Japan Reacts

Category: News

  • Late-Night 5ch Post Asking ‘Anyone Want to Chat?’ Turns Into First-Date Jitters Support Group

    Just past 1 a.m., a thread titled “I want to have a relaxed, rambling chat” popped up on 5ch’s News VIP board. The original poster admitted they couldn’t settle down ahead of a first date planned for Saturday, and from there the conversation drifted into Uma Musume, writing novels with ChatGPT, and manga talk.

    1Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:19:41.192ID:ID:33tJn5CO0
    I want to have a relaxed, rambling chat
    10Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:25:15.152ID:33tJn5CO0
    >>8
    I just can't sleep lately.
    Lately I've been burning incense and listening to ASMR to somehow manage to fall asleep.
    12Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:26:13.903ID:QA9acLSc0
    >>10
    Well, I mean, here we are on a board like this at this hour…
    15Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:30:18.732ID:33tJn5CO0
    If I've got one worry, it's that there's someone I like, and we're going on our first date this Saturday — I have no idea what to do and I'm a nervous wreck.
    20Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:32:07.952ID:QA9acLSc0
    >>15
    What, is this a humble-brag? Go post it on X.
    28Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:38:15.186ID:ZS8SUVJ60
    Can't sleep either, but I can't really help with love advice.
    30Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:39:18.449ID:33tJn5CO0
    >>28
    Doesn't have to be love advice. I'd honestly be happy just hearing what everyone's into lately.
    33Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:40:41.731ID:ZS8SUVJ60
    I'm hooked on Uma Musume (the horse-girl gacha game).
    Today I walked 18k steps
    just to buy a store-exclusive item.
    35Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:42:16.565ID:33tJn5CO0
    >>33
    I played Uma Musume a bit way back, but training up the characters took forever, so I quit.
    Walking 18km for love is beautiful.
    Didn't you use public transit or a bike?
    41Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:43:58.573ID:ZS8SUVJ60
    >>35
    I take the train around Tokyo after work,
    but the stores near stations almost never have it in stock, so I end up walking the whole way.
    43Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:45:48.337ID:33tJn5CO0
    >>41
    Ah, I see. That's rough, good work.
    If it were like 5km I could see it being a fun little stroll, but 18k in this brutal heat is no joke… hang in there.
    49Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:53:24.925ID:j9z5R/8y0
    I want to believe OP is actually a woman posing as a man, screening out guys with ulterior motives.
    51Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:55:05.032ID:33tJn5CO0
    >>49
    Well, take it easy and stick around.
    60Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:02:22.908ID:KUlJOTLZ0
    Hmm, what I'm into lately…
    My current thing is writing novels while bouncing ideas off ChatGPT.
    65Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:04:08.125ID:33tJn5CO0
    >>60
    If it's novels, I bet you're into that "aloof/cold-hearted" romance genre?
    61Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:02:24.786ID:33tJn5CO0
    Random personal tangent, but I'm hooked on the manga "Even the Student Council Has Its Weak Points." Ecchi content aside, it wraps up the hard days in this warm feeling — would love to hear from anyone who knows it.
    62Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:03:05.701ID:KUlJOTLZ0
    >>61
    I know the name.
    Is it really that heartwarming a series…?
    77Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:11:03.196ID:ZS8SUVJ60
    Alright, I'll post a pic of my bedside.
    79Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:12:12.748ID:KUlJOTLZ0
    >>77
    It's wall-to-wall Bourbon snacks (the Japanese confectionery brand), that's amazing.
    80Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:12:30.508ID:33tJn5CO0
    >>77
    Wow!!!! I seriously admire this kind of setup, but I'm too scared to drop money on pricey figures, so I always just settle for the arcade crane games instead…

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News VIP) thread “Someone please be my late-night talk buddy”.

  • Gen Z: “Stop Paying with Cash, People Are Waiting!” Middle-Aged Woman: “Sorry… But It’s First-Come, First-Served, So Please Wait Your Turn.”

    A post from a young person venting frustration over cash payments at convenience stores went viral on X (formerly Twitter), and 5channel users were split on the issue too. The complaint “I hate having my time wasted” drew pushback like “just get in line ahead of them” and “you should build more buffer into your schedule” — while others pointed out that poor signal reception often slows down cashless payments, and that fumbling for a point card can make things even slower, turning the very idea of “speed” itself into the real point of debate.

    1Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:36:22.78ID:ID:qAe1lpp5d
    Young People Say "Stop Paying Cash" at Convenience Stores — Here's Why Some 40-Somethings Still Won't Go Cashless
    A post expressing irritation at an "old guy" fumbling with coins while paying at a convenience store drew attention on X. To today's younger generation, people who still pay with cash may just seem like an annoying waste of time.
    5Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:38:18.95ID:0L80PAER0
    What are they in such a rush for, anyway?
    11Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:40:36.16ID:7pFa48Fr0
    >>5
    Even if you're not in a hurry, I get not wanting some total stranger to eat up your time.
    17Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:41:36.11ID:QuAi2XgC0
    >>11
    Just build some buffer time into your schedule.
    You're the one forcing your own convenience onto other people here.
    26Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:43:27.62ID:Anyepw8Y0
    >>11
    Then just get in line before the lady does.
    9Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:39:56.60ID:Anyepw8Y0
    What actually takes longer than cash is when someone tries to pay with some "Pay" app without knowing how it works — fumbling with their phone, asking the clerk over and over, redoing it each time.
    22Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:42:31.22ID:TYqLmmL20
    >>9
    That's really it in a nutshell 🥺
    Cashless or cash, if you're slow, you're slow.
    25Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:43:09.18ID:/sKUuQel0
    Clerk: "That'll be 580 yen. How will you be paying?"
    Capable me (unlocking my phone): "Electronic payment."
    Clerk: "Please select it on the monitor button."
    Capable me: "Is PayPay okay as a barcode payment?"
    Clerk (tch): "Yes."
    Capable me: "Got it. Opening the app now. Huh? Signal's weak 😣"
    85Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:59:52.47ID:BHGgFaZU0
    >>25
    Wait, is this the guy?

    https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1924352211846414336/pu/vid/avc1/1272×720/iWgfaflTzU_vsraE.mp4?tag=12
    36Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:46:47.91ID:uyaTgr68H
    Suica (Japan's IC transit/e-money card) is the best. No need to unlock your phone or hold up a barcode — it's fast. Just make Suica the universal standard already.
    47Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:48:27.82ID:PAWZFfdK0
    >>36
    *Bwaap!* "Insufficient balance, please top up" — and now you're topping up right there at the register.
    49Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:48:51.36ID:7pFa48Fr0
    >>17
    I think it's more like: next to their own inconvenience, forcing their convenience onto others just doesn't register. Super selfish, but honestly, I get the feeling.
    111Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:09:34.43ID:Ozte+FQz0
    >>49
    By that logic, an old lady slowly paying in cash and eating up everyone else's time is just her own business, right?
    58Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:51:09.86ID:PAWZFfdK0
    >>56
    You just don't know — the irritable old guys are slow AND they snap at you if you point it out.
    60Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:51:30.30ID:hSZAOLAh0
    I mean, the way these people talk, it's like everyone around them is supposed to accommodate them as a given.
    Meanwhile they show zero consideration for anyone else — who do they think they are, medieval nobility?
    Not being able to wait through a normal checkout is ridiculous to begin with.
    84Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:59:30.73ID:cBaQtFwi0
    >>60
    Time spent waiting for them is wasted time.
    Time they make others wait? Doesn't even cross their mind.

    Honestly, that's basically everyone — young and old, men and women alike.
    Same goes for cars passing each other on narrow roads, not just checkout lines.
    64Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:52:52.21ID:38DK7lWYd
    By the way, me: "I'll pay by card, tap payment" →
    "Don't need the receipt" → *briskly strides off* (walking absurdly fast)

    How's that for an image??
    69Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:53:46.94ID:4U66u0q30
    >>64
    Sounds like you mumble fast, so I bet the clerk looks confused.
    89Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:01:53.51ID:cBaQtFwi0
    >>64
    Honestly, I'm more worried about your daily life if that kind of thing gives you a sense of superiority.
    78Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:57:39.10ID:38DK7lWYd
    Saw some news recently that Uniqlo-style self-checkout might start spreading beyond Uniqlo itself.
    Don't you dare make me wait. I'm nice to store staff, but I show you all no mercy.
    88Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:01:25.50ID:zLfGd1xF0
    >>78
    If it's an RFID-based self-checkout, even old guys can handle it easily, so don't worry, good for you.
    80Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:58:22.02ID:kHT6voGb0
    Please stop being cashless and then fumbling around looking for your point card anyway — you end up slow regardless.
    82Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:59:12.23ID:/sKUuQel0
    >>80
    The weak in-store signal is part of the problem too!
    94Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:03:10.35ID:qaeH7PIu0
    The only place you'd really have to line up is a convenience store around lunchtime, no? Do you ever wait that long paying anywhere else?
    97Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:04:36.97ID:38DK7lWYd
    >>94
    Pharmacies are pretty much always crowded.
    Though honestly, to the people complaining about convenience stores/supermarkets at lunchtime — if you don't like it, don't go at lunch.


    You corporate slave, you.
    103Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:06:18.70ID:cBaQtFwi0
    >>94
    Morning convenience stores can have lines too depending on the location — construction workers ("dokachin," slang for manual laborers) coming in for their morning food.
    107Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:08:29.80ID:dgVX8tAH0
    More than cash payers, it's the people ordering cigarettes or fried snacks at the counter that irritate me.
    109Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:08:56.48ID:38DK7lWYd
    >>107
    Honestly I don't get that one. Let people eat what they want to eat.
    112Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:10:13.66ID:bznKF/hk0
    Docomo's signal is so bad I struggle with electronic payments wherever I go. Never had this problem with Y!mobile — what's going on with mighty Docomo?
    116Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:11:28.75ID:0nxNa4WZ0
    >>112
    Seriously, same. Ahamo (Docomo's budget plan) is so bad it's insanely stressful.
    115Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:10:51.89ID:EAFtskhU0
    Cashless is already slower as it is — if you made the lady go cashless too, it'd only get even slower.
    117Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:11:46.97ID:+veVGIGl0
    >>115
    Cashless is slower?
    127Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:15:58.45ID:eZCvl3vG0
    I'll pick up a parcel, pay a utility bill, grab cigarette brand No. 69, do the age verification for alcohol, buy an Ichiban Kuji lottery ticket, and pick out some oden — all in one trip.
    129Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:16:37.01ID:QvEXIL7u0
    >>127
    Add a bulk-waste disposal sticker to that too.
    131Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:17:56.11ID:YhI5t6uO0
    >>127
    Super thick skin, lol.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Gen Z: “Stop paying with cash, people are waiting!” Middle-aged woman: “Sorry… but it’s first-come, first-served, so please wait your turn.”“.

  • Cool Japan Fund to Be Abolished — METI Weighs Skipping Next Year’s Budget Request

    It’s been reported that Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has begun coordinating to abolish the “Cool Japan Fund,” a public-private fund saddled with a massive cumulative deficit.

    The thread lit up over the fact that animators reportedly received almost no support while large sums flowed to Yoshimoto Kogyo (Japan’s biggest comedy/talent agency), the ownership structure behind the “COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA” theater complex in Osaka Castle Park, and debate over exactly when — and under which administration — the fund was even established.

    It has emerged that METI has begun coordinating to abolish the “Cool Japan Fund” (formally the Overseas Demand Cultivation Support Corporation, or “CJ Fund”), a public-private fund carrying a massive deficit. METI plans to forgo its budget request for next fiscal year’s Fiscal Investment and Loan Program allocation, which serves as the fund’s source of investment capital.

    [Photo] What’s the real story behind Cool Japan’s failure? Overexpansion into too many sectors and staffing shortages also to blame

    The information came from interviews with multiple government officials. The Prime Minister’s Office reportedly shares METI’s position and is inclined to accept it. If the fund is abolished, some of the capital the government contributed may end up unrecoverable.

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

    2Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:55:13.96ID:9672W6aw0
    What did it actually do, specifically?
    26Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:57:35.38ID:B6YbIuKN0
    >>2
    Eh, whatever. What matters more than the past is what we do from here.
    77Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:03:43.01ID:fc9Vu3M20
    >>2
    Animators didn't get a single yen out of it — it all went to middlemen skimming their cut and to corporations. And somehow big money also went to Yoshimoto Kogyo, which never lifted a finger to promote anything overseas.
    292Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:26:03.28ID:sWjNqSJt0
    >>2
    The "Comedians Who Live Overseas" project (settling Japanese comedians abroad to build a fanbase from scratch): stationing comedians in various countries to grow their popularity from zero, co-producing TV shows with local stations, even producing idol groups made up of local youth…
    https://www.cj-fund.co.jp/investment/project/vol7/
    17Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:57:01.65ID:Kg1ucmhO0
    Is this the same fund that sent ¥10 billion to Yoshimoto?
    22Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:57:22.66ID:BA7wsUmE0
    >>17
    What?? That's awful.
    30Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:58:39.49ID:dls2N58z0
    The huge deficit here is mainly from the spider-silk company investment (widely believed to mean Spiber, the synthetic spider-silk biotech firm) — it's not the skimming/middleman structure you guys think it is.
    215Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:18:23.52ID:XC+bn9eD0
    >>30
    No criminal "collusion" has ever been uncovered, but because this was a flagship policy of the administration in power, there's strong criticism that it was run at the arbitrary discretion of politicians and bureaucrats.

    * PR over substance: Projects were chosen for their public-relations optics rather than being rigorously vetted for market viability or profitability.

    * Bureaucrat-led reviews in name only: Because the ministries ran the process, it lacked the harsh risk assessment you'd get from private-sector investors.

    * Justified after the fact by "policy significance": Even when a project ran a deficit, it was excused as "contributing to spreading Japanese culture," making it easy to keep funding it.

    * Slow to pull the plug (avoiding accountability): Admitting failure would mean political and bureaucratic responsibility, so they couldn't cut their losses and kept money-losing projects on life support.
    44Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:00:13.49ID:vQAJqdk80
    Yoshimoto and Cool Japan really don't seem connected. What exactly were they doing?
    63Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:02:33.75ID:jL4FTlKz0
    >>44
    They stationed comedians who weren't selling well in Japan overseas. What they actually did once they got there is unclear.
    78Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:03:47.83ID:0fdPgUQ20
    >>44
    The "COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA" theater facility in Osaka Castle Park
    http://news.yoshimoto.co.jp/2018/07/entry84593.php

    Ishin (Osaka Ishin no Kai, the regional political party that dominates Osaka politics) and Yoshimoto are deeply tangled up in it.
    97Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:05:39.56ID:ZT+LsrV90
    >>44
    There's a theater called "Cool Japan" built jointly by Yoshimoto, Dentsu (Japan's biggest ad agency), and the Osaka-area broadcasters. That's just a small slice of the cozy relationship between the Cool Japan Fund and Yoshimoto, though.
    101Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:06:22.53ID:n6LGYeoE0
    Who on earth created this organization anyway?
    161Guard [Lv.0][Sprout]2026/08/20(木) 20:12:59.81ID:4XvUo7k30
    >>101
    The DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan), under the Noda administration.
    197Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:15:57.99ID:F95SdlMn0
    >>161
    It was founded in November 2013, so that's the Abe administration.
    113(；ﾟДﾟ) Coro-neko Movie (working title) 10 ◆EFvlPnIYE33o2026/08/20(木) 20:07:19.34ID:3ijI/HBG0
    American guy: "I don't know anything about current anime lol. As long as we've got Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Project A-ko, and Cowboy Bebop, we're set lol"
    209Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:17:33.97ID:AlGLRLMv0
    >>113
    They know full well — foreigners watch almost all the newest anime and manga for free online.
    158Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:12:52.32ID:dj8fM+DB0
    >>1
    COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA
    https://cjpo.jp/

    "COOL JAPAN PARK OSAKA" is an operating company and multi-theater complex inside Osaka Castle Park, set up with investment from 13 private companies — including Yoshimoto Kogyo and the Osaka-area TV stations — plus the public-private fund "Overseas Demand Cultivation Support Corporation (Cool Japan Fund)."

    Member companies (11 listed):
    MBS Media Holdings, Inc.
    Asahi Broadcasting Group Holdings Corporation
    Kansai Telecasting Corporation (Kansai TV)
    Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation
    TV Osaka Corporation
    H.I.S. Co., Ltd.
    JTB Corporation
    NTT Docomo, Inc.
    Jikei Group
    Famima Digital One Co., Ltd.
    Yoshimoto Kogyo Holdings Co., Ltd.
    182Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:14:46.48ID:DCp3BZMo0
    >>158
    What is this? So they're just handing money out to Osaka TV stations?
    192Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:15:25.99ID:qaSqH0kQ0
    >>158
    >MBS Media Holdings, Inc.

    Founder Sugi Michisuke (a leading figure in Osaka's postwar business/media world) must be crying somewhere.
    207Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:17:18.12ID:0mTbUoxp0
    The usual (a stock reaction image regulars post to editorialize without words)
    266Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:23:38.96ID:AgnQToeR0
    So who's actually going to take responsibility, and how?
    277Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:24:39.08ID:xzOSDTQL0
    >>266
    The public that keeps voting for the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party, Japan's ruling party) keeps "taking responsibility" for it, don't they…
    281Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:25:01.20ID:OMmjsQAF0
    >>266
    Cut Diet members' take-home pay to ¥5 million.
    If that causes seats to go unfilled at the next election, well, that'll tell you something.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (News Speed+) thread “[Breaking] Cool Japan Fund to Be Abolished Amid Massive Cumulative Deficit.”

  • Japan’s Potato Harvest Is Bumper This Year — So Why Is It Weighing Lifting the US Import Ban? Farmers Say “Unacceptable”

    Even though this year’s domestic potato harvest is a bumper crop, it’s come to light that Japan is considering lifting its ban on importing potatoes from the United States. Growers are pushing back hard, with one saying, “As a producer, I absolutely cannot accept this when it comes to imports.” On 5channel, users traded views on the risk of nematodes (cyst nematodes, a destructive soil pest) spreading to Japanese farmland, the fact that fast-food chains already serve some US-grown fries, and Japan’s recent easing of rules on fungicides and pesticides used on imported produce.

    This year’s potato harvest is excellent. So why is Japan considering lifting the ban on US imports right now? What will it do to prices?

    ■ Ban on US Potato Imports to Be Lifted?

    Potato farmer: “As a producer, I absolutely cannot accept this when it comes to imports.”

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

    2Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 20:48:55.38ID:IuocJc4Z0
    Japanese potatoes must be 'anti-Japan,' then (a jab mimicking the reflexive '反日/anti-Japan' label Japanese nationalists slap on anything they dislike).
    42Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 20:56:14.07ID:6+Yfpdru0
    If they're going to do this, I'd really rather they trial it on some remote island first.
    6Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 20:50:22.71ID:2v6ypPNa0
    > If even a little soil clings to the potatoes, pests or disease could be hiding in it, and they could get into fields and spread.

    Isn't that just as true of the processed potatoes we already import?
    71Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 20:59:51.05ID:qeCRxXGn0
    >>6
    Basically, what gets imported is already processed.
    Some unprocessed potatoes do come in too, but anything with soil still on it is strictly off-limits.
    64Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 20:58:52.92ID:GQZYVmSO0
    Haven't McDonald's and 'Kenchiki' fries always been like this anyway? ('Kenchiki' is slang for KFC, from 'Kentucky.')
    77Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:00:23.27ID:d7epqnHv0
    >>64
    McDonald's long fries are American, but I thought KFC's and Mos Burger's were domestic?
    93Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:02:17.68ID:GQZYVmSO0
    >>77
    There was a KFC fry shortage a while back, and the reason was that shipments from America weren't coming in.
    103Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:03:49.06ID:d7epqnHv0
    >>93
    Huh, is that right — anyway, what's with calling it 'Kenchiki' lol
    I think just 'Kenta' works fine (both are just nicknames for KFC).
    116Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:05:18.54ID:XsQ1VT6Q0
    >>93
    KFC's fries aren't even that good, so I wouldn't miss them.
    83Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:01:10.46ID:YpCSDtQO0
    From what I'm seeing on social media, what everyone's actually worried about isn't the bumper harvest — it's the risk of cyst nematodes spreading into Japanese potato fields.
    91Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:02:07.37ID:YI24XYmn0
    >>83
    Just a bunch of leftists ('payoku,' a derisive online slang for left-leaning commentators) stoking fear over stuff like that.
    101Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:03:31.57ID:qeCRxXGn0
    >>83
    We've genuinely been burned by cyst nematodes before.
    If we end up with the pale cyst nematode on top of it, we'd have to start breeding resistant varieties from scratch again — that's seriously bad news.
    97Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:03:04.16ID:ZgTZ8LAZ0
    >>91
    Worrying about your food is just common sense.
    212Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:17:44.11ID:W1hMNbLO0
    No telling how much chemical they douse this stuff in before shipping it over.
    Remember all the fuss about oranges…
    221Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:18:43.43ID:d7epqnHv0
    >>212
    Does anyone even eat oranges at home anymore?
    Feels like I haven't touched one in maybe 10 years.
    246Anonymous2026/08/20 (Thu) 21:22:26.88ID:maZnFp/K0
    >>212

    Watch out for fungicides and herbicides — Japan is loosening its rules against the global trend.

    Imported produce sometimes carries harmful pesticides that aren't approved for domestic use. Take the 'fungicide' applied to lemons, oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus imported from the US. These are so-called 'post-harvest pesticides,' sprayed after picking to keep mold from forming during the sea voyage from America to Japan.
    https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20181126_807466.html?DETAIL

    That article's from 2018, but apparently the regulations really were loosened since then.
    No wonder they're drenching this stuff in chemicals before sending it our way.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Newsflash+) thread “Ban on US Potato Imports Set to Lift! Why Now, With Such a Bumper Harvest?“

  • [DeNA] Shintaro Fujinami Yanked After Allowing 3 Runs in 2⅓ Innings — Walks First Two Batters of the 3rd

    DeNA starter Shintaro Fujinami was pulled early from the mound after allowing 3 runs in 2⅓ innings against the Giants on the 20th. The moment that really caught eyes was in the 3rd inning, when he walked the first two batters he faced back-to-back — and 5channel (Japan’s largest anonymous forum, often shortened to “5ch”) lit up with reactions to his control problems. Commenters also debated how he should be used going forward, including whether he should switch to a fielding position.

    August 20, 2026, 6:55 PM

    ◇NPB Central League: DeNA vs. Giants (20th, Yokohama Stadium)

    DeNA starter Shintaro Fujinami was pulled from the mound after allowing 3 runs in 2⅓ innings.

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

    6Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:05:12.99ID:YlysND9A0
    He's always like this, and yet
    he's some kind of mystery player who keeps getting chances.
    He'll probably be pitching for someone again next year too.
    106Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:42:06.53ID:43AQ4gah0
    >>6
    Head office insisted, 'We'll fix him with AI!' — dead serious.
    If that fails, the whole company might come crashing down too…
    124Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:49:30.71ID:CpgsKOrs0
    >>106
    Yeah, they said 'we can correct it through data analysis!' lol
    They don't want to admit they were wrong, so now they're just letting him pitch as a do-or-die gamble.
    132Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:53:41.06ID:MyorY4IK0
    >>106
    If DeNA can really fix this guy with AI, then SoftBank — whose actual core business pours tens of thousands of times more money into AI — should be able to redirect that power into baseball and win not just the Japan Series but the World Series with no trouble at all…

    (Note: DeNA is an IT/mobile-games company that owns the Yokohama DeNA BayStars; SoftBank, a major tech/AI investor, owns the rival Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks — the joke plays on both teams’ parent companies being tech giants.)

    27Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:11:02.31ID:W8fUurPC0
    A change of scenery might turn him into a completely different pitcher.
    35Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:13:10.86ID:uNmMiK3F0
    >>27
    Pretty sure his scenery's already changed a bunch of times, and this is what we got?
    77Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:25:13.65ID:mbZo0+uO0
    >>27
    Maybe he should try javelin throwing.
    127Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:50:03.49ID:Ivhd1W/20
    >>27
    If he got reincarnated in another world, those hit-by-pitches might make him the hero who slays the demon lord.

    (Note: a joking reference to “isekai” fantasy stories where the protagonist is reborn in another world with special powers.)

    37Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:13:22.88ID:W6kiNIDP0
    Walking two guys on 8 straight balls was a sight to behold.
    45Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:14:49.32ID:PtBOIiTw0
    >>37
    If he'd gotten even one swing out of them, fine, lol
    but having every single pitch just watched and taken, that's rough.
    69Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:23:39.66ID:fRy41b9B0
    Wasn't there talk about him going overhand, since even if it slips it'll only miss vertically instead of sideways? Whatever happened to that?
    161Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:09:27.85ID:0a+Jhv320
    >>69
    His real flaw is he can't step straight with his left leg to begin with, so even overhand his leg would just wobble around and end up drilling a right-handed batter instead.
    80Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:25:59.57ID:fRy41b9B0
    There's maybe a slim chance of converting him to a position player —
    put him in the outfield, outfield.
    85Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:28:19.61ID:D1yBgXeN0
    >>80
    Right field's been solid lately with Encarnación — don't go sending some weirdo out there.
    81Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:27:03.23ID:F6MqEogn0
    If 3 runs in 2⅓ innings is the baseline, by that math you could let him go all the way to 6 runs over 6 innings — he's basically a pitcher you can calculate around.
    Why not let him throw longer?
    82Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:27:25.49ID:D1yBgXeN0
    >>81
    Please, let's not — spare the poor guy.
    100Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:37:50.40ID:D1yBgXeN0
    Lately whenever I watch high school baseball, I catch myself thinking these pure, hardworking high schoolers might turn into another Fujinami once they turn pro — and I watch with that in mind.
    168Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:15:05.79ID:4EPjoxEy0
    >>100
    I mean, the whole environment changes completely —
    for one thing, way more money starts flowing in —
    and it turns out he was the type who falls apart because of that.
    151Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:05:34.62ID:5Li7rWi30
    He's even said pro practice is easy since there's less of it than in high school — and he made it this far on just his high school training, so his potential really must be high.
    173Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:17:53.75ID:Ivhd1W/20
    >>151
    Not many people say 'potential' in a Fujinami thread anymore, lol.
    Still, his name recognition and how much buzz he generates really are something — a guy who mastered being a professional, just in the worst possible sense.
    185Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:23:45.17ID:4EPjoxEy0
    >>151
    It's not just [veteran pitcher] Noumi — even Messenger tagged him as a guy who doesn't practice.

    (Note: Atsushi Noumi is a veteran pitcher and former Fujinami teammate on the Hanshin Tigers known for his strict work ethic; “Messenger” refers to Randy Messenger, a former Hanshin Tigers import pitcher and teammate, known by the nickname “Messe.”)

    172Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:17:37.46ID:W8fUurPC0
    His raw arm strength is strong enough he could probably at least handle left field.
    Plus the DH is coming to the league next season,
    so he could stick around in pro ball for another 5 years.
    174Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:18:38.73ID:ILKXiMWr0
    >>172
    Wasn't it true that back in high school he actually hit a home run off Ohtani?
    176Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:20:00.56ID:Ivhd1W/20
    >>172
    If he ever cut loose with a full-strength throw from left field to home, I'm scared for the fans on the third-base side — they might end up critically injured, lol.
    183Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:22:17.18ID:D1yBgXeN0
    >>172
    Please, just let this season end with Watarai in left and Encarnación in right.
    I'm begging you, please 🙇

    (Note: Shohei Ohtani, referenced for his famous high school-era matchups; Ryusei Watarai is a young DeNA outfielder.)

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[DeNA] Shintaro Fujinami Pulled After 3 Runs in 2⅓ Innings — Walks First Two Batters of the 3rd Inning to Create a Crisis.”

  • Japan Weighs Lifting Ban on US Potato Imports Despite Bumper Harvest — Farmers Furious

    Despite a bumper harvest of domestically grown potatoes this year, it has emerged that Japan is considering lifting its ban on US potato imports. Growers have pushed back, with one saying, “As a producer, I absolutely cannot accept this when it comes to imports.” On 5channel (5ch, Japan’s largest anonymous forum), users debated concerns over cyst nematode damage to farmland, the fact that some fast-food chains already use American-grown potatoes, and the loosening of fungicide and pesticide regulations on imported produce.

    This year’s potato harvest is excellent. So why is Japan considering lifting the ban on American imports right now? What will it do to prices?

    ■ Lifting the ban on US potato imports?

    Potato farmer: “As a producer, I absolutely cannot accept this when it comes to imports.”

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

    2Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:48:55.38ID:IuocJc4Z0
    Japanese potatoes are anti-Japan, obviously (a sarcastic meme format where absurd things get jokingly branded 'anti-Japan').
    42Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:56:14.07ID:6+Yfpdru0
    If they're going to do this, I'd like them to test it on a remote island first.
    6Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:50:22.71ID:2v6ypPNa0
    > If even a little soil clings to the potatoes, pests could be hiding in it, and (there's a risk) pests get into fields and spread from there.

    Isn't that the same risk with the processed potatoes we already import?
    71Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:59:51.05ID:qeCRxXGn0
    >>6
    Basically what's imported now is already processed. Some unprocessed ones do come in, but soil still attached is strictly forbidden.
    64Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 20:58:52.92ID:GQZYVmSO0
    Haven't McDonald's and 'Kenchiki' fries always been like this anyway? (Kenchiki = slangy nickname for Kentucky Fried Chicken/KFC)
    77Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:00:23.27ID:d7epqnHv0
    >>64
    McDonald's long fries are American, but I thought KFC ('Kenta') and Mos Burger used domestic Japanese potatoes?
    93Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:02:17.68ID:GQZYVmSO0
    >>77
    There was a KFC fry shortage a while back, and the reason given was that supply from America wasn't coming in.
    103Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:03:49.06ID:d7epqnHv0
    >>93
    Huh, is that right. Anyway, what's with calling it 'Kenchiki' lol — normal people just say 'Kenta'
    116Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:05:18.54ID:XsQ1VT6Q0
    >>93
    KFC's fries aren't even that good, so I wouldn't miss them.
    83Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:01:10.46ID:YpCSDtQO0
    From what I'm seeing on social media, what people are actually worried about isn't so much the bumper harvest — it's the risk of nematodes spreading to Japan's potato farms.
    91Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:02:07.37ID:YI24XYmn0
    >>83
    Just the usual leftist agitators (パヨク／'payoku', a mocking online slur for left-leaning commentators) stirring up fear over stuff like that.
    101Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:03:31.57ID:qeCRxXGn0
    >>83
    We've genuinely been burned badly by cyst nematodes before. If we get hit with the white potato cyst nematode too, we'd have to start breeding resistant varieties all over again — that's seriously bad news.
    97Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:03:04.16ID:ZgTZ8LAZ0
    >>91
    Worrying about your food supply is completely normal though?
    212Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:17:44.11ID:W1hMNbLO0
    You never know how much chemical spray they douse this stuff with before shipping it over. Remember all the fuss about oranges…
    221Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:18:43.43ID:d7epqnHv0
    >>212
    Do people even eat oranges at home anymore? Feels like I haven't touched one in maybe 10 years.
    246Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:22:26.88ID:maZnFp/K0
    >>212

    > Watch out for fungicides and herbicides — Japan is loosening regulations against the global trend

    Imported produce sometimes carries harmful pesticides that aren't permitted domestically. One example is the 'fungicide' used on lemons, oranges, grapefruit and other citrus imported from the US. These are so-called 'post-harvest pesticides' — sprayed after harvest, during the sea voyage from the US to Japan, to keep mold from forming.
    https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20181126_807466.html?DETAIL

    That's a 2018 article, so this deregulation happened a while ago, huh.
    No wonder they ship this stuff drenched in chemicals.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “US Potato Imports Set to Be Allowed! Why Now, With a Bumper Harvest?“

  • 2026 Summer Koshien Is a “Crop Failure” — Pro Scouts Point to the Cause

    This year’s Koshien tournament (Japan’s national high school baseball championship, a summer institution watched nationwide) is reportedly being called by pro baseball scouts not just a “poor harvest” but an outright “crop failure.” Scouts gathered behind the backstop apparently agree that aside from Yokohama High’s Oda, there’s almost no one else worth chasing.

    On 5channel (5ch, Japan’s largest anonymous forum), the discussion spun off in several directions: gripes about high school baseball’s signature “sitting on the bench forever” problem, comparisons of average pay between pro baseball (NPB) and the J.League (Japan’s pro soccer league), and even a comparison of average height between Japan’s WBC baseball squad and its men’s national soccer team.

    “This summer isn’t just a poor harvest — it’s a full-on ‘crop failure,’” says a scout from the Pacific League (one of NPB’s two leagues).

    Behind the backstop at Koshien sit scouts from all 12 NPB clubs, plus MLB scouts. Aside from a standout talent like Oda (Yokohama), who took the mound on the 18th, this scout says there are simply too few players left worth tracking.

    Source: nikkan-gendai.com / original article here

    5Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:10:47.69ID:MHePTOkL0
    I mean, kids who actually want to play sports don't want to do bat-swinging where you just stand around doing nothing most of the time
    166Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:38:23.73ID:pCuslvJT0
    >>5
    And the other half of the time you're just sitting on the bench lol
    12Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:11:48.16ID:5qzXL2xP0
    >>6
    Guys like Oda pull in a ton of MLB scouts too. They're probably relieved they lost already.
    35Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:15:37.79ID:rvp04ZAR0
    >>12
    Oda's nothing special.
    46Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:17:21.99ID:Ds8p0rZz0
    >>35
    Specifically, what's not special about him?
    207Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:45:54.57ID:Rba1/zYv0
    >>35
    Who's the top prospect in the scouts' eyes, then?
    19Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:12:39.56ID:rSCBVRmy0
    Soccer just doesn't pay the same. Baseball players can make several times to dozens of times more.
    44Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:17:01.45ID:rvp04ZAR0
    >>19
    The median NPB salary is only around 20 million yen (roughly $135,000), which is less than J1 (Japan's top soccer division).
    49Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:18:35.94ID:gOO/SJUt0
    >>44
    NPB averages 50 million yen (~$340,000) and the J.League averages 12 million yen (~$80,000). Wait, are you leaving out J2 and J3? lmaooo
    51Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:19:04.02ID:Uef657E/0
    >>49
    Pro baseball — wait, aren't the independent leagues technically 'pro baseball' too? lol
    57Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:20:12.80ID:rvp04ZAR0
    >>49
    Every country treats the top division as a separate league from everything below it. And if you're going to count soccer's lower divisions, you'd have to count baseball's independent leagues too.
    92Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:25:32.70ID:8cpyZtJU0
    https://image-tm.s2mr.jp/i/original/1787228719025.jpeg

    Guess the shrinking player pool is finally showing its effects lol
    109Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:28:12.80ID:OutxuuMT0
    Unpopular with kids + shrinking participation = nothing but small, short players now 😂
    131Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:32:19.82ID:PVu9NnVM0
    >>109
    Baseball players have finally gotten shorter than soccer players 😨

    2026 WBC Japan national baseball team, average height: 179.9cm (~5'11")


    2026 World Cup Japan national soccer team, average height: 181.35cm (~5'11.5")



    🥹
    138Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:33:35.01ID:Gz3V9XQC0
    >>131
    They probably padded that average with Darvish (Yu Darvish, the towering MLB pitcher).
    162Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:37:43.37ID:FAdkg18t0
    If talent were really flowing to soccer, Japan should be producing its own Messis and Ronaldos by now, no? Baseball's got Ohtani, the best player in the world, and plenty of other guys tearing it up in MLB too.
    167Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:38:25.87ID:cD7edILX0
    >>162
    Soccer isn't some low-competition niche sport like baseball.
    183Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:40:05.97ID:XX5o+TWI0
    >>162
    Worse than the Dominicans and Venezuelans, honestly.
    191Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:41:26.69ID:wrPN5KMd0
    >>162
    Over 80% of the world's baseball-playing population is in Japan and the US, and yet the number of Japanese MLB players is way too small.

    Ichiro (Ichiro Suzuki, the legendary NPB/MLB hitter) once said that if Japanese players really had the talent for baseball, every single MLB team should have a Japanese player on it, the way Dominican players are everywhere.

    The current numbers are honestly pretty sad.
    196Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:44:06.40ID:FAdkg18t0
    >>191
    Japanese baseball is the best in the world, and Ohtani's the best player in the world, so.
    201Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:45:11.59ID:IjhyXzcm0
    >>196
    Being 'world's best' at baseball doesn't really mean much.
    202Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:45:13.88ID:wrPN5KMd0
    >>196
    They made the quarterfinals this year — out of 24 total countries.
    228Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 21:49:23.21ID:ggm35MZn0
    >>196
    The second other countries actually get serious, that 'world's best' title turns out to be a hollow quarterfinal finish.

    And once Ohtani's past his prime, the next time Japan wins that fake 'world championship' called the WBC is a long way off.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinosuposoku+ board) thread “[High School Baseball] 2026 Summer Koshien Goes Beyond “Poor Harvest” to “Crop Failure”… Pro Scouts Point to the Cause of the Anomaly.”

  • Drinking Solo with KFC as His Side Dish — 5ch: “I Went From 110kg to 55kg”

    A thread popped up on 5ch (Newsspeed VIP, a rapid-fire anonymous board) where the poster announced he’d bought KFC and was starting a solo drinking session with it as his side dish. Between chatter about KFC’s upcoming anniversary combo and news of Uma Musume (a hit horse-girl gacha game) trading cards reselling for huge markups, the thread’s original poster revealed he’d dieted down from 110kg to 55kg — and things spiraled from there into how diabetes actually works and how many pachinko parlors have closed down.

    1Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:30:42.915ID:ID:s93UCI5L0
    (´;ω;`) Drinking with chicken as my snack
    2Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:31:11.700ID:tK35jibv0
    (´・ω・`) Looks super tasty
    3Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:31:30.790ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>2
    (´;ω;`) Haven't bought KFC in a while (he says "keta-chiki," slang for Kentucky Fried Chicken)
    4Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:31:31.112ID:eH4zPjLa0
    Your keyboard's so filthy it's stealing all my attention
    6Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:31:46.303ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>4
    (´;ω;`) Just forget I posted it
    8Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:32:30.251ID:0bt/ktrq0
    They're doing the anniversary combo pack in about a week though (KFC Japan runs a special "birthday festival" deal every August)
    12Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:33:49.588ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>8
    (´;ω;`) Can't wait that long
    18Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:35:09.196ID:AGmFhzIk0
    Eating while staring at that disgusting keyboard can't taste good
    20Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:35:37.147ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>18
    (´;ω;`) It's not dirty
    22Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:36:26.665ID:O5vXvnav0
    Λ_Λ
    ૮₍ ･᷇ ∀ ･᷆ ₎ა A similar one will only be ¥990 pretty soon anyway
    The Founder's Pack kicks off around the 28th
    25Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:36:47.244ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>22
    (´;ω;`) Seriously?… Guess I'll have to buy it again then
    23Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:36:28.721ID:s93UCI5L0
    (´;ω;`) Today I went drinking and eating at Senbayashi shopping street in Osaka (a famous old-school covered shotengai retail arcade)
    200Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:41:24.313ID:A2OfO2Mu0
    >>23
    Why are you eating again? You're eating way too much
    24Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:36:36.598ID:ptff8Ava0
    If you pull a hit card from the Uma Musume packs right now, it'll resell for ¥10,000 or more
    26Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:37:14.921ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>24
    (´;ω;`) Seriously???? I'm not into Uma Musume and figured I didn't need it, but did I just flush a bunch of expected value down the drain…
    27Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:37:36.665ID:PNI/p+4i0
    Nice, I love the Original Recipe chicken
    28Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:38:26.273ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>27
    (´;ω;`) Honestly this is the best one in the end… I eat it right down to the bone
    35Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:42:42.899ID:s93UCI5L0
    (´;ω;`) Gonna eat the side chicken now

    42Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:43:57.667ID:J15dLJp3M
    >>35
    That mayo's loaded with sugar, you know…
    63Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:50:29.713ID:s93UCI5L0
    (´;ω;`) Check it out, I got Urin-chan! (a mascot figure tied to the Umi Monogatari pachinko series)
    64Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:51:10.949ID:Jxj1kEb20
    >>63
    ૮₍ ･ω･ ₎ა who's that
    65Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 21:51:41.770ID:s93UCI5L0
    (´;ω;`) That completes my Umi Monogatari capsule-toy set! (Umi Monogatari, "Sea Story," is a long-running, hugely popular pachinko slot series)
    88Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:03:32.224ID:8NOeoyvA0
    I always figured diabetes was an overweight-person thing
    90Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:04:17.313ID:fB+ydCmUa
    >>88
    (´・ω・｀) You can get it even when you're thin
    It actually has nothing to do with being fat or skinny
    It's a symptom of your insulin running too high
    92Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:04:43.151ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>88
    (´;ω;`) I went on a serious diet and dropped from 110kg (about 242 lbs) to 55kg (about 121 lbs)
    105Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:09:09.609ID:s93UCI5L0
    (´;ω;`) I'll show this to just you guys ♡♡

    126Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:15:01.298ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>122
    (´;ω;`) Honestly I'm fine staying like this… the only ways to get rid of the loose skin are building muscle or having it surgically removed
    135Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:17:32.518ID:s93UCI5L0
    >>132
    (´;ω;`) Is it actually true that pachinko parlors will be extinct in 20 years?
    141Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:18:31.896ID:/kzhvODy0
    >>135
    People were saying the exact same thing 20 years ago when the "5th-gen" machines came in (a regulatory generation of pachislot machines)
    145Anonymous (5ch VIP board)2026/08/20(木) 22:19:51.104ID:WZdN94kk0
    >>135
    Back during COVID, when everyone said they were collapsing left and right, there were still about 9,000 parlors — now it's under 6,000
    Well, I bet casinos will show up eventually anyway

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread “(´;ω;`) I bought some KFC!“

  • Why Isn’t the Death of 4 Weed-Clearing Workers Hit by a Tobu Express Train a Bigger Deal?

    After a Tobu Railway express train struck and killed four track weed-clearing workers, passengers were seen smiling during TV interviews about the incident — prompting posters on 5channel (Japan’s largest anonymous forum) to ask, “Why isn’t this a bigger deal?”

    The thread argued over who’s liable for damages, the dangerous reality of track-maintenance and weed-clearing work, and why the story has gotten so little media coverage.

    1Anonymous (lit. "Still-Running Nameless," a train-themed handle used on this board)2026/08/20(Thu) 19:06:36.88ID:ID:W92CCdwC0
    What is even going on here…
    4Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:07:33.67ID:W92CCdwC0
    I guess society just figures it doesn't matter much since it was "only" weed-clearing workers who died… I mean, passengers were literally smiling in their interviews, saying stuff like "it was rough" or "wow, what a shock."
    7Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:08:40.54ID:Lt5T0uBp0
    >>4
    That's insane.
    18Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:14:45.23ID:JifOP19f0
    >>4
    The smiling really got to me…
    11Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:10:33.43ID:7B2zs7h10
    Shows how little a life is worth when it's an older, single laborer. If it had been 4 JK (schoolgirls), this would be huge news.
    50Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:31:29.17ID:a+pkQw6e0
    Railway weed-clearing is insanely dangerous, life-on-the-line work — so why does it pay so little?
    53Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:32:18.61ID:RxUS6AQA0
    >>50
    If there wasn't some careless guy on the crew, the accident wouldn't have happened at all, no?
    71Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:39:47.35ID:KgOGxPWzH
    >>50
    Well, it's not like they're producing anything. Just cutting grass.
    67Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:38:17.46ID:3Z3tNCy10
    The only silver lining is the families get money out of this. Gotta be at least 300 million yen (~$2M) per person, easy.
    69Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:39:22.02ID:acibHCEt0
    >>67
    They weren't paying passengers, so if anything this'll be handled as a straight-up damages/liability claim.
    74Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:40:19.62ID:Mtm4VzbQ0
    >>67
    If this ends the way TEPCO did (the utility whose stock cratered after the Fukushima disaster), you already know what to do with Tobu Railway stock, right?
    72Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:39:47.98ID:A6G+oLrm0
    Is the media not criticizing Tobu Railway because they're getting paid off or something?
    75Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:40:48.92ID:abt9QBz30
    >>72
    I don't think it's that… though I have no idea how much they spend on TV ads.
    76Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:41:07.41ID:Mtm4VzbQ0
    >>72
    They're just still in the "prep work" stage.
    77Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:41:11.17ID:S00ez3N80
    >>72
    These days the media gets bashed for emotional criticism, so they hold back.
    95Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:51:52.95ID:53NSftvk0
    So who's paying for the damage to the train itself? The workers' families?
    97Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:53:14.35ID:imTpqrWA0
    >>95
    The train photographers ("tori-tetsu" — obsessive railfans who chase trains for photos). Reason: because they're creepy.
    98Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:53:41.96ID:abt9QBz30
    >>95
    I'd guess the people who were struck and killed probably weren't at fault at all. Beyond that, we really won't know until it's properly investigated.
    (-人-) [hands clasped in prayer]
    101Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 19:56:17.79ID:n1H7zM+70
    >>98
    The fault lies with the workers who died, their lookout colleague, and the company.
    103Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:02:47.84ID:abt9QBz30
    >>101
    We don't even know the contractual liability between Tobu and the contractor. Until this is properly investigated, outsiders like us have no business prejudging who owes how much in damages.
    126Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:27:17.68ID:acibHCEt0
    >>103
    Don't strain yourself trying to sound smart with words like "prejudge" lmao
    147Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:36:07.00ID:n1H7zM+70
    >>103
    Don't jump in when you don't know anything. This kind of work belongs to the track-maintenance contractors. The dead workers' company was contracted for track maintenance — weed-clearing is just one part of that job. And safety management during the work is the contractor's responsibility.
    113Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:13:36.23ID:IWunflZr0
    Is it a disregard for human life that they don't just stop running trains while weed-clearing is going on?
    123Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:24:35.28ID:cvpk5V910
    >>113
    You can't do weed-clearing in the middle of the night, and you can't just halt trains during the day either. Even when the Yamanote Line announces service suspensions for construction way ahead of time, tons of idiots still show up on the day and complain to station staff.
    153Anonymous2026/08/20(Thu) 20:40:38.22ID:n1H7zM+70
    >>113
    Nah, that's not it. At night there's the real track-maintenance work — swapping out rails, replacing gravel ballast, serious stuff. And they have to finish all of that in the 4-5 hours between the last train and the first train. Daytime weed-clearing is more like side pocket-money work.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Nandemo Jikkyo G board) thread “Tobu Railway: ‘Our express train ran over and killed 4 weed-clearing workers’ — Why isn’t this a bigger deal?”

  • PE Teacher Pulls Man From Burning Car With Bare Hands — 5ch: “Wild That He Even Thought He Could Bend the Door”

    A video showing a health-and-PE teacher pulling someone out of a burning car with his bare hands went viral on 5ch’s “Nanidemo Jikkyo” board (a general live-discussion/news board). While many praised him for pushing through the heat to save the person, some questioned why the driver couldn’t get out on their own. One post about the thread’s own title also drew attention — noting that engagement jumped once the headline was changed from a mocking tone to a more factual one.

    6Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:06:39.65ID:VDcA+5Nc0
    Lucky break that the wrecked car was a kei car (Japan's compact 'light' cars) — rare case where that actually worked in his favor.
    75Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:50:10.80ID:DzV6z+AG0
    >>6
    Might wanna update that brain of yours, grandpa.
    10Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:07:24.66ID:LhoBtJq00
    Was he in the other car involved in the crash?
    21Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:13:16.12ID:IO8KPj/40
    >>10
    Nah, he's in the car that was recording it — the dashcam car.
    22Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:13:29.59ID:uTgiqrxa0
    Whoever caused this crash better not get behind a wheel again — surviving a dumb accident like this was basically a miracle.
    102Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:08:27.99ID:leHn6/n+0
    >>22
    What kind of accident was it, anyway?
    27Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:15:41.47ID:3cLu2y210
    This has gotta be huge for the school's image, right?
    Wonder if he gets a bonus out of it.
    45Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:26:27.96ID:wqqIKm8l0
    I could pull that off too, I just never get the chance.
    51Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:33:53.39ID:eSqoYtiG0
    >>45
    That door was hot enough to burn your skin, man.
    50Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:33:11.24ID:Qg0G1DKm0
    Wild that he even thought he could bend the door.
    Most people who wanted to help would still be too scared to get near a burning car — this guy is legitimately cool.
    53Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:34:43.58ID:f/074mZA0
    >>50
    Just the thought of touching a burning car is nuts on its own.
    And he actually got the guy out. Genuinely badass.
    79Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:52:32.46ID:3eWA2zHb0
    If the driver wasn't pinned in, couldn't he have broken it open from the inside himself? Was he just too panicked to move, or was he not strong enough?
    84Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 14:55:00.18ID:9Atwr1NJd
    >>79
    Which do you think gets you more force — pushing while sitting down, or standing up and throwing your full body weight into it?
    91Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:00:09.70ID:SxlFgaHH0
    That first light touch was probably him checking it wasn't scorching hot to the point of being unbearable.
    Lucky the fire hadn't spread over the whole car yet.
    Still, it's dangerous — ideally you'd want gloves or a helmet, but I doubt many people keep those in their car.
    93Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:01:14.70ID:fP+AbwsWM
    >>91
    Even if it's too hot bare-handed, he probably could've stripped off his shirt and used it to grip and pull.
    100Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:07:16.37ID:St+Vh1qM0
    "Not really, no special training or anything."
    113Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:20:36.54ID:SxlFgaHH0
    >>100
    A fire extinguisher would've been the ideal thing to have on hand.
    114Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:21:12.95ID:LrgT+FBR0
    >>113
    Lol, the guy inside is coughing his lungs out.
    119Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:23:28.99ID:47kz5A4bM
    >>113
    Even with the guy inside coughing that bad, is dousing the fire one second faster with an extinguisher actually the right call?
    121Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:25:20.01ID:X21ZyqRw0
    These doors bend more easily than you'd think — I tried bending my mom's kei car door once for fun.
    Put my full 120kg into it and it just caved right in. Mom was in tears of joy over how strong I am.
    126Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:34:26.74ID:P/nF6CjI0
    >>121
    This tweet is way too funny.
    144Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 15:54:55.85ID:ZP+EpTPr0
    Wild how just changing the thread title changes how much traction it gets. The first thread I ever made, three days ago, had some snarky title mocking PE teachers, and sure enough it never even hit 20 replies.
    152Still Standing Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 16:04:11.81ID:fQEAfm+s0
    >>144
    Contrarian takes just kill the mood.
    The guy did something genuinely admirable here.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nanidemo Jikkyo board) thread “[Video] PE Teacher Rescues Person Bare-Handed from a Burning Car 🚙🔥wwwwwwwwww” (the trailing “www” is Japanese internet shorthand for laughter, like “lol” repeated).