Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

  • Switch 2 Owners Reveal What They’re Actually Playing — 5ch Users Battle It Out in Report Thread

    A thread popped up on 5ch where users who’d bought a Switch 2 started comparing notes on what they were actually playing. The list ranged widely — Momotetsu, Clubhouse Games (Asobi Daizen), Derby Stallion 2, Fantasy Life, Donkey Kong Bananza, a Warriors-style “Musou 2” title, and the Yo-kai Watch 1 remake — and the conversation quickly turned to whether any of it really needed a Switch 2 at all. Anyone who mentioned games also available on PS5 or PC, like No Man’s Sky or Musou 2, got hit with a wave of “just play it on PC” and “PS5 is fine for that,” exposing a split between people who bought the console purely for Zelda and Monster Hunter and are letting it collect dust, and those who are actually putting hours in.

    1AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:12
    ・Momotetsu (Momotaro Dentetsu)
    ・Clubhouse Games (Asobi Daizen)
    ・Mario Party Jamboree
    2AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:13
    Zelda and Monster Hunter are coming soon so that's what I'm planning to play
    No idea if it actually has to be on a Switch 2 though
    3AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:13
    Derby Stallion 2 is insane, I can't stop playing
    8AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:15
    Re: #3
    Is it more fun than Winning Post (the rival horse-racing sim)?
    12AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:17
    A bit late to the party, but Fantasy Life is way too fun — I've been playing it nonstop
    15AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:20
    Re: #12
    Played it on 3DS back in the day — is it still fun now?
    31AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:26
    Just saw this same thread on Edge, but…
    34AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:26
    Re: #31
    It's multiplatform
    38AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:29
    Honestly the only Switch 2-specific games I've got are Fantasy Life and No Man's Sky
    42AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:29
    Re: #38
    PC's fine for that
    44AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:30
    Re: #38
    Both of those are fine on PC
    46AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:30
    Air Riders alone was worth the price of the console
    47AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:30
    Re: #46
    Is it fun? I'm on the fence about buying it
    49AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:31
    Re: #46
    Really? I dropped it pretty fast
    Guess what I actually liked was just hanging out loud with friends at someone's place back in school
    48AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:30
    Re: #42
    Re: #44
    For No Man's Sky, I've got the PS5 version
    50AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:31
    Re: #48
    Oh, it's on PS5 too? Then PS5 is fine
    64AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:36
    You guys don't really talk about Donkey Kong Bananza much
    I think it's the best thing on Switch 2 so far
    82AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:41
    Re: #64
    The gorilla's just too ugly
    66AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:36
    If you're not even into that kind of Nintendo game, I don't know why you bought the console in the first place
    68AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:37
    Re: #66
    Maybe Dusk Blood?
    71AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:38
    Dusk Blood's gonna end up on PC and PS5 eventually anyway
    75AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:39
    Re: #71
    I don't think it will? It's a versus/competitive game
    76AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:39
    Re: #71
    It'll flop on Switch and then go multiplatform, probably
    108AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:56
    Re: #71
    If a PC version comes out and there's still hype for it, I'll just buy that too
    Games like that are most fun in the early feeling-it-out period right after launch
    73AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:38
    The Wii U nightmare all over again
    79AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:40
    Re: #73
    Even if the console undersells expectations, enough units are already out there that Nintendo will probably stick with it for ages — that's the problem
    If it flopped as hard as the Wii U, they could just move on to the next one already
    77AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:40
    Bought Musou 2 (a Warriors-style action game), looking forward to it
    81AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:40
    Re: #77
    I was torn on which version to get too, but I heard the Switch 2 framerate is a mess so I got the PS5 version
    84AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:42
    Re: #81
    I don't have a PS5 so Switch 2 it is for me
    Hope we both enjoy it!
    94AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:47
    I just saw the news about the price hike causing lines, grabbed one on impulse, and it's been sitting there ever since 😭
    95AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:49
    Yo-kai Watch 1 Remake

    Got Namahage (a folklore ogre-turned-Yo-kai) and I'm so happy about it 🥰
    101AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:52
    I just want to play BotW (Breath of the Wild) — do I really need a Switch 2 for that?
    By the way, I play pretty much everything else on Steam
    104AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:54
    Re: #101
    A used Switch Lite will do
    I bought a Switch all excited to play it and it turned out to be such a mediocre game that I was let down
    I think the praise it gets is mostly from people who played it back when it first launched
    105AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:54
    Re: #101
    Of course you need one
    It's night and day, and there's definitely a new entry coming too
    107AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:55
    🤭


    110AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:58
    Re: #104
    Even if the original is good enough, the Lite is definitely the wrong pick for it
    112AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:00
    Re: #110
    No, the Lite is fine
    If it's just the cost of the BotW (Breath of the Wild) game itself, sure, but if you're buying a whole console just for BotW, the Lite will do
    Honestly, I don't think the game's performance justifies buying a console just to play it — so if there's nothing else you want to play, I wouldn't really recommend buying one at all

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Nintendo’s Switch 2 launched in 2025 as the company’s current console, and its lineup mixes carryover flagship franchises like Mario Kart with brand-new exclusives such as Donkey Kong Bananza, alongside multiplatform titles like Fantasy Life and the Musou series that are also available on Steam and PS5. The thread split between posters who say the real reason to own a Switch 2 is to wait for flagship titles like Zelda and Monster Hunter, and those who argue everything else runs just as well on PS5 or PC. A number of posters admitted they’d bought the console but were leaving it on the shelf until a true must-have exclusive shows up. What’s easy to miss from the outside is that most of the games named in the thread aren’t Switch 2 exclusives at all — they’re playable on other platforms too — so there’s a real gap between people’s reason for buying the console and what they’re actually playing on it.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from excerpts of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] The Games I’ve Actually Played Since Buying My Switch 2 lol.”

  • Director Hideo Kojima Won’t Reveal Anything About New Game ‘OD’ — 5ch: ‘He’s Just Doing the Same Thing as P.T.’

    On episode 36 of the radio show “Koji10,” released October 5, director Hideo Kojima spoke about his new horror title “OD,” currently in development. “OD” was announced in 2023 as a Microsoft-backed project, and while some cast members and teaser footage have already been revealed, most of the game’s content remains unknown — Kojima reportedly stated his policy is to “stay quiet and keep it a mystery” for now. On 5ch’s console-war (gaming industry) board, opinions were split over whether this is a repeat of the free-demo strategy that made “P.T.” such a sensation, or simply a sign that the budget or production is running behind schedule. Some pointed out that filming won’t even start until the end of the year, and that the SAG-AFTRA strike over motion-capture actors may be a factor.

    Hideo Kojima, director at Kojima Productions, commented on his new horror title “OD,” currently in development, during episode 36 of “Koji10: Hideo Kojima’s ‘Let’s Make It the Best 10 O’Clock,’” released on October 5.

    “Koji10” is a radio show that aired on TBS Radio. A year after Season 2 ended, episode 36 was released as a one-night-only revival episode on YouTube and other platforms.

    During the show, Kojima also touched on his new horror game “OD,” among other topics. “OD” was announced in 2023, but with only some cast members, screenshots, and teaser footage revealed so far, it remains shrouded in mystery.

    Source: gamespark.jp / Original article here

    4AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:01
    That's something a sub-1,000-yen (about $7) indie game gets to say, not a AAA title like this.
    8AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:06
    He just wants to pull the same trick as P.T., doesn't he.
    That one also disguised itself as an obscure indie game and suddenly dropped a demo out of nowhere — you couldn't even clear it without players pooling info online, and it blew up massively because of that.
    58AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:33
    Re: #8
    P.T. was free though, wasn't it.
    If this is a paid game, people will have to pay money just to play it, so it won't work the same way.

    Wasn't "Silent Hills" cancelled because they poured too much money and time into making P.T. in the first place?
    They made a free teaser packed with promotion for the real project, it got rave reviews, and then about six months later the real project got cancelled — that's some dark history right there.
    9AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:07
    Reminds me of Sony's 'Abandoned.'
    That was just a scam to sell PS5s.
    55AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:29
    Re: #9
    Well, 'Bodycam' did actually come out… lol
    11AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:10
    He's practically bragged that the pitch was so out-there at the initial announcement that only Microsoft was willing to fund it, so I wouldn't even be shocked if what comes out barely qualifies as a game.

    Honestly, going by the footage and images that have leaked out, there's a real chance it's basically just P.T. all over again.
    31AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:57
    Re: #11
    It was originally a Google project, you know.
    20AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:29
    Filming starts at the end of the year, so basically nothing's been done yet, lol.
    21AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:30
    Re: #20
    Come on, at least read the Japanese properly.
    25AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:45
    When are they even planning to release this thing?
    36AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:13
    Re: #25
    Development on Death Stranding 2 wrapped up around the middle of last year, and work on this started after that, so probably around 2028 — or next year at the earliest.
    30AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:56
    Surprised filming isn't even done yet.
    32AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:00
    Re: #30
    Can't really help that — there was the actors' union strike.
    67AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:46
    Re: #32
    It's not like you can't make a game without using actors, and yet he's still waiting it out just to use them — that's impressive in its own way.
    For better or worse.
    34AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:10
    Seriously, stop — this is a completely bad move.
    From years of watching this stuff, what actually helps sell a game on Steam is getting piled up with wishlist adds and staying on people's radar.
    The method is simple: put out a good trailer, 'keep the Steam store page up for a long time,' and just let it sit.
    Wishlist adds accumulate over the years.
    Almost all the top games on SteamDB's current wishlist rankings are games that have had a store page up for years.
    38AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:15
    Re: #34
    He's just not oversharing the game's content — they'll still promote it.
    43AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:18
    Re: #38
    How do you promote something while staying silent and keeping it a mystery?
    Just posters?
    48AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:21
    Re: #43
    There are plenty of ways to do it without fully showing off the content — like giving a hint of the story, or just touching on the basics.
    47AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:20
    Same thing happened during the Death Stranding playthrough previews —
    it felt like he was holding back, like 'I think that's enough for now,'
    but it later turned out that was just because there wasn't much substance left worth showing.
    50AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:22
    Re: #47
    Yeah, you really do want a minigame at every stop, lol.
    49AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:22
    Re: #1
    'Staying quiet,' sure,
    but VTuber let's-plays are totally allowed, nnnhh~ (an exaggerated moan-like sound VTuber fans use to express excitement)
    51AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:23
    Re: #49
    Wait, we're talking about not wanting to reveal info before release, and you're bringing up streams after release?
    54AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:29
    Ahahaha, they haven't made ANYTHING!
    62AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:38
    Re: #54
    PHYSINT is still in pre-production (the preparation stage), so nothing's been made yet for that one, but OD already finished motion capture and even put out a gameplay teaser last year, so it's not accurate to say nothing's been made.
    63AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:39
    'We want to keep it under wraps' sounds nice, but really they probably just don't have the money.
    All the flashy promotion and events up to now were being funded by Sony.
    This guy's whole approach has been selling games through that kind of spectacle, so it's going to be rough once he can't do that anymore.
    Even Death Stranding, which had Sony babysitting it, ended up like that.
    70AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:56
    Re: #63
    Does OD even have anything to do with Sony?
    71AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:00
    Re: #63
    Wasn't OD a Microsoft collaboration from the start?
    It's kind of funny if you thought Sony's money (from PHYSINT) was going to fund OD's promotion.
    69AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:51
    Re: #67
    Motion capture shoots normally use actors who specialize in mocap work.
    The strike in question was specifically a strike by those kinds of actors who work in the game industry.
    There are probably a lot of still-unannounced titles, but I'd bet other publishers' games that had mocap shoots scheduled around the same time are also quietly adjusting their release plans behind the scenes.
    78AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:06
    Motion capture actors could just as well be done with Japanese talent — this is exactly why the overseas-inferiority-complex crowd (Japanese fans who overvalue Western production) are like this…
    81AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:09
    Re: #78
    Conversely, do you think an American actor could perform a Japanese character's motion without it feeling off?
    Do you think there's no cultural difference, or that acting alone can bridge it?
    90AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:19
    Re: #78
    To anyone who's actually looked into the situation, this just makes you look like someone who nitpicks for the sake of it.
    102AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:46
    He originally said he wanted to do something that's only possible through Game Pass,
    so I'd guess it's taking the idea behind 'Siren: New Translation' even further.
    Of course Sony wouldn't get it — they're the ones who completely ignored the concept and just slapped out a packaged compilation release.
    106AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:53
    Re: #102
    I think he said it would make use of the cloud, but I don't think he actually said Game Pass.
    103AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:49
    Won't reveal the game's content, but sure will keep showing up everywhere himself.
    107AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:57
    Re: #103
    He's not saying he won't do any promotion at all, though.

    Background and Key Points of Discussion

    “OD” is a new Microsoft-backed title announced at a 2023 Xbox event, with a funding structure different from the Sony-led “Death Stranding.” The thread’s central debate was whether Kojima’s secrecy this time follows the same playbook as his past stunt with the free demo “P.T.” at the PlayStation Experience — which became a massive buzz-generating success — or whether it’s simply a sign that the budget or production schedule has fallen behind. The fact that filming won’t even begin until the end of the year has also been linked to the effects of the SAG-AFTRA strike over AI protections (2024–2025), which affected actors’ motion-capture shoots, suggesting broader industry-wide circumstances may be at play rather than a simple production delay. Opinions aren’t unanimous on whether a drip-feed information strategy is even effective, either — some argue that early trailer releases and long-term store page exposure are what actually boost Steam wishlist numbers.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Console Wars)) thread “Director Kojima: ‘I want to release OD while staying quiet and keeping it a mystery’.”

  • Wolverine’s Resale Price Crashes Below ¥2,000 Just 3 Weeks After Launch — Fans Call It the ‘Fastest Drop Ever’

    The buyback (used-game trade-in) price for Marvel’s Wolverine reportedly fell from ¥5,500 to ¥4,000 within just 10 days of release, and by the three-week mark, retail chains GEO and BookOff had slashed their prices to ¥2,000 and ¥2,500 respectively, according to a report on 5ch’s “Hardware/Industry” (Geha) board. “Bikane” — the nickname for a recent game that had previously held the record for fastest-crashing buyback price — took five weeks to hit ¥2,000, but Wolverine beat that mark in just three weeks, sparking talk of a new “fastest drop ever.” Thread replies raised complaints about the game’s lack of content and abundance of bugs, comparisons with other titles released around the same time, and mentions of how much unsold stock is still sitting in stores.

    1AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:35
    Wolverine — GEO Buyback Price Over Time
    Launch day: ¥5,500
    10 days later: ¥4,000
    2AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:35
    Meanwhile Fire Emblem (FE), which launched the same week, is still holding steady at ¥5,500.
    3AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:36
    Bargain-bin alert!
    Bargain-bin alert!
    Bargain-bin alert!
    4AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:36
    And according to Famitsu, there's still something like 27,000 units of unsold stock sitting around.
    6AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:37
    Wake me up when the buyback price hits ¥100.
    55AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:55
    Re: #6
    You sure you actually want me to wake you up for that?
    7AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:38
    Meanwhile Spider-Man 2 is still going for ¥3,000.
    8AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:38
    No content
    Straight-up trash game
    Bugs out the wazoo

    Saw this coming from a mile away
    9AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:38
    Honestly, even buying it back sounds risky at this point — it might not sell even secondhand.
    10AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:38
    SHOOOOOCK!!
    Built up from lies〜♪ slashed by a knife〜♪ (lyrics from an old anime theme song)
    13AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:40
    Re: #10
    Brings back memories
    You must be a fan of the original
    11AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:40
    *Note: it's only been three weeks since release.
    12AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:40
    GEO: ¥3,000 → ¥2,000
    BookOff: ¥2,500

    Lol, the big chains are playing chicken with each other
    35AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:48
    Re: #12
    GEO dropped straight to ¥2,000 because BookOff was at ¥2,500, lol
    How badly do they not want to buy this thing back, GEO lmao
    14AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:41
    Wasn't Monster Hunter Wilds the record holder for fastest price crash?
    27AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:45
    Re: #14
    The record's gone Wilds → Beast → Wolverine
    33AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:47
    Re: #27
    What they all have in common is… oh wait, never mind
    57AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:55
    Re: #27
    Hey, you watching this, Wilds?
    There's talent here that surpasses you……
    And not just one, but two at once……
    18AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:42
    It's rated CERO Z (18+ only in Japan), so stores can't even toss it into a New Year's grab-bag without a warning label — that's rough
    No wonder shops don't want to buy it back
    26AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:45
    Re: #18
    So if it's in there, people would know right away, lmao
    24AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:44
    This is even faster than Bikane, which already had one of the quickest price crashes recently
    36AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:48
    Re: #24
    Bikane took five weeks to hit ¥2,000

    [Bad News] Bikane's Buyback Price Hits ¥2,000
    https://krsw.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/ghard/1788884422/

    Wolverine did it in three
    38AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:48
    Holding the record for fastest crash is the coolest title around, right?
    43AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:51
    Re: #38
    Well then, go ahead and break the all-time record, pleeease (meme spelling of 'please')
    44AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:51
    Store clerk:
    "Stop bringing in Wolverine already!!"
    48AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:52
    Re: #44
    Store clerk: "I never want to see that yellow box art again……"
    47AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:52
    Everyone's favorite all-time fastest drop


    Release dates
    July 14, 2005 (standard edition)
    November 2, 2005 (PS2 "the Best" budget reissue)
    86AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:10
    Re: #47
    That's about the point I realized Sony wasn't even looking at its own customers anymore…
    50AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:53
    But Cabbage said in a video that it'd easily hit 6 million units by the end of the fiscal year… Is that actually gonna happen…?
    51AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:53
    Re: #50
    Maybe it'd work out if they just sold it for ¥500
    54AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:55
    Re: #46
    Bikane's incredible
    Comparing it to Wolverine — which couldn't even crack the top 30 in week two with only 20,000 copies sold — is honestly disrespectful (to Bikane)

    Re: #50
    There's a bundle edition, you know. You some kind of hater?
    94AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:14
    Just you wait, GTA's gonna troll you right back
    105AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:21
    Re: #94
    GTA 6's physical copy is guaranteed to have a ¥0 buyback price though — you gonna be okay with that?
    104AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:20
    Wilds didn't drop nearly this fast in its first month, though
    Though that's partly because people hadn't caught on to how bad it was yet, lol
    110AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:23
    Re: #104
    There was also hope that an update would fix things
    106AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:21
    It only sold 22,000 copies and there's still leftover stock?? Lmaooo
    116AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:26
    Re: #106
    I think you already know what that means without me spelling it out
    There's also the contract with M (likely Marvel) to consider
    107AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:23
    Apparently GTA 6 pre-orders come with a download code card instead of an actual disc
    Stores that clearly state this in their pre-order section are seeing zero pre-order growth,
    but the ones that don't mention it are seeing great numbers, lol
    Can't wait to see how this blows up
    What happens when clueless average PS5 owners buy GTA 6 expecting a disc
    113AnonymousOct 6, 2026 13:25
    Re: #107
    Are people gonna try shoving the paper card into the disc slot, lol?
    Someone actually pulled that before with a Tales of… demo insert or something, lol

    Background and Talking Points

    How fast a used-game buyback price falls is an indicator of how worried retailers are about getting stuck with unsold stock — it doesn’t directly reflect how many copies a game has actually sold. On the Geha (Hardware/Industry) board, comparing how quickly a new release’s buyback price crashes — as seen before with titles like Monster Hunter Wilds and “Bikane” — has become a recurring topic, and this Wolverine discussion is just the latest example. Commenters pointed to the game’s CERO Z rating (restricted to ages 18 and up in Japan) as one reason it’s hard to bundle into things like New Year’s grab-bag sets, which in turn makes retailers reluctant to buy it back. That said, it’s worth noting that the sales and inventory figures cited in the thread are secondhand claims from posters, not confirmed official data from sources like Famitsu.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, “Geha”) thread “[Bad News] Wolverine’s Buyback Price Is Getting Ugly [Fastest Drop Ever].”

  • GMO’s ‘infoQ’ Leaks 950,000 Records, ¥2.87M Fraudulently Exchanged — 5ch: ‘Blame a Country With No Penalties’

    On October 5, GMO Research & AI announced that its survey site “infoQ” had suffered unauthorized access through an exploited vulnerability, leaking the personal information of up to 948,498 members. Of those, 611 accounts had a combined ¥2,869,500 in points exchanged for Amazon gift codes without the account holders’ consent, and the company says it plans to fully reimburse the fraudulently exchanged amounts. On 5ch, many users speculated that automated AI-driven attacks are on the rise and criticized Japan’s light penalties for data breaches, while others questioned the company’s past claims of strong security measures.

    On October 5, GMO Research & AI announced that its survey site “infoQ” had been accessed without authorization through an exploited vulnerability, with up to 948,498 records — the entirety of its membership’s personal information — taken out externally. The service is currently suspended.

    Details of the leak (from the news release)

    In 611 of those cases, points were reportedly exchanged for Amazon gift codes (totaling ¥2,869,500) without the account holders’ consent. The company will fully reimburse the fraudulently exchanged points.

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

    4AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:42
    It's gotta be either humans using AI to attack, or AI agents attacking on their own.
    Probably the former.
    29AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:47
    Yeah, it's definitely AI behind these.
    Ever since that story about some AI going rogue broke, this stuff's been happening way too often.

    Re: #4
    Whether it's an organization or some individual, they're probably just blasting indiscriminate attacks everywhere.
    7AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:43
    It's this country's fault for having no penalties for leaking data.
    Say "sorry" and you get off scot-free.
    191AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:13
    Re: #7
    Seriously, this.
    They need to crack down hard on anyone who leaks data.
    Otherwise no company's ever going to spend the money to beef up security.
    25AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:46

    GMO supposedly has world-class white-hat hackers on staff — so how did this happen?
    76AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:55
    Re: #25
    So the consultants were all talk, huh?
    114AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:03
    Re: #25
    Kind of like some famous karate master or something lol
    33AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:48
    Wait, is the AI going to use Amazon gift codes to buy up GPUs and upgrade itself!?
    166AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:10
    Re: #33
    So humans are already enslaved, huh lol
    50AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:51
    Are they coordinating the order of these announcements behind the scenes?
    Something feels off.
    66AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:53
    Re: #50
    Some points site I used also suddenly went into maintenance and shut down completely yesterday.
    Probably a ton of indiscriminate attacks going around and everyone's panicking.
    91AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:59
    Re: #50
    They're just piggybacking on the timing with their own announcement.
    That way the bad impression gets diluted.
    51AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:51
    Right now you can just blame it on AI and get away with it — it's basically a golden opportunity.
    64AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:53
    What the heck is going on here?
    Did a war break out in cyberspace or something?
    93AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:59
    Isn't the only real countermeasure for this worldwide AI regulation?
    Seriously, the moment something convenient gets invented, someone shows up to abuse it.

    Re: #64
    Since it got publicized that AI can pull off unauthorized access on its own,
    there's probably people out there going "now's my chance" and using AI for indiscriminate attacks.
    123AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:04
    Isn't the government going to do anything about this?
    143AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:07
    Re: #123
    Oh, they're already taking action — amending the law so leaking personal info isn't a problem anymore!
    149AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:08
    You should spread your money across multiple accounts.
    If you keep it all in one place and that account gets hit, you're done.
    172AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:11
    What's the situation like in other countries?
    Well, it's not making headlines elsewhere right now, so you can probably guess what that means.
    203AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:15
    Re: #172
    Re: #149
    I've got my entire fortune parked at Mitsubishi UFJ, so I'm fine.
    256AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:21
    Re: #172
    This kind of thing has been happening worldwide for ages.
    In 2024, a healthcare service provider in the UK suffered a massive ransomware attack — thousands of surgeries, appointments, and tests across multiple hospitals and clinics were cancelled, and one death is believed to be linked to the resulting disruption.
    174AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:11
    Re: #141
    Which screwup are you talking about?
    181AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:12
    Re: #174
    They screwed up last year, remember?
    193AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:14
    Re: #181
    Wasn't that one a phishing case?
    I think the actual leak was at Rakuten Mobile.
    223AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:17
    Re: #193
    Right.
    It was still unauthorized access either way, and the response was so bad that the Financial Services Agency came down on them — which led the whole industry to set up a compensation system.
    Other online brokerages followed suit too.
    252AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:21
    Re: #193
    If you mess up yourself and get your password stolen,
    there's nothing the company can do no matter how much security they put in place.
    At that point the only option left is to block logins even when the correct password is entered.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    Japan has no regulation that directly penalizes data leaks themselves — the Act on the Protection of Personal Information relies mainly on administrative guidance and recommendations, with nothing like the EU’s GDPR heavy fines. As a result, every time a leak happens, the same complaint — “the penalties are too light” — gets repeated, but no system designed to actually prevent recurrence has been put in place yet. It’s also easy to overlook that the announced figure of “up to 948,498 records” is simply the upper bound estimated at the time of the investigation, while confirmed fraudulent use was limited to 611 accounts totaling ¥2,869,500. The thread also included baseless accusations against China and other political comments, which this article does not adopt, as they are unsubstantiated speculation. Recently, in the case of unauthorized logins at Rakuten Securities, the Financial Services Agency issued administrative action and the industry moved to set up a compensation system — a similar response may be called for here as well.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “GMO’s ‘infoQ’ Hit by Unauthorized Access, Up to 950,000 Members’ Data Leaked — ¥2.87 Million in Points Fraudulently Exchanged“.

  • Video Claims French Police Mass-Resigned to Join Protesters — Sparks Debate on 5ch

    A video circulating on social media claims that French police officers, refusing to crack down on a high-school protest, resigned en masse and joined the demonstrators — the clip became a hot topic on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (general live-commentary) board. It originated as a translation of a post from a Spanish-language account, and no follow-up reporting has confirmed the scale or circumstances of the alleged resignations, so how much of it is actually true remains unverified even as it spreads. In the thread, the main points of debate were whether protests involving arson and looting can still be called “demonstrations,” and how the memory of the French Revolution shapes today’s protest culture. The discussion also expanded to cover the French government’s budget woes — rooted in underfunded schools — and comparisons with Japan’s student movements.

    @lpsargentina

    Translated from Spanish

    🇫🇷🔥 Mass resignation of police officers in France, joining the protest

    Source: video.twimg.com / original post here

    3AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:58
    Once they start setting fires and looting, that's not a 'protest' anymore — that's terrorism.
    5AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:59
    Re: #3
    Figures — a country that fought and won democracy for itself.
    They really know how to run a protest.
    7AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:01
    Re: #3
    By that logic every leader of every civil revolution in history becomes a terrorist, so that's an auto-fail.
    9AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:02
    Re: #3
    They just went too hard on neoliberalism, brought in immigrants chasing cheaper labor, and in the meantime this kind of mindset spread.
    10AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:02
    That French Revolution 'success story' is a hell of a thing to have baked into your national memory.
    89AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:13
    Re: #10
    Was that actually a success though?
    26AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:22
    Which job class are you all picking?

    46AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:42
    Re: #26
    Everyone's rocking homemade gear and there's some bare-knuckle gopnik-looking guy mixed in lol (gopnik: Russian slang for a thuggish, tracksuit-wearing lowlife)
    27AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:23
    Protests overseas come with way too much property damage, theft, and assault.
    28AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:24
    Re: #27
    Well the whole point is to inconvenience society until it caves — Japanese slaves could never pull that off.
    55AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:47
    The high schoolers in Paris have way more backbone than us, yet Japanese people just sneer at this.
    I really think Japan is finished.
    57AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:49
    Re: #55
    You're sneering right now lol
    63AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:56
    Re: #60
    At the very least, decent people don't resort to arson or looting.
    Do the far-left actually call this a legitimate protest?
    64AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:58
    Re: #63
    In a country literally founded on the French Revolution, calling that "not legitimate" is a tough sell.
    65AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:00
    Re: #64
    In France itself, the French Revolution is treated as a genocide though.
    69AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:02
    Re: #65
    To modern French people, the French Revolution is seen as the country's greatest source of pride — it established the republic's core principles of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity." The Revolution isn't just a historical event; it's regarded as the foundation of modern French identity itself (think the national anthem "La Marseillaise" or Bastille Day, the "Revolution Memorial Day" on July 14th).
    71AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:04
    Re: #65
    That is such a Japanese thing to say.
    77AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:06
    French government: "Crap… we're seriously broke… school funding's gonna have to wait."
    French students: "Screw that! We're protesting."
    Far-left: "Let's turn this into an anti-anti-immigration rally."
    Right-wing: "Let's spin the riots into fuel for stoking Islamophobia."

    How is this supposed to get solved?
    79AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:07
    Re: #77
    They ran the country on African colonial exploitation for way too long.
    It's over.
    90AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:13
    Re: #77
    This is just decades of ignoring everything finally exploding.
    85AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:10
    I heard French schools don't even have air conditioning — honestly feel bad for them.
    104AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:20
    Re: #85
    Apparently there's only about one toilet per 100 students, and half of those are broken and out of use lol
    107AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:21
    Re: #104
    Back in the day they just did their business all over town, so this is nothing (lit. "safe" — slang for "no foul").
    108AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:21
    Re: #104
    Isn't the whole street basically a toilet in France anyway?
    98AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:18
    Is France's finances really that bad?
    Then who's supposed to be leading NATO?
    111AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:22
    Re: #98
    Germany maybe?
    Germany's a mess too, which means NATO (pun: "納豆/nattō," fermented soybeans, sounds like "NATO") is in serious trouble.
    113AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:22
    Re: #98
    They're drowning in debt about as bad as Italy, and on top of that the Ukraine war means military spending is the one thing they can't cut.
    They're completely boxed in.
    117AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:24
    Alright, fine, I'll grant you your point.
    So what's France actually supposed to do about it?
    127AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:27
    Re: #117
    Do whatever you want.
    Honestly couldn't care less what happens to France.
    128AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:28
    What's with this guy

    117 Name: Anonymous (And Yet It Moves) [] Posted: 2026/10/06 (Tue) 12:24:56.12 ID:W4gNgJja0 [2/3]
    Alright, fine, I'll grant you your point.
    So what's France actually supposed to do about it?

    127 Name: Anonymous (And Yet It Moves) [] Posted: 2026/10/06 (Tue) 12:27:30.40 ID:W4gNgJja0 [3/3]
    Re: #117
    Do whatever you want.
    Honestly couldn't care less what happens to France.
    123AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:26
    Back in the day, Japan used to build barricades at universities and throw Molotov cocktails at police,
    smash up train stations and trains, rob the ticket machines, and drag station staff out to beat them up.
    Why did we stop doing stuff like that?
    126AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:27
    Re: #123
    Probably because the more you look into the old student movements, the more they just look like idiots.
    Combined with how easy it is to dig up info online now, it ended up being a great cautionary tale.
    129AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:29
    Re: #123
    Probably because back then people could still dream about socialism.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    The thread’s source material is a translation by the video’s poster, and no primary source has confirmed the scale or circumstances of the alleged mass police resignation and protest-joining — the facts remain unverified at this stage. France has seen repeated waves of protest in recent years over pension reform and the rising cost of living, and fiscal consolidation — including education budgets — has become a political flashpoint. Opinions in the thread split over whether to call protests involving arson and looting “terrorism” or to see them as an extension of a protest culture dating back to the French Revolution, with differing readings of history driving the differing judgments. Many commenters also compared this to the decline of Japan’s student movement, though the discussion never fully accounted for differences in historical context or social systems.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “French Government: “Crack down on the high-school protests!” 😡 Police: “We’re resigning en masse to join the protest instead” 🫡.”

  • Daiki Suisan Sushi Chain: Data of Up to 175,000 Customers Possibly Leaked After App Hack

    Daiki Suisan, a sushi chain based in Sakai City, announced on October 6 that personal information belonging to roughly 175,000 customers who registered through its official app between November 2024 and September 15, 2026 may have been leaked due to unauthorized access to the app’s system. The data potentially exposed includes names, phone numbers, and addresses; no misuse has been confirmed so far. On the thread, some speculated the timing of the announcement was chosen so it would slip by unnoticed amid other companies’ major breaches, while others repeatedly questioned why a restaurant chain was holding onto customers’ personal information in the first place.

    Daiki Suisan announces possible leak of personal data for about 175,000 people — unauthorized access confirmed on official app system — no misuse confirmed at this time

    Amid a wave of unauthorized access incidents hitting companies, Daiki Suisan, a sushi chain in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, announced that it may have suffered a leak of personal information for 175,000 people following unauthorized access.

    According to Daiki Suisan, unauthorized access to its official app system was confirmed on September 15. Personal information — including names, phone numbers, and addresses — of roughly 175,000 customers who registered via the official app between November 2024 and September 15 may have been leaked, though no misuse has been confirmed so far.

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

    2AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:17
    Why this timing of all times?
    5AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:18
    Re: #2
    To keep it murky exactly where the leaked info ended up getting misused
    167AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:44
    Re: #2
    Big names like Times (car sharing) and Monogatari (restaurant chain) already screwed up, so if you dump your announcement in with theirs, it gets lost in the crowd.
    178AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:46
    Re: #2
    Nobody's paying attention right now, so this is our chance to sneak the announcement out in the chaos!
    4AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:18
    Way too many hacks lately
    What is even going on
    41AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:25
    Re: #4
    It's a threat from China and Russia
    "Do what we say or we'll hurt you worse"
    77AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:30
    Re: #4
    With AI, literally anyone can hack now
    22AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:23
    Honestly, best to never hand over your personal info anywhere anymore
    42AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:25
    Re: #22
    Feels like companies are hoarding way more personal data than they actually need
    47AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:26
    Re: #22
    Guess that rules out 5ch for you too, then
    27AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:23
    Why would anyone give their personal info to a sushi chain
    89AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:31
    Re: #27
    Probably for coupons and reservations or something
    50AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:26
    Let's just go back to floppy disks
    59AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:27
    Re: #50
    Once you're online at all, it's the same risk either way
    65AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:28
    Re: #50
    Otsuka Floppy (a nonsense riff off the previous joke)
    80AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:30
    There's AI for hacking but no AI for protecting? (picking nose — i.e. "well, duh")
    92AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:32
    Re: #80
    Some company went and built an AI model specialized for vulnerability testing. If they'd released a matching defense model alongside it, this wouldn't be happening…
    113AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:34
    Re: #80
    There probably is one
    They'll probably market it as "only Mythos can protect you from Mythos" or something
    85AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:31
    People who hand over their personal info anywhere are idiots

    It leaks constantly
    116AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:34
    Re: #85
    I haven't registered anywhere myself, but like, when you bring stuff into a secondhand shop to sell, they check your driver's license and type your details in by hand.
    They used to just scan it with a machine before — that's dangerous too, if you think about it.
    88AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:31
    Is this all being done by the same people?
    142AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:39
    Re: #88
    Most of this is organized
    Some are private hacker groups, some are state-backed
    If it's a nation-state, there's not much you can do against an IT/AI superpower like China
    Their IT units run AI built for their own country, take orders, are well-trained, loyal, and won't hesitate to attack Japan
    102AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:33
    Please! Just let DLsite hold out! 😭 (DLsite = a major Japanese digital content marketplace, including doujin games)
    106AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:33
    Re: #102
    That one looks pretty shaky too though
    110AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:33
    This is exactly why I refuse to link my credit card to any company's app
    127AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:36
    Re: #110
    Yeah, that's why I even pay for stuff like Amazon via convenience-store payment. I never use my credit card online.
    125AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:36
    Aren't they all probably outsourcing to basically the same system vendor?
    This whole simultaneous-attack spree, I mean
    135AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:38
    Re: #125
    If the vendor's master key leaked
    The damage is only going to keep growing from here
    146AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:40
    Re: #125
    Same company, huh
    Or just a lot of companies leaving security holes unpatched
    126AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:36
    The US and Denmark got hit too, you know

    Unauthorized access to US Department of Defense personnel database — personal data of over 3 million people possibly viewed, reports say
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ca23a056b53ed4a5183c4b464f9c438487617d23

    In Denmark, 8.8 million national ID numbers leaked — including those of deceased citizens —
    more than the country's entire population
    https://ufm.dk/aktuelt/pressemeddelelser/2026/oktober/omfattende-uautoriseret-adgang-til-borgeres-cpr-oplysninger/
    155AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:41
    Re: #126
    Every country has leaks, but you don't normally see this many private companies hit all at once in such a short span
    Japan is clearly being targeted right now
    134AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:38
    Every company's security is way too sloppy — go hire better engineers already
    143AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:39
    Re: #134
    They're probably not managing it in-house at all
    They outsource it, so they wouldn't notice no matter what happened
    205AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:50
    Re: #134
    Should've trained up the "Lost Generation" properly while they were still young. (Japan's employment ice-age generation, who struggled to land stable jobs)
    181AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:46
    This is exactly why I was against the Digital Agency

    The IT industry only cares about quick money
    190AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:48
    Re: #181
    Seriously, this

    Once all the weak-security companies get picked off, the real fight — AI vs. the companies with strong security — is going to start
    193AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:49
    Re: #181
    Net users have been saying for 20 years now that once everything goes digital, cyberattacks would get more sophisticated lol

    The government just hasn't caught up with the times lol

    Background and talking points

    Under Japan’s Personal Information Protection Act, a business facing a possible data leak is required to notify affected individuals and report to the Personal Information Protection Commission, and this announcement falls within that framework. On the thread, opinions were split: some suspected the company picked this moment because it would get lost amid a string of recently disclosed breaches at major companies like Times (car sharing) and Monogatari Corporation (restaurant chain), while others argued the attacks are simply clustering around the same period by coincidence. Commenters also pointed out that similarly large-scale leaks have been reported overseas, including at the US Department of Defense’s personnel database and in Denmark’s national ID number system, suggesting this isn’t a problem unique to Japan. One thing worth noting: an announcement that data “may have” leaked doesn’t mean misuse has actually happened — and Daiki Suisan itself says no misuse has been confirmed at this time.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Sushi chain “Daiki Suisan” announces possible leak of personal data for about 175,000 people.”

  • Oita Prefecture Recommends Pay Raise for Civil Servants for 5th Year Running — Average Annual Salary to Rise by ¥208,000

    On October 5, the Oita Prefectural Personnel Commission recommended that Governor Sato raise the monthly salaries and bonuses of prefectural employees. This marks the fifth consecutive year of recommended raises, and if implemented, average annual pay would rise by ¥208,000. Based on survey findings showing prefectural employees earned ¥11,232 less per month and 0.04 months less in bonuses than workers at private companies in the prefecture, the commission is calling for a monthly pay increase of ¥11,218 and a bonus increase of 0.05 months’ pay. On 5ch, the thread split between users who felt it only made sense to match private-sector wage hikes, and those who questioned the raise by pointing to how the comparison companies were chosen or comparing it to pay in Tokyo’s 23 wards — the discussion broadened into a wider debate over civil servant compensation in general.

    The Oita Prefectural Personnel Commission recommended on the 5th that Governor Sato raise the monthly salaries and bonuses of prefectural employees. This is the fifth consecutive year such a recommendation has been made.

    According to the commission’s survey, prefectural employees’ pay was ¥11,232 lower per month and 0.04 months lower in bonuses compared to private-sector workers in the prefecture.

    Taking this survey and the National Personnel Authority’s recommendation into account, the commission is calling for an average monthly pay increase of ¥11,218 and a bonus increase of 0.05 months’ pay.

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

    13AnonymousOct 6, 2026 06:33
    > Prefectural employees' pay was ¥11,232 lower per month and 0.04 months lower in bonuses compared to private companies in the prefecture.

    That's basically a rounding error.
    Don't raise it.
    17AnonymousOct 6, 2026 06:35
    Re: #13
    No need to match the private sector.
    14AnonymousOct 6, 2026 06:33
    Re: #1
    I want to know Oita's median annual income.
    123AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:38
    Re: #14
    Probably around ¥3 million.
    24AnonymousOct 6, 2026 06:38
    Private-sector wages really are going up.
    If you're gonna claim they're not, at least say what industry you're in.
    Most of you are just lying.
    184AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:31
    Re: #24
    Education, especially universities.
    If educational institutions are like this, the country's future looks bleak.
    38AnonymousOct 6, 2026 06:48
    Local civil servant pay should be pegged to the regional minimum wage.
    Why is it benchmarked against big corporations?
    40AnonymousOct 6, 2026 06:49
    Re: #38
    Then nobody will apply anymore~
    75AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:14
    Re: #40
    That's just a civil servant's excuse.
    There's no way nobody would apply.
    The application rate is high and the turnover rate is low — don't mess around.
    82AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:17
    Re: #40
    It's mostly routine clerical work anyway.
    Just automate it.
    48AnonymousOct 6, 2026 06:54
    Do the people saying 'cut their pay' not know civil servants are overworked and underpaid, and teachers don't even get overtime pay?
    99AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:21
    Re: #48
    Look at this ↓
    Starting salaries for civil servants working in Tokyo's 23 wards are up 25% from 5 years ago, pushing annual pay up by more than ¥1 million — the 4th straight year of raises.
    A 36-year-old section chief's annual salary goes from about ¥9.17 million to about ¥10.22 million, and a 42-year-old department head's goes from about ¥11.83 million to about ¥13 million.
    https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/945789
    57AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:04
    If you asked me 'would you want to be a civil servant?' I'd say absolutely not, so I think it's a fair deal.
    95AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:20
    Re: #57
    Being a civil servant is cushy, so it's not like people would stop applying.
    Raising their pay with tax money and creating more inequality is just wrong.
    59AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:06
    ↑↓ Just jealousy from people who couldn't even become civil servants.
    69AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:11
    Re: #59
    This is clearly written by a tax-thief civil servant.
    Every minute a civil servant spends posting here is tax money going to waste.
    62AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:07
    The moment you're talented enough to pass the civil service exam, you're exactly the kind of person private companies are competing for too.
    74AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:14
    Re: #62
    A lot of companies steer clear of people trying to switch out of civil service jobs — they smell like landmines.
    At the very least, they won't be prioritized over someone who's worked at a competitor in the same industry and can point to concrete skills and hands-on experience.
    Higher-ups from ministries or local governments are a different story, though.
    78AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:17
    Re: #62
    That's just a civil servant's fantasy.
    It's weird how civil servants always imagine they'd earn more in the private sector.
    All they did was pass the civil service exam once when they were young.
    It's no different from an unemployed person with a fancy university degree fantasizing they could've made big money at a major company.
    63AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:07
    Japan is heading down the same road as Greece.
    90AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:19
    Re: #63
    Civil servants really are a nuisance.
    They're the biggest nuisance in society.
    65AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:09
    The people wither away while local government alone thrives, huh…
    68AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:10
    Re: #65
    They drain residents dry with taxes
    so that only civil servants survive —
    civil servants are basically harassing the residents.
    85AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:18
    People would still apply even without the bonus.
    Going forward, AI will handle the hard work anyway,
    so you won't need talented people.

    Besides, anyone who actually wants to work their butt off wouldn't become a civil servant in the first place lol
    87AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:18
    Re: #85
    Yeah, tax-funded bonuses aren't necessary.
    92AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:19
    Don't increase the number of clerical civil servants — we're heading into the AI era.
    96AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:20
    Re: #92
    It's the technical staff who are the real waste.
    They barely have any real skills and just lean on consultants — no different from clerical workers.
    122AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:38
    So there's money for this? Then there's no need to raise taxes, right? Your salaries don't come out of a magic treasure box, you know.
    147AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:00
    Re: #122
    Relying on furusato nozei (hometown tax donations)?
    143AnonymousOct 6, 2026 07:57
    Re: #92
    The number of civil servants keeps shrinking.
    As it shrinks, the work shifts to outsourcing and temp staffing.
    Try looking at temp-staffing job listings sometime.
    You'll be surprised how wide a range of work gets outsourced.
    Even data entry of personal information gets outsourced.
    You're the ones who said to cut civil servants, so you'll just have to live with it.
    160AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:12
    Re: #143
    Civil servants are basically a privileged class at this point.
    The point isn't that — it's that their pay is too high once you adjust for cost of living compared to other developed countries, so it should be cut — but instead they just adjust by hiring fewer new people…

    157AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:07
    > Prefectural employees' pay was ¥11,232 lower per month and 0.04 months lower in bonuses than private-sector workers in the prefecture.

    AI Overview
    The average annual income for full-time (regular) workers in Oita Prefecture is about ¥4.47 million

    AI Overview
    According to the recommendation announced by the Oita Prefectural Personnel Commission on October 5, 2026,
    Oita prefectural employees' average annual salary would be ¥6,345,000 if the raise goes through
    161AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:13
    Re: #157
    In any other developed country they'd bring it down to match that ¥4.47 million…
    162AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:13
    What exactly are they using as the benchmark here…
    164AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:16
    Re: #162
    They only look at the cream-of-the-crop high earners.
    And of course, companies that went bankrupt or fell on hard times get written out of existence — they just look at whatever's on top at any given moment.
    180AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:29
    Re: #164
    Well, obviously.
    What good would it do to benchmark against third-rate companies?
    187AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:35
    Re: #180
    This place will end up like Yubari eventually (a city that went bankrupt in 2006).

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    This recommendation is part of the Oita Prefectural Personnel Commission’s annual routine of surveying private-sector pay in the prefecture and factoring in the National Personnel Authority’s recommendation, marking the fifth straight year of pay raises. Worth noting: the “¥11,232 lower monthly pay, 0.04 months lower bonus” figure in the article refers to the public-private comparison gap found in the survey, which is a separate calculation from the actual recommended increase (¥11,218 monthly, 0.05 months bonus). Some thread comments along the lines of “a gap that small doesn’t justify a raise” were actually conflating these two different figures. The thread split between those who felt civil servant pay should track the wave of private-sector wage hikes since the spring labor negotiations, and those who argued the survey sample skews toward large companies and overstates the real picture — with comparisons to the pay growth rate of Tokyo’s 23-ward employees also coming up.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Prefectural Employee Pay and Bonuses: 5th Straight Year of Raise Recommendations, Average Annual Salary Up ¥208,000 — Oita Prefectural Personnel Commission“.

  • Japan’s Kirin Cup Final Draws 16.7% TV Rating — 5ch: “Soccer’s Popularity Is Just Too Strong”

    It’s been revealed that the household rating for the Kirin Cup 2026 final between Japan and New Zealand, broadcast on TV Asahi on the 5th, hit 16.7%, with a peak of 20.5%. That’s a high number for a friendly match, which prompted surprised reactions on 5ch’s Geisoku-Hayabusa (entertainment/sports news) board like “Who on earth is watching this?” At the same time, reports circulated that the baseball final at the Asian Games, held around the same period, drew a 0% rating, sparking a back-and-forth debate over which sport is more popular, soccer or baseball. The thread also touched on attendance figures and ticket revenue for the national team matches, as well as commentary from pundit Yasutaro Matsuki.

    It was revealed on the 6th that “Kirin Cup Soccer 2026 Final: Japan vs. New Zealand” (7:23 p.m. to 9:35 p.m.), broadcast on the TV Asahi network on the 5th, recorded an average household rating of 16.7%. The individual viewer rating was 11.2%. (Figures are for the Kanto region, per Video Research.)

    [Photo] Haruka Fukuhara watches the Japan national team match live! A ring sparkles on her left ring finger

    The peak rating was 20.5% for households (9:23-9:24 p.m.) and 13.5% for individuals (9:22-9:24 p.m.).

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

    3AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:53
    That's high…
    who's even watching this?
    4AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:53
    Something Moriyasu left behind, huh (´・ω・`)
    7AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:53
    Did the numbers for the Asian Games baseball final come out?
    8AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:54
    Re: #1

    It's pulling 20% for a practice match? lol

    Soccer really is popular
    12AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:55
    I can't watch soccer all the way to the end anymore — I just half-watch it and still get drowsy.
    How do people these days put up with all that downtime where nothing happens?
    21AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:57
    Re: #12
    Kicking a ball around is boring, but there are people out there watching something way more boring than that 😁
    13AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:55
    No wonder they keep airing soccer every single day in golden time on terrestrial TV
    15AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:56
    A national soccer team that can pull numbers like this in this day and age really is on another level
    16AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:56
    Looking forward to the ratings for the CarNext-presented Asia Championship
    17AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:56
    WBC 2023 viewership breakdown

    First, Gen Z (under 25). Slight upward trend, but still under 10% across the board. Seems like pretty few people in this generation are interested in baseball.

    The core demo (ages 13-49) isn't high either. Slightly trending upward, but more than 5 points below the overall individual rating.

    By age, it's the middle-aged and elderly who prop up the popularity. The 50s-60s bracket runs 7-8 points above the overall individual rating. And once you hit 70+, it's nearly double the overall figure. Baseball really is a sport propped up by its older viewers.

    https://livedoor.blogimg.jp/rock1963roll/imgs/1/9/1982bc18.jpg
    19AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:56
    Maybe because the pitch was in bad shape, there weren't many good plays — it was a pretty flat, unexciting match
    20AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:56
    🇺🇾URU @ Q Stadium: 44,070
    🇻🇪VEN @ Edion Peace Wing: 27,882
    🇪🇨ECU @ Nissan Stadium: 65,012
    🇳🇿NZL @ MUFG National Stadium: 61,812


    200,000 people across 4 matches
    As expected from Japan's #1 most popular sport
    22AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:57
    Well, the opponents are half there on a sightseeing trip anyway, and Japan's footing almost all the costs besides
    23AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:57
    The fact that the viewer base is young is what gives it value
    Looking at the crowd at national team matches, they really are young
    39AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:59
    TV Asahi's broadcasts of national team soccer matches do tend to pull higher ratings than other networks
    47AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:01
    Re: #39
    That's because Matsuki hypes it up for no reason lol
    That guy's good at it
    42AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:00
    Re: #1

    Japan national soccer team
    4 domestic test matches

    🇺🇾URU @ Q Stadium: 44,070
    🇻🇪VEN @ Edion Peace Wing: 27,882
    🇪🇨ECU @ Nissan Stadium: 65,012
    🇳🇿NZL @ MUFG National Stadium: 61,812

    Ticket revenue alone for the 4 matches: roughly ¥3 billion

    On top of that there's also
    broadcast rights fees, merchandise sales, and sponsorship income from partner companies

    ps://youtu.be/dtd1d0VEZIw?si=J-BWH9XKQLgvHmYr
    ps:///youtu.be/P1LZBlf9aiU?si=qU3wznBbZAAf2kqT
    62AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:03
    Re: #42
    The Japan Football Association is raking it in
    89AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:07
    Re: #42
    That's about one day's worth of “yakyuu” (a mocking spelling of 野球/baseball) revenue right there
    52AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:01
    Soccer's been picking back up ever since Ohtani stopped performing well
    I get why soccer fans see Ohtani as the enemy
    77AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:05
    Re: #52
    It was just Ohtani personally being celebrated and causing a fever — baseball itself has been flat the whole time
    57AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:02
    Re: #1

    Watching over Kubo

    Haruka Fukuhara-chan


    61AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:03
    Even the Asian Games soccer pulled higher ratings than VIVANT, the show TBS is pushing hard lol

    Soccer's popularity is just too strong
    67AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:04
    By the way, what was the rating for the Asian Games baseball final?
    78AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:05
    Re: #67
    Asian Games

    Soccer final: 14.4%
    Baseball final: 0%

    Apparently
    70AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:04
    Calling that a final match…
    can't even laugh at baseball for it anymore
    90AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:07
    Re: #70
    That's still more stacked than the baseball version's "Asian Cup" lineup of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and some random Australia

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    It’s worth noting that this figure is the average household rating for the Kanto region per Video Research, a separate metric from the 11.2% individual rating. The reason the thread was surprised is that the Kirin Cup, despite being an international friendly, posted such a high number. A string of posts comparing it to the low ratings of the baseball international tournament held around the same time followed, escalating into a back-and-forth over which sport is more popular. That said, broadcast time slots and the level of attention each tournament draws differ by sport, so simple comparisons have their limits. Readers should also keep in mind that the specific attendance and ticket revenue figures cited in the thread are the posters’ own tallies, with no clear sourcing.

    *This article is compiled and summarized/excerpted from the 5ch (Geisoku-Hayabusa+) thread “[Soccer] Japan National Team Friendly: Kirin Cup Final… Peak Rating Hits 20.5%! Averages a High 16.7% Too“.

  • Kato Konatsu’s Viewers Drop After Switching From PS5 to Switch 2 — 5ch: “They Were Already Falling During Silent Hill”

    Actress and TV personality Kato Konatsu’s debut episode playing the new PS5 horror title “Silent Hill f” on her gaming channel racked up 6.2 million views — but when she switched to streaming “Rhythm Heaven” on Nintendo’s new Switch 2 hardware, her viewer count dropped sharply, and the topic got picked up on 5ch’s hardware/industry (geha) board. Rather than simply chalking it up to a difference in hardware popularity, the thread pointed out that Silent Hill f’s own viewership had already been declining as the playthrough went on, with the dominant theory being that the real driver was the fading novelty of “a woman playing hardcore horror on stream” that fueled the first episode’s buzz. Still, there was some disagreement over how to read the actual trend in the view counts.

    1AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:10
    Views
    Kato Konatsu, Silent Hill f
    Ep. 1 6.2M
    3AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:12
    Probably because she dragged Silent Hill out for so long that her viewers tanked too.
    8AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:15
    Re: #3
    Yeah, this is quietly a real factor.
    The pacing was so slow I eventually just gave up watching.
    It wasn't a very beginner-friendly game.
    5AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:12
    Wasn't it just getting attention for being the first episode? After that it's all about actual streaming skill.
    7AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:15
    Guess Silent Hill is the kind of game you're fine just watching a video of.
    9AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:15
    Outside of sponsored content, it's a direct reflection of her own ability.
    10AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:17
    They were already dropping back during Silent Hill.
    11AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:19
    Re: #1
    Too much hassle — why don't you post the most recent Silent Hill view count yourself.
    12AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:19
    It's entertaining when an actress plays something she's actually starred in and shares behind-the-scenes stories within what she's allowed to say — but for any other game, if it's not fun on raw skill alone, the views just won't grow.
    13AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:20
    A young woman playing Silent Hill on PS5 is basically a mythical creature,
    but a young woman playing on Switch 2 isn't rare at all.
    14AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:21
    Re: #1
    Well, Rhythm Heaven just isn't that fun to watch in the first place.
    15AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:21
    Watching someone else play Rhythm Heaven… eh, not really.
    17AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:24
    Probably because most people just don't know who she is.
    With Silent Hill, people who know she's the lead would tune in, but the crowd that plays Rhythm Heaven is mostly not the Silent Hill crowd.
    18AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:25
    If the talk isn't entertaining, all that's left is the sex-appeal angle,
    and without that it's just going to keep dropping.
    19AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:25
    Still, if you ask which one actually helps sell the game, it's definitely Rhythm Heaven.
    People watch Silent Hill just because "she's" playing it or because "a woman" is playing it, but that doesn't turn into sales.
    20AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:26
    Wait, she was actually in Rhythm Heaven too? *pikii* (a sound effect for an exasperated snap/raised eyebrow)
    21AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:26
    A lot of PS fans don't even buy the games — they just watch playthrough videos instead.
    23AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:32
    It only got attention for the novelty — in the end it comes down to actual streaming skill.
    Unless she's seriously talented, this isn't something an actress just pulls off one-handed.
    24AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:33
    Same as esports — it's just a flood of something that isn't real paying customers watching for free, so the number means nothing, and you can tell clearly from the fact the game itself flopped.
    Is that view count something to be proud of?
    Don't tell me that number is you guys?
    25AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:37
    Honestly, leaning into PS might even make it easier to build a cult of fanboys.
    26AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:39
    Rhythm Heaven is just a "non-game" that isn't suited for YouTube streaming.
    29AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:40
    Re: #26
    But there are way more streams of Rhythm Heaven out there than that?
    32AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:42
    Say that once it actually outsells Rhythm Heaven.
    33AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:43
    Re: #1
    Silent Hill, ep. 20
    200,000 views
    34AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:43
    That's a big jump from her last Silent Hill stream, so it's probably better than dragging Silent Hill on while looking bored.
    I don't think Rhythm Heaven is fun to watch someone else play, but isn't there a crowd that just enjoys watching her have fun or chatting along the way?
    42AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:53
    That's because a young girl playing Rhythm Heaven isn't rare at all.
    85AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:30
    She'll bounce back with Resort and Ocarina of Time (if she actually plays them, that is).
    87AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:34
    Re: #85
    There's no way someone who's bad at games could handle Ocarina of Time.
    97AnonymousOct 6, 2026 11:52
    Actually, PS content draws more people on YouTube.
    PS streams are strong in both stream counts and views.
    The fact that this still doesn't translate into sales is honestly impressive.
    103AnonymousOct 6, 2026 12:04
    Re: #97
    Seems like the YouTube-watching crowd and the PS-owning crowd overlap pretty closely.

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    Actress and TV personality Kato Konatsu also streams game playthroughs, and the first episode of her new PS5 horror title “Silent Hill f” pulled in a massive 6.2 million views. The thread focused on how that number dropped sharply once she switched to streaming the Switch 2 version of “Rhythm Heaven,” but the discussion wasn’t simply a “PS5 vs. Switch 2” face-off. Several posts noted that Silent Hill f’s own view counts had already fallen to around 200,000 by its later episodes, suggesting the bigger factor wasn’t the hardware switch itself but the fading novelty of the first episode’s hook — “a woman playing hardcore horror on stream.” At the same time, some pushed back on citing “200,000 views for Silent Hill” as a misleading spin, so opinions remain split on how to read the actual numbers. Readers could easily get the wrong impression from the thread title alone — that it’s simply “unpopular because it’s Switch 2” — but in fact many pointed out that viewership had already been trending downward back during Silent Hill f itself, making this a more nuanced debate than hardware differences alone can explain.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [geha]) thread “Kato Konatsu — Viewers Plummet After Switching From PS5 to Switch 2, Why Is That?.”

  • Big Companies Say ‘We Don’t Need New Grads’ — 5ch Debates Why

    On 5ch’s “Live Commentary General” board, a thread blew up over reports that major Japanese companies are cutting back on new-graduate hiring. Posters argued that it’s not just new grads — “big companies don’t want mid-career hires or full-time employees anymore either” — and many pointed to AI taking over tasks once handled by junior staff. Others noted the stark contrast with just a few years ago, when reports described an “extreme sellers’ market” with new grads reportedly offered monthly salaries of ¥400,000, and questioned whether companies are simply unwilling to spend on training and are treating workers as disposable. Opinion split on whether AI or corporate culture is the real culprit.

    1AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:50
    There's definitely a trend now of cutting back on new grads, huh.
    14AnonymousOct 6, 2026 08:59
    Big companies: "Honestly, don't need mid-career hires either."
    That's more like it.
    15AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:01
    Re: #14
    Big companies: "Honestly, don't need full-timers either."
    This, exactly.
    29AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:07
    Re: #15
    Yeah, that was it.
    17AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:01
    Saw a Nikkei article a while back about companies curbing hiring because of AI — is it actually having that much impact?
    20AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:03
    Re: #17
    A skilled person using AI can do the work of about three people now.
    23AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:04
    Veteran: "It's like this, for this reason, so go do this." → New hire: "Uh… I think it's this? Here you go." → AI
    Veteran: "Just do this." → AI

    Big companies: "Wait… do we even need new hires?"
    27AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:06
    Re: #23
    Since AI can handle almost all desk work now, it's not just new hires — even below-average veterans will become unnecessary.
    28AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:06
    Re: #23
    Well, in the end they're just a stopgap until then.
    If the job can be replaced, the smart move is to keep hiring to a minimum and go all-in on AI instead.
    36AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:11
    But mid-career hires are expensive, though.
    42AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:13
    Re: #36
    That's where they dangle the promise of a full-time hire and give you a temp/dispatch contract instead.
    43AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:14
    Re: #42
    Anyone who falls for that bait is incompetent anyway.
    Wouldn't it be better to train up cheap young workers instead?
    38AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:11
    At some point companies stopped hiring anyone who isn't already fully formed.
    The reason things are declining across the board is probably that nobody can shake the habit of pushing the costs onto someone else.
    Unless someone's willing to eat the loss and actually train people, overall quality is never going to improve.
    46AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:15
    Re: #38
    Big companies are supposed to take on that role as a way of giving back to society, though.
    78AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:28
    Re: #38
    Even if you train them, they quit right away, and Gen Z new grads hate being "trained" in the first place.
    44AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:15
    Wasn't it supposed to be an extreme sellers' market, though?
    Whatever happened to those ¥400,000-a-month new grad salaries?
    51AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:17
    Re: #44
    Those places were probably just recruiting cannon fodder with high turnover anyway, no?
    45AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:15
    Even if you spend money training them, they just quit anyway.
    54AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:20
    Re: #45
    But then talented people trained elsewhere come join you, right?
    It's give and take.
    If that's not happening, it just means the company doesn't have enough underlying strength to attract them.
    49AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:16
    Training is a hassle, and even trained workers can quit any time, so maybe companies just feel like it's not worth the effort.
    "Someone needs to properly train the new grads!" "Wait… us? Nah, we're not doing that 😅"
    Every company wants to free-ride off everyone else without putting in the effort themselves.

    "If we don't raise wages, demand will drop!… but we're not raising ours."
    Kind of the same vibe.
    71AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:24
    Re: #49
    Also, since some people go and teach themselves even in a terrible environment, everyone ends up strangling each other by lowering the bar.
    Isn't there some way to fix this all at once?
    50AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:16
    Re: #43
    Nobody actually cares about the company's long-term future.
    If you're not the owner, the ideal is to look busy, coast along cozying up to the incompetent people around you, and get out before it all catches up with you.
    56AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:21
    Re: #50
    Nobody cares about you, man.
    57AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:21
    They're useless because we drill them like crazy on exam-prep studying that's useless in real life lol
    If it were knowledge you actually need as a working adult, fine, but it's all stuff you'll never use.
    65AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:23
    Re: #57
    How much of what you need to know as a working adult can you even learn in school, though?
    72AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:24
    Re: #57
    Uh, you do normally use language skills and math…
    63AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:22
    Re: #56
    Well, everyone's circumstances are different.
    In that case your opinion doesn't matter much either, so we're just going to talk past each other.
    66AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:23
    Re: #63
    My opinion is a general statement of fact, but yours is just a personal impression.
    68AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:24
    Re: #66
    "Wouldn't it be better" is exactly the kind of emotional opinion you're talking about.
    Whatever, doesn't matter.
    73AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:25
    Re: #68
    Guess I win this one.
    89AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:34
    There really are a lot of people who are just bad at teaching.
    At the company I quit, apparently two people had my position before me.
    One got transferred to another department, the other one quit.
    Stop assigning subordinates to someone like that over and over.
    92AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:36
    Re: #89
    If you get assigned to a department nobody cares about, doesn't it follow that your mentor is also going to be someone nobody cares about?
    Like being trained by someone who's already been put out to pasture.
    And they actually quit in the end, right?
    94AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:39
    Re: #89
    At my old job, whenever I asked my boss something he'd deliberately teach me the wrong answer.
    According to him, the cycle was supposed to go:
    boss teaches a lie → subordinate notices it's a lie → subordinate looks it up themselves → subordinate grows.
    But one day he started complaining, "Why doesn't anyone come ask me questions anymore?"
    Well, obviously, if you keep lying to people they're going to stop asking.
    105AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:57
    It's kind of funny seeing unemployed people seriously debating this in the middle of the day.
    I'm on paid leave myself, but what's everyone else's excuse for being here giving serious replies right now?
    106AnonymousOct 6, 2026 09:59
    Re: #105
    They're probably on the management side.
    110AnonymousOct 6, 2026 10:08
    Re: #105
    You should spend your paid leave on something more worthwhile, man.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Talk of companies losing their appetite for hiring new graduates has come up repeatedly in recent years, but it’s a sharp reversal from just a few years ago, when Japan’s “extreme sellers’ market” saw reports of new grads landing monthly salaries as high as ¥400,000 as companies competed to secure young talent with generous offers. If that has now flipped toward hiring restraint, the explanation most often floated is the spread of generative AI, which is increasingly taking over routine desk work and some of the tasks once used to train new hires. That said, posters in the thread also argued this is simply the same old corporate reluctance to invest in training and aversion to the cost of developing staff — a pattern that predates AI. Whether AI or Japan’s long-standing approach to human-capital investment is the real driver remains disputed. It’s also worth noting that this “we don’t need new grads” argument is a different phenomenon from the hiring crunch faced by the “lost generation” (job seekers who graduated during Japan’s earlier economic downturns) — even though both get described as companies “cutting back on hiring,” the underlying circumstances differ by era.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live Commentary General) thread “[Ultra Breaking] Big Companies: ‘Ngl, We Don’t Really Need New Grads lol’.”