Japan Reacts

Category: Entertainment

  • TV Tokyo Announcer Rio Kitagawa: “I Bought Power Stones to Escape My Miserable Life”

    TV Tokyo announcer Rio Kitagawa looked back on her life — including her time in Morning Musume — in a YouTube video, saying she’s “been through one miserable thing after another,” and revealed that she bought power stones purely out of a desire to escape her bad luck. The remarks were picked up on 5ch’s Hello! Project board, sparking a split reaction. Some sympathized, saying things like “that’s rough” and “there’s an imbalance between her own effort and what she’s gotten out of it,” while others were harsher, saying “blaming everyone around her is exactly why she keeps getting resented” and “same old blame-everyone-else mindset,” turning it into a debate over her way of talking about herself.

    A Life of Nonstop Bad Luck [Rio Kitagawa]

    Source: youtube.com / Original video here

    2AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:10
    Honestly, it's kind of sad —
    there's a real imbalance between the potential and effort she's got, and what she's actually gotten out of it.
    4AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:14
    It's her own fault, yet she's playing the victim calling it "miserable."
    7AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:16
    This is exactly why blaming everyone around her keeps getting her sold out (betrayed) over and over.
    8AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:17
    No wonder 16 friends blocked her back in middle school.
    9AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:18
    Same old blame-everyone-else mentality
    Not someone I'd want anything to do with.
    14AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:20
    Is this her "poor pitiful me" routine?
    Gross.
    16AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:21
    Sounds like the type who'd break something herself and then claim it broke on its own.
    17AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:22
    Re: #16
    That's an old geezer thing (aimed at old folks).
    19AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:23
    She did get hurt when Makino threw a mic at her, after all.
    20AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:25
    Lol, this is an old video.
    37AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:35
    Re: #20
    It's from February 2024, so it's after she'd been going wild on Snapchat.
    23AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:26
    Joining Morning Musume was the unlucky part

    Yeah, fair point honestly

    Ruining your life by joining an underground idol group — like Kitagawa says, that really is just bad luck.
    24AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:26
    She's the only one Makino ever threw a mic at
    Guess it never occurs to her that her own position might've had something to do with it
    Seriously, never get behind the wheel of a car.
    26AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:27
    Guess a rotten personality really is something you're born with.
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:29
    Back in the day, the back cover of Weekly Pro-Wrestling ran an ad that said:
    "I used to be such a pathetic person. But ever since I started wearing XX Stone,
    I became the kind of success everyone envies."
    Guess there really are people who fall for that stuff.
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:29
    Getting betrayed, getting blocked — the cause is probably her.
    If people actually liked her, none of that would happen.
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:30
    Rio-Rio: "The power stones don't work! I got scammed! Give me a refund!"
    30AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:32
    You reap what you sow
    What goes around comes around
    Bad seeds, bad fruit
    Hoist by your own petard
    Blame-everyone-else mentality

    Your sins catch up with you
    It's a mess of your own making
    33AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:33
    But honestly, this simple-mindedness is kind of cute.
    35AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:33
    Classic case of never once considering that she might be the cause.
    36AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:34
    Well, objectively speaking, Ikuta and Makino were the ones in the wrong.
    49AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:44
    Re: #36
    Yeah, Ikuta being in the wrong is fair.
    43AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:41
    I get that the job offer was decided before the boyfriend scandal and the anonymous slander account got exposed, so that part couldn't be helped —
    but did she really have to be assigned specifically to the announcer department?
    46AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:43
    Re: #43
    Announcers go through a separate hiring process specifically for that role.
    44AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:43
    Was she already attending announcer school at the time of this video?
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:44
    Re: #44
    Based on the timeline, she should've been.
    50AnonymousSep 5, 2026 07:45
    Re: #44
    That's probably right around when she got the job offer — it was 2 years ago.

    Background and Points of Debate

    Rio Kitagawa, a former Morning Musume member turned TV Tokyo announcer, has long been a frequent topic on 5ch’s entertainment and Hello! Project boards. This latest discussion was sparked by a YouTube video in which she looked back on her life as “one string of bad luck after another” and said she bought power stones purely out of a desire to break free from it. Opinions in the thread split between those who sympathized with what they saw as an honest confession, and those who took a harsher view, seeing it as “blaming her surroundings for trouble she brought on herself” — with the latter view slightly more dominant. Buying lucky charms like power stones isn’t unusual for celebrities, but framing it as an “escape from bad luck” seems to have sharpened the divide in how people judge her character. Note that comments drawing comparisons to real-world incidents, along with baseless personal attacks or remarks about her appearance, have been excluded from this article.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Sad News] TV Tokyo Announcer Rio Kitagawa: “Looking Back on My Life, I’ve Been Through One Miserable Thing After Another — I Bought Power Stones to Escape My Bad Luck”.”

  • Misaki Ito (49) Spotted in Singapore Sparks Reaction — 5ch: ‘That Smile Belongs in the Shosoin Treasure House’

    Actress Misaki Ito (49) had recent photos from a “La Mer” cosmetics brand event shared by her manager on the official Instagram account. Ito reportedly married the president of a well-known company and has now lived in Singapore for two years. On 5ch, the photos sparked praise like “a genuinely gorgeous woman” and “that smile belongs in the Shosoin Treasure House,” while other posts pointed out signs of aging and changes in her makeup. The discussion also branched into the pros and cons of actresses marrying wealthy men, and the broader trend of Japan’s rich relocating abroad.

    Misaki Ito, 49, Reveals Unbelievable Latest Look: “Seriously…” — Married to the President of a Major Company, Two Years Since Moving to Singapore

    New photos of actress Misaki Ito (49), who relocated overseas, have been made public.

    Instagram was updated on the 4th with a post from her manager reading, “The other day, I had the chance to attend the ‘La Mer’ Day & Night Moisturizer event,” reporting on her attendance at the cosmetics brand’s event.

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

    4AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:03
    Re: #1
    Is it not considered bad manners to put your elbows on the table in Singapore?
    5AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:03
    The ones who go all-in and snag a rich guy usually end up winners.
    The ones who keep basking in attention forever tend to have a rough time in their later years…
    61AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:54
    Re: #5
    An actress's shelf life is short.
    Grabbing a rich guy and getting out while you can is the winning move.
    Sticking around desperate for work forever doesn't lead anywhere good.
    6AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:04
    Well, she's a genuinely beautiful woman, so…
    8AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:05
    She's pretty, but if she lets her guard down a bit she could end up like Uno Kanda (a celebrity known for her flashy, heavily made-up look).
    22AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:21
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8jycdHVUAA-ThT.jpg
    https://i0.wp.com/funip.jp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/6fa1b31e47f3af42f52e8cd839e65380.jpg
    23AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:24
    I wonder if that pachinko machine people nicknamed 'the Buddhist altar' (butsudan) is still around.
    24AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:29
    Ah, so she's the president's wife over at KYORAKU~ I used to play Shigotonin (the Hissatsu Shigotonin pachinko machine) a lot, I wish they'd give my money back.
    26AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:30
    Her smile is a national treasure that belongs in the Shosoin Repository.
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:07
    Re: #26
    Looking at it now, she really had that 'actress' aura.
    Not just her face, but overall.
    Why doesn't she appear in anything anymore?
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:32
    You guys are so harsh about older women's looks, but aging is just unavoidable…
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:34
    So even someone at the president level of Kyoraku is moving to Singapore for tax savings, just like Nakata (likely referring to former footballer Hidetoshi Nakata)?
    34AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:39
    Re: #29
    Who even plays pachinko these days?
    It's been a full cycle since the era when they'd run a TV commercial every time Umi Monogatari released a new machine.
    30AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:35
    Whenever she was acting, she always had this expression like she was squinting into blinding sunlight.
    31AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:36
    Japan's wealthy are starting to flee overseas.
    Especially for their kids' education.
    33AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:39
    Re: #31
    It's probably tax-related.
    44AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:59
    Re: #31
    Actually, the inflow of wealthy people is increasing too.
    Mostly Chinese nationals, though.
    37AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:50
    Her eyes are a little scary, honestly.
    38AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:50
    Is pachinko even profitable anymore?
    Back in the day they'd swap out 200,000 units for a single model, but now 30,000 units is considered a big deal lol.

    Apparently parlors are closing left and right, so the machines aren't selling.
    45AnonymousSep 5, 2026 01:59
    Shiseido PN (Pienu) Winter 2001 commercial, Misaki Ito
    tps://youtu.be/otBzVc2kuxE
    Misaki Ito commercial: Choya Umeshu (2003)
    tps://youtu.be/YQsF7EJ6-BM
    46AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:01
    Re: #34
    They just aired Agnes Lum's Umi Monogatari commercial earlier.
    47AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:07
    Shigotonin and SAO are pretty well-made, for Kyoraku's recent stuff anyway.
    51AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:13
    That's exactly why pachinko parlor owners make money.
    73AnonymousSep 5, 2026 03:39
    I first knew Misaki Ito from TV Asahi's drama 'Taiho Shichauzo,' where she played a really aggressive, in-your-face cop.
    So when I saw her as Hermes in Densha Otoko, I remember being shocked.
    76AnonymousSep 5, 2026 03:50
    Re: #73
    Completely opposite roles.
    People call her a bad actress, but that just shows she's a real actress.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Misaki Ito is an actress who gained popularity for playing the role of Hermes in the 2003 drama “Densha Otoko,” and in recent years has largely stayed out of the public eye. Singapore has no inheritance tax or capital gains tax and has often been in the news as a destination for wealthy Japanese relocating abroad — commenters on the thread framed Ito’s move as part of that same trend. That said, the original article did not disclose the name of her husband’s company; any company names mentioned in the replies are purely speculation from 5ch users and have not been confirmed as fact. Reactions to her appearance ranged from praise to harsh criticism, highlighting differing attitudes toward aging, while the discussion also expanded into economic topics like the shrinking pachinko market and the flow of wealthy individuals in and out of Japan.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Misaki Ito, 49, Reveals Unbelievable Latest Look, “Truly Beautiful” — Married to the President of a Major Company, Two Years Since Moving to Singapore.”

  • Masako Ohara Moves from Tower Condo to a Secondhand House, ‘I Deeply Regret It’ — Plus a Bat Infestation

    Masako Ohara (50), wife of former MLB pitcher Mac Suzuki and member of the comedy duo “Kuwabata Ohara,” revealed on her blog on September 4th that she’d moved from the 2nd floor of a tower condominium in Suma Ward, Kobe, into a secondhand detached house — and confessed that the renovation left her “deeply regretting it” and “pretty down in the dumps.” The house reportedly also came with a bat infestation. On a 5channel thread, discussion spread out to cover home-buying topics in general: whether bats pose any real health risk and how to get rid of them, what it’s actually like living on a tower condo’s lower floors, and the security differences between detached houses and tower condos.

    Tower-condo-to-secondhand-house mother of three Masako Ohara: “I deeply regret it,” “I’m pretty down in the dumps”

    An unexpected wildlife problem in Kobe, and a secondhand-home renovation

    Masako Ohara (50), wife of former MLB player Mac Suzuki and member of the comedy duo “Kuwabata Ohara,” updated her blog on the 4th, revealing “something I deeply regret about renovating my house.”

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

    4AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:09
    Bats are basically walking disease reservoirs, no thanks.
    9AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:14
    Re: #4
    Aren't some of them potential rabies carriers too?
    13AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:17
    Re: #4
    There hasn't been a single confirmed case of a bat-borne pathogen or virus infecting a human in Japan in like 70 years, though.
    5AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:10
    Once you've lived at the top of the housing hierarchy — a tower condo — you can't go back to anything else.
    I've got the money, but a regular house just isn't even on the table.
    16AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:19
    Re: #5
    Wonder if you'd still say that after living through a big earthquake.
    Fine if you've got the guts to survive a long-term blackout, though.
    18AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:21
    Re: #5
    The 2nd floor is rock bottom of that hierarchy.
    47AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:35
    Re: #5
    All that wasted time waiting for elevators — you might be losing out there.
    It's not just about money.
    6AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:10
    > Moved out of a tower condo (2nd floor)

    Gotta respect the honesty.
    19AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:21
    Re: #6
    Well, she's basically admitting she lived in one of the cheaper units even by tower-condo standards —
    living on the 2nd floor and all.
    7AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:12
    The bat, probably: "Ugh, drew a bad tenant on the gacha (loot-draw slang for bad luck). I'm digging in out of spite."
    8AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:13
    Wonder what area this is.
    I used to live in a house out in the sticks, and I never once saw a bat at home.
    12AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:17
    Bats are around even in cities if you actually look.
    17AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:21
    Crows,
    pigeons,
    sparrows —
    those are the usual droppings-damage suspects, but I've never heard of bats being one.
    20AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:21
    Bats nesting in the attic?
    Must be a pretty fancy house.
    65AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:54
    Re: #20
    Totally ordinary house.
    Artificial turf in the yard.
    21AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:22
    Re: #1
    Places with bats are usually upscale residential areas anyway.
    Just get an ultrasonic repeller.
    22AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:22
    Bats are just a normal thing — feels like people are overreacting.
    That fluttery thing flying around at dusk that looks weird for a bird? That's a bat.
    Nothing that special.
    24AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:22
    Given the risk of "yami-baito" burglary gangs (crime rings recruited via shady part-time-job ads), living in a detached house is out of the question.
    Can't be helped if a house is all you can afford, but if you've got the money for a tower condo, you'd normally just stay in one forever.
    44AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:33
    Re: #24
    Can't say about the future, but right now they don't hit newly built houses with proper security. Older houses just weren't built assuming someone would smash a window to break in.
    60AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:48
    Re: #24
    The cheapest security measure for a house is keeping a dog — something like a German Shepherd.
    Those guys factor in the hassle, so they're less likely to deliberately target a place like that.
    Apparently high walls are a bad sign, though —
    once they're over the wall, it's supposedly smooth sailing.
    25AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:23
    Guess ultrasonic devices are the only option?
    They mess with bats' sense of direction so they stop coming near.
    No idea what it does to humans, though.
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:24
    If the tower condo's 2nd floor is close to the station,
    it's honestly not a bad choice at all.
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:25
    Well, it's the cheapest option,
    but you still get the full benefits of tower-condo living,
    so I've heard it's actually a good deal —
    as long as it's not one of those Musashi-Kosugi towers with the infamous sewage-backup flooding.
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:26
    My parents' place sold for 100 million yen, land included, in Tokyo — but since it was near a river, we had both rats and bats.
    Went back to see it years later and it had been fully renovated. Wonder if the infestation ever came back.
    43AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:32
    Re: #29
    Yeah, places near rivers get rats.
    And it smells kind of off on rainy days too.
    31AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:28
    Aren't there regulations on building tower condos?
    36AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:29
    Re: #31
    Something about Kobe restricting them because they'll eventually turn into derelict ruins, I think.
    33AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:28
    Why go from a tower condo to a secondhand house — that's a move that cranks up the burden on yourself by several notches.

    Don't know her income, but a newly built house would've been the sensible call.
    (That's what we did from the start.)
    58AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:46
    Re: #33
    1. Maybe because on the mid-to-upper floors of a tower condo, you end up waiting forever for the elevator?
    2. The seismic-isolation structure in high-rises and tower condos keeps the shaking down to around intensity 3 even in a bigger earthquake, but it takes a while for the building's own sway to settle, so some people end up feeling seasick.
    3. The view is amazing, but living like you're stuck in an observation tower gets old.
    34AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:28
    A tower condo (2nd floor) in Suma Ward, Kobe
    ↑ what even is this
    41AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:31
    Re: #34
    Once anti-gravity gets invented, the very first application
    will be a tower condo with no 2nd floor lol
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:37
    Can you blast loud noise in a tower condo and be totally fine?
    50AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:39
    Re: #48
    No idea about the lower floors, but the upper floors have thin walls to keep the weight down.
    49AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:38
    Re: #44
    Just the other day there was news about a company president's house in Aichi — top-notch security and all — that still got its front door pried open with a crowbar.
    59AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:46
    Re: #49
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4dd67555442b4d2a6b9e5195fcaa93f948a510cd
    That's not exactly yami-baito-gang level.
    62AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:52
    Nobody really wants to live on the low floors of a tower condo,
    so normally those aren't residential units at all — a lot of the time it's commercial space or offices.
    69AnonymousSep 5, 2026 02:55
    Re: #62
    Yeah, it tends to be the floor people look down on even if you live there. The only real upsides of deliberately choosing a low floor in a tower condo
    are that it's cheaper and easier to deal with in a disaster —
    but then again, low floors also carry more risk if the building itself collapses in a disaster.
    79AnonymousSep 5, 2026 03:07
    Ultrasonic devices seem like they'd actually work on bats.
    81AnonymousSep 5, 2026 03:10
    Re: #79
    Apparently it can make kids, young people, and dogs/cats feel sick, though.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Tower condominiums tend to be valued more for asset worth and views the higher up you go, so living on a low floor — like the 2nd floor here — keeps the price down but comes at the cost of the brand cachet and perks that tower-condo living is known for. What split opinion in the thread was whether to view the move to a detached house as a “step down” or a “sensible decision.” On bats, some pointed out that there have been almost no confirmed cases of bat-borne disease in Japan in recent decades, while others noted that although ultrasonic devices are considered effective as a repellent, there are concerns about their effects on infants and pets. The thread also touched on the recent string of home-invasion burglaries and which is safer — a detached house or a condo — but opinions differed depending on security equipment and regional factors, so it’s worth keeping in mind that safety can’t simply be compared based on housing type alone.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Moving from a tower condo to a secondhand house… Kuwabata Ohara’s Masako Ohara: “I deeply regret it,” “I’m pretty down in the dumps” — secondhand home renovation.”

  • Haruna Kawaguchi Named New Reebok Ambassador, Shows Off Mini-Skirt Look

    It was announced on September 4 that actress Haruna Kawaguchi has become the new ambassador for sports brand Reebok. In visuals posted to Reebok’s official Instagram, she shows off her long, slender legs in sporty outfits paired with a mini skirt and a slit long skirt. The ambassadorship runs for six months, from this month through next February, with the featured items set to roll out at apparel retailers nationwide. Reactions on 5ch ranged from nostalgic comments about classic Reebok products like the “Pump Fury” and “Zigtech,” to praise for her styling, with plenty of people also surprised to hear the brand’s name again after so long.

    Actress Haruna Kawaguchi has recently become the ambassador for sports culture brand Reebok, and new visuals have been released. She’s shown wearing sporty pieces with effortless style.

    On September 4, Reebok Japan’s Instagram account (@reebokjp) posted full-body shots of Kawaguchi, showing off her long, slender legs in a mini skirt and a slit long skirt.

    As ambassador, Kawaguchi will appear in visuals wearing a range of items over a six-month period, from this month through next February. The featured items will be released at apparel retailers nationwide on a rolling basis.

    Source: mainichikirei.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:31
    Remember when white and black aerobics shoes were all the rage
    Michael's gone too now (RIP)
    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:31
    Pump Fury, a total one-hit wonder
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:06
    Re: #3
    Don't forget Zigtech too
    It was basically an On (the running shoe brand) that showed up too early
    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:33
    Feels like it's been forever since I even heard the name Reebok.
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:33
    She barely looks any different even after all these years.
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:35
    She's gotten prettier than she was when young, but when she's moving around you really notice how big her face is.
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:36
    Li Mu: "Everything's going exactly as I predicted." (smug meme face)
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:37
    That's the old 'Ree' + 'boku' (Japanese for "me") = Reebok pun bit that comedian Tsurutaro used to do.
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:39
    Hearing "Itakura" makes me think of Tsutsumishita, so knock it off lolololololololol (they're the comedy duo Impulse)
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:39
    Hmm, I don't know
    It's not really sexy though, is it.
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:42
    Re: #21
    Yeah, kind of a cyborg vibe to her.
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:41
    Barely anyone knows this, but a certain world-famous celebrity swore by these lol
    Reebok Classic
    CLUB C 85 BASIC
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:42
    Honestly the outfit's cute — better than the generic stuff you see everywhere.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:42
    Hope this doesn't end up like that whole Nidec thing.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:44
    Re: #1
    Is she gonna be okay with a baby bump?
    Reebok probably never saw a shotgun marriage coming either.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:44
    Is it even okay to be doing Fendi and this at the same time?
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:47
    Re: #1
    Feminists are staying weirdly quiet on this one.
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:48
    Speaking of Reebok, that takes me back to Masahiro Hasemi.
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:49
    The official store does 70% off sales sometimes, so I pick stuff up then. Quality's decent, good deal.
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:51

    Guess this is the point she suddenly became A-list.
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:51
    Oh, so she's basically the undisputed greatest in the whole galaxy now? (sarcastic jab, riffing on a cheesy anime-song line)
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:52
    She's got one of the top faces among young Japanese actresses these days
    Hard to find anyone prettier than her.
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:53
    Reebok kind of looks like kids' shoes, doesn't it.
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:02
    Kawaguchi Haruna's "Jomon face" is pretty cute too. (a face type with strong, deep-set features, associated with Japan's ancient Jomon-era ancestry, as opposed to the flatter "Yayoi face")
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:04
    Wasn't she in an Adidas track jacket ad or something?
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:06
    Did she leave 'Ningen Kansatsu Variety Monitoring'? She's still in the credits, but I haven't actually seen her on it in ages.
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:07
    Wait, didn't she transfer to Galatasaray or something?
    55AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:11
    Feels like she suddenly became a has-been.
    59AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:17
    When she dresses like this, in normal clothes, her looks really stand out.
    62AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:21
    I love Reebok's Court Royal in white. Love them so much I only wear them on days I want to feel hyped.
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:51
    First Nidec, now Reebok huh
    Knock on wood.

    Background and Discussion Points

    Reebok is an American sports brand that made its name in the 1980s and ’90s with proprietary technologies like the “Pump Fury” and “Zigtech,” building a strong following in Japan during that era. In recent years, though, its presence on store shelves has faded, and plenty of thread comments noted they hadn’t heard the brand’s name in ages. Haruna Kawaguchi has recently been cast in a wide range of ad campaigns spanning cosmetics, appliances, and apparel, and this ambassador deal — running six months through next February with multiple seasonal visuals — is a different kind of arrangement from a one-off ad appearance. Some in the thread pointed out just how many endorsements she’s landed, but it’s not unusual for ad work to cluster around one talent given agency strategy or high name recognition. Worth noting: the marriage and pregnancy comments floating around the thread aren’t part of the original announcement and remain unconfirmed chatter.

    *This article was compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Haruna Kawaguchi Becomes Reebok Ambassador — Mini-Skirt Look Visuals Released.”

  • Takuya Kimura’s gutsy Yoshinoya beef bowl chow-down draws flak — some say he’s “trying too hard to look like a foodie”

    Yoshinoya’s new commercial featuring Takuya Kimura, “Me and My Favorite Beef,” began airing nationwide on September 3, and a scene where he heartily wolfs down an “extra-large negi-daku with raw egg” bowl became a talking point. While some criticized both the eating style and his foodie-sounding way of ordering, 5ch saw plenty of pushback too, with comments like “it’s not really bad enough to deserve this much hate” and “isn’t this just a handful of complaints being blown up into a ‘controversy’ article?” The thread also cleared up some misunderstandings about how negi-daku (extra onion) actually works, along with reminders that Kimura has been criticized for his eating style in commercials before. In the end, the thread focused less on the commercial itself and more on a clash of opinions over how the criticism was being framed.

    Commercial video

    Takuya Kimura draws some criticism for heartily wolfing down an “extra-large negi-daku with raw egg” bowl in Yoshinoya ad… his “foodie-sounding order” also gets called out

    Actor Takuya Kimura’s new commercial for gyudon (beef bowl) chain Yoshinoya, “Me and My Favorite Beef,” began airing nationwide on September 3.

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

    3AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:17
    No way a rich guy like Kimura actually eats that stuff
    92AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:45
    Re: #3
    There's probably a better chance he actually eats it than Satomi Ishihara does
    5AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:18
    What kind of life do you have to live to think 'I should write an article about this'
    6AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:18
    Feels like he gets slammed for how he eats every single time
    7AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:18
    With negi-daku, the more onion you pile on, the less meat you get
    so of course Yoshinoya wants to push it
    69AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:38
    Re: #7
    Wait, seriously? It's not just added on top?
    8AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:19
    Who even orders negi-daku?
    You're just losing out
    9AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:20
    You guys nitpick literally everything lately, huh?
    Seriously, people online are way too nasty — have some self-awareness as Japanese people
    55AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:33
    Re: #9
    The criticism's always been there — there's just more web news outlets now turning a handful of complaints into a "controversy" article
    11AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:20
    Whatever he does just feels fake, or kind of shallow
    46AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:31
    Re: #11
    It's the usual "Kimura playing the role of Kimura" thing
    Same old "Look how wild I am~" routine
    13AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:21
    I once ordered mine with no sauce and it came out extra-saucy
    No, seriously — I sent it back saying no sauce, and they just drained the sauce off that same extra-saucy bowl and brought it right back
    That one got me. I was past anger, just stunned. Come on, Yoshinoya.
    14AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:22
    Isn't negi-daku just a topping option now?
    15AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:22
    I'm a total amateur so I'll just stick with the beef-and-salmon set
    17AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:24
    The foodie-sounding line is scripted, and the eating style got the OK from the crew, so viewers have no business complaining
    21AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:25
    Oh, he's still alive?
    Thought he died suddenly a few years back
    23AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:25
    Re: #21
    Huh? What do you mean?
    39AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:29
    Re: #21
    If you mean the Giants guy, that was over 15 years ago
    22AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:25
    Watched the video — it's really not bad enough to deserve this much hate
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:27
    Extra-large, extra sauce, piled high with red pickled ginger!
    33AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:28
    Honestly, getting mad about this is a bit unhinged
    I don't think it looks great either, but it's not bad enough to actually deserve criticism
    People just want something to bash
    34AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:28
    Onions aren't even that good, don't need a ton of them
    41AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:29
    Gotta hand it to the production crew, they shot it at an angle so his tongue never shows on camera
    Still has a full head of hair too, so jealous
    42AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:30
    There was a time the beef plate in my beef-and-salmon set was so small it looked like someone had already snacked on it. Haven't been back since.
    44AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:30
    Forget Kimura's eating style — anyone eating at a gyudon joint isn't exactly minding their manners, it's just messy eating in general
    45AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:31
    Re: #1
    People who can't feel satisfied unless they voice a complaint about absolutely everything
    Sounds exhausting
    47AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:31
    Extra meat topping, a bit more sauce
    and a ton of red pickled ginger
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:31
    I use raw egg (gyoku) too, but dropping it straight into the bowl and wolfing it down after a quick chopstick stir is admittedly kind of crude

    The egg comes out in its own little dish, so you mix it there first, then pour it into the bowl from low down and stir it through so the flavor's even before you dig in
    49AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:31
    Well, Nakai seems more like the type who'd actually eat at Yoshinoya
    50AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:31
    I think there'd be demand for a stripped-down Yoshinoya that only sells regular and large gyudon
    And obviously no ticket machines or tablet ordering
    56AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:34
    Re: #50
    No idea what crowd would actually want that
    51AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:31
    Watched the ad and honestly, Kimura's voice is really good
    54AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:32
    I mean, he got slammed for that ochazuke commercial 30 years ago too
    Nothing's changed
    57AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:35
    The complainer, apparently: "I'm the one who eats Yoshinoya gyudon the best!"

    Background and Key Points

    Yoshinoya’s new commercial “Me and My Favorite Beef” has been airing nationwide since September 3, and the scene of Takuya Kimura heartily wolfing down his gyudon appears to be scripted. The thread also revealed some misunderstandings about the order itself. Several posters pointed out that “negi-daku” isn’t a topping that adds extra beef — it actually swaps in more onion for less meat — and some users had mistakenly assumed it was a bonus order that got you more for your money. On the criticism of Kimura’s eating style, opinions were split between those who said he’s been called out for this in commercials for years, and those who argued that web news outlets are simply blowing a handful of complaints into a full-blown “controversy” story — with many posts questioning the reporting itself rather than the substance of the criticism. Some also noted that Kimura faced similar criticism in a commercial more than 30 years ago, a reminder that intense scrutiny of celebrities’ table manners is nothing new.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Takuya Kimura orders “extra-large negi-daku with raw egg” in Yoshinoya commercial, drawing some criticism for his hearty chowing-down… his foodie-sounding order also gets called out.”

  • Friday Roadshow airs ‘Titanic’ Part 1, sparks reactions — 5ch: “DiCaprio was at his peak during his Romeo+Juliet era”

    On September 4, Nippon TV’s “Friday Roadshow” aired the first half of the 1997 film “Titanic.” In an unusual two-week format, the second half is set to air on the 11th. On 5ch, the famous scene of DiCaprio and Kate Winslet embracing at the bow sparked a wave of posts reminiscing about how young the actors looked, roughly 30 years after the film’s release. At the same time, there was grumbling about the two-week airing format and some mocking comments about the film being overhyped as a masterpiece, making for a thread where opinions were far from unanimous.

    Net abuzz over first half of two-week broadcast of the classic “Titanic” — bow embrace scene draws “What a scene… to think it sinks after this” and “Feels totally different watching it now than as a kid”… battles “T Inui” for the top spot on X trends

    Nippon TV’s “Friday Roadshow” (9 PM) aired the first half of James Cameron’s “Titanic” (1997) on the 4th — a film that shines brilliantly in cinema history as a massive blockbuster. The second half will air the following week, on the 11th, in a two-week format.

    Just before the end of the first half, the broadcast showed the famous scene of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet embracing at the bow, followed by the scene where DiCaprio’s character Jack sketches Winslet’s character Rose in the nude.

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

    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:34
    DiCaprio was still gorgeous back then, but here and there you could already catch a glimpse of his current look (that gorilla-ish vibe).
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:37
    Re: #3
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:42
    Re: #13
    That's Jack Nicholson
    57AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:03
    Re: #13
    That's Shusaku Toba (a well-known Japanese celebrity chef)
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:35
    The actor who played the villainous husband was such a good actor
    that apparently he got seriously trashed by the public after the movie came out
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:37
    Re: #6
    He was also one of Biff's henchmen in Back to the Future
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:38
    Re: #6
    He was such a heartthrob in Memphis Belle though
    Also just found out that the hateful mother character was played by that slim actress who used to show up a lot in Clint Eastwood movies
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:36
    https://imgur.com/lKzGXCo.jpeg
    https://imgur.com/eNkh4g7.jpeg
    ENDAAAAAA (drawn-out anguished scream)
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:36
    They didn't cut the boob scene, huh — what's the actual criteria here (´・ω・｀)
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:37
    Don't spoil it, man
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:42
    Re: #10
    I wonder how many people watched this movie with zero knowledge of the actual Titanic sinking
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:37
    Re: #1
    > "To think it sinks after this"

    That's on the level of posting "Who would've thought Akechi would betray him" (a famous historical betrayal in Japan)
    Is anyone seriously posting that?
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:41
    This article is way too pointless, even by usual standards
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:43
    DiCaprio during his Romeo+Juliet era was seriously gorgeous
    I thought he was more beautiful than the heroine
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:45
    Re: #22
    Totally get it
    Romeo+Juliet and Titanic were peak DiCaprio
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:43
    Even that nouveau-riche lady (Molly Brown, played by Kathy Bates) looked younger here than she did 13 years earlier in Misery, if anything
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:43
    I wonder how much they get paid to write garbage articles like this
    74AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:29
    Re: #24
    Probably about 10 yen per character
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:44
    I wish I could've seen the timeline where River Phoenix played the role
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:44
    DiCaprio looks better in The Basketball Diaries anyway, and the story's more interesting too
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:46
    The part after it turns into a panic is the interesting part
    Are you an idiot or something, lol
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:46
    Centuries later, when they raised the box, there was a vampire inside, right?
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:47
    Watching Titanic on broadcast TV nowadays, what kind of punishment game is that
    You can probably stream it on any subscription service anyway
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:54
    Re: #32
    Watching it on terrestrial TV is all about pairing it with the live-commentary board (5ch's real-time discussion threads)
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:48
    Lol the thread title itself is a spoiler
    Since I'm salty about it, I'll spoil something too
    The culprit was that guy
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:50
    Anyway, James Cameron is a genius
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:51
    If I'm ever in a disaster, I'll grab some random kid nearby
    and use them to get priority evacuation
    Dying means you lose
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:51
    Yeah, no wonder foreign films are declining… 😒
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:52
    If it were split over Friday-Saturday I'd get it, but splitting it over two separate weeks is annoying
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:53
    Whenever there's a 'name your top 5 movies' conversation
    there's always someone who mocks you for including Titanic
    even though it's flawless as entertainment
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:54
    Re: #43
    Top 5, lol
    Nice try, poser
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:53
    Is next week the final episode? This is gonna empty out the entertainment districts
    60AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:08
    I went to see this with my girlfriend back when it first came out, and by the end she and basically every woman in the theater was bawling
    I just thought 'poor DiCaprio' and couldn't feel moved at all, so I figured that's probably why women are into Disney movies
    61AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:12
    Re: #60
    Maybe it's just me,
    but I ended up laughing at DiCaprio's frozen face at the end — nowhere near feeling moved
    83AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:46
    Re: #60
    Back then there were tons of women crying after the theater lights came up
    I was genuinely moved too and almost cried myself
    But that movie's packed with everything women love, plus Jack's character is so well-crafted that it's easy to project onto him

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    “Titanic” is James Cameron’s 1997 film, widely known as one of the biggest hits in movie history and a multiple Academy Award winner. This broadcast on “Friday Roadshow” split the runtime — normally shown in one sitting — into two parts with a full week’s gap in between, which drew complaints on the thread about the airing format itself, with comments like “Friday-Saturday I’d get, but two separate weeks is annoying.” The main focus of discussion wasn’t so much the content of the film itself as the “passage of time” — nearly 30 years since its release. Many posts reminisced about how beautiful DiCaprio and Kate Winslet looked when they were young, while other posts noted that naming Titanic among one’s top 5 favorite movies tends to get you mocked — suggesting that while the film’s reputation as a classic is well established, there’s also a segment of viewers who take a cooler view, seeing it as overhyped. The thread also touched on an anecdote about co-star Billy Zane (who played the villainous Cal): his performance was apparently so convincing that he faced backlash from audiences after the film’s release.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[TV] Net abuzz over first half of two-week broadcast of the classic ‘Titanic’! Bow embrace scene draws “What a scene… to think it sinks after this”.”

  • Hikaru on unauthorized reposting of his paid videos: “I’ll seize their bank account even if they’re on welfare”

    YouTuber Hikaru (35) has released a video showing himself, accompanied by a lawyer, directly confronting a user who allegedly reposted his membership-exclusive paid videos without permission. In the video, Hikaru states that “ordinary YouTube clips are fine, but reposting paid content is simply not okay,” and adds that he intends to seize the person’s bank account even if they are a welfare recipient. In response, a thread on 5channel’s Geinou/Sports News+ board saw a wave of comments that, while agreeing his stance against unauthorized reposting was reasonable, questioned whether the statement was actually feasible, since welfare benefits are legally protected from seizure.

    September 4, 2026, 7:28 PM

    YouTuber Hikaru (35) updated his official YouTube channel by September 4th, addressing the issue of his paid membership videos (¥490/month) being reposted without authorization.

    The video, uploaded under the title “Raphael reposted my paid video without permission, so I brought a lawyer and went to confront him in person,” shows fellow YouTuber Raphael asking, “So clips themselves aren’t a problem, right?” to which Hikaru replies, “Ordinary YouTube clips are fine. But paid content is simply not okay.”

    Source: news.livedoor.com / Original article here

    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:15
    This guy only ever talks about money.
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:16
    The guy who posted those movie recap shorts apparently got hit with 500 million yen in damages.

    Re: #6
    They just keep writing articles that are all about money, and people keep reading them, don't they.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:25
    Re: #8
    Well, the thread title sounds so ominous, of course people are gonna click in just to see what's going on.
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:15
    Isn't it from overseas — like Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong?
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:16
    The textbook YouTuber that only idiots watch.
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:16
    If they're on welfare, they won't really feel the damage anyway.
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:17
    Don't go provoking a "muteki no hito" (a "person with nothing to lose" — internet slang for someone who might snap violently) too much. That's dangerous.
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:17
    Well, reposting paid content is a no-go. But seizing a welfare recipient's bank account gets you nothing. Spoken like a true rich guy.
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:19
    If you frame it as "Hikaru said this in his membership video, and here's what I think about it," you can drop spoilers legally without any issue.
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:19
    Are there actually people who pay money just to watch this guy's videos?
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:21
    A dispute between YouTubers?
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:24
    Someone like that has probably reposted other people's stuff too, so go ahead and keep going after them — though results might not follow.
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:25
    He got famous off a video exposing the trick behind festival stall (tekiya) lottery games, which even got picked up by TV (who knows if it was staged though).
    He originally built his success by being seen as a "good guy" who won people's sympathy.
    If he goes after illegal streamers of anime, dramas, and movies, he might win back more supporters.
    But if it turns out to be staged again, this could really be the end for him.
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:28
    If a welfare recipient is even signed up for Hikaru's paid content, that alone should be a problem lol
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:31
    How much is a clip even worth as an asset in the first place? There's no way they'd actually do it.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:34
    I've seen Hikaru's tekiya scam-exposing video, but I don't watch his other stuff and wouldn't want my kids watching it either. Still, I think actions like this are really good — it could help clean up streaming and the internet in general. I've got high hopes.
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:36
    This guy actually seems like he'd go through with it.
    And he'd probably turn it into content again too.
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:43
    Re: #31
    That's unconstitutional and has zero legal basis — how would he even do it?
    Kidnap and confine them or something?
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:38
    Do people even still upload paid videos these days?
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:40
    Re: #36
    Isn't this about membership-exclusive videos?
    If so, there are tons of those.
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:38
    The mere fact that fools exist who actually pay for this guy's videos is enough to make you lose your mind.
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:42
    There's probably someone out there who'll just post a text summary of what was in the video.
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:43
    Wouldn't seizing a welfare recipient's bank account infringe on their right to subsistence, making it unconstitutional?
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:48
    Re: #42
    Even if Hikaru tries it, his own lawyer will stop him with a lawsuit — like "uh… you can't actually do that?" lol
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:44
    You can't seize a welfare account, can you?
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:45
    Is it even a video worth reposting in the first place lol
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:47
    There's no way he can actually seize the account.
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:48
    Didn't old-school Hikaru used to pull some pretty shady stuff himself?
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:49
    If that were possible, organized crime could just put chronic debtors on welfare and leech off taxpayer money forever.
    Why can't these people figure that out with even a little thought? 😨
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:51
    I get the issue with unauthorized reposting, but jumping straight to welfare recipients is exactly why people don't like him.
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:52
    Re: #1
    Wait, don't people with income not qualify for welfare in the first place?
    So is this fraud?
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:55
    Re: #53
    You can still receive benefits if your income doesn't reach the minimum standard.

    You're allowed to work while on welfare,
    and you can even get deductions applied.
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:57
    Accounts registered under a welfare recipient's name get monitored by the local government office,
    so any deposits end up getting confiscated by the authorities.
    If they had YouTube revenue, it should already have been confiscated.
    If there's regular income, welfare benefits get suspended.
    62AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:59
    I get where Hikaru's coming from, but seizing welfare benefits just isn't possible.
    Too bad.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Welfare benefits are among the assets protected from seizure under Japan’s Public Assistance Act and Civil Execution Act, and even once such funds land in a bank account, seizure is effectively very difficult as long as their origin as welfare payments can be established. What split opinion in the thread wasn’t whether cracking down on unauthorized reposting was justified, but whether Hikaru’s claim that he’d “collect even from welfare recipients” is legally feasible at all. Many replies cited the fact that welfare benefits are protected from seizure to question the statement, while others expressed support for his hard line against unauthorized reposting itself. Notably, when a welfare recipient earns income, it is in principle deducted from or offset against their benefits — the thread didn’t dig deeply into how the system would actually treat someone who has enough income to afford a paid membership in the first place.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “YouTuber Hikaru takes a hard line on unauthorized reposting of paid videos: “I plan to seize their bank account even if they’re on welfare”.”

  • Mori Kasumi weighs in on “friendship between men and women” — 5ch: “Sometimes friendship turns into love”

    Talent Mori Kasumi shared her personal take on the topic “Can friendship between men and women really exist?” — raised by guest Nagano — on the September 3 broadcast of Fuji TV’s “Talk Queens.” While Nagano argued that “ultimately, it can work,” the show also revealed the honest struggle from the women’s side: “Even when you declare you’re just friends, the guy ends up developing romantic feelings on his own.” This sparked a thread on 5ch where deniers (“there’s no such thing as friendship between men and women to begin with,” “guys are only judging whether they want to sleep with you or not”) clashed head-on with those who countered “you can totally just be friends with a girl” — and the debate never found common ground.

    Mori Kasumi weighs in on “friendship between men and women”: “Women struggle with this too” — co-star comedian teases, “You’ve lived a charmed life, haven’t you”

    Talent Mori Kasumi appeared on Fuji TV’s “Talk Queens” (Thursdays 11pm) on the 3rd, where she shared her personal take on friendship between men and women.

    Nagano was the guest that day. In a pre-recorded VTR segment, Nagano opened with, “Can I bring up an old topic? Sorry, it’s a pretty tired debate topic, but…” before saying, “You know how people talk about friendship between men and women? Whether it can really work or not. I actually think it can, ultimately.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:46
    There's no such thing as friendship, idiot lololololol
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:47
    He's just hoping he'll get lucky someday
    Calling it "friendship" means he doesn't have to take responsibility like he would with marriage
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:48
    This is exactly why I don't believe in friendship between men and women

    What people call "friendship" between a guy and a girl is really just "we click personality-wise, but I'm not into you because you're not my type looks-wise"
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:48
    Re: #1
    This isn't a topic you should still be having past 30, come on
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:49
    If it's such a hassle to begin with, is it even worth staying friends?
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:49
    If a guy says he just sees you as a friend, that's basically the same as saying you're not attractive as a woman
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:50
    I mean, I've got female friends just fine
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:51
    Outside of being "friends with benefits," there's no real upside to a man and woman staying friends — so you should just read the room a little
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:52
    Guys don't really develop romantic feelings to begin with
    It's just whether they want to sleep with you or not, that's it
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:52
    That's just because Mori Kasumi is the kind of drop-dead gorgeous woman any guy would fall for
    It's purely a looks thing
    I'm sure Mori herself knows that too
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:55
    She's so short and stumpy I feel nothing
    Both men and women seem to be shrinking these days
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:56
    Well yeah, if you see her photos from that shoot (PJ), of course you'd want to sleep with her
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:57
    "Mori Kasumi" is playing in a different league than "Ito Asako, Kanade from 3-ji no Heroine, or Fukuda Maki"
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:57
    Japanese men always want to turn it into a romantic relationship right away
    Seriously, they're just like monkeys 😲
    74AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:09
    Re: #34
    Same goes for overseas
    In the UK, the book
    "What Every Man Thinks About Apart from Sex"
    became a bestseller, remember?
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:59
    There aren't many guys who get into hobbies with an extremely high ratio of women, but I was in that kind of environment, and I consider everyone from back then genuine friends
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:59
    This show is disgustingly boring, how long are they gonna keep airing it in this slot — just rerun some old hit drama instead
    43AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:00
    She's already 31, so isn't that not romantic feelings but just guys hoping for a shot?
    45AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:00
    >Mori Kasumi
    First time in my life seeing that name. Stop making threads just to promote some no-name talent
    46AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:00
    Well, relationships are living things, of course they're not going to stay the same forever. Sometimes friendship turns into love, and sometimes love turns into hatred
    47AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:00
    This has nothing to do with men and women
    It was just bragging about being popular
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:01
    Men have a faint underlying liking for all women,
    while women have a faint underlying dislike for all men

    That's what this reminded me of
    Can't help it, it's just biology
    54AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:02
    Re: #48
    Likes ALL women? No way
    61AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:04
    Re: #48
    At the very least, I filter by age, face, and body type
    49AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:01
    I don't need female friends, so I don't have any
    51AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:01
    Good personality, we get along great, but I just can't see them as the opposite sex —
    that kind of relationship is less "friend" and more "one of the group"
    Somewhere between a friend and an acquaintance
    53AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:02
    If friendship between a man and a woman can actually work, it's basically limited to these patterns:
    a pretty girl and an ugly guy (broke)
    a handsome guy and a plain girl
    an ugly guy and a plain girl
    That's about it
    The closer either person gets to being within reach as a genuinely attractive partner, the harder it becomes to keep the friendship going
    76AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:10
    Guys don't develop romantic feelings
    You're an idiot
    82AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:11
    Re: #76
    Exactly
    It's not romantic feelings
    They just want to sleep with you
    86AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:12
    Re: #76
    Yeah, fair enough. Guys say "I like you" because they want to sleep with you. Otherwise they won't get to. Not romantic feelings at all lol

    Background and key points of this topic

    “Can friendship between men and women really exist?” is a recurring evergreen debate topic on 5ch, and this round was sparked by Mori Kasumi voicing a concern from the women’s side: “Even when I clearly say we’re just friends, the guy ends up developing romantic feelings anyway.” The thread saw several posts trying to explain the presence or absence of romantic feelings using evolutionary-psychology-style reasoning, but it’s worth noting that none of this is based on actual statistics or research — it’s just personal opinion on an anonymous message board. On top of that, neither the “it doesn’t exist” camp nor the “it does exist” camp ever agreed on a shared definition of “friendship” (e.g., whether sexual interest or mutual benefit is involved), so the discussion talked past itself and never converged.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News Plus) thread “[Entertainment] Mori Kasumi weighs in on “friendship between men and women”: “Women struggle with this too” / “Even when I declare we’re just friends, the other person ends up developing romantic feelings anyway”.”

  • Matsuko Criticizes How Bento Boxes Are Plated — Ariyoshi Agrees: “Salted Mackerel Stinks”

    On the September 4 broadcast of “Matsuko & Ariyoshi: Fleeting Paradise,” Matsuko Deluxe griped about modern bento boxes, saying “more and more of them just have the side dishes piled on top of the rice.” Ariyoshi Hiroyuki also chimed in, citing salted mackerel as an example: “I think it smells.” On the 5ch Geinou/Sports Breaking News+ board, the remark set off a wave of complaints about bento price hikes, shrinking containers, and smaller rice portions, while some pushed back with comments like “Complaining about a smell that mild at 53 seems off” — splitting the thread between defenders and critics.

    Fri, Sep 4, 9:32 PM

    Talent Matsuko Deluxe (53) appeared on TV Asahi’s “Matsuko & Ariyoshi: Fleeting Paradise” (8:00 PM), aired September 4, and lamented recent trends in bento boxes.

    Matsuko opened with, “Bento boxes have changed lately too, haven’t they?” and continued, “Isn’t there less of that classic ‘bento’ feel these days? Don’t you see more of that stuff just piled on top of the rice? Like grilled fish — I don’t know about putting that right on the rice.”

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

    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:01
    If you've got nothing to say, you don't have to force a post
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:02
    Guess we've reached the era where this kind of small talk gets broadcast on TV
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:03
    Bento prices lately are way too high, lol (´；ω；｀)
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:03
    It's annoying how they try to jam everything together into a tiny container to cut corners
    And despite being cheap about it, they charge way more than they used to
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:03
    There's no salted mackerel in it though

    Don't go spreading that around
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:04
    People get all grateful when it's eel on top, but mackerel gets discriminated against?
    Back in the day just having salty rice felt special
    You guys are from that generation too, aren't you
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:06
    The rice in these false-bottom bento boxes is like one rice ball's worth…
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:07
    Are you the type who hates one-plate lunches where the flavors mix together and hot food sits right next to a cold salad?
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:07
    They're just trying to cover up the fact that the rice is bad and there's not much of it
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:08
    Real talk, who's gonna listen to a complaint from the geriatric duo Ariyoshi and Matsuko? lol
    96AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:42
    Re: #15
    A symbol of people tuning out of TV —
    amazing you don't get bored watching it
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:08
    It's kind of creepy how the two of them always just say the same thing
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:11
    Re: #16
    Agreed
    If both main hosts always agree, what's the point of having two hosts at all
    Unless they're going to actually argue from opposing views
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:09
    Honestly, I wouldn't like it even with salmon
    Though if the salt is visibly crusted on top, that's still okay
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:12
    I want the salmon in a salmon bento to sit right on top of the rice.
    I want to eat that rice while tasting the salmon and its saltiness.
    I'll accept objections.
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:24
    Re: #23
    Like this?

    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:13
    That's just the bento shops doing their best, isn't it?
    If you want a proper high-end bento, pay like 1,500 yen
    Everything's gone up in price, from ingredients to containers — it's tough everywhere, I bet
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:14
    I don't like shredded cabbage on top of white rice
    Because of that I can't go for sauce katsudon or Kanazawa-style curry either
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:14
    If they're going to put salted mackerel in a bento, I want it lightly battered and deep-fried tatsuta-age style
    Just grilling it makes it soggy, and Matsuko's right about that
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:14
    Do you ever eat a bento reluctantly?
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:20
    Re: #29
    Nope
    Whenever you're eating a bento you're hungry anyway
    Usually you can polish off pretty much anything and enjoy it
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:17
    Re: #29
    Yeah
    Like on a shoot where you're stuck on set for hours
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:17
    In junior high and high school I had mackerel in my bento every single day
    It was old-fashioned, heavily salted mackerel, and my mom would fry it
    With all that oil and salt it was a dangerously good side that made you keep shoveling in rice
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:21
    Re: #30
    That sounds delicious
    89AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:35
    Re: #30
    That's a fresh idea
    I'll give it a try sometime
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:17
    Must be nice having a job where all you do is complain!
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:17
    Isn't the reason salted mackerel smells that they sear it with a gas torch?
    I hate torching because it leaves a gassy smell
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:24
    Doesn't Ariyoshi always just agree with Matsuko?
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:39
    Re: #41
    It happens the other way around a lot too
    Though Matsuko tends to hedge first with 'I feel a bit differently, but…' before agreeing
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:31
    Re: #1
    I'm 53 too, but complaining that salted mackerel smells is seriously going too far
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:44
    Re: #45
    "Showa Year 100" Bento (a joking way of saying 2025, as if the Showa era — which actually ended in 1989 — were still going)

    77AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:16
    Re: #56
    I don't know what point you're trying to make with that image, but
    if 'there's something on top of the rice and it smells, so I hate it' is the standard,
    then I say just eat nothing but separated dishes — rice bowls included

    Are your taste buds really that refined to begin with?
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:20
    Re: #56
    That's a rice bowl or a mixed-rice combo,
    which is different from what Matsuko and the others are talking about
    If instead of just grilling mackerel and plopping it on rice they seasoned it properly kabayaki-style like a real rice bowl,
    then bringing up that image as a comparison would make sense
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:47
    More than the smell, it just gets in the way of eating the rice
    You have to move it somewhere first but there's nowhere to put it
    Usually I just flip the lid over and set it there
    85AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:26
    Re: #79
    Something like this?

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    It’s worth noting that this topic originated from casual chat on a TV Asahi talk show, not a feature segment on a news program. In recent years, bento boxes have trended toward smaller containers and rising costs, driving a shift toward “one-plate” style bentos that pile side dishes on the rice to cut down on the number of separate items — and complaints about shrinking rice portions and pricier containers were prominent in the thread (comments 8, 11, 14, 26). At the same time, Matsuko’s comment itself was less about “smell” and more a matter of taste regarding appearance and texture, and one comment (33) pointed to cooking method (grilling versus torch-searing) as the actual cause of the mackerel’s odor, raising a technical point that went beyond simple likes and dislikes. Where the thread split was over whether to view this kind of criticism as “a celebrity’s pampered complaint” or as “a fair jab at the realities of the bento industry” — a divide the comments alone don’t resolve.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “Matsuko speaks out on recent bento trends: “I don’t know about putting it on top of the rice” — Ariyoshi too: “Salted mackerel… I think it smells”.”

  • Shiraku fires back at ‘think of those who can’t have kids’ critics: ‘Celebrating them is just what humans do’

    On September 4, rakugo storyteller Tatekawa Shiraku pushed back on X against calls for more consideration toward adults without children. Citing a post by Hiroyuki, who had pointed out that “some people demand consideration for those who can’t have kids whenever someone happily posts about a birth,” Shiraku argued that “isn’t celebrating a child’s birth just what it means to be human?” On 5channel, the thread ranged widely — from debate over how much consideration childless people are owed, to sarcastic jabs referencing Shiraku’s own past personal life, to views on singlehood in an era of declining birthrates and manners around raising children in public.

    Fri, Sep 4, 7:58 PM

    Rakugo performer Tatekawa Shiraku (63) updated his X (formerly Twitter) account on the 4th, sharing his personal take on calls for “thinking about the feelings of people who can’t have kids.”

    Shiraku opened with: “Hiroyuki was lamenting on X. Apparently there are people who say it’s wrong to post happily on X about things like a baby being born, because it shows a lack of consideration toward adults who don’t have kids. Their reasoning is that more consideration should be shown to people without kids. What is the world coming to.”

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

    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:51
    Re: #1
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:52
    Nobody asked for your opinion, so you don't need to stick your nose into everything.
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:53
    Isn't it because people bash the childless in the first place?
    If that's the issue, you've gotta call out everyone doing the bashing, not just him.
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:00
    Re: #9
    Never actually seen anyone bashing the childless ("konashi").
    Feels more like it's always parents who cause trouble without realizing it and then get bashed for it.
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:14
    Re: #23
    In real life, people still get needled just for not having kids, so of course the stress builds up.
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:54
    Childless couple: "Think of the feelings of people who can't have kids!"
    ↓
    Couple with kids: "Your social security is going to be paid for by our kids!"
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:00
    Re: #12
    Ever think about what happens if the kid ends up a NEET, moves overseas,
    commits a crime, or dies young? (what a stretch, lol)
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:55
    Not having kids means failing your duty as a living organism.
    The whole reason humans exist is to keep the species going.
    If you physically can't due to illness, fine —
    but if you could've had kids and just chose not to, nobody owes you any consideration.
    No need to think about the feelings of people who "can't" have kids.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:04
    Re: #14
    That's just not how people value things anymore in the modern era.
    Biologically it might be "wrong," sure, but still.
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:56
    Your view of humanity isn't worth a damn.
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:58
    There are also cases where a kid grows up to be a criminal and does nothing but cause trouble for society. It's not just about giving birth — you actually have to raise them right.
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 21:58
    Why are his analogies always so unfunny whenever this topic comes up…
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:00
    The guy's a professional rakugo storyteller, yet nothing he says ever lands with a sharp punchline.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:00
    Pretty lofty words from a man whose wife was stolen by his own apprentice.
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:00
    If you keep caving to every negative opinion out there, there's nothing left to actually enjoy.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:02
    I'd think getting angry when your wife has an affair with your apprentice is also just "what humans do" —
    but that's not how you reacted, is it.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:03
    I figure it's basically what people used to call a troll.
    Ignore it and it withers away on its own — don't feed it.
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:06
    Ototake's saying the same thing (Hirotada Ototake, the well-known author/commentator)
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:07
    👶🏻 "Hey, you old guys"
    👦🏻 "Hurry up and celebrate already (lol)"
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:14
    Why do I have to cater to the negative side?
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:14
    > If you say 'Just look at this magnificent, beautiful view!' apparently that means you're not being considerate of blind people.
    > If you say 'Drive safely!' apparently that means you're not being considerate of people who failed their driving test.

    No it doesn't.
    This guy is always terrible at picking these comparisons.
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:17
    Celebrating a new life ahead of your own feelings is just the biologically correct thing to do.
    Sad that he even has to spell out something this obvious for it to land with people these days.
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:20
    Re: #40
    What backwater do you live in?
    At my company (Shinjuku head office) it's a single person's paradise — married people with kids are the minority.
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:21
    "No kids = pitiful" —
    until that mindset dies out, this problem isn't going anywhere.
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:23
    Guess if you succeed at dieting, you've gotta start being considerate of overweight people too then.
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:24
    Either way, now that singles are the majority, I think it's an easier era to live in without a partner or kids.
    People who have kids do it because they want to, so there's no real need to praise them for it either.
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:38
    People without children have chosen, on their own, not to meet society's expectations, so there's no need to worry about how they feel about it.
    57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:51
    Re: #51
    Did they have kids "for society"?
    No way.
    It's their own desire, for their own sake.
    They just bring "society" into it because it makes them feel more validated and satisfied.
    64AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:07
    Re: #1
    Way too shallow.
    Isn't being jealous exactly what makes you human…
    87AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:37
    Re: #64
    I get that people are jealous, but that doesn't mean parents should have to hide it either.
    They don't need to demand gifts — but at least sending a simple "we had a baby" letter should be fine, no?
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:17
    When people flaunt pushing a stroller onto the train, or kids are making a racket in the park, it's genuinely hard to stomach.
    Just having kids is already a luxury as it is —
    I wish they'd think a little about the inconvenience to others.
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:28
    Re: #75
    Isn't that pretty much just a Japan thing?
    Westerners look at Japanese people getting worked up over stuff like that and coldly think,
    "Weren't you all kids once too? Kind of ridiculous."
    84AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:34
    So these days you're not even allowed to say "congratulations" about a birth in public?
    89AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:38
    Re: #84
    Exactly — that would be pretty weird, right.
    85AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:35
    Re: #1
    On this one, staying silent is the right move.
    It's a question of basic human kindness.
    The moment you talk back at grief and pain that can't be helped, your humanity is finished.
    92AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:40
    Re: #85
    That's exactly why, when someone says a baby was born, just leaving it there is fine.
    Even when people go on about "consideration" over a birth announcement, the point is: at least say a word of congratulations for the kid being born.
    Yeah, just "congratulations" is enough.
    88AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:37
    If kids are going to be raised on other people's money, bring back the draft.
    People say "our kids will take care of us in old age," but
    they're never actually going to become caregivers.
    They'll probably just end up building euthanasia centers instead.
    They're waving around something they never intended to follow through on, just to get preferential treatment for themselves right now.
    94AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:42
    Re: #88
    They're not being raised on other people's money.
    That would only apply to kids raised in orphanages.
    You get that people saying "let the state raise them after birth" are basically saying "raise them in an orphanage," right?

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    The “be considerate of people who can’t have children” controversy started when Shiraku responded to a post from Hiroyuki, and underneath it lies a broader clash of views over Japan’s declining birthrate. In the thread, many commenters pointedly brought up — with a sarcastic edge — the fact that Shiraku’s own wife had an affair (with one of his apprentices) back in 2016. Terms like “konashi” and “koashi” (both meaning “childless”) are common shorthand on 5channel and can carry a derogatory tone depending on context. Complaints about children’s noise in public spaces — strollers on trains, kids in parks — ran alongside the main debate; it’s easy to miss that this isn’t simply a “should we be considerate or not” argument, but one tangled up with a separate debate over childrearing manners in public.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Sports/Entertainment News+) thread “Shiraku claps back at ‘think of those who can’t have kids’ calls: ‘Isn’t celebrating a birth just what humans do?’“