Japan Reacts

Category: Entertainment

  • ‘Can’t Focus on the Quiz’: Viewers Slam High School Quiz Show’s Reaction-Shot Overload, Backlash Spreads

    The 46th National High School Quiz Championship (Nippon TV), broadcast on September 21, has become a hot topic on social media. Viewers were moved watching high schoolers compete in tests of knowledge and stamina across locations like Yokohama Stadium, Odawara Castle, and Hokkaido — but at the same time, the heavy use of “reaction cam” cutaways to the celebrity panel’s expressions, along with studio chatter asking contestants for their thoughts after every correct answer, sparked a wave of complaints that “the quiz itself barely comes through.” On 5ch’s Geinou/Sports News+ thread, discussion ranged from questioning whether the reaction cam is even necessary to comparisons with the production style of the old Trans-America Ultra Quiz era.

    The 46th National High School Quiz Championship (Nippon TV; hereafter “High School Quiz”), broadcast on September 21, has become a hot topic.

    The 16 schools that made it through the qualifiers competed in tests of intellect and physical endurance across locations like Yokohama Stadium, Odawara Castle, and Hokkaido, and X (formerly Twitter) saw comments like “The bond between these high schoolers really moved me!” At the same time, though, this broadcast also drew comments like:

    “The quiz itself barely comes through at all. Do we really need the celebrities and studio guests? I just want to watch the quiz, plain and simple.”

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

    7AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:17
    Seriously can't wrap my head around paying celebrities a fortune just to sit there reacting in a little box
    12AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:20
    Re: #7
    I get it, I just don't have the vocabulary to explain why 🥺
    8AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:18
    First time in my life Shiori Sato has ever pissed me off
    9AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:19
    Just run the quiz with the host and the contestants, that's it
    15AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:21
    Cutting to celebrity reactions every single time kills the tension, please stop. Same with grilling the contestant about their feelings after every single question.
    16AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:21
    Was turned off right from the Yokohama Stadium round
    The questions were way too easy, it was basically just a game of luck
    17AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:23
    They're doing it to give the celebrities screen time
    Different vibe, but that old Drifters clip-show did the same thing (a classic Japanese comedy troupe)
    27AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:27
    Re: #17
    Stuff like old Drifters clips alone probably can't pull in sponsors, so they bring on celebrities to prop it up like that
    18AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:25
    Even the true/false round had surprisingly tough questions
    Embarrassed myself over and over, and I'm supposed to be the household quiz champ
    20AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:25
    Miki Fujimoto reacting on camera nonstop killed any sense of tension
    Then out of nowhere Hatori's crying in the studio

    Why did they go with such a terrible format
    21AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:26
    Without the reaction-cam celebrities' fans tuning in, they can't get the ratings
    Doesn't matter how good the concept is if nobody watches in the first place
    55AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:43
    Re: #21
    That's not really it
    It's just that they have to use them to keep the talent agencies happy
    22AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:26
    Setting aside what made it good in the first place, I guess it's fine if this format actually pulls ratings?
    Wonder what they'll do with Trans-America Ultra Quiz though
    Setting aside Fukudome's personality, that show was fun
    "Just Meet" didn't have much drama to it, couldn't get into it
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:26
    Don't need the reaction cam at all
    Just have the guests come on as question-askers instead
    24AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:26
    And then just when Yoasobi showed up, it turned out to be a promo plug
    Worst of the worst
    25AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:27
    Don't need the reaction cam
    Wish every show would just scrap it
    29AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:27
    With both Ultra Quiz and the High School Quiz, watching along you naturally end up rooting for certain contestants
    Kind of like having an "oshi" (a fan favorite you root for) these days
    Don't need the extra celebrities getting in the way of that
    31AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:28
    Is the reaction cam even necessary? Apparently overseas shows don't use it at all
    51AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:42
    Re: #31
    Even overseas YouTubers are copying the reaction-cam bit these days
    34AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:29
    They're doing Ultra Quiz too?
    Wish I could've been on it back when I was young
    35AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:29
    Caught a bit of it, but the studio's noisy and the narration keeps explaining what's happening the whole time, so there's zero sense of being there live
    50AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:41
    Re: #1
    Back then
    ➝No studio
    ➝One network announcer as MC
    ➝Quiz was just the high schoolers
    Now
    ➝Studio set, lots of celebrities
    ➝MC is an announcer plus celebrities
    ➝Celebrities popping up everywhere
    102AnonymousSep 23, 2026 22:14
    Re: #50
    These days it's just celebrities using the High School Quiz as material to chat about, so honestly every show's the same — only the reaction-cam small talk changes
    61AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:45
    You guys have probably already forgotten Takashi Taniguchi or Kanae by now
    If you remember them you're a serious High School Quiz otaku
    86AnonymousSep 23, 2026 22:03
    Re: #61
    I remember Super Yagihashi Kenta though
    70AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:52
    That kind of format always gets slammed but they never drop it, so overall there's probably a calculation that it actually pulls better ratings that way
    80AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:57
    Re: #70
    In an industry running out of ideas, it's probably become the safe, reliable go-to method
    81AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:57
    Hasn't TV been getting weirder for a while now
    Compared to how it was when broadcasting first started
    92AnonymousSep 23, 2026 22:09
    Re: #81
    Whether it's "gotten weird" or not, 70 years on, plenty of things change — not just TV
    82AnonymousSep 23, 2026 21:59
    TV people are just completely left behind by the times at this point
    They don't even know what's good or bad anymore, that's why they can't get ratings
    87AnonymousSep 23, 2026 22:03
    Re: #82
    Well, nothing changes as long as there are big sponsors happily throwing money at networks like that
    94AnonymousSep 23, 2026 22:09
    There's no easier job for a celebrity than sitting in the reaction cam lol. No wonder TV's a dying industry ("owakon" — washed-up, past its prime)
    104AnonymousSep 23, 2026 22:16
    Re: #94
    That said, it's its own kind of hard — stuck in that tiny box with barely anything to work with, you still have to say something funny or you're branded as bad at your job. Easy, but not a job anyone actually wants

    Background and Key Points

    The High School Quiz has aired on Nippon TV since 1983, and the concept traces its roots back to the legendary Trans-America Ultra Quiz, which ran from 1977 to 1992. The central point of debate on the thread was the pros and cons of the “reaction cam” cutaways showing the celebrity panel’s expressions throughout the broadcast. Defenders pointed out that it’s become a standard technique for boosting ratings, while critics pushed back that it undermines immersion in the quiz itself. It’s also worth noting that reaction-cam cutaways aren’t unique to this show — they’re a technique used broadly across variety programming in recent years, so much of the frustration voiced here reflects a wider grievance with current TV production trends rather than an issue specific to this one program.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Nippon TV] “High School Quiz” Draws Viewer Backlash Over Excessive Reaction-Cam and Studio-Talk Format: “Can’t Focus on the Quiz at All” — Fallout Spreads to “Ultra Quiz” Comparisons” on 5ch.

  • Anthem Mix-Up Was a ‘Private Contractor’s Fault,’ Organizers Say — 5ch Fires Back: ‘This Is What 370 Billion Yen Buys’

    In the men’s hockey match “South Korea vs. Bangladesh,” held ahead of the opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, an incident occurred in which North Korea’s national anthem was played instead of South Korea’s. At a press conference on the 23rd, the organizing committee explained that the anthem data for every participating country had been saved on the same device, and that the private contractor responsible for playback had sent out the wrong track — and apologized. With other troubles piling up, including major bus delays, criticism spread on 5ch over how the roughly ¥370 billion in total event operating costs was being spent, with comments like “they just keep blaming the contractor” and “isn’t the final check the organizing committee’s job?”

    On the 23rd, the organizing committee addressed the string of troubles at the Asian Games, including the mixed-up national anthem and major bus delays.

    On the 18th of this month, during the men’s hockey match “South Korea vs. Bangladesh” held ahead of the Asian Games opening ceremony, the staff member in charge mistakenly played North Korea’s anthem instead of South Korea’s.

    At the press conference on the 23rd, Deputy Secretary-General Takaaki Osan of the organizing committee explained, “Because the anthem data for all participating countries was saved on the same device, the private contractor mistakenly sent out the wrong one,” and apologized.

    Source: tokai-tv.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:16
    More than the repeated blunders, what's really alarming is that TV stations aren't reporting on this.
    5AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:17
    Nothing but 'it was the private contractor's fault' excuses.
    6AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:17
    They're really insisting to the end that it's not their fault.
    7AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:17
    This is what ¥370 billion buys you.
    9AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:17
    Apparently this is the kind of international games where the signage is hand-written whiteboards done by Timee gig workers. (Timee is a Japanese app for same-day temp/gig work)
    11AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:18
    What a ridiculous excuse — storing them all together on one device is completely normal.
    13AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:20
    Why doesn't the person in charge just double-check it?
    14AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:20
    With so many middlemen skimming their cut, even the part-timers they end up hiring are trash.
    15AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:21
    It's the organizing committee's responsibility. They're the ones who have to oversee everything. This happened because they left it all to others and didn't rehearse enough.
    17AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:21
    Shoddy meals and event management spark controversy… Japan's Asian Games organizing committee blames 'certain delegations' instead of itself
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/23aeec70e873d26a976251bececf84e48101ff99


    If they keep blaming everyone else, they're going to lose everything.
    20AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:22
    Doing the final check on that is literally your job.
    21AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:22
    Blaming everyone else, as always.

    Even if you outsource the work, responsibility obviously still falls on the organizers.
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:22
    Mixing up national anthems at an international event is a basic yet serious mistake. And mixing up South Korea and North Korea of all things is something you absolutely cannot do lol
    24AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:24
    So they outsource everything, do nothing themselves, but still plan to pocket the biggest paycheck?
    25AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:24
    Organizing committee: 'We outsourced it all, so obviously it's not our responsibility, idiot!!!'
    26AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:25
    The fact that you're announcing 'preventive measures' proves it's your responsibility. These guys really aren't taking this seriously.
    28AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:29
    For people in Nagoya, being 'the one in charge' probably feels like being a feudal lord — all title, no accountability.
    35AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:34
    Re: #28
    Doing sloppy work and then talking loud to act superior — that's just the local mentality.
    29AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:29
    Thought we'd seen it all after the Tokyo Olympics, but apparently 'decline porn' still has this much room to grow. Can't wait to see what comes out tomorrow. ('decline porn' = slang for gloating over stories of Japan's perceived decline)
    32AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:31
    So which private contractor is this, exactly?
    36AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:35
    Re: #32
    France and China. And on top of that, they've got Timee gig workers running the venues.
    34AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:33
    No, the point is that the committee itself never did the final check — that's the problem.
    37AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:36
    If they'd just organized the files by country name, they'd hardly ever mix it up. Of course you'll get it wrong if both anthems are just labeled 'Korean.'
    38AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:37
    Cheap out on the budget, and you get temp staff to match.
    39AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:37
    Whatever the blunder, final responsibility lies with the organizing committee.
    40AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:37
    This is Japan for you.
    43AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:38
    This is Japan too.
    44AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:39
    And of course, this is Japan as well.
    46AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:43
    Same old 'my subordinate did it' routine. Taking responsibility is literally the job of the person in charge. Pathetic.
    47AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:44
    Doesn't this organization blame 'the private contractor' for absolutely everything? For a public project, 'the subcontractor did it' isn't an excuse. Isn't managing things properly supposed to be your job?
    65AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:17
    Truth is, even those of us complaining probably couldn't tell South Korea's anthem from North Korea's lol
    70AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:22
    Re: #65
    It's probably about as easy to tell apart as Tochigi and Gunma prefectures are to someone from Kansai.
    73AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:25
    Re: #65
    I think the only people who can actually tell the difference are Osakans.
    66AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:18
    Basically, they had every participating country's anthem saved on one device, and they just clicked the wrong track lol
    68AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:20
    Re: #66
    I don't think saving them all on one device is a problem in itself — they just needed a double-check at the moment of clicking play.
    74AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:29
    On the bus thing, I'd say it's half the organizing committee's fault and half the athletes' — the athletes cause delays too, and that creates a chain reaction down the line.
    84AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:55
    Re: #74
    The athletes aren't at fault — the bus itself was 1 hour 15 minutes late.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The anthem mix-up at the hockey venue is said to have happened because the audio for every participating country was stored together on a single device, with a staff member manually selecting and playing each track. Outsourcing the sound and event operations of an international competition to a local private contractor isn’t unusual in itself — the real question is whether this was simply the contractor’s operational error, or a failure of the organizing committee’s oversight in not running a final check. On the thread, the dominant view was that “even if you outsource the work, ultimate responsibility still lies with the organizers,” and there was strong pushback against the organizing committee repeatedly pointing to “the private contractor” in its explanation. At the same press conference, alongside the anthem issue, officials also addressed the major bus delays, suggesting that delays in delegations’ arrivals had a knock-on effect on the whole schedule. Since the event’s total budget is said to run to roughly ¥370 billion, it’s easy for people to link that price tag to dissatisfaction with how the event is being run — though it’s worth being careful not to judge the quality of the operation on the cost alone.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games] Anthem Mix-Up: Organizing Committee Explains “All Countries’ Data Was on the Same Device, Private Contractor Sent the Wrong One” and Announces Preventive Measures.”

  • Tatekawa Shiraku Declares Launch of “Shiraku Family YouTube Faction” — Hit 1 Million Subscribers, Get Treated as a Master

    Rakugo performer Tatekawa Shiraku (63) declared on his YouTube channel on the 22nd that he is launching a “Shiraku Family YouTube Faction.” The move comes after criticism over his taking on YouTuber Hikaru (35) as a disciple under the name “Tatekawa Sagishi” spilled over onto his rakugo organization — so Hikaru won’t formally join the Tatekawa school, but will instead be treated as a “guest disciple.” Under the new rules, performers with 1 million-plus subscribers rank as shin’uchi (master), 100,000-plus as futatsume (journeyman), and anyone below that as zenza minarai (apprentice-in-training). On the 5ch Geinou/Sports Breaking News+ board, comments split between mockery of the very idea of ranking rakugo status by subscriber count and renewed questions about Shiraku’s actual skill as a performer.

    Rakugo performer Tatekawa Shiraku (63) updated his YouTube channel on the 22nd. After taking on YouTuber Hikaru (35) — now going by “Tatekawa Sagishi” — as a disciple, criticism flooded in against his organization, the Tatekawa school of rakugo. In response, he declared he would launch a new “Shiraku Family YouTube Faction.”

    With criticism pouring in over Hikaru’s apprenticeship and causing trouble for his organization, Shiraku announced, “This time, I’ve decided to launch the ‘Shiraku Family YouTube Faction.’ Its very first disciple is YouTuber Hikaru — Tatekawa Sagishi.” Hikaru will not formally belong to the Tatekawa school of rakugo, but will instead be treated as a “guest disciple.”

    “Anyone with over 1 million followers already counts as shin’uchi, so they’re allowed to headline a show. Everyone calls them ‘master.’ They can also take on disciples of their own. That’s the requirement for YouTubers. If you’ve got over 100,000 followers, that makes you futatsume. Anyone below that is treated as a rookie — a zenza minarai, an apprentice just starting out.”

    Source: sponichi.co.jp / Read the original article here

    2AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:28
    Because watching Rei Ranran (annual income of 580 million yen) on YouTube beats watching Peace-kun from Omiya Park any day.
    5AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:29
    He's totally being played.
    Hikaru's probably laughing about it behind his back.
    7AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:30
    He wants to be like [Tatekawa] Danshi, but doing it through a YouTuber is just pathetic.
    8AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:31
    A man who couldn't even measure up to a speck of Danshi's eye gunk (an idiom meaning "not fit to be compared").
    24AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:35
    Re: #8
    He calls himself Danshi's "greatest masterpiece," you know.
    9AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:31
    Sounds interesting enough.
    But given what rakugo is, a fleeting subscriber count isn't going to earn real respect —
    it needs a long, accumulated history.
    11AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:32
    The way he wants to be seen as some wild maverick or renegade outsider is really something.
    14AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:33
    This is a traditional art that's only survived because it's been passed down for centuries —
    blur the standards like this
    and that's the end of it.
    15AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:33
    Because of this guy, the Tatekawa school has really gone downhill.
    16AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:33
    I wish Yanagiya Kyotaro would start a channel.
    I'd subscribe in a heartbeat.
    17AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:34
    Yeah, not a very funny joke.
    20AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:34
    Rakugo isn't supposed to be some graveyard for washed-up YouTuber statues like Diet member Gaersy or Hikaru.
    21AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:34
    Re: #1
    Caving to the backlash, lol.
    Everything about this guy is lame.
    The complete opposite of Danshi.
    22AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:34
    So now he's playing rakugo-master with a YouTuber?
    25AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:35
    Honestly I don't even know what Shiraku looks like —
    his name just keeps showing up on the entertainment/sports board.
    26AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:36
    >>Anyone with over 1 million followers already counts as shin'uchi, so they're allowed to headline a show.

    That's just a popularity contest now.
    Pathetic.
    27AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:36
    How many followers does he even have himself?
    68AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:51
    Re: #27
    He's only got 50,000 YouTube subscribers and he's bombing hard.
    78AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:52
    Re: #68
    Then by his own rule Shiraku's just a rookie apprentice, isn't he?
    28AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:36
    There's only about 20 people with 1 million-plus subscribers…

    Would that make him No. 20, "Tatekawa Su-shira-ramen-riku"? (a nonsense mashup of his name with "ramen," mocking him for barely scraping in)
    31AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:38
    Who'd even want to watch such boring amateur rakugo, lol.
    33AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:38
    Just excommunicate this guy from the Tatekawa school already.
    34AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:38
    Oh, so he's Danshi's successor, huh~ guess his stage performances must be world-class too then (sarcasm).
    36AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:39
    There'd be more demand for a couple's channel with the disciple who slept with his wife.
    37AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:39
    Unlike kabuki, which can do anime tie-ins and the like,
    rakugo's basically got nothing left to offer except "who's performing it" —
    female rakugo performers, foreign rakugo performers, that kind of angle.
    Even calling it "new rakugo," every angle on human absurdity has probably already been done.
    38AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:39
    If the Chunichi Dragons finish last place, someone gets strung up upside down — I'm looking forward to that (an unrelated running 5ch joke about the baseball team).
    41AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:41
    Getting the voice actors from Akane-banashi [a rakugo-themed manga/anime] to do it would probably rack up more views.
    44AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:42
    If disaster zones are where scandal-hit comedians go to "purify" their image, is rakugo now the graveyard for washed-up YouTubers?
    45AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:42
    Rakugo won't even last another 20 years at this rate.
    46AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:42
    He's showing way more actual rakugo doing this than he ever does on Shoten [the famous TV rakugo variety show] — so isn't this a good thing?
    47AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:43
    Same as what happened with "Yone" —
    once people get bored of him, he'll get tossed aside (lol).
    48AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:43
    Who cares about any of that —
    just stop appearing on TV already.
    49AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:43
    I was thinking, "what good is the Tatekawa school without Danshi"…

    oh wait, Shinosuke's still there♪
    50AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:43
    He just wants to be recognized for something, by whatever means necessary.
    74AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:52
    Ohh, isn't this the kind of stunt that gets you kicked out of the Rakugo Association?
    82AnonymousSep 23, 2026 19:53
    Re: #74
    The Tatekawa school was never part of the Rakugo Association to begin with.
    108AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:07
    What happens when "Yukkuri" explainer-video channels (slow, deadpan narrated videos) reach shin'uchi rank?
    And 5channel thread-summary channels too.
    109AnonymousSep 23, 2026 20:08
    Re: #108
    Yukkuri Rakugo.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The Tatekawa school is a rakugo lineage founded by Tatekawa Danshi after he broke away from the Rakugo Association, and it has its own long history of running the traditional shin’uchi, futatsume, and zenza ranks independently. What makes this case unusual is that those ranking criteria have now been swapped out for YouTube subscriber counts — and reactions on the thread split between discomfort at reducing a traditional art form’s hierarchy to raw numbers, and viewing it as a shrewd, if cynical, bid for attention. Notably, the thread’s focus centered less on whether Hikaru (Tatekawa Sagishi) should have been taken on as a disciple at all, and more on how unusual the subscriber-based ranking system itself is — a nuance that’s easy to miss from the original article’s headline alone. There were also several harshly worded posts mixing criticism of Shiraku’s actual skill with references to his past conduct, but any posts amounting to personal attacks or unverified criminal accusations have been excluded from this piece.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “Tatekawa Shiraku Declares Launch of “Shiraku Family YouTube Faction” — 1 Million-Plus Subscribers Get Treated as Master.”

  • Rikako Ikee finishes 5th in women’s 100m butterfly, missing a medal for the first time in two Games

    The women’s 100m butterfly final at the Asian Games, currently underway in Aichi and Nagoya, took place on September 23. Japanese record holder Rikako Ikee (26) finished 5th with a time of 58.25 seconds, falling short of what would have been her 11th career medal. China’s Yu Yiting (21) won the event in 56.41 seconds, while Nagisa Ikemoto (24) placed 6th in 58.62. On 5ch, rather than focusing on the race result itself, posters mostly brought up Ikee’s comeback from leukemia, her past remarks, and her reported ties to “hand-healing” (a faith-healing practice), making for a thread split between support and criticism.

    9/23 (Wed) 17:07

    20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya, Swimming (Sept. 23, Tokyo Aquatics Centre)

    The women’s 100m butterfly final was held, with Japanese record holder Rikako Ikee (26, Yokohama Rubber/Renaissance Sports Club) finishing 5th in 58.25 seconds, missing out on what would have been her 11th medal. Nagisa Ikemoto (24, Miki House/TASC) took 6th place in 58.62. China’s Yu Yiting (21) won gold with a time of 56.41, claiming her first title in the event.

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

    4AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:16
    Osami's hand power just wasn't enough (referencing entertainer Nabe Osami's claimed faith-healing powers)
    5AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:16
    So what was the deal with Nabe Osami anyway?
    11AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:19
    No Western European, American, or Australian swimmers even in the field, and this is the best she could do?
    13AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:19
    Still only 26, so physically she's got more in the tank.
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:24
    Re: #13
    Which way do you mean that?
    15AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:21
    She's not at world level anymore, so skipping this and going to the National Sports Festival instead would've been the smarter call.
    17AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:22
    That's not a time you get to call 'frustrating' — don't make me laugh.
    18AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:22
    I'm honestly put off that she relied on 'hand-healing.' Killed my urge to cheer for her.
    19AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:22
    The fact that her blood type changed because of the disease is wild. Amazing she made it back at all.
    33AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:35
    Honestly thought she'd already retired.
    34AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:36
    Here we go with the media hype train again
    At least wait until she actually wins a medal before writing an article.
    35AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:37
    5th at the Asian Games? The Olympics are probably out of reach now, right?
    36AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:37
    Guess her faith wasn't strong enough
    (´・ω・`)
    38AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:38
    Zabungle's Kato: "Don't copy me!" (a comedian's catchphrase)
    47AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:48
    Re: #38
    The original line's from School Wars, lol (a Japanese drama)
    54AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:55
    Re: #38
    Yasuo Miyata: "Don't copy me!" (a line from School Wars)
    39AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:41
    She's the one who recovered from leukemia, right?
    Had no idea she was still competing.
    Good for her, really pushing through!
    40AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:41
    As long as the rest of the Japanese field stays weak, she'll keep qualifying
    so she'll probably keep going.
    42AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:44
    In the end, she never got back to world level.
    45AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:45
    She's done, age-wise
    Even without the illness, this was coming eventually.
    58AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:04
    Re: #45
    No, however you look at it the illness was the real blow
    Just making it back alive from a disease that could easily have killed her is a miracle.
    62AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:10
    Re: #45
    She was always the early-bloomer type — winning national titles back in junior high.

    Her current times aren't much different from right after she recovered, so there's no question she's past her peak.
    48AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:49
    She used to say things like "people who don't get results just aren't trying hard enough"
    funny how that's boomeranged right back at her.
    50AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:53
    After this, probably a quiet career coaching at the local swim school until she's pushing 70…
    59AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:05
    She's good-looking and has a compelling life story, so after retirement the media will be all over her.
    63AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:11
    Even in recent years there've been several Japanese swimmers who reached the top of the world in certain events or distances,
    but when it comes to swimmers the average person can actually name, it's really just Kitajima and her.
    A generation back you'd have had Suzu Chiba too.
    78AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:40
    Re: #63
    She got attention as "the person who beat leukemia," not for her competitive results.
    68AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:20
    Out for ages with cancer, and still comes back to dominate domestically
    Either she worked incredibly hard,
    or the rest of the field is just hopelessly weak.
    76AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:32
    Re: #68
    The fact that Ikee still holds around ten Japanese records by herself says everything about how weak everyone else is.

    Background and points of debate

    Rikako Ikee was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2019 and underwent a long period of treatment; her return to the national team for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was widely reported at the time. This Asian Games appearance shows she’s still competing near the top internationally after her recovery, but her time of 58.25 seconds falls well short of her career-best from her prime, and the thread split between sober takes (“she’s no longer at world level,” “she’s past her physical peak”) and defenders arguing that “just getting this far back after such a serious illness is enough.” Some posts made definitive claims about the occupations of Ikee’s family members or ties to specific companies, but none of these were substantiated within the thread and should not be taken as confirmed fact. Criticism of her past remarks does draw on things she has actually said publicly, but it’s worth noting that judging her current competitive results is a separate question from that.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[Asian Games] Rikako Ikee finishes 5th in her first event of the Games, the women’s 100m butterfly, saying “I’m frustrated” — no medal for the first time in two Games.”

  • YouTube’s New Guidelines Cut Off Monetization for ‘Binge Eating’ Videos — Big-Eater YouTubers React

    YouTube has added “binge eating” to the list of prohibited content in a new guideline update, meaning any video that qualifies loses monetization. On 5ch, a thread discussed how “big-eater” YouTubers can keep operating under the new rules. Some proposed workarounds — editing out shots of the sheer quantity of food, or simply not calling it a “big-eating challenge” — while others argued over where exactly the line falls: are TV personalities known for competitive eating, or celebrities taking on giant-portion menu items, also covered?

    1AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:48
    YouTube's New Guidelines Add 'Binge Eating' to the Banned List
    Violations Result in Demonetization
    3AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:49
    Big-eater YouTubers are finished. Though I guess it's fine to keep doing it as long as you're not making money off it?
    4AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:49
    If you're the real deal, you can go on to become a TV star like Gal Sone or Moeazu. It's only the fakes doing "mukbang" (Korean-style eating-broadcast) stuff who are going to suffer.
    7AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:51
    Just slap a disclaimer at the start of the video: "This video does not promote binge eating."
    8AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:52
    Otsuru Himan does big-eating segments on TV Asahi's channel — would stuff like that get shut down entirely too?
    11AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:55
    Re: #8
    Guys like Himan are just eating the way they normally do, so that's probably fine.
    12AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:57
    Why not just do the Mentos-and-Cola trick in your own stomach while you're at it?
    15AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:59
    Also, it's clearly wasteful — lining up more Mister Donut and KFC than anyone could possibly finish.
    16AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:59
    Isn't it fine as long as you don't call it "binge eating"? You could still do mega-portion videos, right?
    17AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:00
    What happens if you upload a video of yourself eating a perfectly normal bowl of rice, but frame it like a big-eating challenge?
    21AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:04
    Re: #17
    Calling it a "big-eating challenge" at all is probably enough to get you flagged.
    19AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:03
    Might as well switch to a style where you cook the food yourself and just eat as much as you actually enjoy.
    22AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:04
    If you're only doing this to make money, you can just disappear.
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:04
    Just don't show the part where you swallow — problem solved.
    24AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:05
    How exactly do they even judge what counts as "binge eating"? Would eating-comparison videos get flagged too?
    26AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:05
    Re: #24
    Probably just means "don't do it."
    45AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:17
    Did some self-proclaimed "big eater's" editing get this whole thing flagged? Rough break for the real big eaters. Though I guess content of people painfully forcing down huge amounts of food is kind of unhealthy to begin with.
    46AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:19
    Re: #45
    Eating like Otsuru Himan, looking genuinely satisfied the whole time, is the way to do it.
    64AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:35
    The world just keeps getting more boring. It's over.
    90AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:52
    Re: #64
    Can't you just keep doing it without monetizing?
    73AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:41
    Is Shimiken's big-eating content okay? He's just taking on restaurants' official big-eating menus, so maybe that counts as safe?
    75AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:43
    Re: #73
    That'd probably get hit too.
    76AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:43
    Binge eating, kids, and pets — just ban monetization on all of them, honestly.
    77AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:44
    Re: #76
    What about no-sleep livestreams?
    84AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:47
    So mega-portions are banned regardless of whether you're heavy or thin? Are plain "just eating" videos still okay though?
    92AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:52
    Re: #84
    I think it's fine as long as you're not forcing yourself. If a big-eater is just showing their normal daily eating, that shouldn't be a problem. The real issue is celebrities who aren't even big-eaters taking on mega-portion menus and doing the whole "I'm so full it hurts" act — guys like Egashira do that too.
    85AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:49
    So should we just report every big-eating video one by one? Tani Yan should be fine though, since he's actually cooking.
    93AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:52
    Re: #85
    Nah, you'd just report it, obviously.
    89AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:51
    Ban pachinko and slot videos too while you're at it — bad influence on kids.
    96AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:54
    Re: #89
    If you start banning things over "influence on kids," horse racing, boat racing, drinking, and game-streaming content would probably all be in trouble too.
    94AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:53
    Who does big-eating actually hurt, though?
    98AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:56
    Re: #94
    The call is that it's a bad influence on minors. And honestly, it wouldn't be surprising if some kid watched a big-eating channel, thought "me too, me too," tried forcing down school-lunch bread, and choked to death.
    105AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:00
    Re: #98
    A kid who does that is just an idiot, come on.
    103AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:58
    If we're talking about bad influence on kids, guys like Hori Daisuke, Hikaru, and the whole "nuisance YouTuber" genre are way worse — yet somehow that stuff gets a pass.
    109AnonymousSep 23, 2026 18:01
    Re: #103
    Yeah, and Hiroyuki's channel hasn't been banned either.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    The core sticking point was that nobody could pin down exactly where the line for “binge eating” gets drawn. Commenters floated workaround after workaround — editing out shots of the food’s sheer volume, or simply avoiding the phrase “eating challenge” — while the thread never quite settled on whether TV personalities known for competitive eating, or videos of celebrities taking on giant-portion menu items, would also fall under the new rule. One piece of background raised was a past incident in which a junior-high student died after choking on school-lunch bread during the height of the big-eating boom, suggesting the new restriction is rooted in concern over health risks. At the same time, several posters argued that other genres — like “nuisance YouTubers” — ought to be a higher priority for regulation, reflecting some frustration with how consistent the platform’s standards really are.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Tough Question] What’s the Path Forward for Big-Eater YouTubers? (Monetization Cut Under the New Binge-Eating Rule).”

  • Taiwan-Based YouTuber’s ‘Street Food Sucks’ Remark Sparks Backlash — Even Local Media Picks It Up

    A Japanese YouTuber based in Taiwan, “Zoro’s Taiwan Gourmet” (140,000 subscribers), sparked widespread criticism after calling street food “f***ing awful” in a video, and the controversy grew large enough that local Taiwanese media picked up the story. The YouTuber has lived in Taiwan since 2019 and also runs a dessert shop in Taipei. On 5ch, discussion ranged across whether the remark was fair, how the flavor of star anise shapes the taste of street food, and comparisons with other travel YouTubers who panned foreign cuisine in the past without ever facing backlash.

    9/23 (Wed) 11:00

    Taiwan enjoys friendly relations with Japan and draws large numbers of Japanese tourists. Social media and YouTube are flooded with content on Taiwan’s sightseeing spots and food destinations — but a video posted by a popular YouTuber living in the country has now snowballed into a full-blown “flame war” controversy that has drawn in local media.

    The YouTuber in question is “Zoro’s Taiwan Gourmet,” who has 140,000 subscribers. According to a 2022 interview published by the web outlet NNA Campasar Web Magazine, Zoro has lived in Taiwan since 2019 and also runs a dessert shop in Taipei.

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

    2AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:55
    Watching Osaka night-view video channels on YouTube beats watching Peace-kun over at Omiya Park any day (Peace-kun is the giraffe at Saitama's Omiya Zoo with a famously chill livestream).
    14AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:03
    There are people lurking around who want to drive a wedge between Japan and Taiwan, you know.
    17AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:04
    My feed's been flooded with Taiwanese posts bashing Japan lately.
    Guess it's not just this guy — the sense that Japanese people look down on Taiwan is spreading.
    26AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:09
    Re: #17
    These days it's Taiwan looking down on Japan, if anything.
    22AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:07
    Night market food isn't great, but I go for the atmosphere.
    Liuhe (Night Market) has a lot of duds and it's overpriced — if you're in Kaohsiung, Ruifeng Night Market has better vibes and is cheaper.
    40AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:16
    Re: #22
    I'm more of a Ziqiang (Night Market) guy myself — Ruifeng is just way too crowded…
    Either way, don't expect much from Liuhe.
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:08
    LOL

    what a complainer (lol)

    if you don't like it, just come on back home then.
    24AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:08
    Write even one slightly negative thing about Japan and the "go home" comments swarm in — so it's funny that lately it's foreigners leaving "go home" comments on Japanese people's posts from overseas.
    27AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:10
    Not totally sure what's going on here, but if I ever get the chance to go to Taipei, I guess I should hit this guy's shop,
    say "what IS this, it's f***ing awful," leave it uneaten, and walk out — that's the idea, right?
    29AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:12
    Re: #27
    While you're at it, might as well spit out what you already put in your mouth right back onto the plate.
    30AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:12
    Re: #27
    Pretty sure it's not even a restaurant — I think it's a shop selling Taiwanese pineapple cakes…
    33AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:13
    Street stalls mostly run on dirt-cheap commercial-grade ingredients anyway.
    It being bad is just a fact.
    48AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:21
    Taiwanese food isn't actually bad, but no matter what you order, it all tastes like "Taiwan."
    49AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:22
    Re: #48
    Everything smells like star anise no matter what you eat.
    Well, I guess that's the same as everything in Japan smelling like soy sauce.
    75AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:32
    Re: #48
    If you can't handle the taste of star anise, I don't think anything there is going to work for you.
    To varying degrees, pretty much all Taiwanese food has star anise in it.

    Background and Points of Debate

    Taiwan is often portrayed in Japan as a pro-Japan country, so it’s rare for a resident’s remarks to get picked up by local media at all. Street food stalls aren’t necessarily chasing high ratings, given the constraints of ingredient cost and location, and posters in the thread pointed out that “Taiwanese food is shaped by the flavor of star anise” — the possibility that likes and dislikes here come down to differences in cultural familiarity tends to get overlooked. The thread also raised the example of another travel YouTuber with a similar subscriber count who harshly criticized foreign cuisine without ever facing backlash, and opinion was split on why this case alone became a controversy. The fact that the poster himself runs a food-related shop in Taipei may also have shaped how the remark was received.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “Japanese YouTuber living in Taiwan spits out that street food is “f***ing awful,” sparking controversy… develops into a “flame war” picked up by local media.”

  • EXILE’s TAKAHIRO Shows Off Arm Tattoo, Sparking Reactions of “It’s Just Fashion” and “Too Much Fuss for This Day and Age”

    When EXILE’s TAKAHIRO posted Instagram footage of himself rehearsing for his solo concert at Nippon Budokan on the 25th, a heavily inked tattoo on his upper arm caught viewers’ attention and became a talking point. On 5channel’s Geinou/Sports News+ board, some brushed it off with comments like “he’s a celebrity, of course” and “people make way too big a deal out of tattoos these days,” while others held firm to boundaries like “just don’t show up in public spaces like public baths or pools.” The thread laid bare a generational divide between those who see tattoos as mere fashion and those who don’t.

    Wed, 9/23, 7:50 AM

    EXILE’s TAKAHIRO is drawing attention with his latest appearance.

    He opened with, “Singing… is seriously hard. (lol)” and shared footage on Instagram of himself rehearsing for his solo concert set for the 25th at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.

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

    4AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:59
    The tattoo doesn't match the music he does
    11AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:03
    This is exactly why the agency keeps losing work
    12AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:03
    I hope the era of tattoos getting bashed keeps going
    28AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:10
    Re: #12
    Japan's just catching up to how it is overseas
    18AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:05
    Re: #1
    Is this still a work in progress? The design looks kind of half-finished
    19AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:05
    What do you mean “fashion item” — you'd laugh at a guy for wearing a toupee though
    34AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:11
    Re: #19
    A toupee isn't fashion, it's like dentures
    22AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:06
    There used to be tattooed guys in AV (adult video) too, but then they started covering it with tape, and now tattooed actors have basically disappeared entirely. I record and watch Getsuyo kara Yofukashi (a late-night variety show), and whenever a tattooed guy shows up I skip him without a second thought
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:06
    Hasn't he had that gal (gyaru-style) tattoo on his right arm removed yet?

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbbDAL8U4AAATEF.jpg
    33AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:11
    Re: #23
    Guess in his youthful folly he got a pretty lame tattoo
    86AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:28
    Re: #23
    Yikes, yiiikes…
    26AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:09
    The tattoo itself is fine, but couldn't he do something about the design?
    27AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:09
    If a guy who already looks the type gets inked, that's just how it turns out
    29AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:10
    Articles that cherry-pick only the online comments convenient to their narrative and slap ‘voices say XX’ on it are seriously garbage
    30AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:10
    Just don't go to places that ban tattoos. They've been banned there since before you were born
    31AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:10
    That's rough. As long as they don't use it in commercials, it's not an issue
    37AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:11
    Re: #1
    Why do people even get tattoos? Isn't it just to intimidate people — like, ‘I'm scary because I have a tattoo’?

    If there's any other reason, I'd like to hear it
    44AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:12
    Re: #37
    Is Messi's tattoo intimidation too?
    60AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:19
    Re: #37
    Guess that's just how it looks to a coward who gets scared of tattoos
    63AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:21
    Re: #37
    Intimidation and self-harm
    45AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:13
    Are the idiots at it again with ‘irezumi is bad but tattoos are fine’ or ‘Western designs okay, traditional Japanese designs not okay’? No matter how times change, the moment you get inked you're marked as a shady character. The person getting it done surely knew the downsides going in, right?
    50AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:14
    Re: #45
    The downside → people like you, a dying breed, whining about it
    53AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:15
    Such a waste that he won't be able to use public baths anymore
    65AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:22
    Re: #53
    Not everyone loves public baths and pools anyway. And it wouldn't be strange for Takahiro to have his own bath or pool at home
    58AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:18
    Something that has a bad effect on the people around you can't just be brushed off as ‘personal freedom’
    66AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:22
    Re: #58
    Once it becomes just fashion, that ‘downside to the people around you’ argument you old-timers keep making stops holding up. You guys never argue anything beyond your personal taste, that's why nobody takes you seriously
    64AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:22
    Getting a tattoo is totally fine, I just wish places like pools and hot springs wouldn't loosen their rules
    90AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:30
    Re: #64
    Exactly this. Getting one is fine. Just don't show it off in places the public can see
    70AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:24
    Once it's this normalized… the guys without tattoos are the ones who end up looking lame and getting looked down on
    83AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:27
    Re: #70
    It's heading that way. Same flow as dyed blond hair used to be
    111AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:36
    Looking at Instagram, there are tons of guys with neck tattoos now. Back in the day it was just Goto Yuki (a tattooed entertainer known for it)
    114AnonymousSep 23, 2026 17:38
    Re: #111
    Must hurt getting that done

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    In Japan, tattoos have long been associated with Edo-period criminal punishment and, later, with the image of the yakuza, and that association is still the basis for being turned away from public baths, hot springs, and pools. In recent years, however, growing overseas cultural influence and a rise in influencers have led more young people to view tattoos simply as decoration, and this thread’s generational temperature gap became the main line of conflict. The focus isn’t “whether getting a tattoo is right or wrong” but rather “how much should be tolerated in public spaces,” and there’s hardly any criticism directed at TAKAHIRO personally. Worth noting too, as pointed out within the thread itself, is that articles like this one follow a familiar formula of cherry-picking both pro and con comments to build a headline — and that very technique also drew criticism from posters in the thread.

    ※This article is composed as an excerpt and summary of the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “EXILE’s TAKAHIRO Shows Heavily Tattooed Arm, Sparking Comments of ‘Fashion Item,’ ‘He’s a Celebrity After All,’ and ‘Too Much Fuss Over Tattoos These Days’.”

  • Ramen Jiro Sparks Backlash for Letting Adult Film Star Work the Kitchen — 5ch: “They Could Get Sued for This”

    Video and photos showing a Ramen Jiro location letting an adult film actress work the kitchen and serve customers spread across social media, sparking discussion on 5ch. According to posts, the actress in question is said to be a longtime regular at the shop, and appears to have worked the kitchen with the owner’s blessing. The thread split between those who saw no issue (“if she’s a regular, who cares,” “it’s the owner’s call, no problem”) and critics (“special treatment like this is off,” “unfair to regular customers with no explanation”), with additional nitpicking over hygiene and her attire while serving.

    2AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:57


    4AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:58
    I mean, she probably got to sleep with him afterward, right?
    6AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:58
    This girl's got a seriously disciplined body, huh.
    8AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:59
    Feels like lately the industry keeps imploding over stuff nobody even needed to do.
    9AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:59



    Jiro's done for…
    83AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:16
    Re: #9
    Forget the bangs, the beard's just down to his own personal taste, love it or hate it.
    10AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:00
    You're a pig, don't go complaining about the feed.
    12AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:00
    At her level of regular attendance, she's probably memorized everything the kitchen assistants do without even being taught.
    15AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:01
    Re: #12
    Then let us fat guys (pigs) into the kitchen too, please.
    14AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:01
    But don't guys who eat at Jiro love adult video actresses anyway? 🥺
    16AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:01
    Don't care either way since I never go
    I keep hearing it tastes like garbage anyway.
    20AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:02
    The people bashing this don't really seem like Jiro's usual customer base.
    22AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:02
    The staff there always act like horndogs anyway
    Not like the Jinbocho location.
    29AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:02
    Re: #22
    What do you mean, "act like"?
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:02
    If you've got a problem with it, why not become a Jiro shop owner yourself and ban adult actresses
    What authority do you have over work someone else does at a business someone else runs?
    43AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:06
    Re: #23 The hair thing has nothing to do with her being an adult actress.
    26AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:02
    Jiro's kitchen is filthy and the staff don't care about their hair either — this just makes that visible. I get the "don't give her special treatment" argument, but the hair complaint is just nitpicking.
    38AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:04
    She's been a regular for 10 years, so it's not really a big deal
    I'd get being annoyed if she were just some rando horning in once, but that's not the case here.
    45AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:07
    Re: #38
    Then they should let the other regulars in too and market themselves as a friendly shop — otherwise this is just a dirty old man thing.
    49AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:08
    Re: #45
    Nothing wrong with being a dirty old man, is there
    I never thought twice seeing kebab shop guys give special treatment only to women either.
    53AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:09
    Re: #45
    Just get permission, no big deal
    It's nothing new for Jiro shops to cut regulars some slack.
    42AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:06
    That's Momonogi Kana — she's been a Jiro regular for a while, isn't this just a YouTube shoot or something?
    67AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:11
    Re: #42
    Well, obviously — nobody's going there to make ramen on their own personal time.
    50AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:08
    It's not like she even made the portions served to actual customers, so people saying "I wouldn't want to eat it" makes no sense.
    76AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:13
    Re: #50
    It means they don't want to eat from the same batch she touched.
    52AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:09
    So now people are gonna start showing up saying "let me in the kitchen too," aren't they?
    How would they even turn those guys down?
    60AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:10
    Re: #52
    If you're paying, I'm sure they'd let you in.
    63AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:10
    Re: #52
    There are plenty of ways to say no, it's the owner's call
    "No way I'm letting you in" — nothing wrong with that either.
    64AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:10
    Re: #52
    If you can show there's some benefit to it, they'll probably say yes.
    54AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:09
    This could get them sued
    66AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:11
    Re: #49
    If that were the shop's stance from the start, no problem
    But when they act all high-and-mighty with customers and then pull this… it's like a teacher lecturing you with a boner, creepy.
    77AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:14
    Re: #66
    Didn't realize you had such a lofty image of Jiro
    It's always been "I'm the owner, I make the rules" since way back, so letting his favorite into the kitchen tracks just fine.
    79AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:15
    Following the shop's rules is just etiquette, right?
    So follow them, or leave if you don't like it — that's all there is to it.
    86AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:16
    Re: #79
    That's my image of it too, so if the shop's okay with it, it's fine by me
    It's not like that comedian who turned it into a book without permission and got banned from every location.
    100AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:23
    I can always root for adult actresses who see themselves as being at the bottom, a bit disreputable
    But I hate the ones who get the wrong idea and start modeling wedding dresses or standing in Jiro's kitchen.
    104AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:25
    Re: #100
    What world are you living in where wedding dresses and Jiro's kitchen are the same thing
    I get not wanting adult actresses used for products aimed at young women, but Jiro's kitchen is basically the same as an actress doing promo work at a pachinko parlor.
    110AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:28
    Re: #100
    I feel that
    I just wish they'd recognize the line between sunlight and shadow (know their place).

    Background and Discussion Points

    Ramen Jiro is a ramen chain where individual shop owners wield a lot of discretion, known for its own customs around customer service and favors for regulars, and its kitchens have long had a different culture around hygiene and appearance than other restaurants. What split opinion in this thread wasn’t so much whether special treatment itself is acceptable, but rather whether outsiders have any right to weigh in given that it’s the owner’s call — a clash of values specific to Jiro culture over whether convenience for regulars or fairness to general customers should take priority. It should also be noted that who exactly worked the kitchen remains speculation within the thread and has not been confirmed as fact.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live Newsflash General) thread “[Video] Ramen Jiro Under Fire for Letting Adult Film Star Work the Kitchen wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • ‘Midnight Diner’ Returns October 20 With the Same Old Regulars — 5ch: ‘Are You STILL Eating?’

    It has been decided that the new series of the drama Midnight Diner, starring actor Kaoru Kobayashi, will air from October 20 in the “Dramaism” slot on the MBS/TBS network, and the full cast of 21 performers has been announced all at once. Based on the manga of the same name by Yaro Abe (with cumulative sales of 9 million copies), the series has run since 2009, and it has now been revealed that regular cast members such as Yutaka Matsushige and Joe Odagiri will return. On 5ch, in light of the show’s earlier stint streaming exclusively on Netflix, comments included reactions like “so it’s back on terrestrial TV,” praise for the idea that the show only really works as a late-night program, and posts expressing genuine attachment to the theme song and the regular characters.

    Oricon 2026-09-23 12:00

    It has been decided that the new series of the drama Midnight Diner, starring actor Kaoru Kobayashi, will air from October 20 in the “Dramaism” slot (every Tuesday late night, among other times) on MBS, TBS, and affiliated stations, and the cast has been announced all at once.

    Midnight Diner is based on the manga of the same name by Yaro Abe, known as one of Japan’s quintessential “food” comics with over 9 million copies sold worldwide across the series. It was first adapted into a drama in 2009 starring Kobayashi. Set in a small eatery called “Meshiya” tucked away in a corner of the entertainment district, the show weaves together small stories born at the counter as a variety of customers — differing in gender, age, and circumstance — pass through the shop.

    Source: oricon.co.jp / Read the original article here

    3AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:05
    This is a textbook example of a show that got ruined once Netflix got its hands on it.
    4AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:05
    Please don't change the opening theme song.
    21AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:13
    Re: #4
    Right?

    Whoever picked that song had incredible taste.
    Though he's already passed away.
    5AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:07
    Same cast as ever, huh.
    They're really showing their age now.
    6AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:07
    Once something becomes a hit, Japanese creators will milk it dry till the day they die.
    8AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:07
    So it crawled back to terrestrial TV from Netflix, huh.
    9AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:07
    The master, played by Kaoru Kobayashi.
    Regulars like Mansaku Fuwa, Yutaka Matsushige, the trio of office ladies, and Joe Odagiri really left an impression.
    10AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:08
    Nah, who cares about this, just bring back 'Izakaya Shinkansen' already.
    12AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:08
    What would they serve instead of the pork miso soup set meal in China or Korea?
    22AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:14
    Re: #12
    Asked an AI — apparently braised pork belly (China) and loach soup (Korea).
    18AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:13
    Wonder if he'll hit it off with the proprietress of the restaurant.
    19AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:13
    It was great to hear You (the actress/singer, not the pronoun) belt it out at full power.
    45AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:25
    Re: #19
    In the way, in the way… par-don my in-tru-sion.
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:15
    Why do they air it so late at night?
    If they put it in the Friday 10pm slot ('Kin-10,' a prime late-evening drama timeslot), they could probably pull double-digit ratings.
    30AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:21
    Re: #23
    People must tell you you're often a little off, huh?
    44AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:25
    Re: #23
    It airs from around 1:26am to 1:56am.
    They call it 'Midnight Diner.'
    Do viewers actually show up at that hour? Well, turns out, they do.
    24AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:17
    Is this supposed to be set in Shinjuku's Golden Gai?
    47AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:26
    Re: #24
    In the drama it's actually set in the fictional town of Yomogi-cho.
    By the way, the beer is the fictional 'Nadeshiko Beer.'
    25AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:17
    I like Joe Odagiri, but I really don't like his character in this show.
    26AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:17
    As far as 'food dramas' go, this feels less like genre TV and more like a prestige anthology series carried by its cast of great actors.
    29AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:19
    Mayumi-chan, who's basically the heroine in the original manga but has never shown up in the drama, might finally appear.
    31AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:21
    Oh, Kaoru Kobayashi is still alive.
    Wonder who I was mixing him up with.
    40AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:23
    Re: #31
    Ken Hagiwara? Keizo Kanie? Ren Osugi? Eiji Okuda? Tetta Sugimoto?
    32AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:22
    Matsushige's a big name, but honestly I'd rather they cast actors I don't recognize.
    33AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:22
    This is the one that got bought up by Netflix and ended up feeling off.
    They don't get that it was popular precisely because it was a late-night drama.
    34AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:22
    Matsushige and Joe Odagiri are both back too, that's impressive.
    I love the flavor Kosuzu brings to it.
    Wonder if the Ochazuke Sisters are still single 😳
    35AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:22
    Wouldn't it be great if Goro Inogashira showed up at the diner too?
    39AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:23
    I love that detective who talks in a thick regional dialect.
    41AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:24
    What would happen if they did a crossover with 'Lonely Gourmet' (Kodoku no Gurume)?
    42AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:24
    What about the wandering street musician Morio Agata, and the food critic — the butter-rice guy?
    49AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:27
    Besides Marilyn, Chu-san, and Kosuzu, there are other 'Lonely Gourmet' actors in this too, like the guy from Karaiyo.
    50AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:27
    Local yakuza Ryu (played by Yutaka Matsushige)

    Are you still eating?
    52AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:28
    Re: #50
    He basically only eats red fish sausages and sweet rolled omelette.
    53AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:28
    If Tsunekichi Suzuki's 'Omohide' doesn't play, it just won't feel right.
    This seems headed for a flop.
    Why not just leave it as it was in 2009?
    54AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:29
    The episode with the cat-rice kid was so sad 🥲
    58AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:31
    Once it became a Netflix exclusive, its popularity tanked and it looked headed for cancellation.
    Did they finally cut ties with those guys?
    65AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:38
    Wait, Yutaka Matsushige is in this too lol
    Is it the same kind of deal as when Rui Yoshida showed up in 'Lonely Gourmet'?
    72AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:44
    Re: #65
    I recall he was also in 'Wakako-zake.'
    74AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:48
    Re: #65
    Matsushige has been in this since Part 1, Episode 1, back in 2009.
    'Lonely Gourmet' didn't start until 2012.
    This one came first.
    79AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:55
    Re: #65
    He's a regular playing a yakuza, come on.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Midnight Diner began in 2009 in the “Dramaism” slot on MBS/TBS, and partway through the series Netflix joined as a streaming partner. In the thread, comments lamenting that “it lost that late-night-drama feel once Netflix got involved” appeared alongside others welcoming the news that the show is returning to the same broadcast slot this time — an interesting split over whether streaming or terrestrial TV suits the show better. There’s also a bit of confusion worth clearing up: some posts assumed Yutaka Matsushige’s appearance was a cameo-style nod similar to Rui Yoshida’s role in “Lonely Gourmet,” but Matsushige has actually been a regular since the very first episode in 2009 — meaning Midnight Diner predates “Lonely Gourmet” (which began in 2012), not the other way around. It’s also worth noting that comments describing the returning cast in terms of “aging” or “milking a hit for all it’s worth” are jabs at the franchise’s production approach, not personal attacks on the cast members themselves.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “New series of the drama ‘Midnight Diner’ announced — all 21 cast members revealed at once, broadcast start date decided, regulars galore.”

  • YouTube Cracks Down on Eating-Disorder-Promoting Content — Mukbang Streamers Losing Monetization en Masse

    After YouTube tightened its rules on content related to eating disorders and binge eating, a wave of demonetizations and mass video deletions has swept through Korea’s mukbang YouTuber community. One streamer with roughly 440,000 subscribers had monetization cut off, while another deleted 339 of their 667 videos. On 5ch, posters raised concerns about vomiting behind the scenes and hidden food disposal in mukbang content, with some arguing Japanese mukbang streamers and TV shows should face the same restrictions — while others pointed to viewer demand and the health changes seen in past popular streamers, turning the thread into a broader debate over the nature of mukbang content itself.

    Wed 9/23, 7:27 AM

    YouTube has strengthened its enforcement of rules around content related to eating disorders and binge eating, and the fallout is spreading among Korean mukbang and diet YouTubers, with monetization stoppages and video deletions piling up.

    A streamer with about 440,000 subscribers had their monetization suspended, while another YouTuber deleted 339 of their 667 videos.

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

    2AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:57
    They're just throwing up
    3AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:58
    Re: #2
    What's wrong with that?
    22AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:06
    Re: #3
    At least read the source
    50AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:15
    Re: #3
    It causes dehydration
    And depletes your minerals too
    4AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:58
    Nice lol
    While they're at it, strip cooking channels of monetization too lolol
    6AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:58
    In Japan too — Shokutaro, Sakura, Masubuchi
    Those channels are gonna get shut down
    7AnonymousSep 23, 2026 15:58
    It's ridiculous, it's stupid, it's gross to watch — I want it banned
    14AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:01
    Ban animal-related channels too
    Don't give money to people who dump kittens on a riverbank themselves, walk off a bit, then start filming and fake it: "Whaaat?! There's a kitten here!"
    32AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:10
    Re: #14
    There's a lot of that type too
    73AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:20
    Re: #14
    Forget riverbanks — one poster even threw one into the ocean and filmed it drowning
    16AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:03
    Serves them right
    Liars who throw up and won't even admit it
    17AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:03
    Gal Sone was on a whole different level — she wrecked both Bananaman's Himura and Sandwichman's Date (Japanese comedians who tried to keep pace with her in eating challenges)
    18AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:04
    So, I wonder what'll happen to Shinoken (a Japanese streamer)
    19AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:05
    There was someone in the Vocaloid scene in Japan who got flamed for this too
    Wasn't it actually a body double doing the eating?
    20AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:06
    It's scary how competitive eaters are always so skinny
    21AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:06
    Where do these people even throw up after eating that much
    Like, at the train station?
    23AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:06
    Japan should do this too
    Ban it on TV as well

    It all started as a freak show putting bulimic girls on display
    25AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:07
    Never mind the people doing it — it's the people watching that's the real mystery
    What's even the point of watching this?
    40AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:13
    Re: #25
    I watch it while I'm dieting
    27AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:08
    My family watches this stuff on their phone
    The squelchy chewing sounds are unpleasant, so I'd be glad if mukbang content died down
    29AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:09
    Didn't they used to claim competitive eaters were on par with athletes?
    Guess they're still just treated as a sideshow after all
    34AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:10
    Kill the monetization on "short sleeper" channels too (people who claim to need almost no sleep)
    35AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:11
    Guess they'll just have to move to livestreaming
    44AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:13
    The amount of food wasted in a single stream could feed some poor village entirely — mukbang YouTubers are basically enemies of humanity at this point
    59AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:17
    Re: #44
    It's not like the food these big-eaters save by holding back would actually get shipped off to some poor village
    45AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:13
    Re: #39
    They're digesting it fine, so they're in good health (just obese)
    79AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:21
    Re: #45
    A lot of them end up with diabetes
    Even Terunofuji, the retired sumo wrestler, had diabetes
    46AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:14
    This hits hard — I used to eat my own meals while watching mukbang videos
    48AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:15
    Re: #46
    So you're eating along with the puke-food?
    64AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:18
    The cows and pigs won't rest easy either, being eaten pointlessly in these binges
    Competitive eating is an enemy of the planet
    69AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:19
    It's fine when people genuinely enjoy eating, but the ones stuffing themselves and clearly suffering aren't fun to watch even if they finish
    91AnonymousSep 23, 2026 16:24
    Re: #69
    Even the ones who genuinely enjoy it start stuffing themselves even more for the ad revenue
    The whole setup where competitive eating equals a paycheck is the real problem

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    According to the original article, the target of the crackdown is content related to “eating disorders and binge eating” broadly — it isn’t the mukbang format itself that’s the issue, but rather staged elements like vomiting after eating huge amounts, or secretly disposing of food while pretending to eat it. In the thread, posters worried about the health risks of binge-and-purge behavior and those welcoming the tighter rules were prominent, but others pointed to viewer demand (such as vicariously satisfying cravings while dieting), making this a topic that doesn’t resolve into a simple right-or-wrong. One easy point of confusion: the “mukbang” genre itself hasn’t been banned outright — the restrictions specifically target staging or content that could promote eating disorders. Whether Japanese mukbang personalities and TV programs will be held to the same standard remains unclear, since neither the article nor the thread addresses it at this point.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “YouTube’s wave of mukbang video demonetizations stirs controversy — 5 problems that were there all along“.