Japan Reacts

Category: Entertainment

  • Ex-NHK Announcer Anna Nakagawa Reports Groping on Train — Some Ask “Why Not Call the Police?”

    Anna Nakagawa (32), a former NHK announcer now working as a freelancer, updated her X (formerly Twitter) account on September 4th, revealing an unpleasant incident of physical contact she experienced on a train. She said a man sitting next to her pretended to be dozing off while letting his arm hang down and positioning his hand near the gap between her thighs, recalling how “it sent a chill down my spine” at the time. The post drew a wave of sympathy on a 5ch thread, but reactions were split — some argued she “should have reported it to the police before posting on social media,” while others suggested the close quarters of a packed train may have led to a misunderstanding.

    Fri, Sep 4, 3:15 PM

    Former NHK announcer, now freelance, Anna Nakagawa (32) updated her X (formerly Twitter) account on the 4th, writing about receiving inappropriate contact from a male passenger on a train and revealing that “it sent a chill down my spine.”

    Nakagawa explained the situation at the time: “The man sitting next to me on the train was asleep and kept nearly leaning against me a few times, but that part didn’t really bother me.” However, she said there was then “suspicious behavior” — “he suddenly let his arm go limp and positioned it so his hand ended up between his and my thighs.”

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

    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:47
    Sekiguchi: "Whether you believe it or not is up to you" (a nod to TV host Hiroshi Sekiguchi's famous catchphrase from the show 'Unbelievable!')
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:47
    Announcer Anna Nakagawa shares her theory on men's "eye movements": "I could tell he'd just been looking at my chest" — "Women always know exactly where they're being looked at"
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    Announcers shouldn't be riding trains — take a taxi. She's basically leaking her own personal info by doing that.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    Groping someone's lower body requires bending down, doesn't it? Or are these gropers all just short guys?
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    A "dynamite honey" would be fine too, wouldn't it — wouldn't it — makes me dizzy just thinking about it ("dynamite honey" = old slang for a woman with a stunning figure)
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:48
    This person only ever talks about stuff like this.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:49
    Once you're as good-looking as me, women sit right next to you even when there are other empty seats.
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:52
    Re: #27 As expected of Master Koyuzo (veteran rakugo comedian famous for racy jokes)
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:50
    This person's weapons are her English and her body.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:51
    She's done a full lap through variety shows and now she's faded out — like an M-1 champion who can't handle unscripted talk (M-1 is Japan's top comedy competition).
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:51
    She's acting like she can't believe someone would actually do this, but that just shows how little she knows about the state of manners in Japan.
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:52
    Why post it on social media but not report it to the police?
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:52
    Even guys find it gross when a stranger touches them.
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    Even NHK employees can't afford a car and have to ride the train? That's rough.
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    Japan's a groping superpower — Rena Yamazaki said so herself, quite emphatically.
    71AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:12
    Didn't he just click his tongue after getting a look at her face?
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:45
    Re: #71 Ah, nobody wanted to say it, but…
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:12
    Why not put together a team of a plainclothes policewoman and a couple of plainclothes male officers and send them undercover into the train cars known for heavy groping?

    If a groper touches the plainclothes policewoman's butt, she gives a signal, and the two plainclothes officers blending in with the other passengers box him in from front and back and arrest him on the spot.
    74AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:13
    Re: #72 They're already running sting operations like that.
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:14
    Works out fine for the perp, huh? (said in Tohoku dialect)
    82AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:27
    Re: #75 Sorry to disappoint, but I don't ride trains anyway (said in Tohoku dialect)

    Background and Points of Debate

    Public figures disclosing groping incidents on social media is nothing new these days, and the thread itself brought up Rena Yamazaki’s remarks as an example of similar experiences being shared elsewhere. Part of the backdrop here is that groping cases are notoriously hard to prosecute unless the offender is caught in the act, and reporting to police after the fact often fails to lead to identifying the culprit. Some in this case asked “why not go to the police,” but the original article never actually states whether she filed a report or not — so assuming she just suffered in silence simply because she spoke up on social media would be premature. At the same time, inferring intent from something as subjective as “the movement of his eyes” involves elements that are hard to treat as hard evidence, and that gap between the lived experience and how convincing it reads to outsiders is part of why posts like this tend to split opinion.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “Former NHK Announcer Anna Nakagawa’s Frightening Experience on a Train: “His Hand Ended Up Between My Thighs…” — Man Clicked His Tongue When She Tried to Change Cars, “It Sent a Chill Down My Spine”.”

  • Impressionist Katrina Yoko marries Guri of comedy trio “Big Small’n”

    Impressionist Katrina Yoko (28) announced on her Instagram on September 4 that she has married Guri (35) of the comedy trio “Big Small’n.” Katrina is well known for her impression of Momoe Yamaguchi. In the 5ch thread reacting to the news, more than the marriage itself, commenters were struck by “wait, I thought Big Small’n was a duo!” — with the thread’s focus centering on how the group came together and its recent success on YouTube.

    9/4 (Fri) 15:31

    Impressionist Katrina Yoko (28) announced on her Instagram on the 4th that she has married Guri (35) of the comedy trio “Big Small’n.”

    Katrina, known for her impression of Momoe Yamaguchi, posted an image of a statement on her Instagram. The statement, addressed “To everyone who supports us,” read: “We are writing to announce that we, Guri and Katrina Yoko of Big Small’n, have gotten married.”

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

    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    I thought Big Small'n was a duo
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    Re: #5
    Same here
    Who's the green guy?
    101AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:44
    Re: #5
    Wait, "Big" and "Small" — isn't that just two guys?! (that was the joke)

    Guess he actually joined back in 2019
    So it's three middle-aged guys: 49, 51, and 35
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    I thought Big Small'n was a comedy duo
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    Hold on, these guys have been on TV for like 20 years — there's no way one of them is only 35
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    Re: #7
    They started out as a duo, then a third member joined later to make it a trio
    The one who just got married is the one who joined later
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:08
    Re: #7
    They originally worked as a two-man act, then brought in a disciple as a member
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    Isn't Big Small'n a duo? When did they multiply?
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    So it's the "not actually Big Small'n" member of Big Small'n
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:04
    I remember them as a duo called something like Gon and Chiro
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:05
    A rare case of a fan later becoming an official member
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:05
    Huh? I thought they were a duo… did they add someone?
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:06
    I figured Big Small'n were younger, but turns out they're a trio now and I don't even know this third guy
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:06
    Big or Small — which one is it?! And then it turns out there's a third guy too
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:06
    Big Small'n, quietly turned into a trio at some point
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    There's a guy in Big Small'n I've genuinely never seen before
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    He admired Big Small'n and tried to become their apprentice, and they basically said "just join us then" — and that's how they became a trio
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:07
    So which is it, the big one or the small one?
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:08
    They were on "Bari Sugo Voiger 7," right? Sounds like the cast had a drinking party — not sure if Big Small'n was there, but there was a photo of a guy who looked like Kenken
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:09
    I did see Katrina Yoko on Chidori's "Oni Renchan" — makes you wonder what's going through Tamu-tamu's mind right now (nickname for comedian Atsushi Tamura)
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    Looked it up, seems he's the small one

    Also turns out the big one is only 183cm (6'0") — not even that huge
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    (ヽ´ん`) Shin-san…
    https://cdn.livepocket.jp/image/FxbwIaK7j7kEercNXFJTjPmPwFcaQ1tNIaSxzSTcpWYKkJComWfqkBEWkXKNy2TV.jpg
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    Technically it's "Bari Sugo☆Voiger 7"
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:10
    Big Small'n… oh right, they exist
    Saying "Guri" means nothing to me, just tell me if it's the Big one or the Small one!
    But then it turns out there are two Smalls now…
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:11
    Katrina Yoko was on Downtown DX back in the day. Explaining how she got into impressions, she casually dropped a somewhat loaded backstory — something like "After I finished junior high I got a job at a diner, and then a customer…"
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:13
    They became YouTubers and are pulling in steady money now
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:13
    Big Small'n are basically millionaires these days
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:14
    Looked it up:
    Big Small'n's YouTube numbers
    Subscribers: over 2.5 million
    Total views: past 2.9 billion — by far #1 among comedian YouTubers
    90AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:34
    Re: #41
    Wait, when did these guys become YouTubers with that many subscribers? All I remember is some mismatched duo doing arm-balance tricks — I genuinely thought they'd quit comedy and disappeared ages ago
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:15
    Nobody even knows who they are
    the ages sound fake
    what's the target audience even supposed to be?
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:15
    I did an image search for "Guri"
    and a Pokémon trainer came up — is that actually him?
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:15
    A fan of Big Small'n joined as a new member
    but he pretty much only does assistant-level stuff
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:21
    Guri's just the new guy, isn't he
    don't go calling yourself Big Small'n
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:22
    Re: #1
    He kind of looks like that charisma guy from one of the Sakamichi idol groups who does the fainting bit
    forgot his name though
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:31
    YouTube's basically like a religion — gather enough devoted followers and you can rake it in within your own little niche, lol
    85AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:33
    Re: #80
    In their case it's less about Japanese devotees and more that they got discovered worldwide
    language-independent comedy bits are strong like that

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Big Small’n originally worked as a two-man comedy duo, but an enthusiastic fan became their apprentice and officially joined in 2019, turning the group into a trio. Guri, whose marriage was reported this time, is the member who joined later. On the forum, the dominant reactions were things like “I thought they were a duo” and “when did they become three?” — with more surprise directed at the group’s changing lineup than at the marriage itself. It was also noted that their YouTube channel has over 2.5 million subscribers and more than 2.9 billion total views, prompting further surprise that they’ve maintained such high name recognition despite a relatively low TV profile in recent years. Rather than commenting on Katrina’s marriage itself, the thread’s focus was largely on the group’s origins and career trajectory. It’s also known — from her own remarks on a TV program — that she started doing impressions after an experience she had working at a diner following her junior high graduation.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Impressionist Katrina Yoko (28) marries Guri (35) of comedy trio “Big Small’n”“.

  • Angerme’s Ise Concert to Go Ahead as Scheduled — 5ch: “No Way They’re Giving Up Their Ise Cash Cow”

    Following a fire at a shopping street in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, discussion has broken out on 5ch’s Hello! Project board over the fate of Angerme’s autumn tour stop in Ise, scheduled at the neighboring venue “Symphonia Technology Hibiki Hall Ise.” The venue is believed to have suspended normal operations until September 14 for recovery work, yet tickets for the tour are still on sale with no cancellation announced. Some thread posters point to scorch marks on the exterior wall and the extent of damage to the shopping street, while others argue the damage was limited to the exterior wall and won’t affect the show — opinions on the actual extent of the damage remain divided.

    Angerme

    @angerme_upfront

    ・Angerme 2026 Autumn Tour: Fūrinkazan, Part 2

    Source: t.pia.jp / original article here

    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:06
    If they announce a cancellation now, they'll get hit with cancellation fees
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:07
    The whole area's scorched earth now
    — fitting, since the tour's literally named 'Fūrinkazan' (Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain) 🤣
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:08
    Can Angerme's Ise show actually happen?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo2I4TR7zD4

    Just turn a conference room into a dressing room, problem solved!
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:08
    No way they're giving up their Ise cash cow
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:08
    The wall facing the burned-out shopping street is half charred black, you know?
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:10
    It's probably just a scheduled auto-post, so it could still get canceled later
    Ticket sales for the same venue's October, November, and January events are already listed as "postponed, under adjustment"

    https://www.ise-kanbun.jp/event/
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    Re: #22
    That's because the hall is suspended until 9/14
    Ticket sales that were supposed to start before that date
    are just being postponed for now, regardless of whether the show itself actually happens
    66AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:54
    Re: #22
    But Angerme's tickets are still being sold, so…
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:11
    Good for you, Angerme wota (fan)
    Might as well snap a commemorative photo of the burnt-to-a-crisp shopping street while you're there
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:13
    Shouldn't they also organize some volunteer work while they're at it?
    As someone who owes Ise a lot, that's how I see it
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:16
    They need to put out a statement soon or the fans will be in trouble — there's hotel cancellation fees to think about too
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:18
    There are nuisance fans who keep blowing up the hall's phone lines with complaint calls (denotsu) — I'd recommend the venue log everything and pursue disclosure of the callers' identities
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:19
    Could they pull it off by renaming the tour and shelving 'Vanilla' from the setlist?
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:20
    [URGENT] Angerme's TikTok — only "that one video" has been deleted lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1788502613/
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:22
    Re: #32
    If that were the case they'd just write 'on sale the 15th' — it's more natural to think they've marked it 'under adjustment' because the recovery timeline is still unclear
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    Window glass shattered and the dressing room's charred black

    https://x.com/ekicho56/status/2094921491741815163
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:55
    Re: #39
    This is just the exterior wall though
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:26
    Since it's only the evening show, I'll go help out with cleanup volunteering
    Though the shopping street might still be doing on-site inspections
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:27
    Seriously? I saw it on the Nagoya news
    and the shopping street took some serious damage…
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:53
    Re: #41
    'Serious damage' is an understatement — it's basically burned to the ground
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:30
    Sounds like Kamikokuryo and the others have had graduation talk going for about 2 years now, so maybe the Ise show is already set to be a graduation ceremony
    Being 23 already is pretty rough as it is
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:31
    Fan streamers will swarm in and run a negative smear campaign
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:33
    Angerme working hard for the recovery effort — so noble
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:41
    Just a simple question, but is this kind of involvement not a problem religiously?
    Ise Grand Shrine is, along with Izumo Taisha, literally like the 'Mecca' of Japanese Shinto
    Whatever kind of Japanese person never passes under a shrine torii gate, that'd be the same type of person tied to Ise, right?
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:45
    Re: #51
    Japanese gods are big-hearted — they don't turn anyone away
    Doesn't matter what that person believes
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:57
    After getting info from what's apparently an Ise City official, they're saying the dressing room, rehearsal room, and machine room were all hit — so it must be true

    https://youtu.be/D1U9nEtaamA?t=450
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 15:59
    Re: #70
    Does this so-called 'Ise City official' actually exist?
    And even if they did, they shouldn't have been inside the building at that time
    76AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:06
    This is gonna make the news in the Tokai region
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 16:11
    Re: #76
    Probably gonna stay super-local, like Mie TV only

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Symphonia Technology Hibiki Hall’s official website appears to show all reservations and usage information suspended until September 14, and ticket sales for another event scheduled at the venue around the same time are also listed as postponed or under adjustment. Meanwhile, as of September 4, no announcement of cancellation or postponement has been confirmed from the organizers regarding Angerme’s autumn tour stop in Ise — thread opinion was split between those who suspected it might just be an auto-scheduled post and those who took the continued ticket sales as confirmation the show would go on. Accounts of the fire damage also conflict, with some claiming it was limited to the exterior wall and others saying it reached the dressing room and rehearsal room; no official statement on the extent of the damage had been confirmed at the time of writing. This remains a case where an official announcement is still needed.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Shocking] Angerme’s Autumn Tour — Symphonia Technology Hibiki Hall Ise Show Will Go On As Scheduled lmaoooooooooooooooooooooooo.”

  • Which Actresses-Turned-Singers Scored Multiple Hits in Both Fields? 5ch Says ‘Miho Nakayama Might Be Unbeatable’

    A thread on 5ch asking “which female celebrities have had multiple hits both as singers and as actresses” took off. Alongside names like Hiroko Yakushimaru, Momoe Yamaguchi, Tomoyo Harada, Yuki Saito, and Kyoko Koizumi, posters brought up a wide range of generations, including Akina Nakamori, Momoko Kikuchi, Haruka Fukuhara, Yuki Uchida, Arisa Mizuki, Kou Shibasaki, Ryoko Shinohara, Yumiko Takahashi, and Noriko Sakai. Miho Nakayama, who boasts a track record of dramas averaging over 20% ratings and multiple million-selling singles, drew particular praise as “the strongest if you mean genuine success in both fields.” Meanwhile, opinions split over whether Arisa Mizuki’s and Yumiko Takahashi’s songs could really be called “hits,” making where to draw the line on what counts as a hit a central point of debate.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:57
    Fewer than you'd think
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:00
    That one actress with the "natural airhead" image (tennen) who had a hit duet song
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:01
    Hiroko Yakushimaru's the only one I don't really know
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:07
    Re: #7
    Did you forget the 'Chanrinshan' lady, grandpa?
    57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:03
    Re: #7
    Etsuko Yakushimaru's mom
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:04
    The ".300 average / 30 homers / 30 steals" tier (baseball slang for an elite all-rounder)

    Ryoko Hirosue
    Shinji (Koyote)
    Cyndi Lauper
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:04
    Peer pressure is the worst! No wonder people become anti-fans lol
    I've supported all kinds of group idols before, but I've never experienced that kind of thing among fellow fans — quite the rare experience lol
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:08
    Feel like there's gotta be more but I can't think of any off the top of my head, so frustrating
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:10
    These days it's nothing but wannabe idols
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:13
    Guess that's a pretty rare feat in postwar entertainment history, huh
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:25
    My gut feeling is that people like that tend to show up a lot on 'Minasan no Okagedeshita' — that type meshes well with Tonneruzu
    33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:27
    Back in the day actresses used to be singers too
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:31
    Not many acting credits, but what about Akina Nakamori?
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    If we're talking success in both fields, Miho Nakayama might be unbeatable
    Dramas averaging over 20% ratings
    Multiple million-selling singles
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    Feels like Akina Nakamori is just "Sugao no Mama de" (her signature hit) and not much else
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    Momoko Kikuchi
    Has starring films, dramas, and songs
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    Re: #39
    Feels like she doesn't really have a hit as a lead actress though
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:39
    Nogizaka46 members show up in small roles in dramas sometimes, but they're bad at it and stick out like a sore thumb
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    Ikuko Sakakibara's only hit drama was probably 'Nakki wa Tsumujikaze'
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:52
    Starring in the drama, singing the theme song, AND hitting a million in sales —

    Only a handful of people pulled that off in the TV era
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:53
    Haruka Fukuhara
    Acting: Mai Agare, Laid-Back Camp, Ano Hana ga Saku Oka de, Kimi to Mata Deaetara
    Singing: Kitchen wa My Stage, Nameko no Uta
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:53
    Aside from her debut work "Maido Osawagase Shimasu" and an NHK Taiga drama, Miho Nakayama (before she moved to France) starred in literally everything
    Even Kimutaku, who churned out lead-role hits himself, was only ever a supporting character in a Nakayama drama
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:54
    Re: #4
    For a second I thought you meant "Miku Miku" (Hatsune Miku) and got totally confused lol
    50AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:57
    Yuki Uchida
    Acting: 17-sai, Campus Note
    Singing: TENCA wo Torou! -Uchida no Yabou-, Shiawase ni Naritai
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:00
    Arisa Mizuki
    Acting: Houkago, Jajauma Narashi, Nurse no Oshigoto
    Singing: Densetsu no Shoujo, Happy wake up!
    59AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:05
    Re: #52
    Chou Shoujo REIK…
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:01
    Stop naming people who didn't even hit it big in either field, let alone both
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    Kou Shibasaki
    Acting: Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu, Onna Joushu Naotora
    Singing: Tsuki no Shizuku, Katachi Aru Mono
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:05
    Re: #56
    That one hit was massive though!
    Honestly, her signature acting role isn't all that memorable…
    62AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:07
    Re: #60
    The whole point of this question is "multiple" hits
    If it's just one hit, there are plenty of candidates
    61AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:06
    Ryoko Shinohara had like 3 hit songs
    It's just that the one written by Shigesato Itoi sold way too well and overshadowed the rest
    63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:08
    Yumiko Takahashi
    Acting: Minami-kun no Koibito, Saikou no Koibito, Okami Sandai Onna no Tatakai
    Singing: Tomodachi de Ii Kara, Step by Step, Fight!
    73AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:18
    Re: #63
    That's zero hits though
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:09
    Arisa Mizuki's songs never really hit it big
    66AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:11
    Re: #65
    "TOO SHY SHY BOY" is still famous even today
    67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:12
    > Singing: Tomodachi de Ii Kara, Step by Step, Fight!

    Fired up!
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:14
    Noriko Sakai

    Hitotsu Yane no Shita, Hoshi no Kinka and its sequel
    Two theme songs for Hoshikin
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:16
    Miki Nakatani
    Acting: Densha Otoko, Keizoku, Ring
    Singing: MIND CIRCUS, Suna no Kajitsu
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:18
    Chiemi Hori has 'Stewardess Monogatari' but doesn't really have a smash-hit song
    Especially compared to Kyon-Kyon (Kyoko Koizumi)
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:19
    Top 3 female solo artists by total single sales (in 10,000s):
    229 Amuro, 206 Utada, 202 Shinohara
    Shinohara's 'Motto Motto' alone sold 620,000 copies

    Unfair / Last Cinderella averaged 15% ratings
    Haken no Hinkaku was surprisingly low, just under 13%
    79AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:20
    Re: #73
    Wait, you don't know Yumiko Takahashi?
    Those were all massive hits lol

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Hiroko Yakushimaru and Tomoyo Harada belong to a generation that was at the heart of the 1980s Kadokawa Films business model, in which a film’s leading actress would also sing its theme song — releasing the movie and the record as hits simultaneously was the standard star-making playbook of the era. Add in the common practice of casting actresses to sing TV drama theme songs, and it wasn’t unusual back then for an actress to also top the charts as a singer. Today, idol, actress, and singer careers have become far more specialized — the thread even saw comments about Nogizaka46 members sticking out awkwardly in acting roles — suggesting it’s grown harder to succeed at “double duty.” The debate split over where to draw the line on what counts as a “hit”: whether to weight hard numbers like viewership ratings and million-selling singles, or the broader name recognition of a signature song.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Female celebrities with multiple hits as both singer and actress — Hiroko Yakushimaru, Momoe Yamaguchi, Tomoyo Harada, Yuki Saito, Miho Nakayama, Kyoko Koizumi,“

  • Tomomi Itano: “Criticism and Slander Are Not the Same” — Fires Back at Baseless SNS Speculation

    Former AKB48 member Tomomi Itano updated her X (Twitter) account to share her feelings about a situation in which snippets of her posts have been taken out of context, fueling baseless speculation such as claims that she “lacks love for her daughter as a parent.” After explaining that her intent in sharing her worries and struggles was to help others feel “I wasn’t the only one,” she made clear that “criticism and slander are not the same thing.” On 5ch, some posters sympathized with her point, while others pushed back, arguing that she might be labeling any opinion she finds inconvenient as slander — leaving the thread divided over where exactly the line between criticism and slander should be drawn.

    Tomomi Itano (35), a former AKB48 member now working as a talent and entrepreneur, updated her X account on the 4th.

    She wrote about how snippets of her social media posts have been taken out of context, leading to baseless speculation such as claims that she “lacks love for her daughter as a parent.”

    Itano explained that by sharing her worries, struggles, and even personal details, she hopes people will feel “I wasn’t the only one,” and that she wants her account to be a place where people can share honest feelings and connect with one another. “Of course, I understand that there are all sorts of opinions and values out there,” she added.

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

    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:32
    Watching "Baakin-kun" on YouTube beats watching the Peace-kun mascot from Omiya Park any day.
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:35
    Forget what she actually said — she's just disliked, period.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    Re: #8
    Get it through your head, that's slander. You're way too clueless.
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:49
    Re: #8
    Before you post on 5ch again, go say that same line to your reflection in the mirror 1,000 times.
    You'll end up with a better life than you've got now.
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:40
    Simple fix: just don't post it where any random stranger can see it.
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:40
    The way she keeps sucking on that water bottle straw is probably a sign she's lonely.
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:41
    This is the same person who was visibly swooning for real back when Kimura "wall-slammed" her (kabe-don) on Bisuto SMAP.
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:41
    Wait, does she actually get paid based on video views or something?
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:41
    What even counts as "the truth" anyway?
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:42
    Looks like you guys are getting scolded again (´・ω・｀)
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:42
    SNS is full of attention-seekers with a strong need for approval — both the ones posting and the ones watching.
    Figuring out how to navigate that skillfully is probably the real challenge.
    I'm too much of a coward, so I just watch from a safe distance 😅
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:43
    They're just picking fights to blow off steam, so it's pointless saying anything to them.
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:43
    Your real, honest feelings
    are something you only say
    to the people around you that you actually trust.
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:44
    She doesn't need to go putting herself out there in public like that, does she?
    I don't know the details, but her "business," whatever it is, seems to be going fine, right?
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    This is probably about the thing where her daughter goes to an international school and speaks English as her first language, so she's not great at Japanese — but the parents themselves can't speak English, so they're the ones struggling.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:45
    If you can't just brush it off the way Tsuji does, quit social media.
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:47
    For the ones who are clearly crossing the line, all you can do is quietly take them to court.
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:52
    As long as you're broadcasting publicly, criticism comes with the territory.
    If you don't want criticism, do it in a closed circle among friends instead.
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:53
    The people who spew slander are usually the ones most convinced they're just stating a fair opinion, so I doubt saying this will change anything.
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:01
    Re: #41
    That cuts both ways — the side that brands anything inconvenient to them as "slander" and refuses to listen is doing the exact same thing.

    "Criticism and slander are different" is true enough, but it means something very different if the actual rule is "what's convenient for me is opinion, what's inconvenient for me is slander."
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    She's actually pretty level-headed, surprisingly.
    Miles better than Mariko Shinoda, at least.
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    I doubt it, but… is there any chance she's actually just really disliked?
    Probably not, but still.
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:07
    Re: #52
    Did this person even have fans back in her AKB days to begin with? That's the level we're talking about.
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:18
    The video where the kid was babbling something and got shut down with "stop whining!" was kind of sad.
    The way the kid reached both arms out trying to run and hug its mom made it even more heartbreaking.

    Keiji Takahashi just scurried off ahead of them, and the kid was getting brushed off by him too, so that part was sad as well.
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:26
    Re: #68
    Other people's family business — who cares.
    71AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:20
    With a wife like that, the husband probably can't focus on baseball.
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:37
    Re: #71
    It's not just the wife — there's also the limit of his own talent.
    He's only surviving because Yakult runs things like a family-style team.
    At this rate he's basically guaranteed to get cut from the roster next year.
    Wouldn't even be shocking if it happened this year, but, well, it's Yakult.

    Background and Points of Contention

    Itano’s post comes against the backdrop of her social media — where she has long shared posts about parenting and her personal life — being “clipped” out of context and used to spread speculation that doesn’t match the facts. In recent years, the bar for filing disclosure requests to identify anonymous posters has dropped, and it’s become increasingly common for celebrities to pursue legal action over online slander, so it’s not unusual, in that light, for a public figure to spell out the line between “criticism” and “slander” herself. In the thread, while some posters sympathized with her point, others pushed back, arguing that “criticism and slander are different” might just be cover for labeling any opinion inconvenient to her as slander — and the debate never really settled on where that line actually falls. Note: the thread contained numerous unverified posts naming her ex-husband and past relationships in connection with alleged crimes; since these could not be confirmed, they have been excluded from this article. Ironically, those very posts were themselves live examples of the “slander” Itano was calling out.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “[Entertainment] Tomomi Itano addresses speculation about herself: “I feel like I can only give safe, non-controversial answers now” — warns against character attacks and slander: “Criticism and slander are different”“.

  • Zeebra Slams Neighbor’s Baseless ‘Tip-Off’ to Police: ‘A Totally Groundless Accusation’

    Rapper Zeebra (55) posted on X on September 4th, expressing displeasure over a baseless report from a neighbor — what he himself called a “tip-off” (a Japanese term, 密告, with connotations of sneaky, malicious reporting). In his post he described it as “a totally groundless accusation,” without revealing exactly what the report was about. On 5ch, the post sparked plenty of speculation — some guessed that if he doesn’t even own a dog, the complaint may have mistaken something else for barking, while others joked that the sound of him practicing rap could have caused the mix-up. Other commenters, meanwhile, simply questioned whether the story was true at all. In the end, the thread ended up dominated more by speculation than by any actual information about what happened.

    Veteran rapper voices displeasure over neighbor’s baseless “tip-off”: “A totally groundless accusation” (Nikkan Sports) – Yahoo! News –

    Fri, Sep 4, 12:21 PM

    Rapper Zeebra (55) updated X on the 4th, writing about a baseless “tip-off” from a neighbor and making his displeasure clear.

    Source: nikkansports.com / Read the original article here

    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:01
    A complaint even though he doesn't have a dog?
    So logically speaking… maybe HE'S the dog living there.
    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:03
    If someone genuinely mistook this for a dog barking, that's kind of terrifying honestly.
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:05
    Why does society treat rappers like this?
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:07
    'Groundless accusation' = guilty? 🤔
    85AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:24
    Re: #12
    Right? lol
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:08
    I got reported once just for messing with my phone in front of my own house.
    Went inside to relax right after, and shortly after that the cops showed up asking around — I just told them, 'that was me.'
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:17
    Re: #13
    Well then, you're under arrest.
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:08
    When they said 'veteran,' I figured they meant the former Seikou Ito (aka Ijiri Okada) — (a joking mix-up of two unrelated celebrities)
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:33
    Re: #14
    I actually bought that for a second, you idiot lol
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:09
    Depends how the landlord phrased it.
    If it was just a polite confirmation check, it's not really something to get mad about.
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:20
    Re: #15
    The contact would've come from the management company, though.
    Same difference, I guess.
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:10
    Maybe his rapping got mistaken for a dog barking?
    I mean, humans can't exactly understand dog barks either.
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:12
    Snoop dog

    Just wanted to make that pun — a dog that sneaks around sniffing things out (playing on rapper Snoop Dogg's name)
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:14
    Well, he was probably making some kind of noise.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:17
    If everyone else around him is a regular office worker, the rapper's obviously gonna be the one they suspect.
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:20
    Maybe he's just been causing a ruckus and made some enemies.
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:21
    If it were a veteran DJ instead,
    would it be DJ KOO?
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:22
    Re: #1
    Yeah, that's exactly why — don't tweet about stuff like that. That's the whole lesson here.
    29AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:30
    Maybe his rap practice sounded like a dog barking.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:31
    A totally groundless accusation
    Currently: no dog present
    *snicker*
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:32
    Maybe his hairstyle got him mistaken for a Predator?
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:33
    Rapper: 'YO! YO! (Man, I'm so cool)'

    Neighbor: 'Ugh, that dog barking is so loud.'
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:34
    Re: #32
    Nobody says 'YO YO' like that anymore lol
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:38
    Is this even a true story?
    This kind of thing always smells kinda fake to me…

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    Reports over neighborhood disputes have become increasingly common in apartment complexes and residential areas, and it’s not unusual for a complaint to only reach the subject’s ears after the fact — at which point it turns out to have been a misunderstanding. In this case, the original article never specifies exactly what the “tip-off” was about — what sound triggered it, or how — and Zeebra’s own post likewise withholds the details, amounting to more of a vague protest than a full account. As a result, the thread was dominated by speculation — “maybe they mistook his rap practice for a dog barking,” “if it gets out that he lives in an apartment, won’t that just invite more reports?” — with no one actually having any way to verify whether the report itself was even legitimate. Readers should note that the “groundless accusation” in the headline isn’t a legal term here — the original Japanese (冤罪) literally refers to a wrongful criminal conviction, but Zeebra is using it loosely on social media to express frustration at being suspected of something he didn’t do. Some replies also made unfounded, definitive-sounding claims about his private life and past troubles; since none of that could be confirmed, it has been left out of the main text.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “Veteran Rapper Voices Displeasure Over Neighbor’s Baseless “Tip-Off”: “A Totally Groundless Accusation”.”

  • 72 Hours Embedded at a Setouchi Udon Vending Machine — 5ch: “People Are Drawn to Things Destined to Disappear”

    NHK General TV’s popular series “Document 72 Hours” airs a one-hour special starting 10pm on September 4, spotlighting Setouchi’s “udon vending machines.” Shot as a road-movie journey covering 300km across four prefectures — Okayama, Ehime, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi — it follows a middle schooler trying vending-machine udon for the first time, and the people who seem drawn to these machines late at night. There’s also a studio after-talk segment featuring Kirin’s Akira Kawashima, a self-professed fan of the show. Reaction on 5ch was split: some blasted it as a “pointless staged show,” while others jumped to defend it, citing its addictive quality and past classic episodes.

    Published: Thursday, August 20, 2026, 10:02 PM

    Updated: Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 11:09 PM

    [One-Hour Special] The latest installment of the popular “72 Hours” udon-vending-machine series is the “Setouchi Edition” — a 300km road movie through Okayama, Ehime, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi. “It’s not amazing, but somehow you just want to eat it.” A middle schooler tries vending-machine udon for the first time. People drawn to the machines late at night as if pulled in. An owner quietly restocking udon, unseen. A journey that encounters countless slices of life. Plus a studio after-talk segment with show fan Akira Kawashima of Kirin!

    Source: nhk.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:54
    Because watching Berkin-kun on YouTube is more fun than watching Peace-kun from Omiya Park anyway.
    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:58
    What a pointless staged show lol lol
    NHK's out here desperately self-promoting lol lol lol
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:01
    They must be out of ideas
    that's the only reason they'd do this lol
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:02
    Don't need Kawashima for this, quit adding unnecessary stuff
    91AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    Re: #10
    It's not just Kawashima — it's pointless whenever some celebrity comments on these shows
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:02
    Hospitals, bars, roadside diners, snow country, and udon vending machines —
    "72 Hours" has its go-to themes, so they can always make it work even when they're out of ideas
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:04
    Any good episodes lately?
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:15
    Re: #12
    The one about the waterfront condo in Yokohama, then and now
    The all-night café in Nagoya
    Midsummer by the Tone Canal in Nagareyama

    There have been a lot of great ones lately
    67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:46
    Re: #12
    Last week's was pretty good
    Everyone in it had some kind of story or looked worn out — real peak "this is the show" vibes
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:04
    Re: #1
    Thought "oh, this looks good!" — then saw it was filmed in 2023. So it's just a rerun?
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:06
    Re: #13
    It means they're streaming past episodes alongside the new one, not that this is a repeat
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:04
    Celebrities, actors, comedians, some random academic —
    none of them are ever interesting anyway
    no wonder low-key travel documentaries are the ones that catch on
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:06
    Just because it was a hit once doesn't mean you keep milking it forever
    19AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:06
    Too late now, but stuff like this shouldn't get this much attention
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:07
    Every single one is top-notch udon
    give it a try sometime (´・ω・｀)
    21AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:07
    Oh, NHK.
    Hurry up with new episodes of "Ma-Kaizo no Yoru" (an NHK engineering-contest show) or "Emergency Call" already.
    22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:08
    The real serious issue with udon/soba vending machines is the roach problem
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:08
    This show used to have an episode about the coin lockers in Nishinari — is there really no way to watch it anymore? That one was great
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:15
    Shikoku, the Setouchi region, and Kyushu are major wheat-growing areas —
    udon is so deeply rooted there that old houses used to each have their own cast-iron noodle-making machine.
    People around there eat a lot of suiton (wheat-dumpling soup) too.
    Tokyo, meanwhile, is reclaimed land from the sea where only cotton could really be grown —
    no wonder Kanto udon is bad
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:16
    But somehow nobody gets food poisoning from this stuff lol
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:43
    Re: #35
    That's because they properly hold a health-department business permit lol
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:17
    Why is this udon vending machine thing getting hyped up this hard?
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:22
    Re: #38
    People are drawn to things destined to disappear
    and even more so when it's something as everyman as a retro vending machine
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:24
    Someone fix the jukebox at Drive-in Daruma —
    I want to hear Ei-chan's (Eikichi Yazawa's) "Jikan yo Tomare" ("Time, Stop")
    64AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:43
    Re: #49
    Is it broken?
    It was still working when I went a few years back.
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:28
    Since this show became a hit, a bunch of other networks have started doing similar segments lately —
    like "up-close coverage of a sauna's diner that's open from early morning to late night"
    57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    Re: #51
    Right up through breakfast. It's basically a blatant ripoff of Kiichi Nakai's "Salameshi" ("Salaryman's Lunch")
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:46
    No joke, what exactly is interesting about this?! Why is it so popular?
    Maybe my sense of things is just off because I'm neurodivergent ("発達" — shorthand for a developmental disorder)
    someone fill me in
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:49
    Re: #68
    Most episodes are boring, but there are 2-3 masterpiece episodes a year, so I keep watching so I don't miss those lol
    75AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:55
    Re: #68
    It's not obnoxious/loud
    and that alone makes it enjoyable
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:58
    Re: #68
    If you're not capable of empathy, it's probably not interesting at all lol
    84AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:01
    It's usually 30 minutes, but today's is a full hour
    87AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:02
    Re: #84
    Probably because they're visiting multiple locations
    92AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:04
    It's probably just some broke-looking guy going "This is soooo good" and "I came all the way from [X] prefecture to eat this," right?
    98AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:06
    Re: #92
    The ones bashing it are the broke people who can't even manage that much
    96AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:06
    Why not just build udon vending machines with the latest technology instead of patching up these half-broken Showa-era machines and keeping them running?
    105AnonymousSep 4, 2026 14:12
    Re: #96
    They can't compete with convenience stores
    also, the retro factor is exactly what's popular

    Background and Talking Points

    “Document 72 Hours” is an NHK General TV travel documentary series running since 2006, known for camping out at a single location for three days to capture the life stories of the people who pass through. “Udon vending machines” is a recurring, popular subject the show has covered before (including an Akita edition), and this Setouchi edition is its latest installment. On the thread, discussion centered less on the show’s actual content and more on surrounding topics: mixed opinions on the studio after-talk segment featuring Kirin’s Akira Kawashima, speculation over why such a low-key travel show has built such a devoted following, and a regional debate over the differences between Kanto-style udon and the udon culture of Setouchi and Shikoku. Note that the “filmed in 2023” comment in reply #13 refers to older episodes being made available on streaming platforms alongside the new broadcast — the thread makes clear that this new episode itself isn’t simply a 2023 rerun.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Document 72 Hours] A One-Hour Special Touring Setouchi’s “Udon Vending Machines”! Fri 9/4, 10:00 PM~.”

  • Chiaki on age-gap marriage: “It’s no different from international marriage” — she herself once remarried a man 15 years her junior

    On September 4, TV personality Chiaki shared her views on age-gap marriage on Fuji TV’s “Nonstop!” The segment tied into the network’s drama “Last Note,” which portrays a couple with a 19-year age gap; Chiaki herself remarried a TV station employee 15 years her junior back in 2016. However, it was revealed in October 2024 that the marriage had already ended in divorce years earlier. Opinions split on 5ch, with some taking a permissive stance (“do whatever you like”) and others urging caution, noting it’s “still an outlier percentage-wise” and that “if the genders were reversed, people would probably object.”

    Chiaki on age-gap marriage: “It’s no different from international marriage” — she herself remarried a man 15 years younger, saying “It’s not that unusual”

    On the 4th, TV personality Chiaki shared her thoughts on age-gap marriage on Fuji TV’s “Nonstop!” Chiaki has experience of her own, having remarried a TV station employee 15 years her junior in 2016.

    The discussion was prompted by the network’s drama “Last Note,” which depicts a couple with a 19-year age gap.

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

    6AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:30
    Thread title correction — I accidentally used the source's incorrect title as-is. ✕ "a 15-year-old man" ○ "a man 15 years younger"
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:47
    Re: #6 So it's straight from the original article, huh lol
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:31
    Finding age-gap marriages creepy is a universal thing
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:31
    They're not minors hiding behind the law — let them do what they want. They're adults, so age shouldn't matter as long as both sides are into each other.
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:31
    Most people complaining about age-gap marriages are just jealous
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:33
    I got matched with someone 9 years younger through a marriage agency. I'm 52. Not bad for my "stats"…
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:36
    Re: #11 If she's 43 that's still believable I guess. Didn't work out for me though — mine was 8 years younger.
    30AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:37
    Re: #11 At 43 she's basically no different from 50
    31AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:37
    Re: #11 Congrats! Well, as long as she's also over 40 that's fine I guess
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:33
    > She remarried a TV station employee 15 years her junior in '16, but in October '24 revealed she'd already divorced him years earlier.

    Wait, she'd gotten divorced again?
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:53
    Re: #12 She's 54 now, so I guess they split around 50. A lot of women still look young in their 40s but hit "grandma mode" around 50.
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:34
    It's because it's rare. Also, these days the age gap between married couples keeps shrinking — people are marrying within their own generation. Anyone who marries someone drastically older gets mocked by their friends, whether it's a man or a woman.
    14AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:34
    If the genders were reversed, people would probably call it creepy and object
    15AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:34
    If he's really a 15-year-old boy(♂), he's probably got the stamina to go five rounds straight without stopping (crude slang for marathon sex)
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:35
    Different school, but my wife has been my girlfriend since we were classmates in high school, so I don't really get the whole "age gap" concept
    26AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:36
    Didn't know she'd remarried and then divorced again
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:39
    Re: #11 You should've phrased that as "matched with a 9-year-old" for the joke to really land
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:39
    If it had lasted it'd be a heartwarming story, but in the end everybody involved ends up splitting anyway
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:40
    It's fine when the woman is younger. The other way around is a no-go.
    37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:41
    15 years younger? So that puts him around my age. I want to marry Chiaki 💍
    39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:46
    15 years, huh… so the "Heisei-born now fair game" rule that applies to her ex-husband's comedy troupe kicks in too. Birds of a feather — the troupe's something else, and so's the ex-wife (referencing the Yamamoto-gundan troupe's running joke about dating much younger women).
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:47
    I still don't get why Chiaki and Endo ever got married. I mean, Endo from the Yamamoto troupe could've had his pick of way more options, with women lining up… though I have heard Chiaki was exactly his type, looks-wise.
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:47
    I'm 54, but I got helped at the counter by a cute girl in her 20s speaking Kochi dialect — can I propose to her? ᥬ🥺ᩤ
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:48
    Was that "Shin the bro"? He was pretty old too
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:49
    Men, seriously — marry a woman at least 10 years younger than you. Just having a young wife alone makes other men envious of you, way more than you'd expect. A young wife has the stamina to power through housework and childcare without complaint. Even after I retire, my wife will keep working and earning for another 10 years. If I collapse, she'll be there to nurse me. I'll probably die first, but when I do, she'll handle everything afterward. Age-gap marriage really is nothing but good news for men.
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:49
    Married on a whim, and already twice-divorced?
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:55
    These past few years, seeing an old guy with a woman in her 20s at a love hotel isn't rare at all! At the lounges of upscale hotels in Roppongi or Akasaka, about half the couples are like that. The age gap is usually around 30 years. These days, the only people making a fuss about age-gap marriage are old men and old women (lol)
    60AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:57
    Back in the Taisho era, 30-year age-gap marriages (second wives, mistresses) were completely normal. Age-gap marriage isn't a problem at all — it's the present day that's the anomaly.
    69AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:02
    Re: #60 Back then, no matter the age gap, no matter how socially awkward someone was, no matter what disability they had, being married beat being single — so people found partners. These days, if a woman actually chooses to marry some old guy, of course her parents will object and people will look at her like she's strange.
    61AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:58
    Shibusawa Eiichi kept a mistress 40 years his junior
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:01
    Shibusawa Eiichi was fathering children with women in their 20s even in his 70s. You could say men chase after young women no matter how old they get.
    68AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:02
    Re: #65 Surely a 70-year-old can't still father kids, right? lol
    70AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:04
    Re: #69 I bet "Don Juan" is thinking the same thing from the afterlife (referencing the elderly Japanese millionaire nicknamed "Don Juan" who married a much younger woman)
    72AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:05
    Re: #70 Only weird women come after guys like that. The only real winner is Kato-chan (comedian Kato Cha, known for a happy age-gap marriage)

    Background and points of debate

    Chiaki remarried a TV station employee 15 years her junior in 2016, but revealed in October 2024 that they had “already divorced years earlier” — this “age-gap marriage” comment was made against that backdrop. What split opinion in the thread wasn’t so much approval or disapproval of the age gap itself, but a difference in temperature between the “it’s a personal choice” camp and the “statistically still a minority” camp. Alongside the permissive view that people should do as they like, there were pointed remarks that it’s still an outlier by the numbers, and that reactions would likely differ if the genders were reversed (an older woman with a younger man) — a reminder that tolerance for age-gap marriage tends to be applied asymmetrically by gender, something easy to overlook. Historical examples of age-gap marriage, such as anecdotes about Shibusawa Eiichi, were also raised, though no one noted that the very necessity of marriage itself was framed differently back then than it is today.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Chiaki on age-gap marriage: “It’s no different from international marriage” — she herself remarried a man 15 years her junior, saying “It’s not that unusual”.”

  • Fukushima University Mockery Sparks YouTuber Firestorm — Hiroyuki: ‘Whoever Does It Wins’

    On September 2, entrepreneur Hiroyuki gave his take during a YouTube livestream on the backlash facing the education-themed YouTube channel “wakatte.TV.” In an August 28 video, the group interviewed students at Fukushima University, and a cast member reportedly mocked a student who was presenting research on radioactivity, sparking criticism and a wave of protest calls to the university. Hiroyuki criticized the outrage-marketing approach, saying “it’s become a case of whoever does it first wins,” and reports noted he had voiced similar concerns two years earlier. On 5channel, reactions to his comment ranged widely — some pointed out the contradiction with Hiroyuki’s own style of commentary, others discussed Fukushima University’s actual admission difficulty, and still others raised concerns about the discriminatory undertones of the backlash.

    “It’s become a case of whoever does it first wins” — Hiroyuki shares his take on the education-themed YouTuber embroiled in controversy over mocking Fukushima University… a warning he’d already sounded two years ago

    On September 2, entrepreneur Hiroshi Nishimura (49), known as “Hiroyuki,” went live on his YouTube channel and shared his views on the controversy surrounding the education-themed YouTube channel “wakatte.TV,” which has been stirring up public reaction.

    In a video posted on August 28, the channel interviewed students at Fukushima University, and cast member Fumin Takada (30) responded to a student who had introduced her research on radioactivity by…

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

    2AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:23
    As expected from Japan's opinion leader
    3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:23
    Pretty rich coming from you — you win arguments by saying whatever nonsense comes to mind too, lol
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:24
    Normally nobody wants to take a class from an instructor who dropped out of college
    7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:24
    They should just cut off monetization
    for the malicious ones
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:25
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:25
    It's basically the same shtick — making money off putting people down
    85AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:36
    Re: #9
    Hiroyuki's always going on about how everyone else is stupid, but for some reason he treats this crew like his sworn enemy and clearly can't stand them.
    I wonder why.
    He kept picking fights with them relentlessly on Abema two years ago too.
    11AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:27
    Is this irony, coming from a guy who lives by 'whoever says it first wins'?
    12AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:27
    T-there he goes again, butting his opinion into everything! (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠) (a jab at Hiroyuki's habit of weighing in on every controversy)
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:28
    Isn't 'Piroyuki' himself the poster boy for 'whoever does it wins'? (a mocking twist on Hiroyuki's name)
    16AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:30
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:31
    Getting into Tokyo University just to do quiz shows,
    then using your fancy education to look down on people with less —
    that's a job that's fundamentally backwards, when you think about it
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:32
    Better to do it openly with your face out there
    than to be like the guy who ran wild slandering people anonymously on 2channel and just ignored the lawsuits and ran away
    24AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:32
    There's a video producer behind this, right?
    They're making this knowing full well it could come back on their own family too, right?
    25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:33
    Only Abema profits from this
    Don't want to be feeding Abema's numbers
    Not that I watch it anyway
    27AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:34
    Re: #1
    Well, if you're mocking the people who actually bullied you, fine. But if you mock anyone regardless of who they are, your mindset isn't any different from the bullies.
    32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:36
    Re: #1
    >Hiroyuki shot back, "But you're just a high school graduate, right?"

    Yep, Hiroyuki wins this one
    34AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:36
    But I think society can't really move forward without some degree of 'whoever acts first wins'
    35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:37
    Do these guys actually pick their targets carefully?
    If you mocked someone's education who's a technical-college grad working at Toyota, I think even they'd be floored.
    36AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:37
    "But you're just a high school graduate, right?"

    It's impressive Hiroyuki can say that straight to someone's face
    38AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:38
    Go to a local government office and you'll find grads from the local national university throwing their weight around, while grads from the old Imperial universities get passed over in personnel decisions
    42AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:40
    ＞"But you're just a high school graduate, right?"

    LOL
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:40
    This is fueling discrimination, so YouTube should just ban the channel
    There must be a ton of reports piling up already
    45AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:41
    It's turned into 'whoever skips out on paying damages wins.'
    46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:41
    ＞If it's just 'I have this education, I've achieved this, I've given this to society,
    ＞isn't that great' — that'd be totally fine

    But people like that
    don't go around flaunting their education in the first place,
    and there's no way they'd 'stoop to becoming a YouTuber' lol
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:41
    Wait, so a college dropout with nothing but a high school diploma was trash-talking someone who actually graduated from a national university?
    48AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:41
    That's some next-level shallow cynicism if even the guy famous for cynical put-downs has to call it out
    51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:47
    According to Kawaijuku's latest rankings, the relevant department at Fukushima University (first-round admissions) has a Common Test score rate of 49% and a second-stage exam deviation score of 40


    What bottom-tier ('F-rank') school is this
    52AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:49
    This isn't about education — it blew up because it feeds into prejudice against Fukushima
    Same as the Oishinbo controversy (the manga infamous for its Fukushima radiation storyline)
    54AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:51
    Oh, so he's just a sad guy who couldn't even finish college
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:52
    They say infamy beats obscurity, but seriously,
    can't something be done about this trend where it doesn't matter if you're a nuisance YouTuber or whatever — as long as you rack up views or impressions, that's treated as justice…
    59AnonymousSep 4, 2026 12:55
    Re: #1
    Not sure if that's the reason, but apparently Fukushima University is getting flooded with protest calls? Something about not suppressing free speech, or so they say.
    78AnonymousSep 4, 2026 13:19
    Re: #59
    >凸電 (totsu-den)
    What's that?

    Background and key points of this topic

    “wakatte.TV” is a YouTube channel known for a format in which its cast provoke guests by bringing up educational background, and what caused trouble this time was that a cast member mocked a Fukushima University student’s presentation on radioactivity research. In the past, the manga “Oishinbo” sparked controversy over its depiction of harmful rumors about Fukushima, and the thread noted concern that this incident could go beyond simple mockery over education and feed into prejudice against Fukushima. Meanwhile, Hiroyuki himself is known for having dropped out of university, and when a clip circulated of him shooting back “But you’re just a high school graduate, right?” at a debate opponent, the thread took it as ironic given how central educational background is to this whole affair. The debate over whether it’s acceptable to monetize controversy through outrage has long accompanied discussions of “nuisance YouTubers,” and Hiroyuki’s comments here are an extension of that ongoing debate.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geisokuho+) thread “Hiroyuki: “It’s become a case of whoever does it first wins” — his take on the education-themed YouTuber embroiled in controversy over mocking Fukushima University… a warning he’d already sounded two years ago.”

  • Gravure Idol Mikie Hara Announces Birth of First Child, “Happy Days” — 5ch: “Are Asuka Kishi and Shizuka Nakamura the Only Ones Left Now?”

    Mikie Hara, who has worked as a gravure model and actress, announced on her Instagram on September 4 that she has given birth to her first child. “The tiny life that was born to me is so precious, and I’m spending happy days feeling her grow day by day,” she wrote, also revealing that she got married in a surprise announcement last year. On 5ch’s Geinou Sokuho+ thread, well-wishes poured in, while discussion also heated up over discrepancies about her age and speculation over the reasons behind what had looked like a temporary hiatus from her career.

    Mikie Hara Announces Birth of First Child, “Spending Happy Days” — Revealed Surprise Marriage Last Year

    Mikie Hara updated her Instagram on the 4th to announce the birth of her first child.

    In her post she wrote, “This is a personal matter, but I wanted to report that I have safely given birth to my first child,” adding, “The tiny life that was born to me is so precious, and I’m spending happy days feeling her grow day by day,” accompanied by a smiling emoji.

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

    4AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:42
    She's 40?
    Impressive she could still pull that off.
    67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:33
    Re: #4
    Wait, huh?
    Isn't she 39?
    5AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:42
    Even Mr. Bottom-Right is smiling at this one. (a recurring 5ch reaction-image meme featuring a smiling face in the corner of a photo)
    65AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:31
    Re: #3 Re: #5
    Bottom-Right Guy
    http://image.blog.livedoor.jp/blog_ch/imgs/2/8/28a56544.jpg
    9AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:44
    So now it's just Asuka Kishi and Shizuka Nakamura left, huh?
    Kyonan Konno and Mai Hakase have already crossed over to the other side too (i.e., married off / settled down).
    13AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:46
    Re: #9
    Sayaka Isoyama, Sayaka Tashiro
    53AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:19
    Re: #9
    Ai Shinozaki and Hikaru Aoyama are still holding the fort
    80AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:51
    Re: #9
    Hana Haruna

    Nah, forget her — she fell to the dark side.
    10AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:44
    That's a fairly late-in-life birth.
    Take good care of yourself.
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:48
    Didn't she just suddenly retire and then just as suddenly come back?
    18AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:48
    Was that last year? Feels like it was more like five years ago.
    20AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:51
    Wait, this is only her first kid?
    I could've sworn she already had like three.
    23AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:54
    Cutie Honey: The Live was an absolute masterpiece, so I won't stand for anyone badmouthing Mikie Hara or Ayame Misaki.
    28AnonymousSep 4, 2026 10:57
    Re: #23
    So White Honey doesn't count for anything?? (´・ω・｀)
    She was the strongest one in the whole show.
    64AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:31
    Re: #23
    That's the second Cutie Honey though.
    Personally I liked the original one better.
    40AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:08
    The Pretty Girl Club ("Bishoujo Club")
    56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:23
    Re: #40
    BENI, Shizuka Nakamura, Asuka Shibuya, Saki Fukuda, Ayaka Morita, Marie Sota, and Ai Takabe were in that too
    https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/images/goods/ar2/web/imgdata2/large/48342/4834252159.jpg
    41AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:08
    Six years already since Mr. Shimura passed away, huh.
    43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:10
    Wait, did she always look like this? …Oh, I was mixing her up with Fumina Hara.
    44AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:13
    By the time the kid turns 20, she'll be pushing 60.
    Rough, lol.
    47AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:14
    Re: #1
    Wait, didn't she retire from showbiz at some point?
    49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:15
    Her acting was actually pretty solid, but then she just sort of vanished into retirement — what happened there?
    58AnonymousSep 4, 2026 11:27
    Not bad, right?

    Background and Discussion Points

    Mikie Hara was active in gravure work and film/video projects like “Cutie Honey: The Live” during the 2010s, but there was a subsequent stretch with little media presence. In the thread, posts speculating about the reasons for her time away — theories like “she was blacklisted,” “she went abroad,” or “she’s a mistress” — stood out, but none of these are based on any official statement from her or her agency and remain baseless speculation. Also, an early reply claimed “She’s 40?”, which was later corrected in the thread to “Isn’t she 39?” — so there was some confusion over her exact age at the time of the birth. The only facts she has actually confirmed are two: the birth of her first child, and last year’s surprise marriage announcement. Everything else about her career discussed in the thread should be treated as unconfirmed speculation.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Geinou Sokuho+) thread “[Entertainment] Mikie Hara Announces Birth of First Child, “Spending Happy Days” — Revealed Surprise Marriage Last Year.”