Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • EXIT’s Rintaro: ‘My Neighborhood Is Tokyo’s Safest Reclaimed Land’ — 5ch Clapsback: ‘Don’t Fall for Realtor Lies’

    In the broadcast on the 7th of “Honma Dekka?! TV,” comedy duo EXIT’s Rintaro revealed that he thoroughly researched the neighborhood before buying his condo. The show featured an expert describing Tokyo Bay’s reclaimed land as “the safest in Tokyo.” This sparked backlash on 5ch’s Geinou/Sports News+ board, with posters citing the liquefaction damage Urayasu suffered during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, while others countered that “it’s safe if built with modern construction techniques” and that “the condo building itself won’t collapse, but the surrounding roads and water systems will be knocked out” — fueling a broader debate over liquefaction countermeasures and the origins of place names.

    Rintaro: Is his condo’s neighborhood the safest even in Tokyo? “I researched it like crazy” before buying

    Comedy duo “EXIT” member Rintaro (40) appeared on Fuji TV’s “Honma Dekka?! TV” (Wednesdays, 9:00 PM), airing on the 7th, and revealed the neighborhood where he bought his home.

    The theme of that episode was: “Why are there so many rainy days? Thoroughly unraveling the mystery behind Japan’s heavy rain anomalies!”

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

    6AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:43
    There's no way reclaimed land is safe.
    Don't let realtors scam you.
    Remember what happened to Urayasu during the 2011 earthquake?
    160AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:35
    Re: #6
    They say it's safe as long as it's properly built with modern construction techniques.
    22AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:50
    The area this guy bought into is probably recently reclaimed land that's had solid liquefaction countermeasures put in, I'd guess.
    143AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:28
    Re: #22
    The countermeasures only cover his own building though.
    Aren't the roads still at risk of having pipes pop up out of the ground, like in Urayasu?
    26AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:53
    Don't know what kind of "expert" this is, but when a disaster hits, Tokyo has way too many people, so secondary disasters happen everywhere — there's no truly safe place in Tokyo.
    An emeritus seismology professor said this years ago.
    48AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:59
    Re: #26 Yeah, that's exactly it.
    57AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:03
    Re: #26
    If the Tonankai earthquake hits,
    Tokyo's coastal areas are completely finished.
    There's no rescue force big enough to help those victims.

    Even high-rise residents on the upper floors
    might survive for a while,
    but with infrastructure totally down,
    the coastline will be sitting in seawater for at least two weeks.

    Probably half the people there would die.
    61AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:04
    Re: #26 An expert once said: during a major earthquake, don't go near train stations.
    Huge crowds rush in and you literally can't move.
    32AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:54
    Places that spent real money on liquefaction countermeasures, though —
    Haneda Airport and Yokohama's Minato Mirai really didn't liquefy even during the 2011 earthquake.
    39AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:57
    Re: #32
    I wouldn't want to live right next to an airport though.
    Apparently near the US military bases in Okinawa, military planes fly nonstop, and the vibrations make every day feel like a theme park ride.
    84AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:10
    Re: #32
    Minato Mirai did liquefy though.

    Re: #47
    The area around Shin-Urayasu Station liquefied too.
    92AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:12
    Re: #32
    If it's reclaimed land, it's just not gonna work.
    Plus groundwater wells up in Tokyo, so Tokyo Station is literally chained down so it doesn't float.
    36AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:56
    The real problem with liquefaction is basically just that property values drop —
    it's not like the condo buildings fall over.
    It's the detached houses that are screwed.
    60AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:04
    Re: #36
    It's only the condo building itself that's fine — the surrounding ground gets all churned up by the liquefaction. Water service gets cut, and then there's no road left for the water tanker trucks to even drive on.
    43AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:58
    Re: #39
    There's no housing inside the airport.
    I'm talking about Haneda Airport itself.
    The residential areas around Haneda probably don't have any real countermeasures at all.
    46AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:59
    Re: #43
    Not much point talking about a place nobody actually lives in.
    47AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:59
    Tokyo Disneyland didn't liquefy.
    Basically, if you throw enough money at it, you're fine.
    49AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:00
    Re: #47
    The parking lot liquefied though.
    53AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:00
    Re: #47
    They probably compacted the ground rock-solid there.
    They've got ponds and stuff, so without countermeasures the whole place would turn into a swamp fast.
    68AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:06
    The only places safe from both earthquakes and flooding are west of the Imperial Palace.
    75AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:08
    Re: #68
    Even within Tokyo, east of the Imperial Palace,
    and south down to around Shinjuku,
    would probably be wiped out entirely.
    90AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:11
    Re: #68
    I used to live in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa and nothing happened there.
    There's Kiyosumi Garden, a relic that survived both the Taisho-era earthquake and the WWII firebombing.
    My family home was in Tsukishima too, by the way, and that miraculously escaped the bombing as well —
    so even going into the Heisei era, there were tons of houses over 100 years old still standing there.
    73AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:08
    Even people who actually live in Tokyo don't know exactly where the reclaimed land ends or what disaster measures are in place.
    I still vividly remember Mejiro-dori and Eitai-dori during the 2011 earthquake —
    everyone was just walking, trying to get home.
    88AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:11
    Re: #73
    Looking at old maps helps a lot.
    Also, place names related to water are a red flag.
    147AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:29
    Re: #73 You often hear that place names with "谷" (valley), like Shibuya, tend to sit on reclaimed land.
    "Umeda" too comes from "reclaimed rice field" —
    though there are plenty of exceptions.
    79AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:09
    "It'll be fine even if a storm surge hits" —

    the scary part is earthquakes, quit playing dumb.
    86AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:11
    Re: #79
    And there's inland flooding to worry about too lol
    87AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:11
    Re: #79
    The population-to-resource ratio when city functions grind to a halt is going to be insane.
    In the countryside, tens of thousands of meals and a few thousand bottles of water would cover it.
    In Tokyo, that wouldn't even be enough for a single ward.
    96AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:13
    Well, if a massive earthquake hits,
    this is basically exactly what happens:


    Places like Kanda will probably end up underwater.
    116AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:18
    Re: #96
    Isn't the position of Kasumigaseki off though?
    99AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:13
    Re: #92
    By the way, liquefaction can happen inland too —
    you can tell from the liquefaction damage seen across the Kanto region during the 2011 earthquake.
    107AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:15
    Re: #99
    That's outdated info.
    The newest condos use ground-improvement construction methods for liquefaction countermeasures, so they're safe.
    119AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:18
    Re: #107
    It's about driving the foundation piles down into the bedrock layer.
    That's not it at all.
    Come on, guys.
    156AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:34
    Re: #107
    "The condo is fine" just means it won't collapse and kill you — water gets cut, gas stops, sewage backs up, and the roads are so wrecked that water trucks can't even get close, so hauling water is a nightmare.
    101AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:14
    Minato Mirai was only a seismic intensity of 4, you know.
    If it liquefied from that, it'd be a joke.
    It's well known that the planned site for Toyosu Market liquefied.
    103AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:14
    Re: #101
    Liquefaction also depends on how long the shaking lasts, not just the intensity.
    109AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:16
    Re: #101
    Minato Mirai was actually a lower-5 intensity.
    130AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:23
    Re: #101
    Naka and Nishi wards hit a max of upper-5,
    but Minato Mirai was only a 4?
    LOL, if anything that means the ground there is too strong.
    140AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:27
    This whole thread is basically just about liquefaction at this point lol
    145AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:29
    Re: #140
    Well, the main concerns really are liquefaction or interior damage from long-period ground motion.
    Buildings actually tilting just isn't realistic unless the piles are insufficient, like with that Yokohama condo case.
    148AnonymousOct 8, 2026 01:30
    Re: #140
    That's not right.
    Let's get the facts straight.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Liquefaction of reclaimed land was widely observed along Tokyo Bay — including in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture — during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and it’s known for causing more damage to detached houses and infrastructure like roads and sewers than to condominium buildings. Large modern condos have reduced collapse risk by driving piles down to solid bedrock or improving the ground itself, but problems like sunken surrounding roads or water trucks being unable to get through after a water outage remain a separate issue. In the thread, the “the building itself is safe” perspective and the “the neighborhood as a whole is safe” perspective talked past each other, fueling the debate. It’s also easy to overlook that posters cited wildly different seismic intensities for Minato Mirai — anywhere from 4 to upper-5 — a reminder that whether liquefaction occurs can’t be judged by intensity alone.

    ※This article is composed of excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] EXIT’s Rintaro: Is his condo’s neighborhood the safest in Tokyo? He says he “researched it like crazy” before buying — expert claims Tokyo Bay’s reclaimed land is the safest.”

  • 57-Year-Old Mikihisa Azuma Spotted on BS Horse Racing Broadcast — 5ch: ‘This Is the Ideal Way to Age’

    Actor Mikihisa Azuma (57) appeared in YouTube footage from “BS Eleven Horse Racing Broadcast,” and after Yahoo! News reported on his appearance, reactions spread across 5ch, with comments like “this is close to the ideal way to age” and “he looks better now than he used to.” The thread’s discussion went beyond Azuma himself, expanding into comparisons with other celebrities such as Hiromi Go, Shinichi Mori, and Masaharu Fukuyama, whose looks “fight aging through cosmetic surgery.” There was also a flurry of comments about his acting in the drama “Okane ga Nai” (“I Have No Money”), which happens to be streaming on TVer right now. Meanwhile, some took a cooler view, asking “why does appearing on a horse racing broadcast even count as news?”

    “Azuma Mikihisa’s way of aging is about as close to ideal as it gets” — 57-year-old Mikihisa Azuma’s BS appearance sparks reactions: “He looks better now than before!” “He’s really changed a lot.”

    Actor Mikihisa Azuma (57) is drawing attention for his appearance.

    He appeared on the YouTube channel for “BS Eleven Horse Racing Broadcast,” a Japan Racing Association broadcast program.

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

    9AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:19
    Hard to believe he used to be a hardcore chiimā (90s delinquent gang-kid type) — he comes across as such a nice guy now.
    10AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:19
    Needs to put on a bit more weight
    Should end up like Umemiya or Yamashiro.
    11AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:19
    I'm pretty sure he used to be a model, in the same crowd as Abe-chan and Osawa, if I remember right.
    12AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:19
    Just finished watching 'Okane ga Nai' on TVer
    That little shuffling walk of his really conveys what kind of personality the character has — pretty well done.
    13AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:19
    No way that's true
    This guy hasn't landed a single winning pick
    Pulling scam-like stunts at his age.
    15AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:21
    Same with Hiromi Go — Botox, or was it botulinum toxin, or hyaluronic acid, whatever that face-injection stuff is called. A little bit of that.
    16AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:21
    You spot him here and there so his name just doesn't come up as much, but isn't Yuji Oda aging way better?
    17AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:21
    He's not looking haggard, so I'd say it's fine.
    18AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:21
    That creepy look Hiromi Go has from fighting aging with cosmetic surgery like crazy.
    28AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:24
    Re: #18
    Same with Shinichi Mori — the skin ends up looking eerie.
    52AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:31
    Re: #18
    Hiromi Go is creepy.
    55AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:32
    Re: #18
    Masaharu Fukuyama is creepy too.
    21AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:22
    Onita, Hamata, and Azuma Mikihisa all seem to be getting the same kind of cosmetic work done — getting jabbed with injections over and over.
    22AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:22
    His Ichiro Osawa in 'Okane ga Nai' was great.
    23AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:23
    Like 'Okanai' (short for Okane ga Nai) or 'Yamanade' (short for Yamato Nadeshiko)
    Azuma Mikihisa is great at playing a slightly dim, handsome leading-man type — that rich-boy (bonbon) role suited him perfectly.
    25AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:23
    Well, still better than ending up a balding old man like Nakai.
    26AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:23
    Wasn't there an actor or talent with this kind of face back in the Showa era?
    27AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:24
    Stop writing these lazy 'kotatsu articles' that just scrape together online reactions.
    31AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:25
    Re: #1
    I'm watching 'Okane ga Nai' right now so the decline looks pretty stark
    He's actually one year younger than Yuji Oda.
    33AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:25
    Azuma Mikihisa does the horse racing broadcast every single week — why does this suddenly count as news?
    46AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:29
    Re: #33
    'Okane ga Nai' was airing on TVer, so Yahoo! News probably just jumped on the bandwagon.
    35AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:26
    When you're balding like us, you end up looking older than your actual age, no doubt about it.
    38AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:27
    I'm watching it since 'Okane ga Nai' happens to be streaming on TVer right now, but he looked better back in the day.
    39AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:27
    I love how irresponsible he is on 'Sakura, Ore ni Kike' ('Sakura, Ask Me'), casually dropping long-shot picks.
    42AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:28
    His eyes look off, don't they
    He didn't used to look like this.
    53AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:31
    Re: #42
    He's getting his facial skin pulled to hide the sagging wrinkles
    And that unnaturally thick hair means he's getting hair transplants/extensions too

    Also, I don't get why, but why is it
    that so many middle-aged male celebrities
    get that creepy double-eyelid surgery like Miyane
    once they hit a certain age

    Not a single person
    thinks that looks cool.
    44AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:28
    I'm watching 'Okane ga Nai' and honestly he's a better actor than today's cast
    He even changed the way he walks for the role
    Osawa the man is the best.
    48AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:29
    I like Mikihisa because you can tell he genuinely loves horse racing
    He's a long-shot bettor (ana-tō, someone who favors underdog picks), but when he hits it's big, so his win-bet return rate is probably good too.
    54AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:31
    Re: #48
    Yeah, it really does come through once in a while.
    49AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:30
    I wonder if shows like 'Wonderful' just can't be made anymore these days. Not that long ago there was something like 'All Night Fujiko,' though.
    57AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:32
    Re: #49
    Both TBS and Azuma screwed up badly, so it can never happen again.
    62AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:33
    Come to think of it, wasn't he the host of 'Wonderful'?
    I wonder what that announcer guy who was in the group-sex scandal is doing now lol
    71AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:36
    Re: #62
    Right, there was that orgy scandal tied to 'Wonderful'
    And separately from that, there was even a death

    TBS has always had bad rumors swirling around it
    Fuji TV is downright tame by comparison
    There's a lot TBS just can't report on.
    75AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:38
    Re: #62
    I heard that announcer is still at TBS, working on the production side now.
    65AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:34
    Azuma Mikihisa has this cool-guy image, but he's actually a funny character once people start teasing him — way funnier than Maezono. It's a mystery why he disappeared from TV.
    70AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:35
    Re: #65
    Isn't it because of the 'Wonderful' scandal?

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Mikihisa Azuma is an actor who was active in TV dramas during the 1990s, and in recent years has also become known as a horse racing enthusiast through his appearances on “BS Eleven Horse Racing Broadcast.” This article is a textbook example of a so-called “kotatsu article” — one written simply by gathering reactions from social media — and even within the thread itself, comment #27 took a cool, skeptical view of that very approach. Notably, the discussion centered less on Azuma himself than on comparisons with other celebrities like Hiromi Go, Shinichi Mori, and Masaharu Fukuyama, whose looks “fight aging through cosmetic surgery,” with comments praising the “naturalness” of his aging set against others expressing discomfort with excessive cosmetic procedures. It also appears that the renewed buzz was driven in part by the fact that his drama “Okane ga Nai” (“I Have No Money”) was being re-streamed on TVer at the time.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Entertainment] “Azuma Mikihisa’s way of aging is about as close to ideal as it gets” — 57-year-old Mikihisa Azuma’s BS appearance sparks reactions: “He looks better now than before!”.”

  • “The Coach Broke His Promise” — Cristiano Ronaldo Storms Out of Portugal Camp, Blasts Manager

    Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo (41) left the national team’s camp ahead of the October 1 match against Denmark and posted a statement on social media criticizing head coach Jorge Jesus. He started in September’s match against Wales but didn’t play at all in the following game against Norway, and the reported decision to start Gonçalo Ramos against Denmark is said to have been the final trigger for his departure. Ronaldo also wrote that he would “eventually tell the people the truth.” On 5ch, opinion split between posters calling the coaching staff’s handling “immature” and those questioning Ronaldo’s attitude for still expecting special treatment at 41, with the debate also drawing comparisons to other aging players like Japan’s “King Kazu” (Kazuyoshi Miura, famous for playing pro soccer into his late 50s).

    Cristiano Ronaldo, who abruptly left the Portugal national team camp, updated his social media on October 6 local time with a scathing attack on head coach Jorge Jesus.

    The 41-year-old superstar started in the September 24 UEFA Nations League match against Wales, but didn’t see the pitch at all in the September 27 match against Norway.

    Then, at the pre-match press conference ahead of the October 1 game against Denmark, coach Jorge Jesus confirmed that Gonçalo Ramos would start — and Ronaldo decided to leave the camp early. On Instagram, he wrote: “I will tell the Portuguese people the truth eventually.”

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

    2AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:38
    Portugal's own King Kazu (a nod to Japan's Kazuyoshi Miura, the ageless pro still playing in his late 50s)
    41AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:01
    Re: #2
    Isn't he more like [Yasuhito] Endo than Kazu, though?
    3AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:40
    Honestly, comparing him to Kazu is disrespectful — their records aren't even in the same league.
    4AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:40
    Still not mellowing out at 41.
    He's done more than enough already — go be a manager at this point.
    5AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:40
    The secret to staying at the top until age 41:
    Never grow up.
    7AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:41
    He's stronger than Geese (Howard, the Fatal Fury/KOF character known for raw power) — he could make a living as a fighter.
    8AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:42
    The real villain here is the Portuguese federation, still leaning on Ronaldo to put butts in seats after all this time.
    9AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:43
    The coach actually said some conciliatory things, so from the outside you'd think, come on, be the bigger person here.
    12AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:44
    "Why are you going home?" (riffing on a stock meme phrasing — "why are you doing X?")
    25AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:52
    Re: #12
    You kind of want the coach to be the one saying this, lol.
    13AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:45
    His trapping and dribbling are both terrible, and yet he built all of this on physicality and positioning alone — that's genuinely incredible.
    17AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:49
    Re: #13
    Back in his Man United days he used to blow right past defenders with his dribbling.
    60AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:14
    Re: #13
    Spoken like a bandwagon fan. He actually broke onto the scene because of his dribbling in the first place.
    14AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:45
    "Why are you laughing?" (same meme template as the "why are you going home" line above)
    15AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:47
    Never expected Messi and Ronaldo's fortunes to diverge this much.
    16AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:47
    Argentina stayed Messi's team right to the end, but Portugal was already treating Ronaldo like damaged goods by the World Cup.
    Somebody just needs to tell him straight that he's not needed anymore.
    20AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:50
    The team belongs to the coach.
    No player should be bigger than the team.
    32AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:57
    Re: #20
    Well, there are plenty of cases where a coach clashes with a player and ends up the one getting sacked, so that's not always true.
    21AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:51
    No different from Trump — self-confidence maxed all the way out.
    22AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:52
    Even back in his Real Madrid days, he was a winger who scored goals — nothing more.
    23AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:52
    Messi's what, about two years younger, and he's already retired from the national team.
    Honestly, it's better if he's not around anymore either.
    29AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:54
    https://x.com/TrollFootball/status/2107716300873093461
    Footage of the Portugal squad training after Ronaldo left camp.
    They look weirdly upbeat and like they're having a blast, which lines up with how well the team's been playing lately — easy to picture Ronaldo having been poison for the locker room and on the pitch.
    66AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:19
    Re: #29
    Wait, is Vitinha the one getting bullied there? Yeah, [Bernardo] Silva and Gonçalo [Ramos] really do look like they're enjoying themselves.
    33AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:57
    Honestly Ronaldo had every right to blow up over this — the coach is just awful.
    39AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:00
    Re: #33
    Fine, blow up if you want.

    But don't blow up and go home — that's just immature.
    44AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:01
    International Match Week feature:
    Humans and an AI separately picked the top 5 players of the 21st century for each continent — here are the results:

    69AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:21
    Re: #44
    Maybe the human picks are just too generous — feel bad for [Shinji] Kagawa and [Mark] Viduka missing out — but no continent's list really swings that wildly either way.
    74AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:30
    Re: #44
    CONCACAF (North/Central America) still feels like a work in progress — a lineup you can't really pass judgment on yet.
    81AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:41
    Re: #44
    Zidane, the "chubby" Ronaldo (the original Brazilian Ronaldo, nicknamed for his build), Nakata, Daei — wasn't the 20th century really the peak?
    46AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:02
    Guess he's fully planning to play again next time too, since Portugal will be in it.
    59AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:11
    Re: #46
    Didn't he say back in June that this would be his "last World Cup"?
    Just when we thought we'd finally gotten rid of him, he's still here?
    53AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:08
    So which one of them is actually the "rōgai" here?
    58AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:11
    Re: #53
    "Rōgai" means a harmful old-timer holding things back. By any reasonable measure, Jesus is a competent coach.
    56AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:10
    Who you start or benches is going to keep changing depending on how the match is going, right?
    Does he really have to make — and then keep — a promise about that every single time?
    77AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:34
    Re: #56
    Exactly — since that's always going to be the case, the coach just shouldn't have made that promise in the first place.
    57AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:11
    Just retire already.
    Who do you think you are, Kazu?
    72AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:27
    Re: #57
    Kazu would never pull something this childish. Even when he's not playing, he fully commits to the "panda" role (quietly accepting mascot/bench duty without complaint).

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    The reported trigger for the walkout was a reversal in his playing time: after starting against Wales on September 24, Ronaldo got no minutes at all against Norway on the 27th, and then the coaching staff confirmed young forward Gonçalo Ramos would start against Denmark on October 1. Ronaldo’s statement included the line “this makes twice now,” hinting at an earlier dispute over similar selection decisions — though the thread never gets into the specifics of that history. Where the thread split was over how a 41-year-old should be treated this late in his career: one side focused on the coach going back on his word, the other called Ronaldo’s decision to leave camp without rejoining the squad immature. Worth noting, and not obvious from the quoted article alone, is that Ronaldo reportedly said back in June that this would be his “last World Cup” — meaning his own retirement plans are part of the backdrop to this whole episode.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Soccer] “The Coach Broke His Promise” — Ronaldo’s Furious Statement After Abruptly Leaving Camp, Blasts Portugal Manager: “This Makes Twice Now”.”

  • Hello! Project’s “20,000 Yen Special Set” Sparks Buzz — Turns Out It’s Just Unsold Calendars

    “J.P Room,” operated by Wani Books, has announced it will sell a “Special Set” bundling goods from Morning Musume’s Kaede Fukumura and others for 20,000 yen (tax included). The set includes one J.P Room calendar plus artist merchandise, with an oversized, not-for-sale panel and one photo card thrown in as bonus items. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, posters pointed out that the set’s contents look like a grab bag of leftover unsold goods such as calendars, prompting a string of comments calling it “inventory clearance,” while others defended it as “a limited promotion for fans who just want the panel,” leaving opinions split.

    <Limited quantities! Comes with Special Set bonus items!!>

    Buy the artist set below — which includes one J.P Room calendar — and get an oversized panel & one photo card as a free gift!

    【Kaede Fukumura “Special Set” with bonus items — Price (tax included): 20,000 yen】

    Source: wani.co.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:06
    Maria's Budokan [merch] was awful too
    Wani [Books] is garbage
    4AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:07
    The year's almost over and they're still making us buy this year's calendar
    5AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:07
    This year's calendar is way too much of a leftover…
    6AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:08
    Guess this shows Fukumura actually sold her calendar out properly
    Impressive
    32AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:20
    Re: #6
    Ishida had leftover on-location Cheki photos (instant snapshot photos) and ended up adding an extra event — guess she didn't sell as well as expected
    8AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:08
    Which member would you date?
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1791371284/
    10AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:09
    They just see otaku as cash cows
    11AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:09
    You still want to see more photobooks, right?
    Then you've got no choice but to buy
    13AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:10
    It's J.P — well, Wani Books, really
    They pull this at graduation concerts too
    18AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:13
    Even if you add up all of Chii-chan's stuff, it only comes to about 14,000 yen, so there's no sense of a deal at all
    So the oversized panel and photo card are supposed to make up the difference?
    23AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:16
    Re: #18
    It's not meant to be a bargain
    It's sold so only the handful of people who want the panel end up buying it
    20AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:14
    Re: #1
    Photobook aside, an old calendar? Is this trash disposal or what, lol
    21AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:14
    Nobody needs a calendar starting from April 2026
    22AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:15
    Re: #2
    Yeah, they were pushing something of Maria's too
    Forgot what it was though
    41AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:26
    Re: #22

    43AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:27
    Re: #41

    24AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:16
    A life-size panel?
    27AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:17
    Re: #24
    The kind of panel they set up at calendar handout events
    26AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:17
    Basically it's a limited promo for people who want the panel that's normally not for sale
    Though tacking on the unsold calendar is pretty harsh
    30AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:20
    If you think of it as the price for a one-of-a-kind panel
    Well, it's about normal as a collector price
    34AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:21
    Re: #1
    Wrong image attached
    https://www.wani.co.jp/images/Event/Event_xZbjmpE5uDKh73JywvuNMWZ0A4Q3BAjz_3.png
    https://www.wani.co.jp/images/Event/Event_xZbjmpE5uDKh73JywvuNMWZ0A4Q3BAjz_4.png
    45AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:28
    Re: #34
    Can't read the text — what's even the point of this image
    36AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:22
    They often do this bundle-with-bonus sales style at graduation concerts
    Same thing here
    37AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:23
    Well, I guess it can't be helped — only fans devoted to a specific member would know about this
    40AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:24
    This photo of Ishida is great!
    I want it, but is there competition?
    42AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:26
    Re: #40
    Probably the most competitive one
    44AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:27
    Re: #40
    Up against "Nekodera's girl" and "Chouchin" (apparent fan nicknames)
    46AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:28
    Re: #42
    Seriously? Ishida's that popular?
    Guess lining up around midnight on the day should be plenty though
    49AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:29
    Re: #45
    I get the general idea, but does that mean you can't actually read Japanese?
    Study some Japanese before browsing Ookami (nickname for the Hello! Project board)
    51AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:30
    So Ishida's fans are pulling an all-nighter → then the stage show → then session 2, all for this?
    52AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:32
    Chii-chan's is by far the best deal
    55AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:34
    So they finally figured out, this late, how to get rid of the mountain of leftover 2026 calendars
    57AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:35
    Re: #55
    They could clear the stock easily if they just did a handshake event (sesshoku, a fan meet-and-greet)
    58AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:35
    What time do the early birds usually start lining up?
    64AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:48
    Re: #58
    For a graduation concert, people are probably lining up from the middle of the night

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    “J.P Room,” run by Wani Books, handles Hello! Project calendars and meet-and-greet events, and turning a not-for-sale panel into a bonus item for a limited sale is a tactic that’s been used before at things like graduation concerts. Opinions in the thread split between those who saw this as “clearing out unsold calendar stock” and those who saw it as “a limited sales tactic aimed at collectors after the not-for-sale panel,” with both views drawing a fair amount of support. One point that’s easy to get wrong: simply adding up the list prices of the individual items in the set comes to only around 14,000 yen, and posters pointed out that the gap between that and the 20,000 yen price reflects the value of the not-for-sale panel and photo card. In other words, this isn’t simply “marked-up merchandise” — it also reflects pricing aimed at fans chasing limited-edition items.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Sad News] J.P Room Bundles Its Leftovers and Sells Them to Otaku for 20,000 Yen as Inventory Clearance lol“.

  • Chunichi Legend Yano Akihiro: “Kudo’s the Favorite” for Next Manager

    Regarding the search for the Chunichi Dragons’ next manager, former Hanshin Tigers manager and Dragons alum Yano Akihiro shared his personal take on a TV program. The show floated names including team alumni Ibata Hirokazu and Araki Masahiro, as well as outsiders Kuwata Masumi and Kudo Kimiyasu, and among them Yano named Kudo as the favorite, saying “someone with experience is probably the right fit.” In the thread, opinions split between skepticism over whether a proven outsider would really take on a long-struggling team, and speculation that Yano himself might secretly be the real candidate.

    Dragons alum and former Hanshin Tigers manager Yano Akihiro (57) appeared on Nagoya TV’s “Dodesuka!” (weekdays, 6 a.m.) on the 6th. Asked about the closely watched race for the Dragons’ next manager, he named his top pick outright.

    The show listed team alumni Ibata Hirokazu and Araki Masahiro, plus outside candidates Kuwata Masumi and Kudo Kimiyasu.

    Asked who his “top pick” was, Yano began, “Given the Dragons’ current situation, I think someone with experience might be the right fit.”

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

    2AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:45
    Haha, he basically just blew his own cover.
    That's not a hopeful prediction, that's a confession.
    3AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:46
    A smart guy like Kudo wouldn't go pulling chestnuts out of the fire (take on a thankless, risky job) for a broke team like this.
    5AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:47
    Didn't Yano basically just say
    "actually, it's me"?
    43AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:10
    Re: #5
    No way he'd ever do that, idiot, moron.
    6AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:47
    If it's a setup where the manager also gets to pick the coaching staff, Kudo's got a real shot — and honestly it's even more plausible they'd
    let him lock down a GM role after his managing days too.
    8AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:47
    Chunichi's tough on outsiders, but would Kudo be fine even without being a team alum since he's from Aichi Prefecture?
    75AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:32
    Re: #8
    They went out of their way to bring in Shima this season — a guy from Gifu with zero ties to Chunichi — and made him head coach.
    This team sends love calls to local natives even when they're outsiders.
    9AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:49
    Nobody would want to manage such a weak team, surely.
    10AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:49
    Hang on, they specifically mention he's a Chunichi alum — doesn't that mean Yano himself is in the running too lol?
    14AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:51
    If they get strong, the fans will leave, so don't do it.
    36AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:06
    Re: #14
    Don't worry.
    No matter who becomes manager, the last-place battle isn't changing.
    16AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:53
    Is there even any upside for Kudo in this?
    40AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:09
    Re: #16
    Exactly this.
    Can't see Kudo pulling chestnuts out of the fire for this team.
    62AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:25
    Re: #16
    He's never even played pro ball there, either.
    His only connection is high school, so I doubt that alone brings him in.
    25AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:58
    I don't care who becomes manager, but if they can actually get today's Chunichi into the A-class (top half of the standings), that alone makes them a legendary manager.
    31AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:02
    Re: #25
    Was Yoda-san a legendary manager?
    45AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:12
    Re: #31
    Back then there was probably still some leftover legacy from the Ochiai era, though I'm not totally sure.
    63AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:25
    Re: #31
    The fewer games during COVID had some effect, but among post-Ochiai managers he's actually one of the better performers results-wise.
    27AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:00
    Honestly, Kudo's never once commented on Chunichi —
    I don't think he's even interested in this team.
    78AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:33
    Re: #27
    Kudo flat-out said even as an active player that he had no attachment to Nagoya — the guy's just got zero hometown love lol.
    53AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:16
    Yano's a Hanshin alum though, isn't he?
    59AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:22
    Re: #53
    He started his pro career with Chunichi, after all,
    and he's been on Nagoya TV shows too.
    79AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:33
    Re: #53
    Yoda's a Hanshin alum too lol.
    57AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:20
    If it's about rebuilding the roster, isn't Yano the right fit?
    Most of Hanshin's current core players are guys from Yano's era.
    He's not really the type who wins pennants though…
    61AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:25
    Re: #57
    Yano's the one who took a last-place team to the brink of a championship.
    With the eye for talent to land guys like Murakami and Nakano,
    and winning the lottery draft for Sato Teruaki, I honestly figured Yano would end up as Hanshin's GM.
    68AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:27
    If anything, I feel like more people want Kudo to manage Samurai Japan instead.
    85AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:38
    Re: #68
    The Samurai Japan manager role calls for a "motivator" type (like Hara or Kuriyama), but isn't Kudo different from that?
    Isn't Kudo more the Ibata type?
    71AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:28
    Why Kudo, though?
    72AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:29
    Re: #71
    Nagoya.
    But Chunichi brings in outsiders even less than Hanshin does.
    80AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:34
    Re: #72
    Nagoya Denki (his old high school), huh.
    83AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:38
    Re: #79
    Yoda, Hashigami, Yamaoki…

    Technically Hanshin alumni, but all three had long passed their peak by the time they moved to Hanshin — none of them played a single first-team game there.
    92AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:42
    Re: #83
    Totally forgot about Hashigami.
    He came over through his connection to Nomura-san, huh.
    87AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:40
    What about Wada?
    He never seems to make the candidate list.
    95AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:44
    Re: #87
    Ben-chan?
    91AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:41
    Is Masa Yamamoto out of the question?
    104AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:50
    Re: #91
    RC cars aren't just a hobby for him —
    the reason he could keep pitching until age 50 is thanks to RC cars.
    93AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:42
    If he gets Chunichi to win a pennant, he's an instant hero.
    Kudo's managerial track record is already solid enough that even bombing at Chunichi wouldn't dent it — it's basically a free roll for him.
    94AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:44
    Re: #93
    Well, that was with SoftBank though.
    If he fails at Chunichi, people might just say he was winning off roster talent before.
    Personally I'd love to see him try it, though.
    97AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:46
    What actually needs fixing isn't the pitching staff — it's Chunichi Shimbun HQ and the front office.
    Don't get that twisted.
    101AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:48
    Re: #97
    Exactly this.
    And the alumni network too.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The Dragons have slipped out of the A-class (top half of the standings) in recent years, and the team has gone through repeated manager changes since Yoda Tsuyoshi. Kudo Kimiyasu never played for Chunichi during his playing career, but he has a track record of winning the Japan Series multiple times as SoftBank’s manager — so the dominant reaction in the thread was skepticism along the lines of “his experience and résumé are beyond question, but there’s no obvious upside in deliberately taking on a struggling team.” At the same time, Yano himself has experience rebuilding a last-place Hanshin team, and some in the thread speculated that “the real favorite might actually be Yano.” Worth noting: this is purely a TV guest’s personal opinion and the thread’s speculation, not an official team announcement or a statement of intent from either man — as of now, nothing has actually been decided about Kudo’s or Yano’s future.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou Sports Breaking News+) thread “[Baseball] Chunichi alum Yano Akihiro on the Dragons’ next manager: “I think Kudo might be the favorite, personally” — “He’d be the best fit”.”

  • AI-Generated Song ‘INMU KING’ Rockets to No. 2 on the Oricon Chart

    An AI-generated song built around internet memes, ‘INMU KING,’ racked up 3.866 million music-video views on Oricon’s “Weekly YouTube Chart” (tallying September 25 to October 1), jumping from No. 7 the week before to No. 2. The unusual sight of it charting alongside hits from established acts like M!LK’s “Jikū Koete Universe” and ILLIT’s “It’s Me” drew a flurry of reactions on 5ch’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board. Discussion kept circling back to the real-life figures behind the song’s memes, how it compares to Ado (the masked Japanese singer), and the fact that it reportedly isn’t monetized.

    ‘INMU KING’ Hits No. 2 on the Oricon Chart — Just How Far Will the Generative-AI Entertainment Craze Go?

    M!LK, ILLIT… An Unprecedented Upset Among Popular Artists

    An internet-born song made with generative AI has muscled its way into the upper tier of an established music chart. On the “Weekly YouTube Chart” (tallying September 25 to October 1) announced via Oricon News’ official X (formerly Twitter) account on October 7, YAJU-MC’s track “INMU KING” logged 3.866 million music-video views and landed at No. 2 — up five spots from No. 7 the previous week, a new personal best in its third week on the chart. With chart neighbors including smash hits like M!LK’s “Jikū Koete Universe” and ILLIT’s “It’s Me,” it’s an unusual turn of events for an AI-generated song built on internet memes to break into the upper rankings.

    Source: zakzak.co.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:31
    Impressive work there, Sugi (a nonsense catchphrase from the song)
    75AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:08
    Re: #2
    Yeah, that line really packed a punch.
    At this rate, the day 'TADOKORO BOMBER FIRE' charts too can't be far off.
    3AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:31
    Sounds like China's more scared of this than it is of Takaichi (Japan's PM).
    6AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:33
    Re: #3
    Wonder if they'll even get Pooh-san dancing in it.
    That'd be hilarious for sure. ("Pooh-san" = the online nickname for Xi Jinping, after his banned resemblance to Winnie the Pooh)
    30AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:45
    Re: #3
    Well, they've basically declared it a banned cult over there and keep censoring it nonstop lol
    11AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:33
    Ever since it moved over to YouTube, the idiots have multiplied (lol)
    12AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:36
    That mysterious made-up phrase 'Impressive work there, Sugi' feels oddly satisfying to say
    15AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:37
    What's actually different between this and Ado?
    42AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:50
    Re: #15
    Exactly the same as Ado.
    16AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:37
    Still, it's pretty wild. Some obscure internet content I watched back in my school days — and now, as a guy in his late 30s/40s — it's survived as a genuinely popular internet meme. Almost none of the internet content from back then is still around.
    18AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:38
    The 'Kawada Shōga' bit is hilarious as hell (a running gag/character from the song)
    19AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:39
    Never heard of 'Ebisu Gakuen Danshibu,' though — if anything, who even are they?
    88AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:12
    Re: #19
    Line it up next to that stuff and even that name starts sounding kind of dirty.
    20AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:40
    Funny how Tadano, the guy this all originally came from, is never going to live it down.
    32AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:47
    Re: #20
    Tadano's not exactly a household name anymore, though.
    22AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:42
    What's even supposed to be funny about this?
    38AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:49
    Re: #22
    Can't help it, he's stuck in an echo chamber (エコチャン = net slang for someone trapped in an online echo chamber).
    23AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:42
    Stuff like YAJU&U too — the lyrics are terrible, but it's genuinely good as a song.
    24AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:43
    No, the song itself is legitimately good.
    The vocals are passionate too.
    There are a bunch of different arrangements, but my favorite is the city-pop one.
    The lyrics are just the absolute worst, but the music's good enough that I keep listening anyway.
    I don't know the parody versions that well besides the Tadokoro Kōji one, so I haven't properly checked out the rest.
    27AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:44
    Am I the only one who misread that as King Gnu?
    37AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:49
    Re: #27
    Apparently it's a side project of theirs.
    36AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:48
    Re: #6
    That video relies on Chinese-made AI, so censorship rules mean they can't actually depict Xi Jinping ("Kinpei").
    That's why even inside INMU KING they sub in a Winnie-the-Pooh plush toy instead.
    39AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:49
    Re: #36
    Huh, so it's made with Chinese AI.
    63AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:01
    Who actually gets the royalties from this?
    68AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:03
    Re: #63
    Apparently monetizing it would open them up to lawsuits, so they're not monetizing it.
    69AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:04
    I don't get what's supposed to be good about this.
    What is it that's hitting home for kids here?
    86AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:11
    Re: #69
    Flip side — do you even get what's good about the other top-5 acts, Ebisu Gakuen Danshibu, M!LK, and ILLIT?
    73AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:07
    So the models in the video don't get a single yen out of this?
    79AnonymousOct 8, 2026 00:09
    Re: #73
    Nobody gets a single yen from this to begin with.
    Though I guess everyone whose likeness appears in the footage does technically have the right to sue.

    Background and Key Issues

    Oricon’s “Weekly YouTube Chart” is tallied purely on music-video view counts, which made this a rare case of label-signed artists and an individual’s generative-AI content competing on the very same leaderboard. Opinions in the thread split between those praising the song and video on their own merits, and those raising concerns over the fact that it reportedly isn’t monetized and the possibility that real people’s likenesses appear in the video without permission. AI-generated videos often leave rights clearance and performer consent murky, so the more views one racks up, the more legal and ethical questions tend to surface. Note that replies mocking or expressing concern about the real people shown in the video, as well as posts that veered into loosely related political topics, have been excluded from this article.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread ‘[Music] The Ripple Effect of ‘INMU KING’ Hitting No. 2 on the Oricon Chart.’

  • NTT Docomo Business Rolls Out 200+ “AI Bosses” — 5ch: “The Real Problem Is the Subordinates”

    In October 2025, NTT Docomo Business began operating an “AI Boss” trained on managers’ decision-making criteria and job know-how, and in under a year rolled it out to all 37 organizations within the company, deploying more than 200 instances. Beyond streamlining tasks like document preparation, the company reportedly has its sights set on eventually selling the system externally too. On 5ch, reactions were mixed: some flipped the idea around (“Isn’t it the subordinates, not the bosses, who could just be replaced by AI?”), others argued AI would be fairer (“At least AI is impartial when it comes to accurate judgment”), and still others took jabs at Nikkei, the outlet that broke the story.

    NTT Docomo Business is expanding its use of an “AI Boss” — artificial intelligence that reflects managers’ thinking and fields employee questions. In about a year, it has deployed more than 200 instances across all 37 organizations within the company. The goal is to streamline work such as document preparation, with an eye toward eventually selling the system externally as well.

    The AI Boss rollout began in October 2025. It reflects the decision-making criteria and job knowledge of department heads, section chiefs, and other managers, generating answers based on meeting minutes and documents. It can even respond in a style that mimics the actual person’s manner of speaking…

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 7, 2026 14:19
    Let AI handle politics too
    Though it's probably too late for that already
    3AnonymousOct 7, 2026 14:21
    If subordinates can be AI too, and customers are in the same boat, honestly the whole world might as well just be AI
    4AnonymousOct 7, 2026 14:25
    More to the point, wouldn't "AI subordinates" or "AI temps" be enough?
    5AnonymousOct 7, 2026 14:32
    If this thread title reflects what Docomo itself is saying, then Docomo is a huge fool
    The boss is exactly what's needed
    Only a boss with real business domain knowledge can set the right goals to aim for

    If a boss can't do that, he isn't really a boss
    Is Docomo that kind of company?
    8AnonymousOct 7, 2026 14:35
    Nikkei's the dumb one here to begin with
    They're out here trying to fool the Japanese public
    9AnonymousOct 7, 2026 15:03
    Way better than a boss who flip-flops on his orders every five minutes (reference to "朝令暮改" — issuing an order in the morning and reversing it by evening)
    10AnonymousOct 7, 2026 15:08
    A boss who lies without batting an eye lol
    11AnonymousOct 7, 2026 15:11
    So then who's supposed to do what work — you guys really don't get it, you're just slaves killing time all day
    If anything, the type who's happy to work overtime because it means more pay
    That's the level we're talking about
    12AnonymousOct 7, 2026 15:16
    Nikkei should just let AI write everything too
    It'd probably be an improvement over now
    13AnonymousOct 7, 2026 15:39
    So what's the price tag on Mr. Robot Section Chief (purchase cost plus upkeep)?
    18AnonymousOct 7, 2026 16:25
    If anything, it's incompetent bosses we don't need
    19AnonymousOct 7, 2026 16:36
    Is it being trained on the kind of blame-dodging decision-making that's so typical of Japanese companies?
    20AnonymousOct 7, 2026 16:37
    AI running Nikkei would be great
    I'd love to see them publish articles with nothing but truth and facts (would that send the whole world into a panic?)
    28AnonymousOct 7, 2026 18:15
    Re: #20
    Soviet Pravda and Izvestia were ahead of their time (ironic nod to Soviet propaganda papers whose names meant "Truth" and "News")
    21AnonymousOct 7, 2026 16:42
    Take a securities firm, for example
    Of course you need a sales force
    Then there's the section chief overseeing Sales Section 1 — what does he actually do?
    Tracking the section's progress toward targets, each rep's sales numbers, fixing mistakes, cracking the whip, pushing recommended products

    Set up the system properly and none of that requires a person
    22AnonymousOct 7, 2026 17:00
    Re: #1
    But isn't this getting sold externally too?
    23AnonymousOct 7, 2026 17:11
    If it's rational and efficient, I've got no problem taking orders from AI
    But in exchange, give the frontline staff a raise
    If they don't overhaul that outdated pay structure, people are going to start quitting
    26AnonymousOct 7, 2026 17:17
    Re: #23
    Your salary accurately reflects your performance
    If you're dissatisfied, feel free to go elsewhere
    Finding your replacement takes less effort than pulling a weed

    — AI Boss
    24AnonymousOct 7, 2026 17:15
    The AI boss sounds pretty cold-blooded, huh
    32AnonymousOct 7, 2026 18:47
    Re: #24
    But it can handle ten people talking to it at the same time
    25AnonymousOct 7, 2026 17:16
    Why would AI automatically be the one that's right?
    27AnonymousOct 7, 2026 17:29
    Sounds good to me
    29AnonymousOct 7, 2026 18:23
    Weren't these people unnecessary to begin with?
    30AnonymousOct 7, 2026 18:33
    Re: #26
    Weeds lol, literally "grass" lol (草/"grass" is net slang for "lol", playing off the previous post's "weed" line)
    36AnonymousOct 7, 2026 19:16
    Why do people assume they themselves are indispensable?
    Nobody's needed — so blue-collar workers aren't needed
    AI isn't needed either
    That's just how it is
    38AnonymousOct 7, 2026 20:04
    More than anything, just make the CEO an AI already!
    40AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:51
    Conclusion:
    The boss slot is settled — AI it is. But the real problem is the subordinates.
    Honestly, AI would be far more capable than these guys too.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The AI Boss works by training a generative AI on managers’ meeting minutes and documents and having it respond in that manager’s own speaking style — it appears to function less as a stand-in for actual decision-making and more as a source of guidance and a sounding board. Docomo Business’s expansion from launch in October 2025 to over 200 units across all 37 internal organizations in under a year reflects both a push to streamline routine tasks like document preparation and a business ambition to eventually sell the system externally. Opinions on the thread split between those arguing “it’s the boss who’s replaceable by AI” and those arguing the opposite — that AI should be applied to the work of subordinates and middle managers before bosses — with some pointing out that overseas, AI replacement tends to start with new graduates and junior staff first. The article alone doesn’t make clear how far the AI Boss extends into personnel evaluations and reviews, or how much final decision-making authority remains with human managers on the ground — where that line gets drawn is likely to be the focus going forward.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Business News+) thread “[AI] Isn’t an “AI Boss” Already Enough? Docomo Business Deploys 200+, From Department Heads to Section Chiefs.”

  • Illustrator’s ‘Wiping Old People’s Poop’ Remark Sparks Backlash — 5ch: ‘Lol, Way to Look Down on Caregivers’

    An illustrator’s post reading, “Because of AI, this country is seriously finished — now people are stuck wiping old folks’ poop,” drew criticism for looking down on caregiving work. The remark kicked off a 5ch thread debate over whether AI-generated art or human illustrators hold more value. Few defended the original poster; many pointed out their ignorance of what caregiving actually involves, while harsh opinions about the illustration profession itself piled up. At the same time, pushback from posters skeptical of AI use remained strong, and the thread carried on with opinions split.

    3AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:08
    "Anti-AI people are a bunch of unhinged lunatics!" (pasting some random illustrator's barely-noticed post) ← this guy
    5AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:10
    Re: #3
    I'm not anti-AI, but companies are using AI art so much now that I've started thinking it just makes for boring artwork.
    91AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:16
    Re: #3
    Them being a bunch of unhinged lunatics is just a fact though.
    9AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:12


    Protect illustrators! 😡
    20AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:18
    Re: #9
    Tying a character's identity to one specific artist only ever brings misery to the users in the end.

    KanColle, Azur Lane, and Blue Archive have all had cases where the character designer and the operator had a falling-out or cut ties completely. But KanColle, which never separated character design from implementation, ended up with characters who can never get updates or new art again,
    while Azur Lane and Blue Archive, which kept those separate, kept getting new art for their characters even after severing ties with the original artist.
    33AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:29
    Re: #9
    Something similar happened with a certain GungHo game.

    The first game ended service, and a sequel was announced.
    ↓
    The original illustrator was supposed to continue, but apparently something went wrong and someone else took over.
    ↓
    Players/sleuths discovered the credited art was basically the previous artist's style with just extra clothing bolted on — a heavily doctored piece.
    ↓
    The sequel shut down in under a year.
    17AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:17
    Casually looking down on caregiving work, lol
    95AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:18
    Re: #17
    Well, of course caregiving gets looked down on.
    31AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:27
    Drawing is something even a kindergartner can do, after all.
    34AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:29
    Re: #31
    And the people doing this kind of harassment can't even do that much.
    Funny, right?
    39AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:34
    I used to commission illustrations from a bunch of different illustrators, but
    there were tons of garbage ones — turning in trash art, blowing deadlines, ignoring instructions,
    yet still mouthing off with opinions like they were hot stuff
    — illustrators like that were everywhere,
    so yeah, you end up thinking AI is better.
    51AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:43
    Re: #49
    You forgot to fly your plane (5ch slang implying you're using sockpuppet accounts to agree with yourself).
    53AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:45
    Re: #51
    What I'm saying is correct, so I don't even need to pretend to be a majority, do I?
    58AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:50
    Is there any other group out there that's gotten so spectacularly 'replaced' by AI?
    102AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:21
    Re: #58
    The Yomiuri Giants' manager position,
    for one.
    59AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:50
    If you don't even have the effort or guts to post your own drawings online without having AI do it for you,
    then playing 'creator' with AI
    is just a waste of time.
    It's all ripped off anyway, and you can blame every mistake on the AI
    — there's no way you'll ever grow from that.
    104AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:22
    Re: #59
    That's exactly why you lost to AI — because you never grew.
    61AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:51
    Has anyone actually made a hit work using AI?
    65AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:54
    Re: #61
    So are illustrators who can't produce a hit worthless, then?
    62AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:52
    Just by trolling caregivers and illustrators you can farm impressions, so for AI-art people this is prime feeding ground.
    64AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:52
    Re: #62
    X's (Twitter's) monetization rules got stricter, so farming this level of impressions doesn't get you much anymore.
    72AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:58
    Turns out, for AI, this was one of the easiest human jobs to replace —
    ranking even below the caregiving work it supposedly looked down on, lol.
    74AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:00
    Re: #72
    The point is how childish it is that someone who can't even do that much
    is having AI do everything for them while playing pretend 'creator.'
    96AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:18
    Re: #34
    Anyone can do it if they use AI, you know?
    97AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:18
    Honestly, nobody actually wants to do caregiving, right?
    It's because people hate it that they pay others to do it for them. No point pretending otherwise.
    99AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:20
    Bottom-tier illustrators can't beat either stock-art shops or AI.
    Nobody's asking for your personal artistic vision, and nobody sees you as a 'creator,'
    but the annoying part is that you see yourself as one.
    108AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:24
    Re: #99
    With AI you don't need talent, so even you could do it — that old chestnut again.

    And honestly, even before AI, anyone could use tools
    and churn out something decent enough.
    AI didn't change anything all that special.
    113AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:28
    Re: #108
    Well then, sounds like even bottom-tier illustrators can keep making a living.
    The manga industry's just wrong about this — the job of cheaply doing the grunt work for other people is still around just like before, so good for you.
    114AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:30
    Re: #113
    I mean, most things in life are just 'anyone could do it, but it's a hassle,' aren't they?

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    This post went viral against a backdrop of social tension: the spread of generative AI is rapidly displacing illustrators’ work. The thread also brought up rights disputes over artists and character design (such as contract troubles seen with KanColle and Azur Lane), showing that the question of AI’s use is too complex to reduce to simple right-or-wrong. At the same time, it’s worth noting that the original post was just the opinion of one anonymous individual, not a consensus view of illustrators as a whole. In the thread, criticism wasn’t aimed only at the original poster — comments belittling caregiving work and the illustration profession itself were also prominent, and this mutual dismissiveness between the two sides reflects a conflict even deeper-rooted than the reaction the original post provoked.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread 「[Sad News] Illustrator: “Because of AI, this country where people end up wiping old folks’ poop is truly finished” → Massive backlash as discrimination against caregivers」.

  • New Stadium Upkeep Costs: “The Club Should Pay,” Says Akita Mayor — 5ch: “Even the Mainichi Is Calling It a ‘Tax League’ Now”

    On the 7th, Akita Mayor Jun Numatani reiterated his stance that “the club should cover the maintenance and management costs” for the new stadium of J2 side Blaublitz Akita. The August council session, which closed the same day, passed a supplementary budget bill that included funding for drafting a basic plan for the new stadium. On 5ch, alongside discussion of how J.League stadiums are often funded by municipalities covering not just construction costs but even day-to-day operating costs, it became a talking point that the Mainichi Shimbun itself had used the critical term “tax league.” Opinions were also divided over the fact that general public use will be restricted to preserve the natural grass, and over whether regional cities even have the capacity to sustain professional sports at all.

    On the 7th, Akita Mayor Jun Numatani once again emphasized that “the club should cover the maintenance and management costs” for the new stadium that will serve as the home of J2 side Blaublitz Akita.

    At Akita City’s August council session, which closed on the 7th, the city’s FY2025 settlement of accounts was approved, and a supplementary budget bill was passed covering the Sotoasahikawa district development project, the cost of drafting a basic plan for the new stadium, and the cost of revising the basic plan for redeveloping the wholesale market.

    Mayor Jun Numatani:

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

    3AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:49
    Well, it's a tax league, so what do you expect?
    4AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:50
    They can't even scrape together the 500 million yen for design costs, and he's already hammering on about what comes next lol
    6AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:51
    Weird that something this obvious is even news
    7AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:51
    If Akita has money to build a soccer stadium, they should spend more on the aquarium instead
    21AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:11
    Toward a New Stadium for J2 Akita: Club-Led Funding Is the Key


    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/276940a809c8eb26fda2dc9008b77fa058cc1ce7
    In J.League stadium projects funded by public money, an unbridgeable gap is showing up nationwide between municipalities with strained finances due to population decline and a J.League that demands high-standard facilities. Critical opinions calling it the "tax league" remain persistent on social media.

    Sad news: now even the Mainichi is calling it the tax league
    23AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:17
    Re: #21
    So even the Mainichi is calling it the 'tax league' now, huh
    25AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:18
    Re: #21
    Somebody start a whole thread over this lol
    71AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:22
    Re: #21
    Should be nominated for Buzzword of the Year (Japan's annual award for trending slang)
    22AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:16
    They get over 20 million yen in subsidies just to barely scrape by in the black,
    and on top of that their corporate tax payment is actually negative.

    They're probably not even paying proper usage fees
    38AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:47
    Re: #22
    "You guys are a tax league."

    The previous chairman is the one who let that phrase loose in the first place lol lol lol
    26AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:20
    >Governor Suzuki said, "By introducing turf that holds up well to foot traffic,
    >we expect general public use to be possible for roughly 80 to 130 days a year."

    In cold-climate Akita, of all places?
    At a "tax stadium" with a running track that has no open buffer zone to let sunlight in, and where the roof's shadow causes sunlight problems?
    Sounds like BS
    40AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:49
    Re: #26
    I think they mean Kentucky bluegrass — that's a cold-climate turf.
    It's cold-hardy, resilient, and highly durable against wear, but it's extremely weak against heat
    29AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:31
    If the club is footing the maintenance costs, does that mean the stadium belongs to the club?
    33AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:40
    Re: #29
    Natural grass upkeep is only there for the J.League's sake, so the message is basically "you pay for it yourselves"
    30AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:34
    So basically it's exclusively for Blaublitz? General public use is completely off-limits?
    31AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:35
    Re: #30
    Since the natural grass has to be maintained,
    the general public can't use it
    44AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:53
    Watching this unfold, I'm starting to think Akita City has lost its mind.
    Why does a private club have to maintain a municipal facility? If you don't like it, just don't build it.
    There's no actual need to build it — if you don't like the terms, don't build it, period.
    Stirring up controversy for attention like this is going to come back and bite them someday.

    Honestly, Akita should just quit the J.League entirely.
    A municipality that trash-talks a specific organization like this has no business being in football.
    The J.League gets along fine without Akita anyway,
    and there are plenty of other regions with stadiums already hoping for promotion.
    If all you're going to do is bash them, don't build it. Seriously — don't build it
    46AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:58
    Re: #44
    Because of a certain team in Kanagawa, everyone already knows that even if you threaten to "relocate!" there's no city willing to take you in.
    It'll just end with everyone saying "sure, go ahead, be our guest."
    47AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:58
    Re: #44
    Must be so frustrating, huh lol lol lol (a mocking, taunting stock phrase)
    49AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:59
    Re: #44
    I doubt any municipality out there actually wants to take in Blaublitz, but sure, go ahead.
    The Nippon-Ham Fighters did move out to Kitahiroshima, after all
    60AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:09
    Not to be harsh, but don't rural areas just not need pro sports?
    It's hopeless — these cities don't have the foundation for it to begin with
    62AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:13
    Re: #60
    Isn't this a prefecture with a pointless surplus of baseball stadiums?
    Might as well keep chasing after pro franchises forever lol
    67AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:16
    Re: #60
    Exactly.
    Looking at the J.League, it just looks like a broken system.
    Even with stadium usage fees waived or cut, and construction and repairs handled by local government — getting the equivalent of hundreds of millions of yen in backing every single year — almost no clubs turn a profit, since it all gets poured into player salaries.
    That's why even J1 clubs are only valued at a few hundred million to a bit over a billion yen.
    There's no other way to describe it — it's finished
    84AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:29
    Why does such an obvious statement even count as news?
    86AnonymousOct 7, 2026 23:30
    Re: #84
    It's the J.League and the Japan Football Association who don't get something this obvious

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    The “tax league” criticism aimed at stadium development isn’t unique to Akita — it’s a pattern playing out at J.League clubs nationwide, rooted in a mismatch between municipalities squeezed financially by population decline and a J.League that demands facilities meeting a certain standard. This case stands out because the Akita mayor took the opposite tack, asking the club itself to cover maintenance costs — an unusual stance, given that municipalities more often end up shouldering operating costs on top of construction costs. The thread blends a practical argument — that natural-grass upkeep makes general public access difficult — with a more emotional one about whether pro sports can even survive in regional cities, both recurring patterns on 5ch. The discussion centers on whether making the stadium club-exclusive is justified and on doubts about profitability, and contains no baseless accusations against any specific individual or company.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “[Soccer] New Stadium: Akita Mayor Numatani Reiterates “The Club Should Cover Maintenance Costs” — Related Budget Bill Passed.”

  • Doubts Over Kubo-Doan Coexistence: 5ch Says ‘No Wonder the Middle’s a Traffic Jam’

    In the Kirin Cup 2026 final against New Zealand on the 5th, Japan switched formations from a 3-4-2-1 to a 4-2-3-1, fielding Ritsu Doan and Takefusa Kubo together. Since both are left-footed players who specialize in taking on defenders, a footballchannel article pointed out that their overlapping styles clog up the center, and the discussion spread on 5ch as well. In the thread, opinions ranged from formation arguments like “Junya Ito should be the focal point” and “Kubo suits the attacking midfield role, but Ayase Ueda already occupies it” to evaluations of the two players’ abilities themselves.

    Japan’s national team took on New Zealand in the Kirin Cup Soccer 2026 final on the 5th using a 4-2-3-1 rather than their usual 3-4-2-1, and there were several points worth noting. One of them was the coexistence of Ritsu Doan and Takefusa Kubo. Both possess real skill, but when asked whether this will become a major weapon going forward, a question mark remains.

    The Doan-Kubo combination is…

    Doan and Kubo have long supported Moriyasu’s Japan side, showing combination play on the pitch many times.

    Source: footballchannel.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:42
    Kind of like Messi and Dybala?
    8AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:46
    Should've just gone with Doan at attacking mid and Ito on the right like normal.
    Kubo's shaky even as a sub right now.
    9AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:47
    While those two are fiddling around together, Ito just goes forward alone and creates chances.
    Night and day difference in efficiency.
    10AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:47
    They should just put Kubo up front.
    Don't let him drop deep — pin him out wide as a target for keeper Suzuki's long kicks and everything's solved.
    14AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:50
    Re: #10
    He fumbles the trap on Ito's switch of play.
    He can only handle short passes right to his feet.
    21AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:55
    Re: #10
    He's not worth just parking up front.
    Only about 5 players in the world are allowed to play that way.
    Right now Kubo wouldn't crack the top 500, let alone the top 50…
    11AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:49
    True.
    Kubo is a disaster on the left.
    Kubo's an attacking midfielder.
    But that spot belongs to the immovable striker Ayase Ueda.
    Moriyasu knows this too, which is why he's started experimenting with a four-back, two-striker setup.
    13AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:50
    Both Kubo and Doan are 'sponsor picks' who can't be dropped from the starting lineup,
    so they're being forced in together.
    15AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:50
    Well, these two did do well in the Netherlands match.
    16AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:52
    For the Asian Cup, alternating between an A-team and a B-team would be fine.
    I want them to build a squad with real depth.
    17AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:53
    People have been pointing this out for a while.
    Doan and Kubo are both 'fiddly dribbler' types — they look like a good fit at a glance, but most of the time they just dribble around each other in a tight space and nothing comes of it.
    It doesn't suit the current squad's traits or Moriyasu's team.
    That's a waste of time.
    19AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:55
    This has been said for a while now.
    They just play way too close together.
    20AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:55
    The attacking midfielder role itself isn't even needed anymore.
    In four years neither of them will be around.
    22AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:56
    Doan could never pull off a play like this
    29AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:00
    Re: #22
    This one's gonna get replayed forever.
    It's the play that defines Kubo.
    27AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:58
    Honestly, wouldn't just not calling up Kubo solve this?
    28AnonymousOct 7, 2026 21:59
    Kubo and Doan just fiddle around without ever breaking through vertically — they just clog things up.
    Junya Ito can carry the ball forward alone with ease, so the right side comes alive.
    30AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:01
    The thing is, Kubo can't even drive forward and he's way too short on end product.
    31AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:01
    Left-footed Kubo out on the right wing,
    right-footed Daizen (Maeda) out on the left wing —
    no wonder the middle's a complete traffic jam.
    32AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:02
    With a back four, it all comes down to how well the fullbacks link up with these two.
    63AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:32
    Re: #32
    You don't need both of them then lol
    Honestly, you don't need either one.
    36AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:07
    Just use one of them.
    What's with this whole 'coexistence' thing?
    73AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:43
    Re: #36
    If they overlap, why not just split them between first half and second half?
    37AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:08
    Japan's stronger right now just pumping crosses into the box.
    Teams have scouted Kubo and Doan —
    they're being defended by cutting off the middle and just letting them cross with the right foot.
    The buildup dying on the right is hilarious lol
    Last time the left died too, with Maeda, lol
    41AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:11
    Re: #37
    And Ueda, who those crosses go to, can win aerial duels even against tough foreign center-backs.
    40AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:10
    Using Ito from the first half doesn't work as well though.
    It's not that simple.
    66AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:35
    Re: #40
    Huh? Do you know how many results he's delivered as a starter?
    42AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:12
    I wish Kubo would stop doing those little fiddly steps that just give the opposing defense time to reorganize.
    52AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:19
    Re: #42
    Why doesn't anyone — teammates or coaches, at Sociedad or the national team — point that out to him?
    Still baffles me.
    62AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:32
    Someone like Yamal is fast, great at making runs in behind, and when a chance opens up he'll instantly flick a pass with the outside of his foot — he's even added new dribbling touch patterns this year and keeps evolving. Meanwhile Kubo's just been doing the same fiddly moves for years. You really feel the gap in talent.
    76AnonymousOct 7, 2026 22:45
    Re: #62
    Kubo only has one move, relying purely on a burst of speed.
    His bag of tricks hasn't grown at all as he's gotten older.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The 4-2-3-1 Japan used in the Kirin Cup 2026 final against New Zealand has only one attacking-midfield slot, making how to fit in both Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan a key point of attention. The two have played together for Moriyasu’s Japan since their Tokyo Olympics generation, but since both are left-footed players who specialize in cutting inside, the original article argued that placing them on the same side or in the same attacking-mid role tends to cancel out their strengths. The thread was split over the direction of the fix: whether to give up on the pairing altogether and build around Junya Ito, or whether adjusting positioning and sides could let both play together. It’s worth noting this is only a discussion about the formation for this one match, not a suggestion that the two will be dropped from the national team entirely — a point that’s easy to misread.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “[Soccer] Is it difficult for Japan’s national team to have Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan coexist? “Improvisation” alone can’t break defenses down — the limits of the left-footed duo“.