” even meant in this context: some backed her in-group batchmates Homare and Mei, while others backed a batchmate from an entirely different field, like Suzuki Serino. Since Kitagawa herself hasn’t clarified anything, neither side has moved past speculation. The thread also touched on friendship troubles and celebrity dating rumors, but those comments were based on individual posters’ memories or hearsay, not confirmed fact. Readers should keep in mind that the identity of the person in the photo remains unconfirmed, and the surrounding anecdotes are unverified.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Unbearably cute Kitagawa Rio-chan: “A photo taken during a girls trip with batchmates over Golden Week 📷” — which batchmate is this? Serino-chan? Homare? Mei?“.

  • Hiroshima’s Old Place Name ‘Yagi Jarakuji Ashidani’ Draws Attention as an Ancient Landslide Warning

    The old place name “Yagi Jarakuji Ashidani,” once used in Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima City, has become a hot topic again on 5channel’s Science News board. Read as “Yagi Jarakuji Ashidani,” the name is said to combine the image of a debris flow slithering down a valley like a snake with the meaning of a dangerous, easily-collapsing valley (“Ashidani” = “evil valley”). After a major landslide disaster struck the area in 2014, this place name drew attention as a “warning from our ancestors.” Commenters on the thread were split — some argued old place names should be put to use in disaster prevention, while others pointed out that modern topographic maps and hazard maps are more practical.

    Last updated:

    12 hours ago

    The old place name for the Yagi district in Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima City — “Yagi Jarakuji Ashidani” — conveyed the danger of landslides, and drew renewed attention after the major debris flow disaster of 2014.

    Source: x.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:00
    Real estate agents just rename places however they like whenever there's development or redevelopment.
    You practically have to pore over old maps just to decide where to live.
    3AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:15
    Re: #2
    Just learn to read a modern topographic map.
    4AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:18
    Re: #3
    Do you even understand the thread title?
    8AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:32
    Re: #4
    Old maps don't show you the actual terrain, and terrain itself sometimes changes between then and now.
    Near my place there's a spot where a company quarried the mountain right out of existence.
    If you're deciding where to live today, today's terrain is what matters most — modern topographic maps and hazard maps should be your first priority.
    Old maps are, at best, a secondary thing to check when something feels off.
    9AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:43
    Re: #8
    This isn't really anything more than a hobby for history buffs.
    5AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:21
    Wasn't this whole thing supposed to be a debunked myth?
    6AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:29
    Why is 'Yagi' supposed to be the bad part? The rest of the name is basically about low-lying ground, right?
    You'd think you could tell just by looking at the local terrain, without even needing the place name.
    10AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:45
    Re: #6
    'Yagi' (八木) itself isn't a bad meaning — it's a breakdown of the character for 'rice' (米), so if anything it's a positive one.
    You can't rule out there was once a hidden rice paddy here, but I'd guess they just used the convenient 'Yagi' because the imagery suggested eight snakes falling from a tree. Just speculating though.
    20AnonymousSep 8, 2026 16:04
    Re: #6
    > On its own, 'Yagi' (八木) can mean 'a narrow little valley in the mountains'
    > During the Great East Japan Earthquake, a residential area called 'Yagiyama' on the outskirts of Sendai also suffered landslide damage
    Beyond 'Yagi':
    > The character 梅 ('ume', plum) often derives from 埋め ('ume', meaning 'buried/filled in'), referring to ground buried by past landslides
    > 'Sarutahiko shrines' are common in areas prone to ground collapse
    > Kanji like 川 (river), 江 (inlet), 橋 (bridge), and 深 (deep) tend to appear in soft-ground areas that shake easily in earthquakes and carry liquefaction risk
    > The fact that major stations in big cities sit on soft ground shows up in place names like 'Yaesu' and 'Umeda'
    30AnonymousSep 8, 2026 18:39
    Re: #6
    Who's gonna be fine with eight fallen trees coming down the slope at them?
    7AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:29
    Reading: Yagi Jarakuji Ashidani
    Origin: The name is said to liken a violently rushing debris flow to "a snake falling down," while also carrying the meaning of "Ashidani" (evil valley — an easily-collapsing, dangerous valley), making it a place name believed to warn of a history of past disasters and danger.
    11AnonymousSep 8, 2026 13:46
    No matter how much you dig into old place names, if there's illegal fill dirt piled up upstream, you're screwed anyway. What matters is the current situation.
    21AnonymousSep 8, 2026 16:17
    Re: #1
    Even without the original place name, I think it's enough to remember the ancestors' warning:
    don't build a house right at the foot of a mountain or next to a river.
    22AnonymousSep 8, 2026 16:18
    Re: #21
    There's one more: the top of a hill — because you're exposed to sun and storms.
    23AnonymousSep 8, 2026 16:35
    Re: #20
    Sorry, but I don't get why 'Yagi' would mean 'a narrow little valley in the mountains.'
    26AnonymousSep 8, 2026 17:27
    Re: #23
    'Tani' (谷, on-reading: 'ya') +
    'kiwa' (edge)

    shortened to 'Yagi'

    Guess you'd have to rack your brain pretty hard to come up with a pun-based etymology like that.
    28AnonymousSep 8, 2026 17:31
    So we've finally reached the point where threads get started from AI summaries.
    Time to replace every single cap holder (users with special thread-starting privileges on 5ch).
    If you're gonna call yourself the Science News board, at least get your sources straight.
    32AnonymousSep 8, 2026 18:42
    Re: #28
    It even creates the threads itself.
    https://kes.5ch.io/newsbot/
    35AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:31
    I'm pretty sure there was a sabo dam (erosion-control check dam) upstream on that mountain.
    36AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:36
    It's not like anyone lives there because they want to.
    41AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:15
    What about the Kuzuryū River? (lit. "Nine-Headed Dragon River" — another ominous-sounding place name)
    43AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:26
    "Don't live near Yagi" — that one's genuinely true.
    — Dai-ichi Life (playing on the insurance company's ad-slogan style)
    44AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:28
    I'm partial to "Akumasawa Akudo" (lit. "Devil's Marsh, Evil Hamlet") myself.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    In August 2014, a major landslide disaster struck Asaminami and Asakita Wards in Hiroshima City, causing catastrophic damage and numerous deaths centered on the Yagi district. It later became widely known that the area’s old place name had been “Yagi Jarakuji Ashidani,” and the narrative spread that people of the past had used the place name to warn of danger. Opinions in the thread were divided on how far old place names can actually be put to use for disaster prevention. Some pointed out that many old names have already been lost to housing development and map renaming, and that terrain itself can change afterward due to things like quarrying — making “today’s hazard maps and topographic maps more practical” — while others held that “place names are still worth heeding as a warning passed down from our ancestors.” Some comments also raised patterns suggesting that certain kanji, such as 梅 (ume), 江 (e), and 橋 (hashi), point to soft ground or flood risk, but readers should keep in mind these are empirical rules of thumb, not academically rigorous confirmation of any individual place name’s origin.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5channel (Science News+) thread “[Hiroshima] Old Place Name “Yagi Jarakuji Ashidani” Warning Draws Attention as Ancestral Wisdom.”