Japan Reacts

Category: Entertainment

  • Osaka’s ‘Brutal Location-Shoot Comedian’ Confesses: 7,500 Yen for a 15-Hour Shoot

    On Nippon TV’s “Daigo’s Comedian Receipts,” Osaka-based comedy duo Smile revealed they were paid just 7,500 yen for a 15-hour location shoot. Daigo was reportedly left speechless on learning this has been going on for 13 years.

    On 5ch, discussion centered on how much Yoshimoto Kogyo (the talent agency) takes as its cut and the pay gap between Kansai local shows and Tokyo key-network programs — though plenty of harsh comments like “that’s fair, they’re just not funny” also piled up.

    Osaka’s “brutal location-shoot comedian” makes a desperate plea — the shocking reality of 7,500 yen for a 15-hour shoot, going on for 13 years already… Daigo left speechless

    On the July 24 episode of Nippon TV’s “Daigo’s Comedian Receipts,” titled “Naniwa Comedians Invasion SP: An SOS From Friends Who Knew Daigo Back Then,” comedians who work mainly in Osaka and go way back with Daigo gathered in the studio to air their harsh realities.

    One of them was comedy duo Smile. Yosuke Seto introduced himself by saying, “Do you know what we’re called in Kansai? The brutal location-shoot comedians nobody looks up to.”

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

    3AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:37
    Quitting comedy for a part-time job would pay better.
    6AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:38
    Then just quit.
    It's that simple — just make it big.
    7AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:39
    Go walk all the way to some mountain hut in the rainforest
    and watch tigers instead.
    8AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:40
    Smile's manzai (comedy duo routine) just isn't funny, so it can't be helped.
    9AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:40
    When Yoshitaka first showed up, I honestly thought he was seriously off in the head.
    64AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:12
    Re: #9
    Even if that's an act, it reads as scarier than funny.
    10AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:40
    Nothing improves because there are idiots out there who actually laugh at that.
    12AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:41
    They give them a boxed lunch too — did they subtract the break time from the 15 hours?
    13AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:41
    I thought Woo-Yeah Yoshitaka (his catchphrase nickname) was some dangerous guy.
    17AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:43
    Well, Yoshimoto (the agency) skims a big chunk off the top.
    18AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:43
    Tajin, the location-shoot comedian from Namba, used to show up a lot on Nagoya shows for a while,
    but I haven't seen him around lately.
    19AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:43
    There's also a comedian named Smile, plus multiple bands with that name — it gets confusing.
    21AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:44
    They're not even funny enough to justify 7,500 yen, so it's only fitting.
    22AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:44
    The agency's skimming off the top, so that's just how it goes.
    Talent agencies can't run for free either.
    24AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:46
    That's way too cheap lol
    I don't hate that renovation segment though
    it's a long-running feature that's lasted 13 years lol
    that's rough even so lol
    26AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:46
    And apparently, in between those shoots, Yoshitaka gets hassled hard by delinquents too.
    29AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:48
    Funny or not aside, that looks brutal, so 7,500 yen is just sad.
    30AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:48
    Honestly, it's exhausting how comedians keep popping up on every single Kansai show.
    No matter the channel, it's comedian after comedian trying to push their own bit,
    all giving off that eager, pouncing "Koyabu" vibe (after comedian Koyabu, known for hogging the spotlight) — really annoying to watch.
    33AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:50
    No matter what kind of contract this is, wouldn't it run afoul of minimum wage law, the Subcontract Act, or the new Freelance Act?
    35AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:52
    But then again, if you make it big, we're talking a world where you can pull in 50 million yen a month.
    37AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:52
    Oh, it's these guys.
    Their free talk is hopelessly unfunny,
    and on location shoots they're just loud — seems like fair treatment.
    It's not like they're irreplaceable.
    38AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:53
    So Kansai station pay really is a whole order of magnitude below the key (Tokyo) networks.
    39AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:53
    Meanwhile their juniors are pulling in millions of yen just from manzai live shows.
    40AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:54
    This is the only show where I ever even see Smile.
    41AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:54
    The market's small, so it can't be helped.
    43AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:55
    And yet they kept getting huge sums from the Cool Japan Fund.
    45AnonymousAug 25, 2026 22:59
    "Smile Construction Co."? Yep, thought so.
    They really milk that bit.
    46AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:00
    It's Tomi-Masa's fault for allowing that pay rate —
    Higashino's as sharp as ever, teasing him about it on air.
    47AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:01
    Do people not realize pay varies person to person?
    49AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:01
    Well, it probably comes down to how much Yoshimoto skims off the top.
    Basically like being a technical intern dispatched by a Chinese labor broker.
    51AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:02
    Doesn't "Smile Construction" use pretty lavish materials for the renovation every time?
    Is the viewer who applied for the segment the one footing that construction bill?
    53AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:03
    I wonder how much Chidori got paid for that long-running "mooch a boxed lunch" location segment on the same show.
    54AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:03
    At this point, quitting comedy and starting a renovation company would probably
    make more money.
    56AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:04
    If you actually meet Yoshitaka in person, he's nothing like that — just a normal guy.
    71AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:17
    I see —
    so they use this as their signature bit to cash in elsewhere, meaning overall it's actually a pretty sweet deal.
    74AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:20
    Re: #71
    There's also a variation where, during the downtime waiting for paint to dry, they got sent off to do promotional work for the Expo.

    Background and Key Points

    Yoshimoto Kogyo, the Osaka agency that reportedly manages over 6,000 acts, has functioned for decades as a near-monopoly gatekeeper for Kansai comedy: it owns the theaters, staffs the local variety shows, and takes an agency cut from almost every booking a comedian gets, while also controlling the pipeline that decides who gets promoted to Tokyo’s “key network” (kantou kii) programming, where pay and exposure are dramatically higher than on regional Kansai-only broadcasts. Because comedians are typically engaged as individual contractors rather than employees, Japan’s minimum wage law does not straightforwardly apply to them, which is why a flat 7,500 yen fee for a full-day, 13-year-running segment is legally murky rather than a clear violation — several posters raised the Subcontract Act and the newer Freelance Act precisely because ordinary labor protections don’t obviously cover this arrangement.

    The thread didn’t converge on outrage; it split between blaming Yoshimoto’s opaque cut of location-shoot fees and Kansai-network pay scales, versus posters arguing Smile simply isn’t funny enough to command more, so 7,500 yen is “fair” treatment rather than exploitation.

    What the thread leaves unexamined is how normal this actually is: only a tiny fraction of Yoshimoto’s thousands of contracted acts ever reach the earnings tier posters cite (comedians reportedly clearing tens of millions of yen a month), while most work is exactly this kind of low-paid, long-running local filler segment — treated as dues-paying exposure rather than a living wage, and rarely renegotiated once a bit becomes a fixture.

    *This article is an excerpt and summary compiled from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Osaka’s “brutal location-shoot comedian” makes a desperate plea — the shocking reality of 7,500 yen for a 15-hour shoot! Already going on for 13 years… Daigo left speechless.”

  • Hiroyuki Claims Smokers Succeed More, Says It’s ‘The Same Reason People Who Go to Drinking Parties Get Promoted’

    On X, Hiroyuki argued that “the smoking-area community shouldn’t be underestimated — it’s the same reason people who attend drinking parties get promoted.” On 5channel, some voiced agreement, saying “the smoking room has become a place for exchanging information,” while others pushed back, arguing “smoking rooms themselves are becoming rarer these days” and “the point of the original article wasn’t about alcohol or tobacco — it’s that meeting a wider variety of people more often is what actually affects promotions.”

    Hiroyuki: Do Smokers Succeed More? He Argues ‘Same Reason People Who Attend Drinking Parties Get Promoted’

    Entrepreneur Hiroyuki Nishimura (49) updated his official X (formerly Twitter) account by the 25th, writing about why he thinks smokers tend to succeed.

    Hiroyuki began, “I’ve long done work that has me showing up at all kinds of companies, and the smoking-area community shouldn’t be underestimated — it’s the same reason people who attend drinking parties get promoted.”

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

    4AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:14
    Might as well drink and smoke — better than not.
    Just don't do it when you can't.
    5AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:15
    So the real winner is the guy sitting in the smoking area chatting away without actually smoking?
    11AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:17
    Re: #5
    Non-smokers are probably more stressed out than smokers are, so I don't think smoking's such a bad thing.
    31AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:22
    Re: #5
    If you're hanging around without smoking, that's actually creepy.

    Like, what reason would you even have to be in the smoking area?
    Smokers can tell something's up, so they'll give you the cold shoulder (a play on "kemutagareru" — literally "smoked out," meaning treated as an unwelcome pest).
    66AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:36
    Re: #5
    Secondhand smoke is worse for you, you know.
    10AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:16
    People who like drinking and smoking strike me as the pachinko-parlor crowd.
    12AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:17
    Re: #10
    So you're saying the pachinko crowd is the one getting promoted?
    13AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:17
    I wonder if people who can golf are the successful ones.
    16AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:18
    This country is declining precisely because promotions hinge on stuff like showing up to drinking parties.
    17AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:19
    Never once seen a smoker who was actually good at their job lol
    Being dependent on something in the first place is a red flag.
    19AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:19
    Well, even Google says they won't hire someone who lacks cooperativeness, no matter how skilled they are.
    67AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:36
    Re: #19
    Equating "cooperativeness" with "attending drinking parties" feels pretty outdated at this point.
    21AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:20
    This guy's clearly never held down a normal job lol
    Way too half-baked lol
    27AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:21
    Re: #21
    The entertainment industry is full of smokers though.
    23AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:20
    Going to drinking parties means sacrificing your private time to join the work community,
    so I get how that grows your network.
    But with smoking, some guys are just using it as an excuse to skip work.
    70AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:37
    Re: #23
    But smokers do seem to have this weird sense of community — or solidarity — that non-smokers just can't understand.
    Apparently there are relationships that only exist within the smoking area.
    25AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:21
    Even at big companies, it's not unusual to have just one smoking spot.
    Being able to talk directly not just to department heads from other divisions but even to executives is a big deal.
    29AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:22
    I'm not sure it goes as far as actual connections,
    but it does help you become a familiar face.
    30AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:22
    Nobody at my company smokes anymore.
    34AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:23
    Re: #30
    How many years till retirement?
    You'd be better off taking early retirement.
    32AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:23
    Connections —

    that's really what it all comes down to, huh.
    35AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:24
    So going to drug parties gets you promoted, then?
    36AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:24
    Is there actually a significant gap between the smoking rate among successful people and the general smoking rate?
    Is there any data on that?
    42AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:28
    The number of people who drink and smoke has really dropped.
    Smoking especially gets you looks like "wait, you still smoke?"
    43AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:28
    There's no way someone who never shows up at the smoking area gets promoted.
    Hiroyuki's right —
    plenty of people force themselves to smoke ultra-light 1mg cigarettes just to be there.
    44AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:28
    That's an old story.
    These days more people don't smoke,
    so that kind of networking barely exists anymore.
    If anything, smoking gets your evaluation lowered as a sign you can't manage yourself.
    47AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:29
    That's a fair point.
    Back in my salaryman days, the smoking room was where people actually exchanged honest information.
    68AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:36
    Maybe check the smoking rate among successful people before saying that…
    73AnonymousAug 25, 2026 23:39
    Re: #68
    Lately Hiroyuki's just stating his personal impressions with no data behind them.

    Background and Key Points

    Hiroyuki’s remark plays on a well-established piece of Japanese office culture: the tabako-beya or kitsuen-jo (smoking room), a space that survived Japan’s otherwise steady tightening of tobacco rules — the 2020 revised Health Promotion Act banned indoor smoking in most workplaces and restaurants but explicitly carved out sealed, ventilated smoking rooms as an exception. In many companies these became one of the few spots where staff from different departments, ranks, and even executives mix informally outside scheduled meetings, functioning the same way the post-work nomikai (drinking party) does as an unofficial channel for information and face-time with superiors. Japan’s overall smoking rate has fallen for decades, from well over half of men in the 1960s to under 25% today (and far lower among younger, white-collar workers), which is the backdrop for why several commenters say the phenomenon he describes is already fading.

    The thread’s actual fault line wasn’t smoking versus health; it was whether Hiroyuki’s causal story holds up at all. Some agreed the smoking room genuinely functions as an informal networking node, but others insisted the mechanism he’s describing predates and outlives cigarettes — it’s about frequent informal exposure to a wide range of colleagues, and smoking or drinking are just one vehicle for that, not the actual driver.

    What’s easy to miss is that no one in the thread cites actual data tying smoking status to promotion or income — a gap two posters explicitly flagged. Hiroyuki’s claim is presented as anecdotal observation from his own career, not survey evidence, and Japanese firms that still tolerate smoking rooms tend to skew toward older, more traditional industries — meaning any correlation between smoking and rank may simply reflect generational seniority rather than networking advantage.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Hiroyuki: Do Smokers Succeed More? His Theory — ‘Same Reason People Who Attend Drinking Parties Get Promoted’.”

  • ABC TV’s Rikuto Konishi and Saya Oishi Announce Marriage: ‘We Want Our Days Together to Be Full of Smiles!’

    ABC TV announcer Rikuto Konishi announced on Instagram that he has married fellow ABC announcer Saya Oishi.

    On 5ch, the thread buzzed with talk about ABC’s pay levels reportedly being higher than the Tokyo key stations and how common in-house marriages are among station announcers, with users bringing up past examples of announcer couples from other stations one after another.

    August 25, 2026

    ABC TV announcer Rikuto Konishi (34) reported on his Instagram on the 25th that he has married fellow ABC announcer Saya Oishi (26).

    Under the heading “[Announcement],” Konishi wrote: “Thank you as always for your support. I’m a bit embarrassed to share something so personal, but I’d like to report that on August 25, 2026, I married ABC TV announcer Saya Oishi.”

    Source: news.livedoor.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:36
    Couldn't land a job at a key station so he ended up out in the regions — poor guy
    6AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:37
    Re: #3
    ABC is a station known for paying more than the key stations
    16AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:44
    Re: #3
    There are even female announcers who turn down key-station job offers to join ABC
    26AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:49
    Re: #3
    You'd have to be an idiot to become an announcer at a key station other than NHK
    24AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:48
    Don't go hitting on your junior coworkers, man
    28AnonymousAug 25, 2026 18:51
    Re: #24
    There was a senior-junior announcer couple at Kansai TV too, right
    110AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:25
    Joined the company in 2024 and already married?
    115AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:28
    Re: #110
    Oh, so that's the story
    Must be this one Re: #58 Re: #24
    138AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:54
    Re: #24
    Kogake: "That's outrageous."
    Takeda: "You're one to talk."
    43AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:04
    ABC's already got the Kogake and Takeda precedent
    65AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:24
    Re: #43
    Same pattern too — a Kansai guy paired with a Kanto girl.
    46AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:08
    As long as announcer Onita's doing okay, that's all that matters
    63AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:21
    Re: #46
    Sounds like she'll be going freelance next spring
    51AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:10
    Kasumi Mori: "Female announcers dating TV station staff is the classic path"
    53AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:12
    Re: #51
    She's talking about Tanaka
    70AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:32
    Re: #51
    Here's the source

    Kasumi Mori spills the "real" scoop on TV station employees' love lives: "Announcer-staffer relationships are the classic pattern"
    https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2457218/full/
    52AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:11
    Huge shock if you're someone who watches Ohaasa (the "Ohayo Asahi Desu" morning show)
    61AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:19
    Re: #52
    Back when Konishi and Fukuto were co-hosting, the way they stood next to each other just had this perfect-match vibe — I used to wonder if the two of them would end up together
    56AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:13
    Re: #16
    The younger of the Saito sisters, huh
    She's cute on a whole different level
    133AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:48
    Re: #56
    Well, that was during TBS's dark ages
    Wonder if she'd have joined if it were today's TBS
    58AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:14
    Re: #1
    Kansai station announcers really do have a ton of office marriages
    But going after a female announcer just a few years in, right as her popularity's about to take off — that's basically a crime lol
    72AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:35
    Re: #58
    Yomiuri TV's Toratani also recently married someone from Yomiuri
    60AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:19
    Re: #50
    No way, that doesn't happen lol
    The pay's totally different too
    I hear key-station announcers can be pretty condescending toward semi-key and regional-station announcers, looking down on them or something
    Guess there's a hierarchy even among announcers
    64AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:22
    Re: #60
    It does happen, actually — and the pay's higher than the key stations, you know?
    66AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:24
    Re: #60
    Asahi Broadcasting in Osaka should pay more than TV Asahi
    78AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:40
    Osaka's female announcers basically have two options: marry someone in-house, or marry a Yoshimoto comedian
    The ones who go freelance tend to get a little messed up
    84AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:46
    Re: #78
    There's something uniquely Osaka and kind of gross about this lol
    94AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:01
    Re: #78
    Whatever happened to Fumi Yoshitake anyway?
    101AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:12
    Re: #78
    Chiaki Kuroki from Iinkai NP is neither, but she's from Kansai
    even though she's actually a Kanto native
    97AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:05
    Re: #66
    Didn't Asahi Broadcasting's pay drop after they split TV and radio into separate companies?
    102AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:14
    Re: #97
    That's probably why Hirodo gave up on it
    112AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:25
    Konishi used to handle the "Kore Uma Tabi" travel segment on Saturday morning's "Tabi Salada" before Onita did
    117AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:29
    Re: #112
    That was back when Kanda was still there
    She doted on him, always going "Rikuto, Rikuto"
    113AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:26
    Re: #85
    There's a female announcer who ditched a TBS job offer too, you know
    119AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:32
    The station with that popular show "Ohayo Asahi Desu" that nobody outside Kansai has even heard of?
    120AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:33
    Re: #119
    There's no other show in that timeslot that's Kansai-only broadcast

    Background and Key Points

    ABC (Asahi Broadcasting Corporation) is Asahi Shimbun/TV Asahi’s “junsei-key” affiliate in Osaka — one of the five Kansai-based commercial stations that carry Tokyo’s TV Asahi network programming but operate as fully independent companies with their own hiring, pay scales, and announcer rosters. Because Japan’s broadcasting industry is built around a small number of elite “key stations” (Fuji, TBS, NTV, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo) headquartered in Tokyo, regional affiliates like ABC are often assumed to be a consolation prize for announcers who couldn’t land a Tokyo job. In-house marriages between announcers, or between an announcer and other station staff, are a well-documented pattern at Japanese broadcasters generally, not unique to Osaka.

    The thread’s real disagreement was over status and money, not the marriage itself: several posters insisted key-station announcers look down on their regional counterparts, while others countered that ABC specifically pays better than Tokyo Asahi affiliates, citing other Kansai in-house couples (Kogake/Takeda, Yomiuri TV’s Toratani) as evidence that joining a Osaka station is not a fallback but sometimes a deliberate, better-paid choice.

    What outside readers likely miss is that ABC actually split its television and radio operations into separate companies in 2018, and posters flagged (without resolving) that this restructuring may have reduced the pay premium that used to make ABC attractive — meaning the “ABC pays more than Tokyo” claim repeated throughout the thread may already be outdated. The board also never explains why Kansai announcer culture skews toward in-house pairings or marriages to Yoshimoto comedians, a regional entertainment-industry dynamic tied to Osaka’s distinct comedy/broadcasting ecosystem that has no real Tokyo equivalent.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “ABC TV’s Rikuto Konishi and Saya Oishi Announce Marriage: ‘We Want Our Days Together to Be Full of Smiles!’“.

  • Naoko Iijima confesses: ‘I’m not a fan of curry or gyoza’ — 5ch says ‘they do seem kind of overrated’

    Actress Naoko Iijima revealed on a late-night radio show that she “only makes curry about once a year” and “isn’t that big a fan of gyoza either.” On 5ch, comments poured in with people’s own love-hate stories about these so-called national dishes, from “why can’t shumai do the job instead?” to “when you freeze homemade curry, the vegetables go all mushy.”

    8/25 (Tue) 16:39

    Actress Naoko Iijima (58) appeared on TOKYO FM’s “TOKYO SPEAKEASY” (airing late night Mon-Thu at 1:00 AM), broadcast in the small hours of the 24th. She candidly admitted to not actually liking a couple of Japan’s beloved national foods.

    That day’s episode also featured lyricist and music producer Yasushi Akimoto. During a chat about food, Akimoto asked, “Can you make curry?” Iijima laughed and replied, “Curry? Well, the recipe’s written right there on the back of the box,” before admitting, “Honestly, I probably only make curry about once a year.”

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

    3AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:48
    Well, I guess people like that exist. There are probably people out there who hate ramen or hamburger steak too lol
    7AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:49
    Eating plain white rice with gyoza is the peak of happiness
    8AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:49
    Gyoza, curry, ramen, yakiniku, sushi
    I guess those are the ones I'm not into either
    9AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:49
    Maybe she just doesn't like white rice, period
    10AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:49
    She's quite a bit older than me, but I'd still love to live with Naoko (´；ω；｀)
    Gyoza really isn't that tasty though
    13AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:50
    Why do people even line up for Jiro ramen?
    Just walking past the place the smell is already intense
    14AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:50
    I kind of get the sense that curry is overrated
    Sure, it's solidly good on average, but it's not top-tier
    15AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:50
    They call it a 'national dish' but it's actually a dish with foreign roots
    16AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:50
    I can't even manage to eat 10 shumai, by comparison
    18AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:51
    I get the curry thing
    When I see someone choosing curry while out hiking, I think to myself, 'are you serious right now?'
    19AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:51
    Making as many as 100 — how many people is that even supposed to feed?
    20AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:51
    Miyoshino's gyoza curry works just fine for me (a well-known chain famous for its gyoza-and-curry combo)
    22AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:51
    Well, I eat curry at home,
    and every once in a while I'll have instant curry too
    but when I eat out, I never order curry lol
    23AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:51
    I'm not that into homemade curry, but curry from a restaurant is weirdly appealing
    Even the stuff at a school cafeteria or a government office canteen is good
    What is that about?
    54AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:55
    Re: #23
    I'm the opposite
    Curry from outside tastes too floury/starchy for me
    Maybe our home curry is the weird one, but that's what I grew up on
    72AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:58
    Re: #23
    Curry from outside is pricey for what's usually just decent-but-not-amazing
    When you make it at home you can load it with vegetables and meat and use whatever roux you like
    Home wins, honestly
    24AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:51
    Re: #1
    The national dish I can't get behind is sushi — high-end sushi especially

    I can eat raw fish fine, but I'm not okay with food someone else shaped by hand right in front of me

    Something about the hygiene and the look of it just doesn't sit right with me

    Also, I hate hiyashi chuka (cold sesame-dressed ramen salad)
    25AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:51
    I really hate curry
    It smells, and it upsets my stomach whenever I eat it
    114AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:04
    Re: #25
    If you check the ingredient list on the back of Japanese curry roux, it's loaded with animal fat — that's probably why it makes people feel sick or wrecks their stomach
    28AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:52
    Curry bread is all about that crispy fried crust
    It's a perfect match with the curry inside
    30AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:52
    Once you live alone you basically stop making curry
    You end up with a ridiculous amount of leftovers
    40AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:54
    Re: #30
    Just freeze it
    Even if you make a huge batch, it's so good it disappears fast anyway
    Between the ingredient cost and the weight gain, I end up barely making it too, same as you
    104AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:03
    Re: #30
    Careful — if you freeze curry, the potatoes and carrots go all spongy and hollow
    31AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:53
    So what does she actually like, then?
    49AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:55
    Re: #31
    She got flamed once for grabbing like 10 packets of pickled red ginger to take home with her beef bowl takeout, didn't she
    32AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:53
    Peak Naoko was back when she was singing B'z songs as one half of the duo 'W (Double) Nao'
    34AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:53
    Had Sukiya's curry today for the first time in ages — it was seriously good (Sukiya is a major beef-bowl chain)
    35AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:53
    I recall Motoki from the Giants and Hinano Yoshikawa also saying they hate curry
    36AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:54
    My boss at work says he hates both gyoza and eggs — gyoza aside, being basically off-limits on egg dishes seems like he's missing out on life, I thought
    37AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:54
    I know someone who likes curry flavor but can't handle actual curry
    Apparently it's the thick, gloopy texture of the roux that gets to them, so they're fine with curry-flavored snacks
    Also, soup curry is okay but curry udon is a no-go, apparently
    45AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:54
    Hate it, hate it, hate it
    Love it (´・ω・`)
    66AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:57
    Re: #45
    (*´Д`)ｧ━━━━!! (an exaggerated moan of delight, common 5ch reaction emoticon)
    48AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:55
    I bet she's just not that into food in general
    50AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:55

    Katsu curry I had at a Chinese restaurant staffed entirely by Chinese workers (^_^;)
    57AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:56
    Re: #50
    Why would you even order katsu curry at a place like that in the first place (´・ω・`)
    69AnonymousAug 25, 2026 19:58
    No argument that curry is national-dish level…

    but pan-fried gyoza is definitely overrated
    Why can't shumai take its place?!
    102AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:02
    Re: #69
    That's probably because people don't really make shumai at home much
    112AnonymousAug 25, 2026 20:04
    Re: #69
    Re: #102
    If Kiyoken's shumai (a famous Yokohama shumai brand) counted, shumai would've been a national dish too

    Background and Key Points

    Curry rice and gyoza both carry the informal label *kokuminshoku* (“national dish”) in Japan, but neither originated there. Curry arrived via the British Royal Navy in the Meiji era, adapted from Anglo-Indian cuisine, and was standardized for home cooking through boxed roux blocks (S&B’s Golden Curry being the classic example) that turned a slow-simmered dish into a pantry staple served over rice in households, school cafeterias, and government canteens. Gyoza, meanwhile, is a Chinese import popularized after WWII by Japanese repatriates from Manchuria, and pan-fried gyoza in particular became a fixture of home cooking and casual dining, with cities like Utsunomiya and Hamamatsu still competing over the “gyoza capital” title. Iijima, a 58-year-old actress and former idol singer, admitting she barely cooks either dish is notable precisely because both are marketed as universally loved comfort food.

    The thread didn’t really split over whether to defend or pile on Iijima — most posters used her comment as a springboard to confess their own dislikes, extending the list well beyond curry and gyoza to ramen, sushi, and yakiniku. Where actual disagreement emerged was homemade versus restaurant curry: some insisted outside curry tastes better, others called it overpriced and starchy compared to a home version loaded with fresh vegetables and meat.

    What the thread never addresses is why curry disagrees with some people’s stomachs — one reply notes Japanese curry roux is packed with animal fat, which is true and a likely reason instant roux causes digestive discomfort for sensitive eaters, but no one follows up on it.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Naoko Iijima confesses to secretly disliking two ‘national foods’ — curry and gyoza: ‘I honestly don’t get why they’re so popular’.”

  • Oswald’s Ito Claps Back at Partner’s Lateness Complaint With ‘Being Late Is Harder on Me’ — Studio Left Speechless

    On the August 22 broadcast of TV Tokyo’s “God Tan,” Oswald’s Shunsuke Ito sparked controversy with his response when partner Yu Hatanaka pressed him about his chronic lateness: “Because being late is harder on me.” On 5ch’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board, the thread went beyond criticizing Ito’s habitual tardiness, spiraling into comparisons with blacklisted comedians and even a debate over comedy styles — “Tonkin (a mocking nickname for Tokyo) comedians” versus “Kansai comedians.”

    8/25 (Tue) 14:10

    On the 22nd, Oswald’s Shunsuke Ito’s response on TV Tokyo’s “God Tan” left the studio stunned, after his partner Yu Hatanaka scolded him: “Do you even know how hard it is to wait for someone who’s late?” The episode, titled “Goodbye, Ito! The Getting-Scolded Comedian Graduation Exam,” quizzed Ito — a man who has angered no shortage of fellow comedians — on the exact reasons behind tip-offs submitted by those very colleagues.

    Among the questions, Hatanaka posed: “When I told Ito, ‘Do you know how hard it is to wait for someone who’s late?’ what did he say back?” Ito couldn’t come up with the answer himself — the shocking correct response was, “Because being late is harder on me.” The studio erupted in disbelief, with cries of “No way?!” and “That’s awful.” Even Ito himself held his head in his hands, admitting, “Yeah, that’s not good…”

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

    7AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:19
    Why was this guy being pushed so hard when he's not even funny?
    50AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:58
    Re: #7
    Because some people do find him funny? Your personal opinion alone doesn't mean anything to the rest of the world.
    52AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:13
    Re: #7
    Here comes the "forced-push" guy again — anything popular he personally doesn't like, he calls "forced."
    Just going "forced, forced, forced!" over and over lol
    11AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:20
    …I mean, this is a show where everyone piles on to blow some trivial, garbage episode way out of proportion.
    12AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:20
    This aired the same day the Earthquake Early Warning went off in the Kanto region, so I ended up watching this show while checking earthquake updates.
    Kaerutei's Iwakura really held it together well.
    13AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:21
    Re: #1
    Speaking as someone who's never been able to kick a lifelong habit of being late —
    you're late because deep down you think the thing doesn't matter.
    If it were something important, you'd never be late.
    63AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:37
    Re: #13
    Well, of course.
    When you genuinely feel something matters, dopamine floods your brain.
    The problem with ADHD is that it just doesn't kick in most of the time.
    19AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:25
    I can't stand comedians — a lot of them Kansai-based — who tell their stories with this "look how funny I'm being" vibe.
    21AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:26
    Re: #19
    Lately I just can't handle that thick, unmistakable "I'm a Kansai comedian" aura anymore.
    It's off-putting.
    24AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:27
    Guys with chronic lateness problems fade out eventually.
    25AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:29
    Re: #24
    Sanma's about the only one who never faded out. (referring to legendary comedian Akashiya Sanma)
    27AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:33
    He's basically already fading out, though.
    31AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:38
    Re: #27
    Guys who lack the talent to back up the trouble they cause don't survive.
    Does he even get that stealing other people's time is a serious offense?
    28AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:36
    People mix up Oswald's Hatanaka with Westland's Kawamoto and assume Hatanaka's also some lazy comedian who doesn't write material, but actually Hatanaka's the one writing the material — Ito's the deadbeat one.
    30AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:38
    Suzuki Mogura looks like he's about due to get blacklisted too.
    33AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:39
    Is it harder being the one who waits, or the one who makes others wait?
    39AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:41
    Re: #33
    Even if it is hard on you, you're the one who put yourself in that mess in the first place!!

    That's what I'd like to yell at him.
    37AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:40
    Who's this "Kaname" guy?
    53AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:13
    Re: #37
    Did you skip right past where it says "Kaname Stone"?
    64AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:41
    Re: #53

    Never heard of that.
    44AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:49
    This guy's peak was honestly back when he was on "Yuusha Aaaah" (a Fuji TV variety show).
    67AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:42
    Re: #44
    The guy who showed up to the studio absolutely wasted, right? lol
    57AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:21
    Understanding of developmental disorders is spreading through society these days.
    Chronic lateness is actually one of the symptoms of ADHD too —
    so why isn't there more understanding about this specific one?
    71AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:45
    Re: #57
    This guy's pattern is usually getting carried away drunk and losing track of time —
    he'd probably be cured if he just quit drinking.
    66AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:42
    Stuff like this, where you inconvenience other people — the guilt doesn't really hit you until you're around 50.
    And it just keeps growing bigger every single year, every single day after that.
    73AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:50
    Re: #66
    Now that I've built up more knowledge and experience, looking back on how I worked in my 20s makes me want to scream — it was outrageous and embarrassing on so many levels.
    77AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:58
    Re: #66
    Being able to notice and actually reflect on it already puts you way ahead.
    There are plenty of monsters out there who never notice even at that age —
    people who never change until the day they die.

    Background and Key Points

    For readers unfamiliar with Japanese TV comedy: Oswald is a two-man manzai duo, with Ito as the “boke” (the fool who makes gaffes) and Hatanaka as the “tsukkomi” — the straight man who also, contrary to what some posters assumed, writes their material. “God Tan” is a long-running TV Tokyo late-night show built around exposing comedians’ off-stage flaws for laughs, so a segment literally quizzing Ito on his own colleagues’ complaints about him fits its format exactly. The “blacklisting” (干される, hosareru) mentioned in the thread is a real, semi-formal mechanism in Japanese entertainment where networks quietly stop booking a talent for chronic unprofessionalism — not just online criticism, but something that can end a career, which is why commenters treat Ito’s lateness as more than a personality quirk.

    The thread didn’t really split over whether Ito’s answer was bad — nearly everyone agreed it was — but over how to explain it: some read it as simple selfishness that will eventually get him blacklisted like others before him, while others reframed lateness as a possible ADHD symptom (citing “dopamine” not kicking in for things that don’t feel urgent), asking why society extends understanding to some disorders but not this one. A side argument about “Tonkin” (a jab at Tokyo) versus Kansai comedic styles derailed part of the thread but has no real connection to Ito’s lateness.

    What outsiders likely miss: Akashiya Sanma, cited as the one habitually late comedian who “never faded out,” is a decades-spanning national institution — an exception, not a counterexample to the blacklisting norm.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Oswald’s Ito Gives Stunned Response to Partner Hatanaka’s “Do You Know How Hard It Is to Wait for Someone Late?” — Studio Reacts “No Way?”“

  • Ariyoshi Hiroyuki on Yonsentoushin: ‘Might Have Been Better as a Duo’

    It has been reported that on Ariyoshi Hiroyuki’s radio show, he addressed Yonsentoushin’s Tsuzuki Hiroki — currently suspended from activities after being referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Nuisance Prevention Ordinance — saying the remaining two members would just “have to do their best.” On 5channel’s Entertainment/Sports News+ board, posters speculated about the group possibly continuing as a duo, citing real examples of comedy trios that found success after becoming duos.

    On the August 23 broadcast of “Ariyoshi Hiroyuki’s SUNDAY NIGHT DREAMER” (JFN network), Ariyoshi addressed Yonsentoushin’s Tsuzuki Hiroki, who was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Tokyo Metropolitan Nuisance Prevention Ordinance and has been suspended from activities by his agency for the time being.

    Ariyoshi opened by saying, “First off, there’s something I want to get out of the way — Yonsentoushin’s Tsuzuki,” before adding sharply, “Tsuzuki was referred to prosecutors for groping someone. I really wish he’d cut it out.”

    He went on to riff on the topic with jokes, pulling others into the bit, but in reality Tsuzuki was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Tokyo Metropolitan Nuisance Prevention Ordinance and assault, and remains suspended from activities by his agency for the time being.

    Source: sirabee.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:32
    So is this the "would've been better if the two of them groped someone together" pattern?
    3AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:33
    There's no way these two can pull it off alone
    I mean, the shaved-head guy was kind of the one steering the conversation
    and he was writing the material too, wasn't he?
    44AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:58
    Re: #3
    Goto's the one who writes the material
    78AnonymousAug 25, 2026 17:30
    Re: #3
    Wait, what?!
    Wasn't it the gloomy-looking guy who wrote the material?
    4AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:33
    Ariyoshi goes soft on comedians who aren't with Yoshimoto (their talent agency)
    15AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:39
    Re: #4
    You'd only get to say that if he'd also gone soft on Tsuzuki
    5AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:34
    Is Jungle Pocket doing okay?
    18AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:42
    Re: #5
    Better than when they were a trio, at least
    66AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:48
    Re: #5
    Doesn't exactly feel like they're thriving as a duo, but I do think each of them is doing their best individually
    7AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:34
    Like Sokonuke Airline, for instance (the trio Kosaka Daimaou, aka PIKOTARO, came from)
    9AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:35
    Judging by their promo photos, Goto and Ishibashi as a duo honestly feels like the better fit
    10AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:35
    Coming from someone who's bad at writing material and barely writes any, that's rich
    11AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:37
    I think it's better as a duo
    don't need that guy
    12AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:37
    Well, "hope they do their best" is really all anyone can say at this point
    13AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:38
    Comedy trios are almost nonexistent among entertainers, huh. Guess that proves the saying "three heads are better than one" doesn't hold for comedy acts
    28AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:48
    Re: #13
    Tokyo 03
    Conto Akashingo
    Let's Go Sanbiki
    62AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:29
    Re: #13
    Not many trios have made it big since Neptune, have they
    even Robert is basically doing solo work at this point
    17AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:41
    Would Saruganseki have been better as a duo?
    22AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:44
    Re: #17
    Going solo turned into a huge success for him
    27AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:46
    Are there any acts that went from trio to duo and actually made it work?
    35AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:50
    Re: #27
    Sandwichman
    29AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:48
    Feels like bringing him back early once his suspension ends would generate more buzz, honestly
    30AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:48
    Guess he can't go buying pricey vintage clothes and dressing weird anymore
    32AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:49
    He's not gonna quit drinking anyway, so bringing him back is nothing but a liability
    33AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:49
    The most hated one of the bunch is still there, so it's a no-go
    34AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:50
    Ostrich Club never caused a single scandal, and they were better off staying a trio
    37AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:52
    Re: #35
    Didn't know Sandwichman used to be a trio
    38AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:52
    Because of you, Ostrich Club became a duo
    54AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:13
    Goto's the one who writes the material, so there's no real problem
    From what I heard, back in comedy school Goto was originally paired with Tsuzuki, got fed up with him, split off and teamed up with Ishibashi instead — but Ishibashi turned out to be so hopeless that Goto got back together with Tsuzuki and just tacked Ishibashi on as a bonus. Given that history, they'll probably manage somehow
    67AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:49
    Re: #54
    Then Goto must be genuinely worn out by all this

    Background and Key Points

    Yonsentoushin (四千頭身, “four thousand heads tall,” a self-deprecating joke about member height) is a Yoshimoto Kogyo comedy trio — Goto Yuki, Ishibashi Ryuki, and Tsuzuki Hiroki — that broke out in the late 2010s and became regular variety-show fixtures. Ariyoshi Hiroyuki is one of Japanese television’s most powerful hosts and, crucially, a fellow Yoshimoto talent, which is why his on-air comments carry weight for the group’s fate. Tsuzuki has been referred to prosecutors (書類送検) for allegedly violating the Tokyo Metropolitan Nuisance Prevention Ordinance — the statute used for groping (chikan) cases — plus an assault allegation, and is currently suspended from work by the agency. That is a procedural step short of indictment or conviction, not an expulsion; Tsuzuki technically remains a member.

    The thread didn’t split on whether Tsuzuki misbehaved — that was taken as settled — but on whether Yonsentoushin would actually be stronger as a duo. Posters traded conflicting claims about who writes the group’s material (one thread of replies credited Ishibashi, another insisted it’s Goto, with a later poster adding an origin story where Goto and Tsuzuki were paired first), which is really the crux: nobody agreed on how much creative weight Tsuzuki actually carries, only citing precedents like Sandwichman and Ostrich Club as trios-turned-duos that thrived.

    What outside readers likely miss is that Ariyoshi’s remarks were delivered as banter on a comedy radio show, not a policy statement — and that groping allegations under this ordinance are a common, almost routine scandal category in Japanese entertainment, so the tone here (joking rather than grave) reflects that familiarity, not indifference.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Ariyoshi Hiroyuki comments on Yonsentoushin’s future: “There are cases where it would’ve been better as a duo” / “The two of them will just have to do their best”.”

  • Nozomi Tsuji Reveals What She Won’t Let Her Kids Do: ‘I Never Said Rivers Are Totally Safe’ — 5ch: ‘Life Jackets Aren’t Cute’

    Talent Nozomi Tsuji (39) revealed on her YouTube channel that she has never told her kids “rivers are totally fine.” With summer vacation underway, she says she’s also struggling with how much money is appropriate to give her high-school-age eldest son when he goes out with friends.

    The thread kicked off with doubts like “Is there even anywhere to play in a river in Tokyo?” followed by a stream of comments about the limits of life jackets and the dangers of river currents.

    8/25 (Tue) 12:30

    Talent Nozomi Tsuji (39) updated her YouTube channel “Tsuji-channel” on the 23rd, revealing something she doesn’t allow her kids to do.

    The video was filmed just before the kids’ summer vacation began. Tsuji confessed she’s unsure of “the going rate” for how much to give her high-school-age eldest son for lunch money with friends, adding, “It doesn’t stop at just lunch. Things like ‘I want to go to the pool’ or ‘everyone wants to go here’ start piling up.” She lamented the start of summer break.

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

    2AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:07
    Isn't playing in a river only really possible in certain areas to begin with?
    Is there even anywhere to play in a river within Tokyo?
    7AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:08
    Re: #2
    You don't know about Okutama…? (a rural, mountainous part of western Tokyo)
    94AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:04
    Re: #2
    Even if you live in Tokyo, if you've got friends, you still get invited to river BBQs sometimes.
    3AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:07
    Wear a life jacket.
    That's literally it.
    28AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:21
    Re: #3
    Life jackets aren't exactly flattering (ruins the photos).
    103AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:12
    Re: #3
    Sudden downward currents in rivers can make life jackets useless sometimes
    Be careful — it can drag you straight to the riverbed, jacket and all.
    9AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:10
    Don't go swimming in the Tama River.
    18AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:14
    Re: #9
    Tama-chan~ (nod to the wild seal that famously showed up in the Tama River)
    88AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:59
    Re: #9
    My grandpa, born before the war, used to say he swam the Tama River wearing a fundoshi loincloth.
    10AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:10
    Rivers are genuinely dangerous — you don't float well and the water's freezing.
    Cold water stiffens your muscles so you drown fast, and the riverbed is slippery so you fall easily.
    Once you fall, you're suddenly submerged head to toe in cold water and can't move — and that's it.
    37AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:26
    Re: #10
    But growing up without ever learning that firsthand is its own kind of risk, so it's a tough call either way — it ties into emotional growth too.
    11AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:10
    Rivers have currents, and just two meters further in, the depth can suddenly jump to like 5 meters lol
    12AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:11
    What an era, when an ordinary mom's household rules get broadcast to the whole world.
    15AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:12
    I'm from Shizuoka, we had tons of clear rivers there,
    and all I've got are fond memories of having fun at BBQs,
    so I can't really say either way.
    Feels a bit overblown to me, honestly.
    People die at the beach too sometimes, right? Isn't it kind of the same thing?
    33AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:23
    Re: #15
    That kind of thing is usually done with adults around — family trips, or going along with other families.
    It's not like kids grow up with zero experience of the sea or rivers.
    Sounds like they go to Okinawa and abroad too.
    She's probably just worried about them going without adults.
    16AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:13
    That's the right call.
    No need to risk your life just to play in a river or the sea.
    17AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:13
    Fishing in a river is a classic kid's pastime though.
    20AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:14
    Poor kids, robbed of the chance to get close to nature while they're young.
    47AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:30
    Re: #20
    Not sure, but don't they go with their parents? Though it's probably not as fun with parents tagging along.
    24AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:17
    Well, if parents are going to ban it anyway, better not to let kids swim in rivers at all.
    The sea seems fine on its own, I'd think —
    though with the danger of rip currents, maybe that's best avoided too.
    26AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:19
    The sea's dangerous too though.
    31AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:22
    Re: #26
    Re: #1
    Sounds like the sea's off-limits too.
    27AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:20
    Playing in rivers is fun though. Honestly, city streets are way more dangerous.
    34AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:24
    Tsuji really gets how boys operate.
    No matter how many times you warn them, boys will always end up goofing around and going in once they're at a river.
    So the best move is just banning the river trip in the first place.
    35AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:24
    Going to a river when you can't even swim is just idiotic.
    36AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:25
    Like anyone actually listens to their parents about this stuff.
    44AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:28
    Giving a high schooler allowance? Isn't that a bit overprotective?
    Just have him get a part-time job.
    99AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:09
    Re: #44
    A friend of mine said his dad told him a student's whole job is to study — if you're going to half-ass it with a part-time job, drop out of college and go work full-time right now.
    Extreme take, sure, but as someone who worked part-time jobs nonstop, that one stung lol
    57AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:35
    I thought she was a great mom, but honestly Kiku-chan is already an adult, so maybe just let her do what she wants.
    Being too overbearing just leaves kids unable to do anything for themselves later on.
    81AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:51
    Re: #57
    Wasn't she 18?
    I'd guess it's fine as long as she's with a parent —
    seems like reasonable teaching, to be that careful at least.
    61AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:38
    Re: #7
    You don't know what 'within Tokyo' even means…?
    96AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:06
    Re: #61
    Reminds me of a welcome party back in April — after a kid from Okutama introduced themselves,

    someone heckled, 'Okutama isn't Tokyo! It's basically its own prefecture!'

    and it killed the whole mood.
    63AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:38
    As a paid-up member of Team Tsuji-chan, I was right all along.
    77AnonymousAug 25, 2026 15:48
    By that logic the sea's dangerous too.
    104AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:12
    Re: #77
    Re: #1
    Apparently the sea's a no-go too.
    113AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:27
    Do the 'oni-jo' crowd (a notoriously harsh housewife forum) even attack Tsuji for saying something this completely reasonable?
    Like, 'Huh? Are you dumb lol, we let our kids run wild in rivers all the time lol, being overprotective is gross' — that kind of thing?
    114AnonymousAug 25, 2026 16:27
    Re: #113
    Can just picture that being said super fast in one breath.

    Background and Key Points

    Nozomi Tsuji rose to fame as a member of the idol group Morning Musume before marrying actor Shunsuke Kazama; the couple has five children born in close succession, and Tsuji’s YouTube channel “Tsuji-channel” has become a long-running documentary of raising them, which is why an offhand parenting rule from her draws a 5ch thread rather than staying private. The geography question that opens the thread is worth clarifying for non-Japanese readers: Okutama, the area posters cite as “somewhere to swim in Tokyo,” is a mountainous district in the far west of Tokyo Metropolis, some 60km from central Tokyo, so it’s administratively “Tokyo” while feeling nothing like it — hence the confusion in the thread and the joke about a welcome-party heckler denying it counts.

    The actual split isn’t over whether rivers are dangerous — nobody disputes that — it’s over whether banning kids from them is prudent caution or overprotection that stunts self-reliance, with posters pointing to their own supervised childhood river play as a counterexample.

    What the thread never quite establishes is why Tsuji singles out rivers rather than the sea, and several posters (26, 31, 77, 104) end up assuming she’d ban the sea too, purely by their own extrapolation — that’s an inference, not something she said. It’s also worth knowing that Japanese river drownings are disproportionately linked to sudden depth changes and cold, spring-fed undercurrents even in shallow-looking water, which is the real hazard behind the “life jackets aren’t foolproof” comments rather than mere overcaution.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “Nozomi Tsuji Reveals What She Doesn’t Allow Her Kids to Do: ‘I Never Said Rivers Are Totally Fine. No Matter How Old They Get’.”

  • Lilas Ikuta Makes Live-Action Film Debut as Michiyo Azusa — 5ch Reacts: “Konnichiwa Akachan, Ahh!!”

    It’s been announced that Lilas Ikuta will appear in Junichi Okada’s film “SUKIYAKI: Ue wo Muite Arukou” (releasing December 25), playing legendary singer Michiyo Azusa and performing her signature song “Konnichiwa Akachan” (Hello, Baby). This marks Ikuta’s first-ever live-action film role.

    On the thread, alongside debate over whether the casting works, a hot topic was whether the film will recreate the famous episode where Michiyo Azusa doused comedian Akashiya Sanma with water (later corrected to champagne).

    Lilas Ikuta makes her live-action film debut! To play singer Michiyo Azusa and perform “Konnichiwa Akachan” in Junichi Okada’s new movie

    It has been revealed that Lilas Ikuta will appear in Junichi Okada’s film “SUKIYAKI: Ue wo Muite Arukou” (releasing December 25).

    Ikuta will play Michiyo Azusa, the beloved Showa-era star known for hits including “Konnichiwa Akachan,” which won the 5th Japan Record Award. This will be Ikuta’s first-ever live-action film appearance.

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

    4AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:47
    Maybe it's because 'Kokuho' (National Treasure) was such a hit?
    There've been more movies aimed at older audiences lately.
    10AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:51
    Wasn't she supposed to have a bad personality?
    36AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:07
    Re: #10
    Yeah, she dumped water on Sanma.
    73AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:35
    Re: #10
    Nah, that's not true.
    13AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:52
    Is there a scene where she dumps wine on Sanma?
    59AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:28
    Re: #13
    Correction: not wine, champagne.
    14AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:53
    I wonder if they'll recreate the scene where Michiyo Azusa puts the cocky Akiko Wada in her place.
    15AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:53
    I wonder if they'll use a Sanma impersonator comedian for the glass-of-water scene. I really want them to do that.
    17AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:54
    Why does everyone demand an all-rounder these days?
    Actors should master acting, singers should master singing~
    Guess you can't draw a crowd without some buzz these days?
    20AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:55
    http://livetest.net/load/20260825-081632-484.jpg

    Ikura-chan overwhelms Riho Yoshioka with sheer youthfulness!!
    65AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:30
    Re: #20
    Thought she was the girl from the Promise (consumer loan company) commercials.
    22AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:58
    Isn't this casting a mistake?
    25AnonymousAug 25, 2026 08:59
    Re: #22
    Chanmina: "Totally, totally" (a catchphrase associated with singer/rapper Chanmina)
    28AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:02
    The supporting cast outside the lead is impressive.
    31AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:02
    Re: #28
    It's because the lead is so big-name that the supporting cast gets stacked too — makes sense.
    30AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:02
    I keep hearing her say something in English in a Spotify ad.
    32AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:03
    Wasn't she highly praised when she did voice acting for something once?
    I expected her to get bashed for it.
    37AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:08
    Re: #32
    The rest of the cast had a similarly amateurish feel, so it slipped by unnoticed — if she'd been surrounded by properly skilled voice actors, I think she'd have gotten torn apart.
    45AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:14
    Re: #1
    What I like about her is that even though she's this famous and sells well as a solo artist, she doesn't go chasing lead roles.
    She seems like she'll survive in showbiz for the long haul.
    53AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:21
    Re: #45
    She probably doesn't even get offered lead roles in the first place.
    47AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:15
    Creepy if it existed:
    a love hotel that plays 'Konnichiwa Akachan' as background music. (riffing on the 'scary if true' meme format)
    51AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:20
    "Konnichiwa Akachan, Ahh!!"
    82AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:52
    The one bullying 'Ano Kane wo Narasu no wa Anata' (You're the One Who Rings That Bell) was 'Konnichiwa Akachan,' and the ones who stuck up for it were 'Blue Light Yokohama' and 'Kawaii Baby' (all classic Japanese song titles, personified here like kids on a playground).
    87AnonymousAug 25, 2026 09:58
    Re: #82
    >'Blue Light Yokohama' and 'Kawaii Baby'
    Sounds like you could make a whole drama out of that.

    Background and Key Points

    Lilas Ikuta is the daughter of Yuki Kajiura collaborator… actually she’s known as one half of the pop duo YOASOBI, where she is the vocalist (“Ikura”) alongside composer Ayase. Michiyo Azusa is a real Showa-era enka/pop singer whose 1971 hit “Konnichiwa Akachan” won the Japan Record Award and remains a widely recognized standard in Japan, closer to a nursery-rhyme-level classic than an obscure deep cut. She was also a fixture of Japanese variety TV in the 1980s-90s and had a public persona as blunt and combative, which is the source of the recurring, unverified anecdote that she once threw water (or, per some retellings, champagne) at comedian Akashiya Sanma on air — a moment that has become entertainment-industry folklore repeated more than confirmed. “SUKIYAKI: Ue wo Muite Arukou,” directed by Junichi Okada (V6/Ballistik Boyz), is a period drama tied to Kyu Sakamoto’s famous song, situating this biopic-style casting within a wave of Showa-nostalgia films following the success of “Kokuho.”

    The thread’s actual disagreement was narrow: not whether Ikuta can act, but whether an idol/singer with no acting background should be cast in a dramatic lead at all, with posters split between citing her restraint in avoiding lead roles as a mark of maturity versus assuming she simply isn’t offered them.

    What’s easy to miss is that the Sanma incident posters argue about was never confirmed within the thread itself — one poster asserts it, another flatly denies it, and a third only “corrects” the liquid from wine to champagne, so the thread treats a contested show-business legend as established fact rather than settling it.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Lilas Ikuta makes her live-action film debut! To play singer Michiyo Azusa and perform “Konnichiwa Akachan” in Junichi Okada’s new movie.”

  • Nearly 60, Saito Yuki’s Recent Photo Draws Praise — 5ch: “The Rare Actress Who Never Gets Blacklisted No Matter How Many Affairs”

    Actress Saito Yuki (59) posted a two-shot Instagram photo with singer Mitsunaga Ryota, drawing a wave of praise like “she’s so beautiful.” On a 5ch thread, users posted photos from her prime while reminiscing about her past relationships and affair scandals, with one comment going so far as to call her “the rare actress who never gets blacklisted no matter how many affairs she has.”

    Nearly 60 — Saito Yuki’s Current Look! “Quit Making Googly Eyes” — The Monday-9 Breakout Singer “Can’t Stop Grinning”

    Actress Saito Yuki (59) has been showered with praise for her beauty.

    The one who posted the two-shot photo on Instagram by the 25th was singer Mitsunaga Ryota, who broke out with “Always,” the theme song for the 2003 Fuji TV Monday-9 drama “Itsumo Futari de” (Always Together).

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

    5AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:15
    The rare actress who never gets blacklisted no matter how many affairs she has
    7AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:16
    She's been into affairs since she was young — like with Ozaki (musician Ozaki Yutaka, whom she was rumored to have had an affair with)
    10AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:18
    Amazing she managed to date a guy who wore panties on his head (a nod to a notorious old scandal)
    17AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:21
    Re: #10
    Is this a denial about Kubo Yuta's remarriage partner (18)?
    16AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:21
    Rerun "Haisukuru Rakugaki" (High School Graffiti) on BS already
    18AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:21
    The previous-gen Nagano Mei (´・ω・｀)
    58AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:39
    Re: #18
    Watching reruns of her in "Sukeban Deka," I was shocked how much her voice and speaking style resemble Nagano Mei
    22AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:23
    It's probably because she's always in love mode, affairs and all, that she stays glowing and beautiful
    Can't say I dislike it
    23AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:23
    Christian women always seem to be either super strict or super loose, no in-between
    24AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:23
    She and Sakai Noriko are
    the twin pillars of "women you shouldn't touch"
    121AnonymousAug 25, 2026 11:14
    Re: #24
    No way she beats Noripi's level of darkness though lol (nickname for Sakai Noriko)
    25AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:23
    Sato Jiro was hugging her from behind
    if only this were 40 years ago
    26AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:23
    Even the idol world itself is aging, and she's about at the upper age limit for it too — wonder how this'll play out
    28AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:24
    In terms of ranking,
    her looks are Sano Ryoko level
    it's just fans' rose-tinted bias
    calling her beautiful — way overhyped
    39AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:27
    Re: #28
    Sano Ryoko is one of the '80s' five great idol beauties alongside Takeda Kumiko, Yakushimaru Hiroko, Ito Maiko, and Shimada Nami, so she's on a different level
    36AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:26
    No idea who the guy even is, can you really call him a celebrity?
    38AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:27
    The only thing I remember about Mitsunaga Ryota isn't his music, it's that he dated Mizuki Arisa
    41AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:28
    Thought it was Isomura Hayato, turned out to be Mitsunaga Ryota
    42AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:28
    Yeah, no wonder Satojiro wanted to hug her (nickname for actor Sato Jiro)
    59AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:40
    Now I can't help picturing this scene from Sato Jiro's drama

    68AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:46
    Her prime years

    79AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:53
    Re: #68
    Who'd have guessed she'd later become "the woman who got her panties worn on someone's head"…
    98AnonymousAug 25, 2026 11:04
    She was pulling what we'd now call "Nagano Mei moves" back in her idol days,
    yet she's made it this far without getting bashed at all — impressive
    103AnonymousAug 25, 2026 11:06
    Re: #98
    Must just be her good character
    112AnonymousAug 25, 2026 11:12

    Background and Key Points

    Nearly-60 “aging beauty stays scandal-free” pieces are a 5ch staple, and this thread is representative: it’s less about the current photo than a decades-long retrospective on Saito Yuki’s career and love life. Saito debuted as a teen idol in the 1980s and became a household name through the 1993 Fuji TV drama “Sukeban Deka” and other work; the “Monday-9” (Getsuku) slot referenced here is Fuji TV’s flagship 9pm drama block, a career-making showcase since the ’90s. Mitsunaga Ryota, the singer in the photo, is tied to that same lineage as the artist behind “Always,” the theme song for a 2003 Getsuku drama — which is why posters keep drawing a line back to that era rather than treating this as a fresh romance story.

    The thread doesn’t split on whether Saito looks good — that’s near-unanimous — but on how to weigh her reputation against her history. One camp treats her run of affair rumors (with musician Ozaki Yutaka and others, plus the “panties on the head” scandal referenced obliquely) as remarkable precisely because none of it ever damaged her image, unlike the “blacklisted” fate that usually befalls Japanese celebrities caught in infidelity scandals. The other faction pushes back on the “great beauty” framing itself, ranking her below canonical ’80s idol beauties like Sano Ryoko, Takeda Kumiko, and Yakushimaru Hiroko.

    What outside readers will likely miss is the weight of “blacklisting” in Japanese entertainment — agencies and networks routinely sideline talent over scandal, so a celebrity who survives repeated affair rumors unscathed is genuinely an outlier worth remarking on, not just idle gossip.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geisupo Sokuho+) thread “[Entertainment] Nearly 60 — Saito Yuki’s Current Look! Monday-9 Breakout Singer “Can’t Stop Grinning” — Followers Say “She’s So Beautiful”.”

  • Slim Maeda’s Sauna Post Sparks Controversy — 5ch: ‘He’s Literally the Annoying Guy He’s Complaining About’

    On the 23rd, Ken Maeda of the comedy duo Slim Club posted on X about an experience at a sauna where a female staff member in her 30s came in to swap out the equipment, sarcastically remarking, “Because this world just loves gender equality.” The following day, the 24th, he doubled down with more sarcasm aimed at “people who can’t understand the intent behind my words,” writing that he was “worried about Japan.”

    On 5ch, reactions were split over how to read the true intent of the post, and the discussion also grew into a debate over how staff should be assigned by gender for cleaning and attendant duties at saunas and bathhouses, if gender equality is the standard being invoked.

    Slim Club’s Maeda fires scathing sarcasm at “people who can’t grasp the true meaning behind my X post” — “I’m worried about Japan”

    Ken Maeda (50) of the comedy duo Slim Club updated his X account on the night of the 24th. Regarding his recent post, he wrote that he was “worried about Japan” when it came to “people who can’t understand the meaning behind my words.”

    In his post on the 23rd, Maeda wrote: “So I’m in the sauna — totally naked, of course — and a female staff member in her 30s comes in to swap out the towels laid on the sauna seats. If there’s a job doing the reverse, I’d love to apply. Since this world just loves gender equality, that means it’s fine for a man to go into the women’s sauna too, right? So exciting.”

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

    14AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:09
    Why the hell do I have to go digging for your "true intent"?
    22AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:12
    Re: #14
    Oh dear, that sounds rough.
    40AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:17
    Re: #14
    Right? People just want to twist things any way they like so they've got an excuse to bash him.
    15AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:09
    It's rare to find a comedian who's this consistently unfunny.
    110AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:37
    Re: #15
    He's just farming X "impressions" (view-based ad payouts) off the outrage.
    54AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:20
    Your daughter sure is skilled at the piano, isn't she? (a classic 5ch non-sequitur troll catchphrase)
    56AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:21
    Re: #54
    Spirited and splendid indeed! (keeping the old comedy-routine catchphrase bit going)
    61AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:22
    Makes an annoying post,
    gets tangled up with an annoying guy,
    fires back with an annoying reply — he's basically the annoying guy himself.
    66AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:25
    Re: #61
    It's like a guy tossing out bait, getting bitten by piranhas, and then screaming "it's just bait!" lol
    89AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:32
    Re: #61
    Makes an annoying post,
    gets tangled up with an annoying guy,
    fires back with an annoying reply, and becomes the annoying guy himself — all to cash in.

    This guy's an "impression-begging" comedian doing it on purpose (farming X engagement payouts), same breed as Onigoe Tomahawk (another controversy-baiting comedy duo).
    68AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:25
    Back when I worked at a factory, one old guy cleaned both the men's and women's restrooms, and the women complained about not liking that cleaning guy — yet nobody bats an eye when an older woman goes into the men's room. Feels off.
    103AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:35
    Re: #68
    Maybe factor in this reality first —

    > In Japan, over 95% of people arrested for sex crimes (non-consensual intercourse, non-consensual indecent acts, etc.) are male — men overwhelmingly make up the offenders.
    74AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:28
    This guy's takes are as boring as Tatekawa Shiraku's (a rakugo performer/TV commentator known for tone-deaf opinions).
    76AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:28
    Re: #74
    Yeah, for a comedian he never actually says anything funny.
    75AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:28
    People have lost the ability to read between the lines or pick up on subtext, so expecting that from them is pointless.
    Also, nobody gives a charitable read to someone with low likability to begin with.
    If it's going to cause misunderstandings, just spell everything out straight.
    79AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:30
    Re: #75
    Honestly, "read the room" or "pick up on it" is a uniquely Japanese, Galápagos-style thing anyway. Are Japanese people supposed to be psychic? If anything, if you don't put it into words, the real meaning never gets across.
    84AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:31
    What does this guy actually want to be? Does he hate being a comedian?
    90AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:32
    Re: #84
    Maeda: "I'm gonna be the King of Flame Wars!" (riffing on the famous One Piece line "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!")
    88AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:31
    This slot's full. Somebody's gotta get knocked out first to open one up.
    105AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:36
    Re: #88
    lol
    Kinda want to round them all up in one place and let them fight it out. Wonder who'd survive.
    109AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:37
    Re: #103
    Men's rooms should be cleaned by men. That's really all there is to it, no?
    120AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:40
    Re: #109
    Depending on the size of the facility, one cleaner is enough to cover the whole place. In that case, it's simply more practical to have a woman who doesn't draw complaints going in and out of the men's room.
    141AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:46
    Re: #120
    Even so, isn't the point that they should hire one man and one woman? Even guys find a situation like this uncomfortable.
    114AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:38
    No, seriously, you shouldn't be sending a female staffer in her 30s into a room full of naked men. Did this actually happen?
    116AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:39
    Re: #114
    At the local spa I used to go to, a woman — not exactly young either — used to come in to check the bath water temperature.
    145AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:46
    Writing something that can be read either way, both sides of the coin, and then dumping the blame on how people chose to read it — that's embarrassing. You can claim whatever "true meaning" you want after the fact.
    159AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:50
    Re: #145
    He's saying he's "worried about Japan" precisely because more people seem to feel it "can be read either way." I personally didn't think it could be read two ways at all.
    160AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:50
    Come to think of it, threads about this guy keep popping up lately — who keeps starting them? We don't need threads about him or Kurosawa either.
    164AnonymousAug 25, 2026 10:50
    Re: #160
    Yeah, this thread-starter shows up a lot (a regular known for spamming threads on certain topics).

    Background and Key Points

    For readers outside Japan, a few pieces of context matter here. Sento (public bathhouses) and many sauna facilities routinely send staff of either sex into single-sex bathing areas to clean, restock, or check water temperature when a facility is short-staffed or only employs one attendant per shift — this is a long-standing, legally unremarkable practice, not a recent policy shift. “Gender equality” (男女平等) is also a live flashpoint in Japanese public discourse, often invoked sarcastically in online arguments about differential treatment of men and women in everyday spaces, which is the register Maeda was working in. Separately, X’s ad-revenue-sharing “impression” (view count monetization) program is well known on 5ch as an incentive for public figures to post inflammatory content deliberately, which colors how skeptically posters read celebrities’ controversial tweets.

    The thread’s real fault line isn’t whether Maeda’s original joke was in poor taste — most posters seem to concede it reads as needlessly provocative — but whether his framing was genuine social commentary, deliberate engagement bait for ad revenue, or, per the majority mocking tone, both at once, making his “you didn’t get my true meaning” follow-up look hypocritical rather than clarifying.

    What outside readers may miss is that no one in the thread offers hard data on how common opposite-sex staff entry actually is at saunas versus bathhouses — only anecdotes — despite one post citing Japan’s official sex-crime arrest statistics (over 95% male offenders) as if that alone settles a staffing-policy question it doesn’t actually address.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Slim Club’s Maeda fires scathing sarcasm at “people who can’t grasp the true meaning behind my X post” — “I’m worried about Japan”.”