Japan Reacts

Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Kou Itakura Withdraws from January’s Asian Cup to Focus on Club, 5ch: ‘Unprecedented’

    Defender Kou Itakura, who has returned to Borussia Mönchengladbach, has told the club he wants to withdraw from next January’s Asian Cup and focus entirely on his club career, according to a German newspaper. Some see the absence of Itakura — who captained Japan at the World Cup after injured skipper Endo went down — as a real blow to Moriyasu’s squad, but on 5ch opinion is split, with comments like “the Asian Cup isn’t worth that much anyway” and “Taniguchi can be captain instead.”

    Defender Kou Itakura (29), who has returned to Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach, has told the club he wishes to withdraw from next January’s Asian Cup, where Japan’s national team will compete, German media reported on the 20th. He reportedly informed the club’s management that he wants to stay with the team.

    If Japan reaches the final of the tournament, Mönchengladbach could be without him for up to six matches. That’s convenient for the club, but a concern for the Japan national team — in what will be manager Hajime Moriyasu’s final tournament in charge — since it would lose the player who captained the side at the World Cup in North/Central America after Endo’s injury.

    Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here

    5AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:33
    Taniguchi should be captain through the Asian Cup — honestly would've been better at the World Cup too.
    6AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:36
    At his age, he probably won't get called up for the national team again anyway.
    7AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:37
    Eh, the Asian Cup isn't worth that much anyway.
    8AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:39
    Well, Gladbach basically saved his career, so it's fine.
    We already know what he can do.
    9AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:40
    Zion should focus on his club too.
    Just call up Bryan Kokubo for GK.
    10AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:41
    A second bailout in six months — guess enough is enough.
    He's in danger of losing his spot at his 'day job' (his club).
    11AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:41
    Going by his last World Cup performance, Japan doesn't need him.
    12AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:43
    Sudden or not, the captain pulling this is rough…
    Moriyasu Japan has zero sense when it comes to picking the No.10 and the captain.
    Seriously, just give the No.10 and captaincy to someone actually popular for once.
    70AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:33
    Re: #12
    Adidas.
    13AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:44
    Let Mitoma, Zion, and Tomiyasu skip it too while you're at it.
    16AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:49
    He's basically the soccer version of Hideki Matsui (baseball legend who skipped the national team for MLB).
    National team fans are probably gonna hate him for it.
    18AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:52
    Honestly, he's not good enough to be captain.
    19AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:53
    Guess this proves his mentor Nagatomo's influence did nothing (lol)
    20AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:53
    His passion doesn't hold a candle to Nakazawa "the fisherman" (former Japan captain Yuji Nakazawa, known for his fishing hobby).
    Well, good luck at the club — feels like he could be surplus to requirements there soon too.
    22AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:55
    Even when he does show up for the national team, he's always out of shape or injured.
    He's just not a guy you can rely on when it actually matters.
    25AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:57
    The real reason is probably his wife giving birth.
    26AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:57
    I mean, do we even need him?
    Thinking about it normally, not really.
    28AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:58
    A guy this flaky can't handle being captain.
    Honestly not sure why he's even on the national team talent-wise.
    Just strip him of the captaincy.
    29AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:58
    Well, Japan's got plenty of talent to choose from these days.
    31AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:00
    Anyway, I just want to see Yuito Suzuki play lol
    33AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:01
    If it were a new manager, sure, but there's injury risk and it's still Moriyasu — not much reason to go, really.
    34AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:01
    Pretty selfish, huh.
    40AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:05
    Re: #34
    Same reason he left Urawa Reds too — "didn't get along with the manager."
    35AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:01
    Got himself a beautiful wife too —
    time to focus on life at home.
    38AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:04
    Asian Cup: Jan 11 – Feb 5, 2027
    Bundesliga winter break: Dec 20, 2026 – Jan 8

    So the whole tournament falls smack in the middle of the regular season.
    I thought the Bundesliga took a long break in January, but it turns out it starts back up pretty much right after New Year's.
    39AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:04
    Don't really think he's necessary anyway, but
    withdrawing five months before the tournament when the captain isn't even injured — that's unheard of.
    72AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:35
    If Japan were consistently making the World Cup quarterfinals, I could get why people start looking down on the Asian Cup,
    but the reality is the best they've managed is a round-of-32 exit, with zero titles to show for it.
    Fans have just developed this weird inflated pride too — their whole self-esteem is probably propped up by the FIFA ranking and "quality of play" they used to mock, huh? lol
    74AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:37
    Well of course the Europe-based players don't want to play an Asian Cup under a manager whose contract's already up.
    84AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:45
    World Cup > Haruna Kawaguchi (a Japanese actress) > Asian Cup

    Can't really argue with that priority list.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread ‘[Soccer] Itakura, back at Borussia Mönchengladbach, set to withdraw from January’s Asian Cup — signals intent to focus on club’.

  • Crying Babies Spark Fierce Debate Among NanJ Users: ‘5ch: Crying Is a Baby’s Job — It’s the Parents Who Won’t Comfort Them That Piss Us Off’

    The debate kicked off with a claim from users of “NanJ” (a 5ch discussion board) that while a baby crying on the train is unavoidable, it’s the parents who fail to comfort them who are in the wrong.

    Single and married users clashed over whether parents should keep apologizing until the baby stops crying, and whether using a stroller on a packed train is acceptable — the discussion eventually widened into a broader debate over whether the minority should simply have to put up with it.

    1AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:17
    You see this on NanJ and other social media too — it's such a dumb, gross mindset. They actually seem to think babies can just stop crying on command.
    8AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:22
    A NanJ user who's never actually done childcare: "Childless singles have NO idea how hard babies are!" Oooh, look at meee, defending all the moms of the world, so coool~ (mocking, sing-song delivery)
    ↑ Sounds like he dumps all the actual childcare on his wife.
    16AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:30
    Re: #8
    Huh?? What are you even basing that on?
    12AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:24
    Got drunk enough to yell "SHUT UP!!" at the crying baby — the baby, the other passengers, and even I went dead silent.
    38AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:41
    Re: #12
    Sounds like the type to be day-drinking and wandering around town.
    15AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:30
    Not "make it stop crying" — just don't bring the baby out, drive instead.
    21AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:31
    Re: #15
    If you can't handle hearing a baby cry, YOU'RE the one who should drive instead.
    19AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:30
    I'm just saying show at least SOME effort to try and deal with it. Huh? Come on now.
    22AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:32
    Re: #19
    So if it cries for an hour, you keep doing that for a whole hour???
    30AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:34
    Re: #22
    Of course. Why should I have to feel uncomfortable because someone else's kid is screaming? Did I choose to have that baby?
    31AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:35
    Re: #22
    A baby crying nonstop for a whole hour isn't normal. If that's really happening, something more serious needs to be dealt with.
    37AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:41
    Re: #31
    Sometimes it cries even after you've dealt with it. Sometimes "dealing with it" just means waiting it out. And sometimes babies cry for over an hour for no reason at all.

    Is that some kind of illness?
    35AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:39
    I don't even ride packed trains, I'm not some bottom-tier loser… that's lower than a country bumpkin.
    40AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:42
    Re: #35
    Re: #35
    There are cases besides packed trains too, you know.
    39AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:42
    Crying is a baby's job, so that's fine. What pisses me off is when the parents don't even try to comfort them. Take proper care of your kid.
    41AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:43
    Re: #39
    Thinking that if you just keep comforting a baby it's guaranteed to stop crying is exactly the mindset of someone whose whole idea of "raising" something comes from video games.
    44AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:46
    Babies are one thing, but a loud kid acting up is on the parents.
    45AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:50
    Re: #44
    There are all kinds of kids out there.
    46AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:50
    I've been seeing a lot of married-guy threads lately. Nice to see NanJ's married population steadily growing.
    50AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:59
    Re: #46
    Even for a single, low-status guy, if you want to attack someone using "justice" as your weapon, silence is the perfect tool.

    Because "doing nothing" becomes righteous.

    It's honestly bizarre that internet users are okay with that.

    Isn't it about time that changed?
    48AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:54
    I'm a married dad myself, but even so, parents who don't even look sorry about it genuinely piss me off.
    55AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:11
    Re: #48
    I feel like that doesn't match reality.

    Right when the baby starts crying, they usually do the whole (oh, so sorry — *bow*) thing, right?
    If you happen to miss that moment, does it count as "not looking sorry"?
    That's ridiculous.

    Or is the correct answer to keep a solemn face and chant "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" nonstop until the baby stops crying?
    49AnonymousAug 20, 2026 07:56
    Honestly, people are annoyed at the baby itself, but since criticizing a baby makes YOU the bad guy, they just dodge it by blaming the parents instead.
    56AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:11
    Re: #49
    That's just you reading too much into it because you're the "politically correct" type who treats even a baby as an independent "individual."
    In my view, a kid throwing a tantrum and screaming isn't really its own "individual" — it's more like "property under the parent's management."
    So what actually pisses me off is directly the parent's lack of management.

    You're free to think whatever you want, but don't just make up assumptions and lob criticism that misses the point.
    73AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:20
    Re: #49
    There are even some adults out there who can't control their own emotions — there's no way anyone's actually mad at a newborn baby.
    52AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:01
    Re: #47
    I'm hideously ugly, and it's not like I'm actively trying to bother anyone, but just my appearance alone can make people uncomfortable — so in real life I live with an apologetic attitude about it.
    In the same way, shouldn't the parents of a screaming kid carry that same apologetic attitude, even if the crying itself isn't really their fault?
    82AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:27
    Re: #52
    No, the parents ARE responsible — they're the ones who chose to have the baby and chose to bring it on the train.
    That said, I get wanting them to show an apologetic attitude.
    Just try not to pile on the criticism too much, alright.
    54AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:08
    You're inconveniencing the people around you, so the least you can do is act apologetic about it.
    62AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:13
    Re: #54
    "Act apologetic" — what does that even mean?
    A single "oh, sooorry" face and a little bow — that's enough, right?
    Pretty much everyone does at least that much.
    So either you missed the "sorry," or they did it and you still didn't forgive them, or you're just imagining some strawman parent who doesn't exist.
    58AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:12
    Re: #55
    I'm not saying chant "sorry" nonstop, but at least keep an apologetic look on your face until the crying stops.
    Too many parents these days do a little apologetic bow the second the crying starts, then go dead-faced a few seconds later and start scrolling their phone.
    That genuinely pisses people off.
    63AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:14
    Sorry, but could single men just stop riding packed trains? Stroller users are struggling because of you. Take a Luup (rental e-scooter) or your own car to work instead.
    69AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:18
    Re: #64
    That used to be normal, back in the day.
    From where I stand, your modern sensibility is the weird one.
    This is just a difference in values, so arguing over who's "right" is pointless, and I'll leave it there — but remember, nobody's proven your sense of things is correct either.
    The world doesn't revolve around me, but it doesn't revolve around you either.
    Don't get the wrong idea.
    83AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:27
    Re: #69
    "That used to be normal," you say —
    I was born in the Heisei era so I have no way of knowing the vibe of the Showa era, but I don't think that was true even in Heisei.

    Well, no use arguing about that now.
    The correct answer to "who does the world revolve around" is "no one" — that IS the correct answer.
    Given that, if the whole issue could be solved by a few adults just putting up with it, I don't think we should be piling more burden onto people already struggling through parenting.

    Also, if we're going to pretend the world has to revolve around someone, I'd say it should be "the children."
    88AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:30
    Re: #83
    If the logic is "the minority should put up with it," then it's the PARENTS who'd have to put up with it — they're the minority.
    92AnonymousAug 20, 2026 08:31
    Re: #83
    If "the minority should put up with it" is the rule, then these days parents are the minority, so "parents just bow and grin and bear it" settles the matter, right? Though that whole "the minority should put up with a bit" philosophy is really just your own personal value judgment anyway.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nanademo Jikkyo G) thread “Single NanJ guy: ‘Crying babies are fine, but parents who don’t stop them are NOT! (That’s a valid argument!)’ ← lol this guy“.

  • Kubo Takefusa starts in season opener but fails to make an impact — Real Sociedad falls 0-1 to Betis

    Kubo Takefusa started at right midfield in Real Sociedad’s season opener against Betis, but was substituted for Oyarzabal in the 58th minute. Sociedad opened the season with a 0-1 loss.

    On the 5ch “Geisokusoku+” sports board, threads quickly filled up with comparisons to Lee Kang-in, who scored the winning goal for Atletico Madrid that same day. While some posters defended Kubo by pointing to his season-opening goal tally and Man of the Match count, plenty of others criticized him for over-dribbling and slow decision-making.

    <La Liga: Betis 1-0 Real Sociedad> ◇ Matchday 2 ◇ August 21 (August 22 JST) ◇ Seville

    Japan international midfielder Kubo Takefusa (25) started in Real Sociedad’s season-opening match against Betis, but was substituted in the 58th minute without having scored.

    Due to a quirk in the fixture schedule, this was Matchday 2 but still the first match of the new season for both clubs. Playing right midfield in a 4-2-3-1 on the road, Kubo flashed his sharp dribbling at times, beating multiple defenders. But he couldn’t create a real chance, and was replaced by Spain international forward Oyarzabal in the 58th minute, heading to the bench.

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:07
    Kubo starts, no goals, no assists, Sociedad loses

    Lee Kang-in scores the winner to lead Atletico to victory

    Why the gap between Kubo and Lee Kang-in?
    43AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:39
    Re: #3
    Lee Kang-in → 1 opening-day goal
    Kubo → 3 opening-day goals
    Lee Kang-in → can't recall him ever winning a La Liga MOM
    Kubo → too many La Liga MOMs to keep count of

    One opening-day goal isn't nearly enough ammo to troll with yet.
    106AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:28
    Re: #3 and the antis are already giddy, lol
    Probably been mashing refresh waiting for this thread to drop
    Sure, Kubo was disappointing, but maybe put that passion into something else?
    5AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:09
    Turns out he really was just an early bloomer, lol
    Maybe next year he can make his triumphant return to the J.League (lol) and be king
    The same J.League (lol) where a washed-up guy like Kagawa can still shine
    6AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:09
    He's basically just become 'a decent player' at this point, nothing more.
    18AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:17
    Re: #6
    Kubo turns 25 this year
    He's not really 'young' anymore
    Once 'young' — his biggest weapon — was gone, Kubo really did become a player with nothing left.
    7AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:09
    Wait, Riquelme? THE Riquelme?
    8AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:11
    Atletico was one of the big clubs Kubo's stans hoped he'd move to.
    The one who actually joined Atletico wasn't Kubo — it was Lee Kang-in.
    And Lee Kang-in immediately scores the winning goal to lead Atletico to victory in the opener.
    Meanwhile Kubo, with zero offers, is stuck at Sociedad, goes scoreless and assist-less in the opener, and relegation-candidate Sociedad loses.

    Wonder how the Kubo stans who used to trash Lee Kang-in while hyping up Kubo are feeling right now.
    10AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:12
    Not even the Liverpool rumors come up anymore.
    11AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:13
    Watched his touch compilation and it was rough
    Where exactly was he supposed to have played well?
    12AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:13
    (Post is garbled/hard to parse) …something about sushi-land and tomorrow? Anyway, wasn't Espanyol actually pretty decent?
    13AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:14
    Forget Sociedad already
    Just transfer to Liverpool!
    15AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:15
    Re: #13
    This summer there wasn't even a fake offer floating around
    He's fallen so far that big clubs don't even bother pretending to be interested (an "air offer" is fan slang for a transfer rumor that never materializes).
    14AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:14
    A 58th-minute substitution as punishment, huh

    Kubo really is getting worse and worse.
    16AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:15
    Usami and Son Heung-min
    Kubo and Lee Kang-in
    17AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:16
    Lee Kang-in and Kubo — why the gap?
    23AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:22
    Kubo just can't make a difference in La Liga, huh
    It's a waste since he speaks Spanish, but maybe he should move somewhere else.
    113AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:38
    Re: #23
    Well, all the Spaniards speak it too
    It's probably one of the most-spoken languages after English and Chinese.
    25AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:22
    Re: #1
    I don't think I've ever actually seen this guy play well.
    26AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:23
    Guess he's just nowhere near Lee Kang-in's level after all, lol
    27AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:23
    He over-dribbles, that's the problem
    He's good at beating the one defender right in front of him, but then he holds the ball too long and it stops being effective
    Must be frustrating for his teammates too.
    110AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:33
    Re: #27
    Same story with the national team, honestly
    Kubo should study how Sato plays — Sato's faster and sharper in his decision-making, and quicker to release the ball, and that's a level above Kubo.
    28AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:25
    And meanwhile Lee Kang-in scores a brilliant goal for Atletico…
    29AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:28
    Hasn't this guy's growth basically been stalled for like 5 years now?
    30AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:28
    He dribbles past one defender and then just runs straight into another one — makes no sense
    Is he playing soccer, or just playing "dribbling"?
    31AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:29
    The man who could never catch up to Son Heung-min and has now been overtaken by Lee Kang-in.
    34AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:32
    Take (Kubo) keeps Oyarzabal on the bench
    Then the moment Take gets subbed off, they concede and lose
    Guess this winter transfer window is finally when he joins a mega-club, lol
    35AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:34
    Re: #34
    Mega-club (FC Tokyo)
    71AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:58
    Wouldn't it be better if he played with the end goal in mind and worked backward from there?
    He only seems to see the defender right in front of him — no clear idea what he actually wants to do after beating them.
    74AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:59
    Re: #1


    Despite the antis' wishes, Kubo still ends up getting rated highly.
    107AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:30
    Re: #106
    He wasn't actually that disappointing Re: #74
    People are just lying and bashing him as usual.
    82AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:05
    He's not actually beating anyone
    There's no real breakthrough happening
    All that fiddling around with the ball just gives the defense time to reset
    His dribbling only swaps positions with the defender for a moment, and then he runs straight into a defense that's already reorganized, and nothing happens
    He keeps getting stopped by that exact kind of defending.
    86AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:06
    Re: #82
    He's basically a living fossil, still playing the old-school No. 10 style that even Zidane said was already extinct.
    87AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:06
    His footwork really is a cut above, but he's bad at kicking, weak in physical duels, and slow to decide — he's fully developed into a player you just can't say much good about.
    88AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:07
    Re: #87
    He gets played out wide because he lacks pace, but he can never actually break through — it's kind of sad.
    111AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:34
    Even down to how cringe his fanboys are
    He's basically a dead ringer for Honda (Honda Keisuke, former Japan international).
    116AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:39
    Re: #111
    If anything he's more like Kagawa — had a bit of success young and was expected to keep developing, but never grew at all, became washed up, and still kept getting defended anyway.
    118AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:41
    Kubo and Nakai kind of remind me of each other — great footwork, but they hold the ball too long, play too slow, and never actually turn it into a good chance. Is this just what happens when you grow up in Spain?
    121AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:43
    Re: #118
    If you can't actually beat your man, you're not really "good" — that's a very Japanese-player thing.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisokusoku+) thread “[Soccer] Kubo Takefusa starts in season opener but fails to make an impact — Real Sociedad falls 0-1 to Betis.”

  • Comedian Hiroshi Explains Why He Won’t Sue the Camping Gear Maker: “What’s the Point of Spending a Fortune to Win in Court?”

    Outdoor-comedian Hiroshi, embroiled in a dispute with camping gear maker Show’s, has said he won’t pursue legal action, explaining: “I do have a retainer lawyer, but what’s the point of spending hundreds of thousands of yen just to win a court case?” While the company has signaled it’s fine with both releasing their LINE chat logs publicly and being sued, Hiroshi has stayed silent — and word has also spread that a past collaboration deal fell through after Hiroshi demanded “all rights go to me.” On 5ch, users have been debating whether his response is the right call.

    Trouble Erupts Over Hiroshi’s Fire Pit: The Disputed Product Photos, His Agency’s “Current Situation” Statement, and the Unsettling Deletion of a 10-Year-Old Video

    While plenty of voices on social media say this should be settled through legal channels, Hiroshi had this to say:

    “Sure, I could go get the design patented, but there’s already bad blood over this. I just don’t want anything more to do with it.”

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

    12AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:15
    Hiroshi: "The whole exchange is still saved on LINE, you know. I'd like people to judge for themselves whether I'm the one in the wrong."

    Show's (the company): "Go ahead and post the LINE logs, we're fine with that."

    Hiroshi: "…" — dead silence, ghosts the thread
    109AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:03
    Re: #12
    I like Hiroshi, but man, this is seriously uncool.
    14AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:17
    LMAO his funnels are busted — they never even zipped around at all ("funnels" = the remote-control drone weapons from Gundam, used here as a joke metaphor)
    17AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:19
    Re: #14
    The other side was just one step ahead of him. No way you're launching those funnels now.
    23AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:23
    Re: #14
    Turns out the funnels were smarter than the pilot.
    26AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:24
    Hiroshi: "Go! Funnels, attack!"
    Funnels: "…"

    This is genuinely sad…
    27AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:25
    Re: #26
    Sounds like the ID marker on-screen is turning from green to red (Gundam-speak for the funnels switching from friendly to hostile).
    28AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:27
    The other side says it's fine to release the LINE logs, but he won't release them.
    The other side says it's fine to be sued, but he won't sue.
    With the company saying all this, what exactly can Hiroshi even do at this point?
    30AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:29
    Re: #28
    Because all a comedian can do is make people smile.
    32AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:31
    Re: #28
    Honestly, all Hiroshi can do now is team up with some other big camping brand, slap his face all over it, and push out a similar product as his "official endorsement." Since the company's already said his idea "wasn't anything special," they can hardly call a Hiroshi-branded product a knockoff.
    39AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:34
    Re: #32
    What manufacturer is going to draft the blueprints, order the parts, and get it produced through a supplier — only for all the rights to end up belonging to Hiroshi?
    44AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:37
    Re: #39
    As long as it turns a profit, a company will do it — that's just business. And right now it's actually generating buzz, so it wouldn't be strange at all for someone who can pull it off to jump in.
    51AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:40
    Re: #44
    But under Hiroshi's terms, the manufacturer isn't even allowed to sell it themselves — how are they supposed to turn a profit?
    57AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:43
    Re: #44
    If they hand over all the rights and can't even sell collabs or other variants, how exactly does anyone make money off this? 😅
    41AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:35
    So what should Hiroshi have done instead?
    43AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:36
    Re: #41
    He just should've thought of it as making money together with the manufacturer.
    46AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:38
    Re: #41
    He just shouldn't have stirred up buzz on his own and blown himself up with it.
    42AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:35
    Re: #32
    Not happening. Show's is a brand every camping enthusiast knows — just owning their gear is aspirational. They're at every camping fair without fail, and in the industry they carry way more clout than Hiroshi ever could. If he burns this bridge, other manufacturers will just see him as "difficult to work with" and stop offering him deals. There are tons of camping comedians out there — they'll just offer the deal to Ogiyahagi (a well-known comedy duo) instead.
    47AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:38
    Re: #42
    Guess the camping industry really is a small world.
    66AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:45
    Re: #42
    So he's done as a "camping comedian," huh. He seriously underestimated the manufacturer.
    50AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:40
    Like counts:

    Hiroshi


    Show's
    69AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:45
    Re: #57
    Figuring that out is exactly what a "business owner" is for.
    83AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:50
    Re: #80
    So how does that turn a profit, then? I'll admit, I'm intrigued by Re: #69's argument too.
    93AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:54
    Re: #69
    Why force yourself to make it work? Normally you'd just judge it's not profitable and pass on it.
    80AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:48
    Re: #72
    Forgotten already? My whole point was "you shouldn't share your idea in public."
    87AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:51
    Re: #80
    If you don't have your own production line, pitching the idea is your only option. What actually matters is going through the proper contract process.
    89AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:52
    Hiroshi's being way too foolish here. This is a company that's already done fire-pit collabs with Laid-Back Camp (the popular camping anime). He could've just asked for a normal collab, but he got greedy instead.
    96AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:56
    Re: #89
    I wonder if there was no contract for the Laid-Back Camp collab either. He did say he's never written a contract before.
    99AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:58
    Re: #96
    Maybe the Laid-Back Camp side handled the contract? They're a big company after all.
    100AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:58
    Re: #96
    No way they've never drawn up a contract.
    101AnonymousAug 22, 2026 07:59
    Wasn't the manufacturer trying to use Hiroshi for free to sell their product too? I think that's pretty shameless as well.
    106AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:02
    Re: #101
    "It's a mutually beneficial relationship, so it's fine" — guess that logic doesn't fly here.
    111AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:04
    Re: #101
    They say they proposed a collab, so presumably they were planning to pay incentives. But according to the company, Hiroshi turned the collab down, demanding all the rights for himself and that the blueprints be handed over to him too.
    117AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:09
    The moment he lit this fire up on social media, it was clear he never really intended to resolve it.
    123AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:15
    Re: #117
    Fitting, given it's literally about a fire pit.
    124AnonymousAug 22, 2026 08:16
    Re: #117
    He probably figured launching the funnels would sort it out somehow. That's shockingly shallow thinking.

    *This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (Live News G) thread “Hiroshi Won’t Sue the Camping Gear Maker: “I Do Have a Retainer Lawyer, But What’s the Point of Spending Hundreds of Thousands to Win in Court…”“.

  • Places in Japan You’ve Got to Visit — 5ch Rates Them ‘Charm 5, Convenience 1’

    A thread on 5ch turned into users listing places in Japan they seriously think you should visit. Alongside classic tourist spots like Universal Studios Japan, the Tottori Sand Dunes, and Takachiho Gorge, some curveballs popped up too — the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the University of Tokyo, and JAXA — with posters cheerfully scoring each one on “charm” and “convenience” to keep the thread rolling.

    1AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:34
    Tell me
    6AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:37
    The Venus Line from Utsukushigahara to Lake Shirakaba
    12AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:41
    Re: #6
    Charm: 1
    Convenience: 1
    7AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:38
    Re: #2
    Re: #4
    Charm: 1
    Convenience: 1
    Out of the question
    8AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:39
    Re: #7
    What even is "convenience" supposed to mean here?
    69AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:59
    Re: #7
    Charm: 1
    Convenience: 1
    13AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:42
    Re: #8
    It means transit access
    15AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:43
    Re: #13
    Access from where???
    20AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:44
    Re: #15
    From the nearest station
    24AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:46
    Re: #20
    Whose nearest station?
    Nearest to what?
    14AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:43
    USJ 🇺🇸🤗
    18AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:44
    Re: #14
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 5
    One train ride from downtown Osaka — transit access is top notch
    22AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:45
    Re: #18
    What about Tsutenkaku Tower? 🥺
    21AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:45
    Tottori Sand Dunes

    Photos and videos never really do it justice, but up close it's basically a wall
    Seriously, a wall
    26AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:46
    Re: #21
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 3
    Love the sense of open space
    25AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:46
    Takachiho Gorge
    The site of the heavenly grandson's descent (a key Shinto myth)
    If you're Japanese, you should at least see the place where Japan began
    27AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:47
    Re: #25
    Now I want some somen noodles
    34AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:49
    Re: #25
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 2
    The waterfall has a mystical kind of beauty
    51AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:56
    Re: #25
    Guess that makes you a traitor to the nation, huh?
    36AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:50
    Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
    Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant
    Ningyo-toge
    The former Monju site
    JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute)
    The Atomic Bomb Museum
    105AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:10
    Re: #36
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 3
    You can really feel nature there
    44AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:54
    Kinome Pass
    The scenery still looks like it's straight out of the Sengoku era
    52AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:56
    Re: #44
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 2
    54AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:56
    Low convenience means there's real satisfaction when you finally arrive
    Sure, some spots turn out to be letdowns
    Anyway — with that in mind: the summit of Mt. Fuji
    67AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:59
    Re: #53
    Re: #54
    Charm: 1
    Convenience: 1
    72AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:00
    The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium actually moved me a little
    78AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:03
    Re: #72
    The Toyama side of Tateyama Kurobe
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 2

    Everywhere else
    Charm: 1
    Convenience: 1
    77AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:02
    Mount Osore
    Izumo Taisha
    Okinawa
    Hokkaido
    81AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:03
    Re: #77
    Charm: 6
    Convenience: 12
    83AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:04
    Re: #77
    Izumo Taisha
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 3
    91AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:06
    Re: #77
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 2
    80AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:03
    ID:5HcNZiuY0 — seriously, what is up with this guy…
    88AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:05
    Re: #80
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 3
    You can really feel nature there
    89AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:05
    Re: #80
    Classic case of the real deal not realizing it's the real deal
    85AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:04
    Re: #83
    Charm: 2
    Convenience: 6
    87AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:05
    Re: #85
    Charm is a 5
    90AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:05
    Re: #87
    Charm: 5
    Convenience: 5
    One train ride from downtown Osaka — transit access is top notch
    93AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:06
    Re: #90
    Come on, there's no way you get there from Osaka in one train
    101AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:08
    The University of Tokyo
    Kyoto University
    RIKEN
    AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology)
    JAXA (Sagamihara)
    104AnonymousAug 19, 2026 22:09
    Re: #101
    Charm: 6
    Convenience: 18

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Places in Japan You Should Seriously Go To”.

  • Tsubaki Factory’s Nishimura Itsuki Sparks Buzz by Instantly Answering ‘Who Cares’ to Fan Question

    Tsubaki Factory idol Nishimura Itsuki became a hot topic on the thread after instantly answering the question “What zodiac sign would you like to be?” with “Actually I’m a Scorpio” and then “Who cares.” Her deadpan dismissal of a question from a fan of the Saint Seiya generation went over well, and “who cares” ended up being used like a catchphrase for the rest of the thread.

    Thread participants found her cold response amusing, while some also compared it to how other group members typically handle similar questions.

    1AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:51
    ・Fan Mail Q&A Corner
    ① Is there a zodiac sign you'd like to be? I admired Sagittarius after seeing a hero based on the zodiac signs.
    Tanimoto: Actually, I'm a Scorpio
    2AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:51
    There's no need to seriously answer some nonsensical question like "which zodiac sign do you admire?" from an old geezer stuck in the Saint Seiya generation
    10AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:55
    Wait, Saint Seiya was based on the zodiac signs?
    Had no idea, thanks Itsuki
    69AnonymousAug 21, 2026 22:17
    Re: #10 Cancer and Pisces were the unpopular ones.
    Taurus wasn't popular either, but it was still better off
    11AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:55
    That "who cares" bit was guaranteed to get a laugh
    She's got a great character
    13AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:56
    Saint Seiya is less about the zodiac and more based on Greek mythology
    14AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:57
    King's right on this one
    It's just way too trivial to care about
    15AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:57
    Old guy: "Because of Saint Seiya, man! Cancer got bullied, man!"
    Itsuking: "Who cares"
    17AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:58
    Impressive they could even come up with such a pointless question lol
    18AnonymousAug 21, 2026 20:59
    This could turn into a whole tournament of pointless questions at this rate
    19AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:00
    I want a whole Q&A segment where Nishimura Itsuki answers everything with "who cares"
    20AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:00
    Seriously, what's the point of asking about something you can't change at this point anyway
    21AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:01
    Fan: "What color medal would you like?"
    Nishimura: "Bronze [dou] would do" (a pun — "dou" echoes her catchphrase "dou demo ii," meaning "who cares")
    23AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:02
    I've never seen anyone in real life who actually cares about zodiac signs
    Meaning she saw right through it as a question nobody's genuinely interested in
    24AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:03
    From her senpai's point of view, she's probably unbearably cute
    29AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:15
    Is King not really the girly type?
    30AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:15
    Even the Morning Musume girls get some wild ones thrown at them, so answering seriously just kills the fun
    The day someone answered "favorite shape of the moon" with zero pushback, I thought I'd been transported to another dimension
    31AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:17
    "What zodiac sign would I want to be? Hmm, I dunno…" — instead of that,
    Who cares lol
    Gives me chills lol
    33AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:17
    King: "Zodiac sign…? How dull… who cares…"
    34AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:18
    Feels like she'd call Tsubaki Factory's own activities "who cares" too lol
    If she only got chatty when the topic was "Byo" (a nickname; referent unclear), I might actually fall for her
    37AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:23
    Bring this to her birthday event — a segment where she instantly fires off answers to 100 fan questions in a row
    39AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:26
    "Who cares" is probably the best possible answer to the zodiac question, even for an idol
    40AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:26
    Normal people genuinely
    couldn't care less about any zodiac sign except their own lol
    43AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:29
    King seems like she wouldn't care about MBTI either
    44AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:29
    Aside from the zodiac one, these are questions she should really answer properly
    Is she just not motivated, or not cut out for this?
    45AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:30
    There's always some stock answer ready for these things,
    and "either way's fine" on the guys-with-beards question is, in a way, the ideal answer
    46AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:31
    Re: #1
    So Nishimura's just cold across the board, huh
    Is that specifically an act for Tsubaki (Factory)?
    47AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:31
    Since "who cares" about the zodiac got a laugh, she started deliberately going back to "who cares" after that too
    Sharp kid, that one
    106AnonymousAug 22, 2026 01:28
    Re: #47
    She'd be ready to go on Young Town — or variety shows in general — right out of the gate
    62AnonymousAug 21, 2026 21:57


    101AnonymousAug 22, 2026 00:01
    She probably really hates whichever show writer keeps picking such boring fan mail to read out
    108AnonymousAug 22, 2026 01:33
    Re: #101
    That psychology-quiz guy's questions are seriously boring
    And yet he calls his own and other people's mail "trash" — unforgivable

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Great News] Nishimura Itsuki Answers Fan’s Pointless Question with “Who Cares” wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Central Tokyo Apartment Renting for ¥50,000/Month Sparks ‘They’ve Crossed a Line’ Reactions

    A photo of a bargain-basement apartment in central Tokyo — rent: just ¥50,000 a month — was posted to 5ch and blew up, with commenters declaring it had “crossed a line.”

    The thread didn’t stop at gawking over the unit’s tiny size and bare-bones amenities. It spiraled into arguments over what actually counts as the “city center” in Nagoya, Osaka, and other cities, plus comparisons of Japan’s dirt-cheap rents against the cost of living overseas.

    Image source URL

    Source: x.com / Original post here

    4AnonymousAug 18, 2026 20:54
    Wanting to live in Tokyo THAT badly, huh…
    81AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:24
    Re: #4
    I wouldn't want to live in Nagoya even if it meant going that far
    12AnonymousAug 18, 2026 20:57
    Apparently some people just want to enjoy Tokyo for a limited stretch, like 3 years — probably works fine for those folks?
    13AnonymousAug 18, 2026 20:57
    Any sane person would rent this as a storage unit or a place to dump their stuff
    14AnonymousAug 18, 2026 20:59
    Kick in another ¥20,000 and you could rent a 50㎡ place in Matsudo instead
    15AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:00
    Nagoya… city center…?
    17AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:01
    Re: #15
    Yabacho is the city center if anywhere is
    18AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:01
    Nagoya… a "to"? (the joke: "toshin" uses the kanji 都, the same "to" as in Tokyo-to)
    21AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:02
    Re: #18
    Even in Osaka and Nagoya, people call downtown the "toshin" (city center) too
    22AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:02
    Re: #17
    "Nagoya-to"? lol
    Don't tell me Nagoya's also throwing its hat in for that embarrassing "secondary capital" bid too, lol
    26AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:04
    Re: #22
    Stop embarrassing yourself further
    23AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:02
    Re: #20
    "Toshin" gets used for Fukuoka and Sapporo too
    31AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:05
    Re: #23
    Those aren't capitals though, lol
    37AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:06
    Re: #31
    The "to" in "toshin" isn't the "Tokyo-to" kind of "to" — it just means "capital/city," so as a word it can refer to the center of any city in general.
    As everyday usage: "Osaka toshin," "Nagoya toshin," "Fukuoka toshin" are all completely normal. Nobody blinks at this for any city on the scale of a government-designated city.
    As urban-planning jargon: "toshin/fuku-toshin" (city center/sub-center) serve as the translation for "CBD" (central business district), and regardless of a city's size, terms like "toshin-bu" and "toshin kyoten" show up in official city-planning master plans and location optimization plans.

    Sorry, you lose.
    24AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:03
    Why are Japanese people so left behind by the rest of the world?
    27AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:04
    In NYC even a studio rental bottoms out at $1,700 (¥250,000).
    Why do people think ¥50,000 gets you a livable room?
    33AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:05
    Re: #27
    But that's also a ¥5,000-an-hour minimum wage place
    29AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:04
    But Nagoya, when you actually go there, is pretty countrified — it's developed and all, but compared to Tokyo or Osaka it really feels provincial
    32AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:05
    Japanese people — apparently their passport ownership rate is down to 17% now
    and they don't even travel abroad anymore
    and they probably don't even realize Japan's cost of living has dropped to developing-country levels (lol)
    38AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:06
    Just to add some context:
    in other developed countries, lunch already runs $20-35 (¥3,000-5,000) as standard.
    In Japan it's still $6 (¥1,000), sometimes even $5 (¥800).
    Genuinely embarrassing how far behind the rest of the world we've fallen, lmao
    39AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:07
    Guess if you want to live somewhere nice, you need to be ready to make some sacrifices
    42AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:08
    5 minutes on foot from Shinjuku-sanchome Station, great location near a supermarket, and rent is ¥29,000??

    52AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:11
    Re: #42
    This wouldn't even work as storage
    57AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:12
    Re: #42
    What even is this…
    68AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:16
    Re: #42
    That stain on the floor up front 😧
    43AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:08
    Japan is cheap for everything, honestly.
    In countries where the cost of living is genuinely high,
    the streets are full of homeless people.
    Well, of course they are —
    rent is absurdly expensive, so the people at the bottom end up homeless or living out of their cars.
    It's just basic logic.
    83AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:25
    >>ID:bx82U6WB0
    You wrote it yourself in Re: #43 and Re: #45 —
    better to help the people at the bottom than to widen the gap, that's what actually buys you more time
    72AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:19
    Compared to spending your life in an internet cafe or a capsule hotel, isn't ¥50,000 for this in the city center actually cheap?
    If it's got a shower and toilet, I'd live there
    87AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:26
    Re: #72
    Same take honestly.
    Well, only for my student years — the bath/toilet situation still bugs me though
    95AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:29
    This price, this size, in Nagoya — and that's supposed to be the city center?
    98AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:31
    Re: #95
    It's the city center, no doubt — it's got Parco, Matsuzakaya, Mitsukoshi, all right there
    96AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:30
    Nagoya's inconvenient to live in — you have to go out to the suburbs just to find a supermarket
    100AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:31
    Those old folks are the ones who get furious over even the tiniest price hikes —
    they're the ones yelling "don't raise prices, keep it as it is, for our sake."

    And you're gonna go along with that? lol
    The cheap-prices-for-everyone society those old folks want
    only works by squeezing labor costs down —
    meaning a society where working-age people keep grinding forever with no raises.
    No thanks, seriously lol
    105AnonymousAug 18, 2026 21:33
    Re: #100
    The policy's already shifted to holding the line on social security spending while letting inflation do the work, and that phase is over now, so calm down

    *This article excerpts and summarizes the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G / “Live Commentary General” board) thread “[Image] ¥50,000 Rent in Central Tokyo Seriously Crosses a Line WWWWWWWWWWWWW.”

  • Unknown young players keep winning Street Fighter 6 tournaments, and it’s sparking talk about the veterans too

    Street Fighter 6 tournaments have seen a string of wins by little-known young players, and it’s become a hot topic on 5ch. Some in the thread argued “it’s no fun without recognizable names,” while others got swept up in talk about the veterans’ generational shift — what Kokujin is up to these days, Umehara’s recent form, and the shock news of pro player Shou’s sudden retirement.

    1AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:34
    It's boring if the guy with actual name value doesn't win, right?
    7AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:38
    Tokido and Kokujin — how did the gap between them get this big?
    35AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:57
    Re: #7
    I haven't followed the fighting game scene in over 10 years — what's Kokujin even doing now?
    I remember he started making and selling his own T-shirts.
    39AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:01
    Re: #35
    These days he can't even crack the top 500 in the in-game rating.
    12AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:42
    Young players winning is a good thing, isn't it?
    19AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:45
    Re: #12
    That's not the point — what's boring is when it's just nerds winning.
    Street Fighter 2 got popular with the general public precisely because it was simple. It's a shame when it shrinks back down to just otaku huddled together arguing over who won.
    44AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:03
    Re: #19
    The guys who win tournaments have always been otaku though.
    13AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:43
    There are tons of cases where some rookie wins using whatever character is busted at the time, everyone hypes it up as a "new era," and then after the balance patch they quietly slide down to upper-mid tier.
    The ones with real staying power are the guys who back up decent results with an actual character/persona — like being known as "the ○○ user."
    16AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:43
    Re: #13
    Being able to switch characters like Fuudo or Momochi is really the best.
    14AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:43
    Umehara, Mago, and Sako just can't keep up with Street Fighter 6's system anymore.
    22AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:47
    Re: #14
    Street Fighter 6's system is simple though?
    28AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:49
    Re: #14
    Mago's basically comic relief at this point, but Sako's current situation is genuinely sad.
    15AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:43
    It's good to see Japanese players showing up.
    Tekken's basically been overrun by Pakistan these days.
    21AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:46
    Re: #15
    That's just you — someone with nothing going for yourself — projecting onto Japanese developers and Japanese otaku.
    25AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:48
    Re: #15
    Demon Slayer and Hunter x Hunter are basically a Japanese monopoly.
    Well, more the "Heihoo" clique than "Japanese" broadly speaking (a nickname for a specific circle of Japanese players).
    23AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:48
    Nobody even remembers them anymore —
    guys like Shinjuku Jackie or Bunbunmaru.
    33AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:56
    Re: #23
    It's less that people forgot and more that they never knew.
    You'd have to be in your 50s to recognize those names.
    48AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:04
    Re: #23
    Bunbunmaru's showdowns against the Osaka crew were electric.
    30AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:50
    Wasn't there a guy who switched over from FPS and won Capcom Cup after just a year, pocketing a hundred million yen?
    Is it a good thing or a bad thing that some random young newcomer wins over people who've grinded fighting games for decades? 🥺
    31AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:51
    Re: #30
    Happy but sad.
    34AnonymousAug 19, 2026 18:56
    Fighting games are such a small scene, and it's basically a paradise for Japanese players, so even some old geezer can still win now and then.
    But if Capcom keeps paying out real prize money, more pro gamers will keep transferring in from other scenes —
    just like how Korean LoL rejects moved to Overwatch, and the Overwatch rejects moved to Apex.
    40AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:02
    Re: #34
    Even back when I last paid attention, like 10 years ago, China/Korea were already stronger at KOF, Southeast Asia at Tekken, and America at Street Fighter 5.
    Japanese players could basically only win in minor titles like Samurai Spirits, Vampire Savior, or Capcom vs. SNK — games where it felt like the organizers rigged things so Japan could come out on top.
    I bet even Guilty Gear has America on top by now.
    45AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:03
    It got popular thanks to Kuzuha, but honestly it's just not that fun.
    47AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:04
    Re: #45
    Ma-ma-ma-maaan~ (a mocking jab riffing on 5ch slang that paints the poster as thin-skinned)
    61AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:14
    Apparently some ridiculously strong, good-looking player who was supposed to carry the whole scene forward just suddenly retired.
    75AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:21
    Re: #61
    That's Shou.
    Great looks too.
    64AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:15
    Isn't this exactly what Umehara and the others wanted, though?
    Back in the Street Fighter 5 days he was lamenting that fighting games were a dying genre where no young blood ever comes in and guys in their 40s like himself were still the top ranks.
    68AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:16
    Re: #64
    Umehara's basically become the "Hiroyuki of the fighting game world" by now (a once-sharp figure turned polarizing elder pundit) — people still worship him?
    79AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:24
    My ID changed for some reason, but I'm the same guy from Re: #64 — just answering that.
    74AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:20
    I'm not a fanboy at all.
    I was watching one of Dokura's "worst characters" videos and a clip of Umehara fretting about the future of fighting games showed up in the recommendations, so I only watched it out of curiosity.
    77AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:22
    Re: #74
    Why's this guy suddenly trying to defend himself?
    83AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:26
    Re: #74
    Nobody was calling you a fanboy in the first place.
    91AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:31
    It's not that Umehara has a bad matchup or hasn't hit his ceiling yet —
    he's simply weaker than the top tier now.
    It's not even one specific weakness; it's more like every single one of his abilities is just a notch below the top players, which is kind of sad.
    93AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:33
    Re: #91
    He just can't keep up with Street Fighter 6's gameplay mechanics.
    94AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:33
    Re: #91
    He wasn't exactly mentally tough to begin with, and now he's saying unnecessary stuff on stream, making needless enemies, and basically cornering himself.
    102AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:38
    Honestly, whether it's Umehara or Tokido or whoever — if you're going to call yourself a pro, you should be running your own weekly tournaments to help grow the playerbase.
    I get that results don't always come in tournaments, but it's not like they're living off tournament winnings alone.
    They make their living streaming, yet all they stream is ranked matches.
    103AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:39
    Re: #102
    What's the logic behind "running your own tournament grows the playerbase"?
    108AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:45
    Re: #103
    Just showing yourself having fun running your own little tournament is promotion in itself — people see it and think "oh, that looks fun."
    Of course you can't just have the same regulars entering every time, but if you don't put out a "this is fun, anyone come join!" vibe, the playerbase isn't going to grow.
    110AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:46
    Re: #108
    You're probably better off just ignoring that guy.
    Well then… see ya…
    111AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:47
    Re: #108
    You expect the top pros in the industry to do that?
    I don't know what dead-game scene you're pulling that from, but I've never heard of a single major game where the top pros run their own grassroots tournaments like that.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Anything Live G) thread “Street Fighter 6 is finished now that nobody-name newcomers keep winning.”

  • Rock-Bottom Izakaya Sells Draft Beer for 150 Yen — 5ch: ‘They’re Using Tanrei Kegs’

    A 5ch thread blew up over how ultra-cheap izakayas advertising 150-yen draft beer actually turn a profit. One poster revealed the trick: “It’s ‘draft beer’ because they’re using kegs of Tanrei” (a low-malt happoshu, not real beer). Meanwhile, a photo of a 400-yen block of cold tofu (hiyayakko) at an Osaka izakaya sparked a debate over whether it was a rip-off or a fair price.

    1AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:48
    How the hell do places like that even turn a profit?
    6AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:50
    Re: #2
    Guess that's really how it is, huh?
    But then there's food too — like 50-yen chicken skin skewers!
    79AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:28
    Re: #6
    Wonder how Shintendai packs 'em in like that? 190-yen beer and 50-yen skewers are tempting, but once I went, once felt like enough.
    82AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:30
    Re: #79
    How's the taste?
    Seems too cheap to be any good, so I've never actually been.
    83AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:31
    Re: #79
    The potato salad — the kind that's a pain to make yourself — is actually great there.
    If you're drinking a lot, all-you-can-drink ends up cheaper anyway,
    so it's probably mostly young or casual drinkers.
    The Toriyarou chicken-izakaya chain is similar, but some of their locations actually ban anyone over 40.
    11AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:52
    That's because they use kegs of Tanrei —
    that's why it's technically "draft beer" (really happoshu, a low-malt brew).
    17AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:54
    Re: #11
    Whoa
    so that's the trick behind it.
    20AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:55
    Beer's gotta cost like 30 yen at most to make.
    25AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:58
    Re: #20
    Just the liquor tax alone on a regular glass of draft is about 70 yen.
    22AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:56
    There was a place by Shimbashi Station with 190-yen beer that was packed every day — it went under though.
    81AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:30
    Re: #22
    Shintendai? There's one in Yurakucho too.
    23AnonymousAug 19, 2026 19:57
    Re: #13
    That's just your bias talking. There's no way cold tofu costs 400 yen, right? Well, that's exactly the point — plenty of à la carte items and dishes really are overpriced rip-offs.
    44AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:05
    Re: #33
    Lol, you're just trying to flex that you drink at fancier places.
    80AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:29
    Re: #44
    Ugh…
    where do you even normally go drink then?
    54AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:14
    Re: #53
    I mean it as a price that doesn't match the going rate.
    Don't nitpick my wording so much.
    57AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:16
    Re: #54
    Ordering something you yourself think is overpriced makes no sense.
    Do you even realize what you're doing? lol
    60AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:17
    Re: #57
    Sometimes you pay for something even while thinking it's not worth it, just going "eh, whatever."
    A little wasteful spending is the spice of life too.
    63AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:19
    Re: #60
    Fair enough, but then don't call it a rip-off.
    66AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:20
    Re: #63
    A rip-off price is a rip-off price.
    Everyone ordering it knows it's normal for an izakaya but outrageous anywhere else — no need to call it out.
    67AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:21
    Re: #63
    If something costs a few dozen yen to make and doesn't even need cooking, but they charge 500 yen for it, sure, some people are gonna call that a rip-off.
    If you don't see it that way, fine, that's your call.
    65AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:20
    Real pros pick places with all-you-can-drink in the 1000-yen range.
    Actually, you don't even need beer to be on the menu.
    69AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:21
    Re: #65
    So what, sake or highballs instead then?
    70AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:23
    I'm a beer guy, so I can't go with the cheap all-you-can-drink plans.
    Forcing myself to drink chuhai instead kind of defeats the purpose anyway.
    74AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:25
    Re: #70
    Some places say "beer" on the menu but actually serve Kinmugi (a cheap happoshu brand) instead.
    In that sense, an all-you-can-drink deal that actually gives you bottled beer is a godsend.
    71AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:23
    Re: #69
    Highball and more highball.
    Green tea highball or chuhai works too.
    If you just want to get drunk, the cheap sake in the all-you-can-drink deal does the job.
    75AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:25
    Re: #71
    Honestly, I drink highballs too these days. At the end of the day, it doesn't really need to be beer.
    72AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:25
    Honestly, there are way more cheap places to drink in central Tokyo.
    77AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:26
    Re: #72
    Right? Chains like Hidakaya feel cheaper to me.
    78AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:28
    Re: #72
    Exactly this.
    Teketeke and Toriichizu are unbeatable.
    85AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:32
    Some chains have corporate contracts that get them beer wholesale at a discount.
    89AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:36
    Re: #85
    Places like that actually tend to taste pretty good too — I guess the consistency is exactly why they can land those contracts.

    Oh wait, we're talking chains here. Well, with chains, because of those contracts, other stuff on the menu tends to end up surprisingly pricier, doesn't it?
    98AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:48
    Still, I think drinking out is better — at the very least, if you pass out, someone will be there to deal with it.
    108AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:58
    Re: #98
    Guess I don't even feel the urge to drink that much anymore…
    111AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:59
    Re: #108
    Yeah, right…
    that's a young person's game.
    112AnonymousAug 19, 2026 21:00
    Re: #108
    Nah, you should still go out — don't you want snacks that taste better than what you'd make yourself?
    100AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:49
    The 120-minute all-you-can-drink was only about 2500 yen, but I ended up spending 7000 yen total.
    I envy people who can just drink without eating.
    103AnonymousAug 19, 2026 20:51
    Re: #100
    Wait, seriously? The drink plan doesn't come with food?

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live News G board) thread “You know how there’s sometimes an izakaya with like ‘150 yen for a draft beer’!?“

  • Disagreement Over Kenshi Yonezu Being Called Japan’s Top Musician — 5ch: ‘Then Who Else Would It Be?’

    On 5ch’s Livegalileo (anything-goes live-commentary) board, a thread titled ‘It bugs me that Field Marshal Yonezu acts like he’s the top of Japanese music’ (a sarcastic nickname playing on his name, 玄師/Genshi vs 元帥/Gensui, “Marshal”) sparked a wide-ranging debate after a poster said they couldn’t accept Kenshi Yonezu being ranked as Japan’s top musician. Rivals like Mrs. GREEN APPLE, Fujii Kaze, and Hoshino Gen were floated as alternatives, but none proved decisive, and the thread ultimately settled on the conclusion that Yonezu’s position was unshakable given his track record of coverage across Asia.

    1AnonymousAug 21, 2026 17:57
    His songs aren't even that good tbh
    4AnonymousAug 21, 2026 17:59
    Classic case of having nothing to say when asked 'well who else would be top then?' Can only speak from dislike.
    6AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:00
    Re: #4
    So if I said EXILE, you'd laugh at me, right?
    8AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:01
    Re: #6
    Then who do you think was on top in the 1990s?
    11AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:02
    Re: #8
    No idea… Michael Jackson maybe?
    9AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:01
    Who would you actually accept as the top act?
    10AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:02
    Re: #9
    Probably Southern All Stars, I guess? Not sure.
    12AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:02
    Re: #9
    Anyone but Yonezu or Creepy Nuts
    14AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:03
    Of course Kenshi Yonezu is the top — that's the consensus of the entire Japanese nation
    15AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:04
    Re: #14
    You seem like the type who's into anime
    18AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:05
    It's an era where only anime theme songs sell, so what can you do
    19AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:05
    Re: #18
    Sad era we live in. Poison. (a sarcastic 5ch meme, from the Fist of the North Star theme song 'Poison')
    20AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:10
    Re: #12
    Would you accept it if Mrs. GREEN APPLE were the top?
    23AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:14
    Re: #20
    Not really a fan of Mrs. GREEN APPLE either, honestly…
    24AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:15
    Hige (Official HIGE DANdism) Korea concert
    https://youtu.be/HCSKnLPFTzg?si=0iQemXgXTtPD7gwt

    Popularity at Korean shows
    Mrs. GREEN APPLE ranks dead last among recent J-pop acts

    Making Mrs. GREEN APPLE Japan's representative would just cause more confusion
    They're way too unpopular overseas
    25AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:16
    Re: #23
    Then who would you pick among recent artists?
    Fujii Kaze?
    27AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:18
    Re: #25
    Not really into Fujii Kaze or Hoshino Gen either, honestly…
    30AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:20
    Re: #27
    Isn't it just that you're an old man now and can't get into recent music at all?
    32AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:24
    Re: #30
    Well, I did think 'what's even good about this' with songs like IRIS OUT or KICK BACK
    31AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:22
    Taiwan, China, Korea — they all report Yonezu as the top act, so pushing back on that doesn't really get you anywhere…
    33AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:24
    Re: #31
    And here you usually can't stand China and Korea
    34AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:25
    Re: #32
    Those are just songs where he tried a new style to match the anime — Yonezu's roots are really in Vocaloid and ballads
    37AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:26
    Re: #34
    I actually like Vocaloid stuff, just not Yonezu's
    39AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:27
    Classic case of just being a contrarian for attention
    40AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:27
    Re: #39
    Am I obligated to like something just because it's popular?
    42AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:28
    Re: #40
    You don't have to like it, but complaining won't change anything — he's reported as the top act all across Asia
    44AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:29
    Re: #42
    So it's an era where only forced anime tie-in songs sell, huh. Poison.
    43AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:29
    I don't get people who can't stand it when something they personally dislike is popular
    Normally you'd just think 'not my taste, but I guess it's popular'
    46AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:29
    Re: #43
    People talk about being sick of 'Ohtani overload' too (a meme about excessive Shohei Ohtani coverage) — maybe it's just about needing a trigger?
    57AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:32
    Re: #24
    Even looking at stats like this on overseas popularity, you still won't accept it?
    Would you accept it if Mrs. GREEN APPLE were the top instead?
    63AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:33
    Re: #57
    I'm not gonna sit and watch some YouTube video, I'm not that bored
    65AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:34
    Re: #63
    Why are you still complaining? lol

    Everyone has celebrities they don't like
    But you're always the only one making a fuss
    66AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:34
    Re: #63
    Kind of funny how the guy claiming he's 'not bored' and it's 'a waste of time' has posted this many times in the thread — is that some kind of joke?
    59AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:32
    Re: #52
    It's just tit-for-tat at this point
    64AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:33
    Re: #59
    Did somebody start something with you?
    67AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:34
    Re: #64
    Well, I don't think it's hatred exactly. It's more like, isn't the taste just kind of off?
    69AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:35
    Re: #67
    Why are you complaining about this every single day?

    Just name someone else specifically
    If Mrs. GREEN APPLE sells well, then just insist they're the top
    Why act defeated instead of just insisting on it?
    70AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:36
    Re: #67
    Taste is different for everyone
    People who like him will say it's not off at all
    People who dislike him will say he's no good
    What are you even trying to accomplish by asking that?
    74AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:38
    Re: #70
    It's just a question of whether people genuinely accept that weird singing style of his
    78AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:40
    Re: #74
    But even if fans say they accept it, you'll just doubt them and go 'really though?', won't you?
    80AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:41
    Re: #78
    Like take IRIS OUT for example — the singing is really weird, right? But it was a hit. Makes me feel like everyone except me is an alien or something
    84AnonymousAug 21, 2026 18:43
    Re: #80
    I feel that way about other celebrities too
    My taste is so out of sync with everyone else that I stopped talking about Japanese entertainment altogether
    I don't think Mrs. GREEN APPLE or BACK NUMBER are any good either, and nobody gets it, so I only talk about overseas stuff now

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Livegalileo board) thread ‘It bugs me that Field Marshal Yonezu acts like he’s the top of Japanese music’.