Category: News

  • Supposed to Be Eco-Friendly, but the Packaging Wasn’t: Apple Watch Band Sparks 5ch Chat

    A thread from “Hoihoi Village,” the popular recurring series on 5ch’s Newsspeed VIP board. It started as idle chat with posters trading updates about the rain, then took off when someone complained about the genuine Apple Watch band they’d ordered from Amazon: “It’s supposed to be an eco-friendly product, but the way it’s shipped isn’t eco-friendly at all.” From there, talk turned to Apple’s environmental efforts — FSC certification, carbon neutrality, offices running on solar power — before eventually drifting back into casual chatter about band design preferences.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:47
    (´・ω・`)I'm the village chief, hoi (his catchphrase tic).
    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:48
    Is this thread being environmentally friendly!?
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:48
    Re: #3
    (´・ω・`)It's a very peaceful village, hoi
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:49
    The genuine Apple Watch band I bought on Amazon was made with the environment in mind, and yet it's being delivered in a totally un-eco-friendly way 🤬
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:49
    Re: #6
    (´・ω・`)Just give it up, hoi
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:50
    Re: #6
    Go stomp in a puddle with your sneakers on
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:49
    ( ◠‿ ◠ )Well then, here we go…

    Haa🖐( ◠ ‿◠ )🖐 dosukoi dosukoi (a sumo wrestler's chant)
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:49
    Re: #7
    (´・ω・`)That's not it, hoi
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:49
    (´・ω・`)You're always on about the long autumn rains, hoi hoi hoi
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:50
    Re: #11
    (´・ω・`)Sure is rainy lately, hoi
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:50
    (´・ω・`)Weather's holdin' up okay on my end, yessir (old-fashioned rustic speech)
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:50
    Re: #14
    (´・ω・`)It stopped raining over here too, hoi
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:50
    Λ_Λ
    ૮₍ ・᷇ ∀ ・᷆ ₎ა Alright, my turn too… dosukoi-koi!
    🖐  🤚
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:50
    Re: #16
    (´・ω・`)That's not it though, hoi
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:51
    Re: #8
    Why doesn't my local electronics store carry the genuine bands?
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:52
    Re: #19
    (´・ω・`)Can't they special-order it for you, hoi?
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:51
    (´・ω・`)It's drizzling steadily
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:53
    Re: #20
    (´・ω・`)Feels like the rainy season's back, hoi
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:51
    (´・∀・`)Looks like tomorrow's rain will be heavier
    25AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:53
    Re: #21
    (´・ω・`)It's better than the original forecast, hoi
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:56
    Re: #30
    (´・ω・`)Go ahead and ask them, hoi
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:56
    Re: #34
    Already bought it on Amazon — it's being shipped in a way that isn't eco-friendly
    41AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:57
    Re: #37
    (´・ω・`)Just give up on that, hoi
    61AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:05
    Re: #41
    I went with this year's (2025) Pride Edition — part of the proceeds go to LGBT charities
    70AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:10
    Re: #61
    (´・ω・`)Has it arrived yet, hoi?
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:56
    Ahee Ahee
                ∧_∧  ∧_∧
    Ahee        /  ・᷇ ∀ ./  ・᷇ ∀
     Ahee    ∧_∧__ノ…../____ノ ∧_∧
            /    )          / ・᷇ ∀ ・᷆)
           ∧_∧ _ノ  ヒ、ヒィー   …../_ ∧_∧
          (    )   ('A`≡'A`)     ( ・᷇ ∀ ・᷆ )  Ahee Ahee
           ヽ ∧_∧   人ヘ )ヘ  ∧_∧__ノ
            (・᷆    ヽ         (・᷇ ∀ ・᷆ \
    Ahee    ヽ_ ∧_∧   ∧_∧___ノ
               ∀ ・᷆  \ ∀ ・᷆   \    Ahee
               ヽ____\ヽ___ノ
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:57
    Re: #39
    (´・ω・`)Cut it out, hoi
    60AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:03
    Re: #39
    What even is this ASCII art, lol

               |
      |    i  _,,o,,_    i
            //  ヘ\ |
      i  |   /  i   i ヘ    |
           ゚⌒゚⌒゚l⌒゚⌒゚l  i
     |    i ∧,,∧  | 
       i   ( ´・ω) |  i   | 
         (∪  つし
         `u-u'
    74AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:12
    Apple obtains and relies on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification — the international standard proving sustainable management — for the paper and forest resources used in its product packaging.

    On top of that, every Apple Watch model since 2023 has been fully carbon-neutral certified, using 100% renewable energy throughout manufacturing, with over 30% recycled aluminum.

    And yet Amazon ships it to my house in a way that isn't eco-friendly at all
    81AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:14
    Re: #74
    (´・ω・`)Didn't you order it directly from Apple, hoi?
    87AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:15
    Re: #81
    Apple's official store didn't have my size in stock. This year's model had it, but I hate the Sport Loop
    92AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:16
    Re: #87
    (´・ω・`)Ah, I see, hoi
    75AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:12
    Re: #70
    It arrives Saturday — that last pic was just one I found online
    78AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:14
    Re: #75
    (´・ω・`)Nice purchase
    82AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:14
    Re: #75
    (´・ω・`)I see, I see, hoi hoi
    89AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:15
    Re: #78
    Apple plans to make all of its shipments carbon-neutral by 2030
    94AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:16
    Re: #89
    (´・ω・`)That's a big tech company's responsibility — hope they keep at it seriously
    96AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:18
    Re: #94
    Apple's current headquarters, completed in 2018, covers all its energy needs using only the solar panels blanketing its roof. Not many tech companies go this far
    98AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:18
    Re: #96
    (´・ω・`)Amazing
    99AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:19
    Re: #92
    This year's isn't bad either, but don't you think the Sport Loop is too casual?
    103AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:21
    Re: #99
    (´・ω・`)I don't use a smartwatch so I can't really say, hoi
    108AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:25
    Re: #103
    I feel like this year's one (the Sport Loop) only really works with casual outfits like t-shirts


    I've bought a bunch of different bands, but honestly the Sport Band ends up being the most complete design
    129AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:48
    (´・ω・`)Here's one I took a while back.
    Not from today, okay.

    137AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:04
    __,.,,_
    ./ *・ω・ヽWent to a hotel buffet
    I love the curry here


    147AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:11
    Re: #137
    🍶(●´・ω,・)🍣Looks so fancy and delicious! ("oshanti" — playful slang for stylish/chic)
    151AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:14
    Re: #137
    (´・ω・`)It's a high-class place.
    Any restaurant that serves the soup spoon on its own little plate is high-class.
    For a lowly guy like me, the bar's too high.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    For context, Apple has stated since 2020 that it aims to make every product’s entire lifecycle carbon-neutral by 2030, and some Apple Watch models have already achieved that certification. Meanwhile, the shipping packaging used by major e-commerce platforms like Amazon is chosen based on shipping volume and delivery efficiency, operating under standards separate from manufacturers’ environmental efforts. The sense of disconnect raised in the thread — “the maker cares about the environment, but the shipping doesn’t” — reflects the reality that environmental standards are handled separately across manufacturing and logistics. That said, this thread itself isn’t really building toward a conclusion or a debate; it’s mostly casual chat that wanders from updates on the rain to talk about band designs, with the topic drifting from one thing to the next — which is exactly the charm of the “Hoihoi Village” series.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread “(´・ω・`)Hoihoi Village Is Rainy, Hoi ☔“.

  • NARUTO’s Rock Lee: Fans Point Out He’s One of the Series’ Most Popular Characters Overseas

    On the 5channel (5ch) board “Nandemo Jikkyou G,” a thread discussed what people knew about Rock Lee, the ninja from NARUTO. While some gave harsh assessments calling him a “complete downgrade” of his mentor Might Guy, others pointed out that despite the handicap of being unable to use any ninjutsu at all, he shone during the Chunin Exams — and that he’s actually one of the most popular characters in the series overseas. A stream of detailed trivia about the original manga’s setup kept surfacing, such as how his signature techniques, the Reverse Lotus and the Eight Gates, are double-edged swords that damage his own body as much as his enemy’s, and how he barely appears in the sequel BORUTO — leading to a thread full of mixed opinions.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:53
    Was full of himself when he first showed up
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:54
    Isn't it kind of harsh calling him a complete downgrade of Might Guy?
    They could've given him at least one thing where he surpasses Guy.
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:55
    The fact that the Reverse Lotus can chip away a huge chunk of an enemy's HP
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:57
    Re: #6
    Though it apparently chips away a huge chunk of his own HP too
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:56
    If it weren't for Gaara's plot armor, he might've been the strongest in the Chunin Exams
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:57
    He's popular enough that they made a spinoff and an anime-original episode about his dad
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:05
    Re: #10
    He's just an easy character to make content about because he's a gag character
    His inspiration is Bruce Lee and the like anyway
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:01
    The man whose mentor stole all his thunder
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:03
    You wouldn't guess it, but overseas he's one of the top one or two most popular characters in the series
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:03
    Even his spot as the "genius through hard work with no bloodline" gets taken by Sakura, the girl he's crushing on
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:05
    Lmao, at some point he and Gaara just became buddies
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:11
    He actually beats some pretty strong characters and shines in the movies, so his treatment in Part 2 of the main series is way too harsh
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:11
    Not being able to use any ninjutsu at all is playing on hard mode — poor guy
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:21
    Weekly Shonen Jump once ran a feature profiling two Naruto characters nicknamed "Nice Guy" and "Pocha Lee" (punning nicknames for Might Guy and Rock Lee)
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:25
    Guy-sensei really did steal all his thunder
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:26
    Being close with Naruto, he's a character who gets favorable treatment
    42AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:27
    His peak was the fight against Gaara
    54AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:36
    Re: #42
    He was still holding strong up through the fight with Kimimaro
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:27
    In settings focused on hand-to-hand combat, like fighting games, he instantly rockets to the top of the meta
    44AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:28
    If the setting had been that, to make up for being bad at ninjutsu, he could open up to the Seventh Gate without wrecking his body, he could've been an upgrade over Guy
    46AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:30
    In Gekitou Ninja Taisen (the fighting game), spamming the Reverse Lotus was basically an easy win
    48AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:31
    Just being given an ultimate technique like the Eight Gates that still gets him a moment to shine in the final arc is already pretty lucky
    His classmates from the same year are stuck with dogs or bugs
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:35
    Re: #48
    Tenten's basically got zero gimmick at all
    49AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:34
    Someone who deserves more criticism than Naruto
    A student who gets massively favored by his teacher (Guy) — if you're a fellow student, that's the worst kind of person to have around
    50AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:35
    The role of "the one who beats Neji" got taken from Lee by Naruto
    57AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:37
    During the Chunin Exams he was easily stronger than Neji
    Actually, is there anyone besides Gaara who could beat Rock Lee?
    58AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:37
    There are two different episode/chapter subtitles literally called "Lee's Secret!"
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:44
    A man living off the glory of the Chunin Exams alone
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:45
    He said "the strongest genin in Konoha is on my team," but the weakest kunoichi in Konoha is also on his team 🥹
    That girl who just pulls out weapons (Tenten)
    65AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:46
    He can't control chakra at all, yet he can move on water
    92AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:08
    Re: #65
    Apparently he's kicking his legs at a speed too fast to see, just to keep from drowning
    68AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:48
    Having Guy around was actually this guy's misfortune
    75AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:56
    Re: #68
    Without Guy he'd be useless — he wouldn't even have taijutsu
    73AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:55
    He got divorced from Tenten
    80AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:00
    Re: #73
    According to the official setting (jokingly attributed to creator Kishimoto), they got swept up in a marriage boom among their friends and married on a whim, then split up soon after
    77AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:58
    Haven't read it so I wouldn't know, but does he at least become a downgraded Guy in the sequel?
    83AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:01
    Re: #77
    He doesn't show up at all
    From his generation, only Shikamaru really appears
    86AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:04
    He has a kid named Metal Lee — they really botched that naming
    87AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:05
    Re: #86
    If your dad's named Rock, Metal is the only option for a son's name
    89AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:07
    The fact that Guy always called Lee by his surname the whole time
    91AnonymousSep 3, 2026 22:08
    Re: #89
    LOL LOL LOOOL!
    He cared about him more than anyone, so why?! 😭

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Rock Lee is almost the only major character in the NARUTO main story set up as completely unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu; instead he fights purely with taijutsu, wielding the “Eight Gates” — an ultimate technique that sacrifices his own body. That’s the backdrop for why the Reverse Lotus and the Eight Gates kept coming up in the thread as a “double-edged sword that damages the enemy but also hurts himself.” Opinions split between those who saw him as nothing more than a “complete downgrade” of his mentor, Might Guy, and those who pointed to his standout performance in the Chunin Exams arc and his high popularity overseas (#17) as evidence of his own unique presence. What’s easy for readers to miss is that this gap in treatment isn’t simple favoritism — it stems from the built-in handicap of having no ninjutsu at all — and the fact that he barely appears in the sequel series BORUTO (#83), which symbolizes the story’s generational handoff to a new cast of protagonists.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Nandemo Jikkyou G) thread “Things People Know About NARUTO’s Rock Lee.”

  • Komeo’s Restaurant Hit With Business Suspension Order — 5ch: “The Fanbase Will Carry It, No Damage Done”

    Following a mass food-poisoning outbreak linked to chilled crab ramen sold by food YouTuber “Komeo” (370,000 subscribers) at the Azabu Juban Summer Festival, Tokyo’s Minato Ward confirmed on September 3 that Salmonella was the cause and issued a seven-day business suspension order against Komeo’s restaurant, “Kappo Komeo” (*kappo* = a style of traditional Japanese cuisine restaurant). The restaurant’s planned booth at the Tokyo Curry Expo that same day was also cancelled. On 5ch (a major Japanese anonymous message board), users traded theories about the infection route and drew comparisons to past food-poisoning cases, while opinions split over whether the restaurant can survive once it reopens.

    On September 3, Komeo (370,000 subscribers) once again apologized on X over the food-poisoning incident caused by the chilled crab ramen he sold at the Azabu Juban Summer Festival. That same day, Minato Ward announced it had confirmed the case as Salmonella-caused food poisoning and had issued a seven-day business suspension order against Komeo’s restaurant, Kappo Komeo.

    Minato Ward confirms Salmonella as the cause

    On September 3, Minato Ward published the findings of an investigation by the Minato Public Health Center on its official website. According to the report, the ward concluded that Salmonella food poisoning stemmed from chilled crab ramen that Kappo Komeo prepared in-house on August 22 and 23 and brought to sell at the Azabu Juban Summer Festival venue.

    Source: yutura.net / original article here

    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:28

    That wording makes it sound like they're closing voluntarily.
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:30
    With Salmonella, the infection route is usually sewage — meaning toilets — or river creatures, or animal intestines.
    Wonder which it was here.
    Did someone not wash their hands after using the toilet?
    Was it the crab?
    The soup stock?
    23AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:34
    Re: #16
    Probably the sink.
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:30
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:39
    Re: #18
    What about this cheap-looking poster makes you want to go eat that ramen?
    79AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:58
    Re: #18
    Apparently they serve some seriously amazing ramen.
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:34
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:34
    The sequel's coming!
    Brace yourselves!

    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:36
    I got norovirus once in my life and I never want it again.
    If I'd had euthanasia drugs on hand, I'd have downed them without a second thought.
    45AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:42
    Re: #28
    I wonder which one hits harder, this or norovirus.
    66AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:49
    Re: #28
    I've had it too, it was seriously brutal.
    I was throwing up and having diarrhea at the same time on the toilet.
    67AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:50
    Re: #28
    Norovirus was rough,
    but what really got me was watery diarrhea aggravating my hemorrhoids — the pain was unreal.
    I was crying and groaning.
    Right up there with a hernia or kidney stones. 😢
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:37
    It's usually three days, right?
    Seven days must mean they judged this one especially malicious.
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:39
    Re: #29
    Well, sickening around 100 people is a pretty big scale.
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:37
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:39
    Re: #30
    Guess chef training really is necessary after all.
    38AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:39
    Bare hands are a no-go.
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2093223687088668673/vid/avc1/1920×1066/LOHF2AQo4ZnQEbLV.mp4
    50AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:43
    Re: #38
    The gangster cosplay lmao
    92AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:06
    Re: #38
    "There's kaeshi in it, right?" (kaeshi = the seasoned soy-sauce base ramen/soba broth is built on)
    "I think it's probably mixed in, maybe."

    What's with this vague, noncommittal vibe?
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:41
    The fanbase will carry it, no damage done.
    49AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:42
    Re: #43
    Apparently they serve some seriously amazing ramen.
    59AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:46
    Re: #43
    This incident just knocked out most of the fans who were supposed to be doing the carrying.
    55AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:44
    Curry Expo cancels their booth too:

    "Regarding the food-poisoning incident at the Azabu Juban Festival —
    following the announcement from the relevant authorities,
    we have decided to cancel the planned
    'Kaniwo' booth
    at the Tokyo Curry Expo." (Kaniwo is a crab-themed pun on Komeo's restaurant name; kani = crab)

    https://x.com/tokyocurryexpo/status/2095457166215757913?s=46&t=3d7up-ia2-p7ndGGcAHB5g
    58AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:46
    Good thing the muffins were already inedible on their own.
    94AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:06
    Re: #58
    Wasn't that one bacteria-free?
    People just got "poisoned" by social media and ended up hospitalized, wasn't it.
    72AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:55
    At what point does food poisoning actually get you arrested?
    75AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:57
    Re: #72
    I haven't checked every case so I could be wrong,
    but from what I looked up, it's actually pretty hard to get arrested or sued over food poisoning alone.
    The cases where you actually see an arrest tend to be when someone keeps operating illegally after already being hit with a suspension order.
    83AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:59
    Re: #72
    This was a case from last year —
    a traditional restaurant got a suspension order for food poisoning,
    then sold boxed catering meals during the suspension period,
    caused another outbreak,
    and got arrested.
    76AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:57
    Komeo (imagined): "I've really reflected on this one, so next up I'm opening a raw chicken sashimi place lol" (torisashi/raw chicken sashimi is a notoriously higher-risk dish in Japan)
    82AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:58
    Re: #76
    And then he'll start serving it basically raw.
    87AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:03
    Regular customers definitely won't be coming back.
    Wonder if he can keep it running on true believers alone.
    91AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:05
    Re: #87
    Actually, if he cuts the seating and leans into the fanbase, with Komeo himself doing the serving, it might actually draw a crowd.
    No idea how many years it'd last, though —
    restaurants struggling to survive even three years is normal to begin with.
    95AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:07
    Re: #91
    No way. Same reason retired pro baseball players' restaurants never do well.
    100AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:08
    Re: #91 Re: #95
    Maybe there's a chance if they make it a rule that losers of breaking [breakdance] battles have to force-finish a bowl of Komeo ramen as a punishment game.
    101AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:09
    Re: #95
    That one troublemaker: "The soup slowly turned red."
    104AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:11
    Not bad.
    108AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:14
    So even the staff were in the crowd watching, huh.

    111AnonymousSep 3, 2026 21:14
    Re: #108
    So it was detected in them too…

    Background and points of debate

    A business suspension for food poisoning is an administrative penalty under Japan’s Food Sanitation Act, and its length varies depending on how the investigation goes and the scale of harm. Thread posters noted that suspensions are “usually around three days,” and speculated that the seven-day length here implies a certain scale of damage — but beyond Minato Ward’s official announcement, the exact victim count and the detailed basis for the penalty aren’t publicly known, so any numbers floating around the thread remain pure speculation on posters’ part. It was also pointed out that food-poisoning cases rarely lead to prosecution or arrest in practice; the examples shared were ones where additional bad conduct — such as continuing to operate in defiance of a suspension order — stacked on top before it became a criminal matter. As for the restaurant’s future, opinions split between those who think it can survive by catering mainly to regulars and die-hard fans, and those who think it’s doomed once ordinary customers stay away — no consensus was reached.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyō G board) thread “[Sad News] Komeo’s Restaurant Facing Business Suspension wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww” (the string of “w”s is Japanese internet shorthand for laughter, roughly equivalent to “lol”).

  • Hello! Project’s “J.P ROOM” Group Photo Has 5ch Saying “Almost Everyone Is Cute”

    On the 5ch board “morningcoffee,” which covers Hello! Project-related topics, a group photo of members belonging to something called “J.P ROOM” was posted, sparking a wave of comments like “almost everyone is cute” and “what a beauty.” At the same time, the thread lit up with debate over exactly who was and wasn’t in the shot, with posts like “Karin-chan’s not there” and “isn’t the cutest one missing?” Several posters even tried to deduce who had picked and posted the photo based on whose expression was best-timed or least blurry — turning what started as a simple looks discussion into a deeper bit of fan-to-fan detective work.

    1Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:34:30.81
    tps://i.imgur.com/GzAwDYc.jpeg
    3Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:36:36.78
    ???: 'That team's not cute'
    4Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:37:24.42
    There's someone here whose soul has clearly left the building
    8Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:39:25.72
    Almost everyone's cute
    9Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:40:34.44
    Juju-chan's got such a 'madame' vibe (mature, elegant-lady energy)
    10fusianasan2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:47:12.77
    Why'd they go with the one blurry shot just for Ayumin?
    11Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:51:16.69
    Ishida's screenshot is rough, Koseki's half-blinking, Sato's looking up — this is sloppy.
    You can tell it was posted by a wota (obsessive fan) whose favorite happened to nail her 'best face' moment.
    13Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:52:06.83
    Wait, isn't the cutest one missing?
    18Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:53:58.42
    Re: #13
    Uemura Akari doesn't show up for this kind of event…
    19Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:54:02.55
    Re: #13
    Karin-chan had other work
    27Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:56:22.40
    Re: #13
    She's right there at the bottom
    15Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:53:16.25
    If these girls had debuted ten years ago…
    17Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:53:52.52
    You can tell the thread title was written just as an excuse to post that Ishida screenshot
    26Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:56:04.28
    Manakan and Fuku-chan are so cute
    30Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:56:46.86
    Re: #26
    Kiki-chan too
    28Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:56:38.02
    If it were Miyamoto Maro, Manakan, and Kiki-chan, that would've been unbeatable
    31Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:56:57.57
    Hello! Project members' big sisters → JP
    Hello! Project members' dads and moms → Create
    32Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:57:06.54
    Judging by the expression and the blur on the hand, this has 'Fukumura fan' written all over it
    33Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:57:06.56
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQPoUz_aMAEK0B2.jpg:orig#.jpg
    35Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:59:55.67
    Re: #33
    Maa-chan, wow
    37Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:01:51.54
    Re: #33
    Maa-chan is such a beauty
    38Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:03:16.23
    Re: #33
    △✕△
    ◯△◯
    ◯◯◎
    ◎◯◎
    (a common Japanese rating scale, worst to best: ✕ < △ < ◯ < ◎, scored per member)
    34Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 19:58:58.51
    The cutest one in JP has to be Chii-chan
    42Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:07:06.52
    This lineup is basically Hello! Project fan taste distilled into one photo
    43Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:07:15.64
    The top three could hold their own anywhere
    45Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:07:30.15
    A containment facility for Hello! Project leaders and aces
    55Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:12:37.68
    Re: #45
    Michishige, Yajima, and Wada aren't even in here though
    46Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:08:07.07
    Re: #1
    Asakura Juju — princess, center, ace
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRCNU3VbYAAlGT5.jpg:orig#.jpg
    48Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:08:39.06
    Yukanyan's eyes look kind of off too…
    49Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:08:46.20
    Karin-chan's not in it, redo this
    50Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:09:12.97
    Karin-chan not being there suits her perfectly
    52Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:09:26.91
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRInehZbIAA9yHs.jpg
    63Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:21:54.29
    Re: #52
    Hakkosu is cute
    53Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:10:10.99
    It's dressed up to look like a Fukumura fan did it, but actually an Ishida fan took a ton of screenshots of Ishida, got a funny one by accident, and used it as the punchline
    58Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:13:39.72
    Karin-chan, right here!
    59Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:14:42.15
    Re: #58
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRSCgf8bEAApQ3z.jpg:orig
    61Anonymous2026/09/03 (Thu) 20:16:29.69
    You can't get a spot here without connections or popularity

    Background and Talking Points

    The thread appeared on “morningcoffee,” a board dedicated to Hello! Project-related topics, though the text of the thread doesn’t spell out exactly what “J.P ROOM” refers to. The replies show fans getting worked up over a single group photo, mainly debating who is and isn’t pictured. Some members, like Karin-chan and Uemura Akari, were mentioned by name even though they weren’t actually in the shot — and in at least one case, a claim that someone was missing was corrected once another poster pointed out she was there (“she’s right there at the bottom”), showing how much the debate hinged on simply reading the photo correctly. Several posts also tried to guess who selected and posted the image, floating theories about it being the work of a “Fukumura fan” or an “Ishida fan,” based on whose expression looked best and whose looked blurriest — a classic 5ch move where fans read into a photo’s framing and split-second timing as a way of guessing which member’s fanbase is behind it. The article doesn’t confirm any official agency or unit structure behind “J.P ROOM,” so that context remains speculation on the posters’ part rather than verified fact.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “J.P ROOM: The Mysterious Agency Full of Nothing But Beauties and Cuties LOL.”

  • “I Just Don’t Get It”: 5ch Debates Why Fans Pour Money Into Their ‘Oshi’

    In a thread that kicked off with the post “I don’t get how idol otaku feel…,” the original poster asked why anyone would spend money on an idol who’s basically a stranger to them. 5ch users tried one explanation after another — comparing it to hostess clubs, watching theater, cheering for a baseball team, or the closeness you can have with underground idols. But no matter what reason was offered, the OP kept coming back with “that still doesn’t sit right with me!”, never quite convinced. In the end, the discussion wrapped up without a clear conclusion. Along the way, someone pointed out that “understanding and empathizing are two different things,” highlighting just how hard it is to bridge a genuine gap in values.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:04
    Somebody explain this to me
    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:05
    What exactly are they getting for their money?
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:06
    Why would you spend money you sweated for
    on some total stranger?
    If it were me, I'd spend it on people who actually matter to me.
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:12
    Re: #6
    Spending your precious time making a garbage thread just to give us G-board regulars something to kill time with is just as baffling a move, honestly.
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:07
    Meanwhile she's using the money the otaku hand over to go to Disneyland with her boyfriend.
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:08
    Re: #7
    Exactly!
    I don't get it AT ALL.
    And on top of that, they even tell her not to get married…
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:11
    You could say it's the same as watching theater or a sports game, or the same as drinking at a hostess bar.
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:13
    Re: #12
    So it's like appreciating a performance?
    If that's the case, you'd get interested in stuff your oshi isn't even in.
    The hostess bar comparison makes more sense to me.
    Like how women get hooked on host clubs.
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:12
    I bet the young otaku genuinely think they've got a shot with her.
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:14
    Re: #14
    That's just too dumb…
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:13
    Male idol otaku are just lolicons.
    Female fans who oshi other women are just projecting their own dream of being an idol onto her.
    26AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:15
    Re: #16
    What about women who oshi male idols, then?
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:13
    Isn't it fine to just accept that there are things you won't understand?
    Thinking everything has to make sense to you is just arrogance.
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:15
    Re: #17
    But it still bugs me!
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:13
    My ex used to work at a concept cafe, and all she ever did was badmouth the customers and the other cast members.
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:16
    Re: #19
    Yeah, you can kind of guess what that side of things is like.
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:14
    If you actually want a real answer, wouldn't ChatGPT do a better job?
    Unless you're just trying to farm affiliate clicks.
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:17
    Re: #21
    I want to hear it straight from real people!
    I already grilled Gemini about it and googled a ton, but I still don't get it!
    23AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:14
    Re: #15
    My bad!
    I really want you to explain it to me!
    Help me out here!
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:19
    Re: #23
    And what would you even do once you knew?
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:15
    Re: #18
    I think it's fine to just leave the things you don't get as things you don't get.
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:18
    Re: #24
    But it still bugs me!
    25AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:15
    Cheering someone on makes you feel like you accomplished something too.
    It's the same with watching baseball.
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:16
    Re: #25
    I hear this a lot, but do you actually feel like you accomplished something just from watching baseball?
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:19
    Re: #25
    Then isn't it weird to get all worked up over your oshi's private life?
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:17
    Re: #27
    All you're doing is analytically putting someone's feelings into words so you can feel like you understand them.
    If you were empathizing, fine, but honestly that's kind of a rude thing to do.
    You're basically that guy who asks "so how did that feel?"
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:20
    Re: #30
    It'd be fine if I could understand it just by imagining it, but I can't — that's the whole problem.
    Understanding and empathizing aren't the same thing.
    55AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:27
    Re: #3
    You're paying for time spent with them.
    Isn't that basically the same as a hostess club?
    58AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:28
    Re: #55
    At a hostess club you actually get to share her time to some extent, and get to make her spend her time on you.
    What does an idol give you in return?
    61AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:30
    Re: #58
    Depends on the idol's level.
    66AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:32
    Re: #58
    With idols built around the idea of "getting fans to spend money,"
    the more you spend, the more time you get with her.
    You get more say too — you can even talk to management and help shape events to some extent.
    59AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:29
    Honestly, I don't get people who dislike idols.
    Young women — you like those, right?
    Cute women — you like those too, right?
    Women who flatter you — you like that as well, right?
    So why would anyone dislike idols?
    64AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:31
    Re: #59
    It's no different from hosts or hostess-club girls tricking people out of their money.
    At least hosts and hostesses direct some effort toward actually caring about you — idols don't do that at all.
    There's no sincerity in it.
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:30
    Either way they're out of reach, so I don't get why people bother with underground idols — you might as well just go with the good-looking Sakamichi girls (mainstream idol groups like Nogizaka46).
    67AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:32
    Re: #62
    Because you can actually connect with underground idols.
    69AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:33
    Re: #62
    Well, do whatever you want then.
    68AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:33
    Re: #61
    You mean like Johnny's fans versus underground idol otaku?
    I get that it runs the gamut, but what I don't understand in the first place is sacrificing investment in yourself just to support somebody else.
    76AnonymousSep 3, 2026 20:36
    Re: #68
    Originally, oshi-katsu (fan-support activities) was something done by people who couldn't hope for marriage, but the mass media hyped it up and now regular people and young folks do it too.

    Normally you'd pour that energy into supporting your own kids —
    this is just people without kids redirecting it toward idols instead.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The psychology behind spending money on “oshi-katsu” (supporting one’s favorite idol or celebrity) is a recurring debate topic on 5ch, and this time the discussion unfolded through comparisons to hostess clubs, the sex industry, watching baseball, and visiting host clubs, all in search of a “convincing reason.” What stands out is that even when offered multiple explanations — that cheering someone on makes you feel accomplished, that it’s like watching theater, or the closeness unique to underground idols — the original poster kept responding that it “still doesn’t sit right,” no matter what. This shows just how fundamentally hard it is to bridge differences in values and money sense through explanation alone. At the same time, some responses included sweeping generalizations, like the claim that “male idol otaku are just lolicons” — applying a tendency seen in some cases to the whole group, which doesn’t reflect the reality of everyone involved in oshi-katsu. It’s also worth noting that anonymous-board threads like this tend to attract extreme opinions, and actual spending behavior among “oshi-katsu” fans ranges widely, from low-cost concert attendance to merchandise collecting — it’s not something that can be reduced to the simplified terms of this thread’s debate.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “I don’t get how idol otaku feel…”.

  • Backlash Erupts Over ‘Can’t Eat Fatty BBQ Past 30′ Claim — 5ch Says ’40 and Still Going Strong’

    A thread on 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo board) titled “Once you’re over 30 you can’t eat fatty short rib anymore” sparked an age-based debate over BBQ fat. The thread starter complained of feeling bloated right after eating yakiniku, but posters in their 20s and 30s pushed back hard: “I can eat as much as I want even at 40,” “Isn’t that just individual differences?” On the other hand, some admitted to real physical changes that come with age — “my joints and autonomic nervous system are wrecked,” “marbled wagyu is genuinely rough these days” — and plenty shared how they’d come to prefer offal or alcohol over fatty cuts. The discussion ended up going deeper than a simple young-versus-old split.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:04
    Me who just ate a serving of salted tongue, a serving of liver, a medium rice, and seaweed soup: "Uuurgh…"
    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:05
    Me right before bed: "Blegh… 🤮"
    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:06
    This guy's never actually lived (he's talking like he's never tried it himself)
    I can eat as much as I want even at 40
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:07
    Re: #4
    Come on, that's pushing it
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:14
    Re: #4
    But you do start preferring skirt steak over fatty short rib
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:09
    For me it's short rib → bone-in short rib → premium short rib → back to short rib, on repeat
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:09
    Once you hit 30 something's bound to start breaking down somewhere
    I can still put away a slice of short rib with rice just fine
    but my joints and autonomic nervous system are wrecked
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:10
    I'm 40 and totally fine too
    Feels like it just comes down to individual differences
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:11
    Making a thread you thought was interesting and having literally nobody push back is really embarrassing
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:11
    Check social media, every middle-aged guy is out there eating meat
    Maybe you're just broke and can't afford it at your age
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:11
    Can't eat fatty meat…
    ↓
    Can scarf down burgers and pizza no problem
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:11
    Bragging about having a weak stomach went out of style ages ago
    how long are you gonna keep this up
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:12
    I already couldn't handle short rib by age 22 🥹
    Eat it and I get diarrhea 100% of the time
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:13
    I can eat a short rib BBQ rice bowl just fine, but at an actual grill place, ordering it à la carte and then plowing through a bunch more cuts one after another — that's just not a thing for me anymore, that's my sense of it
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:13
    I can eat it, I just don't need to
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:14
    Re: #19
    Yeah, that's basically it
    25AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:15
    At this age I've come to prefer eating it light, with grated daikon and ponzu, over BBQ sauce
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:15
    Re: #25
    Yeah, that might be a factor too
    26AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:15
    Me, pushing 50, taking on the KFC all-you-can-eat lunch:
    One drumstick
    One crispy piece
    Coleslaw
    One biscuit
    Me: *burp*… don't need dinner tonight 🥺
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:15
    Re: #26
    Isn't that kind of rough
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:24
    Marbled wagyu is genuinely rough these days
    honestly it's weird that people treat that stuff like it's precious, it's basically all fat
    41AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:25
    Re: #40
    Apparently even Americans who pig out on T-bone steaks find it tough going
    46AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:29
    Honestly shoveling white rice down with short rib is the best way to eat it
    this whole take is really just vanity dressed up as an argument — like enjoying it makes you look like a kid, so people front otherwise
    47AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:30
    Re: #46
    It's basically like bragging about not sleeping
    it's embarrassing
    64AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:37
    Re: #46
    If that's the goal, steak and rice seems like the better call honestly
    with BBQ you're grilling it yourself bit by bit and taking your time, so isn't that kind of built around drinking

    if I'm the designated driver at a barbecue though, I go all-in on grilled rice balls and fatty meat
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:31
    Re: #42
    Yeah, that's pretty much it
    young guys can just plow through fatty meat and rice
    it gets tougher as you get older
    69AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:39
    Re: #51
    If I'd been drinking since I was young, I don't think I'd have eaten white rice with it

    without alcohol, even a middle-aged guy will eat rice with fatty meat — it's just that you wouldn't pick a BBQ place for a no-drinking occasion in the first place
    56AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:33
    I'm 35 and I've never once had my stomach get heavy from eating greasy food, am I some kind of outlier? lol
    57AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:34
    Re: #56
    At 35 you might still be fine
    but bit by bit it shifts from rice-and-short-rib
    toward
    offal-and-booze
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:36
    How tough your gut is varies a ton person to person
    pro baseball players, for instance, have insanely strong stomachs
    67AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:39
    Re: #62
    68AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:39
    Re: #67
    Well, there's some truth to that
    65AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:38
    Re: #64
    Nah, with BBQ it's rice, hands down
    rice over booze
    76AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:42
    Re: #65
    If I'm not drinking, I just want to eat quick and head home, so a steakhouse works better for me
    BBQ places take forever

    if I am drinking though, I'd rather be lazily grilling meat myself, so BBQ it is
    70AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:40
    Re: #69
    Yeah, young people really do want white rice with their BBQ
    they can handle rice plus booze together no problem
    80AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:44
    Re: #70
    That's possible too, but the booze tastes better without white rice
    cut the rice and drink twice as much instead — you'll get wrecked, trust me
    77AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:43
    If you can't wake up hungover and eat a steak within 5 minutes, you'll never make it as a pro baseball player
    97AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:53
    Nah, I'm done with BBQ
    haven't eaten it in like 7-8 years now
    I still eat ramen occasionally even though it's just as heavy
    but with age I've genuinely shifted from meat to fish
    99AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:54
    Re: #97
    Every time I eat Ramen Jiro-style ramen (a famously huge, greasy ramen chain) I get diarrhea, but somehow when I'm starving enough I still want to go back for more, no matter how many times it happens

    Background and key points

    Threads like this are a recurring genre on 5ch — the “getting older” thread — and there’s no established medical consensus here. As one poster in the thread put it, “how tough your gut is varies a lot person to person,” so tolerance for fatty meat seems to hinge more on individual constitution and everyday diet than on age alone. What’s notable is that most of the pushback wasn’t really about being unable to eat fatty meat at all, but about how people’s eating style changes. Several posters described shifting away from piling rice with fatty cuts toward favoring offal and tongue that pair well with alcohol — framing it less as declining digestion with age and more as a change in how they relate to drinking and personal taste. Note that some posts disparaging other commenters have been left out of this writeup.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo board) thread “Middle-aged guy: “Once you’re over 30 you can’t eat fatty short rib anymore” 20-something me: “As if lol”“.

  • Why Won’t Japanese Automakers Rush Into Self-Driving? 5ch: ‘Our Own Pettiness Would Turn It Into a Scandal’

    A post titled “Why don’t Japanese car companies hurry up and develop self-driving cars already?” appeared on 5ch’s Nyuusoku VIP board and drew a flood of responses. The discussion centered on where liability falls in an accident — commenters noted that Japan’s regulatory approach is moving toward holding the person in the driver’s seat responsible, rather than the manufacturer, with some arguing this would keep the technology from ever catching on. Posters raised both reasons development is lagging — Japan’s narrow roads and low speed limits — and reasons it’s urgently needed, like the driver shortage reflected in shrinking bus schedules. In the end, opinions never converged.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:49
    Aren't they worried, watching the US and China roll this out?
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:58
    If the driver gets blamed whenever there's an accident, then what's even the point?
    And if it's the manufacturer's fault instead, China or the US would probably just shrug it off as "well, these things happen" —
    but with how nasty and petty Japanese people can be, they'd turn it into a huge scandal.
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:55
    Re: #12
    If it's the manufacturer's fault, the US would actually take a bigger hit —
    they got slapped with a ¥3 billion payout just because someone burned themselves on McDonald's coffee.
    14AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:59
    Don't worry about it — even US and Chinese self-driving cars couldn't handle Japan's narrow streets anyway.
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:04
    Re: #14
    The road conditions are just too different?
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:00
    There's no way Japan can pull this off — Japanese companies are terrible at software.
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:03
    Re: #16
    Yeah, that tracks — this is the country that couldn't even make an iPhone.
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:04
    Self-driving's already come a long way though
    parking is basically one-touch now.
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:06
    Re: #19
    There's still no car that can take you wherever you want with zero driver, though.
    22AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:08
    https://youtu.be/vAzS2uSNDYA?si=HCkgIT11I8_7JqYM

    Look, it can even handle Japan's narrow streets.
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:25
    Re: #22
    No it can't.
    It only handles big roads and situations where crawling along is expected.
    It can't handle the roads that make up most of Japan — single lane each way but a 40 or 50 km/h speed limit.
    Just put one moped in front of it and the whole thing falls apart.
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:13
    Self-driving companies are actually the hottest thing in Japanese stocks right now.
    If you're saying this without knowing about Dynamic Map Platform or Tier IV, that's embarrassing.
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:16
    Re: #28
    Japan's still massively behind though.
    64AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:56
    Re: #28
    They're not "hot" at all, and those companies barely register — no way they're taking over the industry.
    49AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:32
    When a human causes an accident, it's just bad luck.
    When self-driving causes one, it's a scandal.
    54AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:45
    Re: #49
    In Japan, even for self-driving cars, the plan is to make the person sitting in the driver's seat — or wherever they could hit the emergency brake — take responsibility.
    55AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:48
    Re: #54
    Well then it's never going to catch on, is it.
    60AnonymousSep 3, 2026 16:53
    Re: #54
    That just makes the driver a lab rat.
    69AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:07
    Do we even need self-driving in the first place?
    72AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:11
    Re: #69
    Of course we do.
    For industry, there's a labor shortage.
    For regular people it's just easier, and it eliminates mistakes that come from manual driving.
    Most accidents are human error anyway.
    71AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:11
    Re: #69
    Cutting driver labor costs would bring taxi fares down.
    86AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:25
    Re: #71
    "Fewer workers means lower prices" is a fantasy.
    Name one thing that got cheaper because of a labor shortage.

    Re: #72
    Automation already exists in things like factory line-tracing or mining dump trucks.
    I work in the auto industry, so I know automatic braking has definitely cut down on regular accidents,
    but avoiding accidents at the margins really comes down to human prediction and judgment calls —
    automating it as things stand now is still going to produce plenty of errors…
    What needs fixing isn't the cars, it's the roads.
    91AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:30
    Re: #86
    Yeah, until someone deals with the chaotic road layouts, it's just not happening.


    Basically what you're saying is Japan needs to redo its urban planning and rebuild entire towns.
    92AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:30
    Re: #86
    It's not about cheap versus expensive.
    Companies are going bankrupt because they can't secure workers, and that's hitting the economy hard.
    And the labor shortage can't be solved without bringing in a huge number of immigrants.

    Back in 2000, seniors made up one-sixth of the working-age population.
    Now it's one-third, and in 30 years it's projected to be nearly half.
    The shortfall will hit 10 million workers before long.

    Even Tokyo's bus services have cut over 100 routes due to driver shortages.
    This is a genuinely serious situation.
    76AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:14
    Re: #71
    Even in the US it's sometimes a bit cheaper, sometimes pricier, depending on the case,
    so in Japan it'll probably end up more expensive if anything.

    Either way, a new service in Japan never comes out cheaper — that's just how it's always been.
    78AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:16
    Re: #76
    Oh, it's not cheaper?
    Is that just because it's still in the testing phase?
    80AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:19
    Re: #76
    Japan's labor shortage is serious, and especially in jobs that require certifications,
    what little talent exists flows toward competitive big companies.
    Small and midsize businesses can't secure workers and are going bankrupt one after another.
    The logistics sector is in really bad shape.
    89AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:28
    Re: #86
    Simple as that — the amount of work just goes down.
    98AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:45
    Re: #89
    If you were the one running the company, would you cut labor costs and then turn around and shrink your own profits? Come on.

    Re: #91
    I've actually tried Tesla's Autopilot in Tokyo, and it lost track of the lane even at a curving intersection.
    Out in the countryside the road surface is bad and the white lines are faded or gone in a lot of places — that needs fixing first.

    Re: #92
    "Labor shortage" just means a shortage of "cheap labor," doesn't it?
    If the population is shrinking and drivers are decreasing, then riders must be decreasing too.
    I don't know if cutting 100 routes overnight means riders are now overflowing, but just adding supply doesn't mean anything.
    Besides, in Tokyo the trains and taxis are already packed.
    What's actually needed first is better pay for drivers.
    100AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:47
    Re: #98
    But if you lower the price, wouldn't sales and profit go up too?
    105AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:55
    Re: #100
    That kind of price war, combined with pressure from insurance companies, is exactly what's made the entire auto-repair industry poor and short-staffed.
    And it's not just repair shops — if being cheap and pulling in customers actually meant profit, every non-discount chain would've died out by now, every supermarket in Japan would be a My Basket (a discount supermarket chain), and every barbershop would be a ¥1,000 quick-cut place.
    The reality is that customers who show up for cheapness don't actually make you money.
    106AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:55
    Re: #100
    So you're saying that just leaves us with a society where only the corporations profit and employees get nothing out of it.
    101AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:49
    It's not just self-driving — Japan has an extremely strong tendency to avoid any worst-case "just in case" scenario.
    America, on the other hand, is the country of "sacrifices are just part of scientific progress, desu" (a mocking, deliberately stilted phrase poking fun at the American attitude).
    I don't think either one is "right" —
    Japanese cars are famous for not breaking down, America leads in self-driving — each is just playing to its own strengths.
    102AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:52
    Re: #101
    Given how competitive things are now, I feel like Japan can't really afford to keep saying that anymore.
    107AnonymousSep 3, 2026 17:56
    Re: #101
    Excessive safety standards.
    Excessive quality.
    That's exactly what caused Japan's decline.
    And these days Japan isn't even at the top of the world in quality anymore —
    in plenty of fields it's fallen behind due to lack of technology.
    A big part of that comes down to a shortage of engineers and the broader economic impact.
    112AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:03
    Re: #108
    Well, wages are inching up little by little, but they're trailing way behind price increases, so it's not like life's actually getting easier…
    That's why there are so many contract-based rehires and elderly workers now, plus short-term gig work through apps like Timee.

    And with buses, the problem is wages are way too low compared to the cost of getting a Class 2 large-vehicle license.
    Apparently driving tour buses pays something like ¥300,000-400,000 a month, so people go that route instead.
    116AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:07
    Re: #112
    At the end of the day, someone needs to cure companies of their deflation addiction.
    118AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:14
    Workers who make up the labor force are also consumers of everything — they ARE the demand.
    If they can't earn properly, population and demand will never grow.
    So what's the point of cutting the very workers who generate demand, through foreign labor or automation?

    A lot of people saying "cut civil servants' pay" don't get this either.

    Re: #116
    Small and midsize companies founded in the late Showa to early Heisei era are about due to pass to a second or third-generation owner, age-wise.
    Whether the ones running things like slave labor actually improve remains to be seen.
    For big companies, that's probably a tough ask.
    121AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:22
    Re: #118
    There's no realistic prospect of the working-age population growing in any developed country.
    To begin with, changing lifestyles in developed nations brought greater wealth, more women entering the workforce, and later marriage as a result.
    The data also shows that later marriage brings down the birth rate.
    The only developed country where the population keeps growing — and is projected to keep growing — is the immigration powerhouse that is the United States.
    America's real GDP will stay decisively No. 1.
    Even in India, birth rates among the wealthy are starting to fall.
    China's population is expected to drop sharply going forward.

    An economy runs on people, and on the movement of people.
    Business scales up too — from within a prefecture to nationwide, from nationwide to global.

    A certain amount of foreign labor is essential.
    On top of that, we have no choice but to cover the rest with AI.
    125AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:32
    Building office towers and high-rise condos pushes GDP up, you know.
    That's exactly how China's GDP went up — and since nobody's actually living in a lot of those buildings, it's already expected to come back down.
    127AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:33
    Re: #125
    But China's got EVs just sitting abandoned everywhere, and building prices have crashed to 30% of what they were — that's a massive recession.
    128AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:34
    Re: #125
    Even a kid knows the US economy is the center of the world.
    It's on a completely different scale than Japan.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    When it comes to the legal framework around self-driving cars, discussion in Japan has been trending toward holding the human monitoring the vehicle responsible for accidents — a premise that differs fundamentally from the US model, where the manufacturer bears the risk. This difference in liability structure came up in the thread as one answer to the question of “why isn’t Japan hurrying up with development.” At the same time, the idea that “Japan isn’t doing anything” is a misconception — domestic self-driving-related companies like Tier IV and Dynamic Map Platform are drawing real attention on the stock market, meaning development is very much underway, just at a different scale and pace than in the US or China. Another key point raised was that self-driving is being discussed not simply as a convenience, but as a response to the structural labor shortage symbolized by shrinking bus schedules — and opinions on whether the cost-cutting angle is justified never quite lined up by the end.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nyuusoku VIP) thread “Why don’t Japanese car companies hurry up and develop self-driving cars already?.”

  • Okamura Homare’s Height Is 167cm — 5ch Says ‘Small Face, Long Limbs’

    Weekly Famitsu’s Thursday edition featured Morning Musume。’26 member Okamura Homare, sharing recent photos alongside a preview of the new single “Lonely…But not Alone/Yes ka No ka Watashi ka,” out September 30. On 5ch’s Hello! Project board, the reveal of Okamura’s height as 167cm sparked discussion, with users pointing out a discrepancy from a height list circulating back in 2023 (which listed Okamura at 169cm), prompting jokes like “why’d she shrink?” The thread also lit up over how her small face and long limbs make her look taller, along with comparisons to other tall members across Hello! Project.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:04
    I thought she was taller
    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:05
    Weekly Famitsu (Thursday releases) @WeeklyFamitsu

    "Leading the group with polished skills and visuals"

    Morning Musume。'26's Okamura Homare appears in Monthly Halo Tsuu in the September 3 issue of Weekly Famitsu! New single "Lonely…But not Alone/Yes ka No ka Watashi ka" drops September 30!!

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRMnI1ua4AAg3X9.jpg:orig#.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRMnI1iaQAAkNql.jpg:orig#.jpg
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2095061312137256960/vid/avc1/1280×720/mPR4ItfO_9kEyn0B.mp4
    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:06
    2019



    2026

    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:08
    Re: #3
    Kinda looks like the cover of one of those "went back to the countryside" adult videos (a common Japanese AV genre trope)
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:12
    Tallest in Morning Musume。history?
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:13
    Wait, isn't her pet a toy poodle?
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:16
    Re: #11
    Pretty sure Koromo-chan is the same breed as Morito's dog, so yeah, toy poodle checks out
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:14
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:25
    Re: #12
    What's with this Ultraseven-looking tracksuit lol
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:37
    Re: #12
    Height's about the same as Marii's
    But her face is small and her limbs are long
    65AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:17
    Re: #12
    Tallest one of them all and yet the smallest face
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:19
    Why'd she shrink

    1: 2023/07/06 (Thu) 15:32:19.61 0
    Group average: 159.2cm

    169cm Okamura
    166cm Makino
    165cm Yuketa
    164cm Haga
    163cm Fukumura
    162cm Yamazaki
    161cm Sakurai
    158cm Ikuta / Kitagawa
    157cm Nonaka
    153cm Ishida
    152cm Oda / Yokoyama
    150cm Inoue
    72AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:30
    Re: #20
    Looking at this, a lot of them are in the 160s
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:20
    Thought she'd be bigger, but compared to the other members I guess this checks out
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:23
    Homare
    Guess she'll go down as the tallest member in Morning Musume。history
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:27
    Feels like she should be taller — must be the small face throwing off the perception
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:28
    Small face and long limbs probably make her look taller than she actually is
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:35
    Re: #33
    Seriously? That's a shame
    Wait, Iida was that tall?
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:37
    These days being around 167cm doesn't even get you called a 'big useless tree' anymore (udo no taiboku — a Japanese idiom for someone tall but 'good for nothing')
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:39
    Hasn't Yuketa already surpassed her?
    41AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:41
    Re: #39
    In the photo above they look about the same
    42AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:42
    Even at 170 nobody says that anymore lol
    You'd need like 190 for that now
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:43
    Is Homare so tall she doesn't have a duo partner?
    46AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:44
    Re: #43
    That's why she's close with Eguchi Saya from BEYOOOOONDS
    45AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:44
    Her 'partner' is a panda, and one of her batchmates got kicked out over a scandal
    49AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:46
    Re: #46
    I'll bring it up
    Nah, that one's beside the point
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:47
    She's got great proportions but it's not really being used to her advantage
    52AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:49
    She put on weight and it got rough for a while, but she slimmed down and looks great now
    53AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:52
    She wore that silver getup at the Hello! Con and it was hilarious
    55AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:57
    Re: #35
    Say that to Kumai-chan's face
    56AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:59
    Current top 3 tallest in Hello! Project right now are
    Eguchi Saya
    Maeko
    Nina
    something like that?
    57AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:00
    What are you even talking about
    61AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:14
    Homatan's tall, but for some reason people don't call her 'great proportions'
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:16
    181cm
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:16
    I think her proportions are good, it's just her posture that's bad
    64AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:17
    Kids who skip their bath ("furo-can") just to sleep more end up growing taller
    66AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:18
    Next to Kumai-chan even Sayarin looks like a kid
    69AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:24
    71AnonymousSep 3, 2026 19:30
    How tall someone looks depends on what's around them for contrast
    With Oda and Haru-san next to her, she looks even bigger

    Background and Discussion Points

    Idol profile heights are usually self-reported figures released by talent agencies, so it’s not unusual for the number to shift due to whether shoes were worn, when the measurement was taken, or updates made after a growth spurt. The gap noted in the thread — 169cm as of 2023 versus 167cm now — is more likely the result of a remeasurement or profile update than an actual decrease in height, and it’s worth being cautious about treating it as confirmed fact rather than an unverified rumor that’s taken on a life of its own. The thread also compared her height to other tall members like Eguchi Saya and Maeko, but since each group publishes its own self-reported figures, precise comparisons across groups have their limits. It’s also worth keeping in mind that impressions about a small face or long limbs are really about body proportions rather than actual height differences.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Homatan, 167cm.”

  • Gacha small talk derails into an Ohtani popularity debate — 5ch: ‘Isn’t it just that the media hype died down?’

    A thread for players of “Suikoden: Star Leap” on Newsspeed VIP was rolling along with emoji-faced posters trading gacha-pull reports and swapping talk about the weather whenever someone asked to see a photo. Then the thread starter suddenly asked, “Isn’t Ohtani’s popularity dropping lately?” — sending the conversation off the rails into a debate over baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s popularity. Opinions split over whether his popularity itself had actually declined, or whether it was simply that media coverage had cooled off.

    1AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:37
    (っ´ω`c) Did you pull the new gacha?
    2AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:38
    (´・ω・`) The Steam version isn't even out yet
    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:40
    Re: #2
    (っ´ω`c) Wanna go ahead and pull the new gacha?
    6AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:42
    (´・ω・`) I'm not even playing it, though?
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:42
    Re: #6
    (っ´ω`c) Come on, let's pull the new gacha
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:45
    Re: #7
    (´・ω・`) Did you pull, Pomii?
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:47
    Re: #8
    (っ´ω`c) Yeah……
    9AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:46
    (´・ω・`) Did you spend this month's allowance on it?
    11AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:48
    Re: #9
    (っ´ω`c) Nope…… because I don't want to spend money on it anymore……
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:48
    Re: #10
    (´・ω・`) Oh, so you got the character you wanted after all! Nice!
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 14:50
    Re: #12
    (っ´ω`c) ……yeah
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:03
    Marle was too cute so I went for 200 pulls
    23AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:04
    Re: #17
    (っ´ω`c) Seriously? So what was the result?
    26AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:04
    (´・ω・`) Want to see… a downpour? (gacha slang for a huge pull haul)
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:05
    Re: #26
    (っ´ω`c) Just take a picture of the scenery outside and show me that
    29AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:05
    Re: #23
    Got Marle to 2 dupes, and managed to secure base copies of Humphrey and Miruihi too, so it worked out okay
    32AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:07
    Re: #29
    (っ´ω`c) ……congrats. Are you Takashi-kun?
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:06
    (´・ω・`) Like this?
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:08
    Re: #30
    (っ´ω`c) Nope, not that. The scenery outside, I said
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:09
    (´・ω・`) Pomii's scheming to pinpoint my location from this (basically trying to dox me)
    35AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:10
    Re: #34
    (っ´ω`c) Can't be done, so don't worry. Just hide anything identifying and show me?
    36AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:10
    (´・ω・`) It's not coming down that hard right now
    37AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:11
    Re: #36
    (っ´ω`c) So it wasn't a downpour after all
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:12
    (´・ω・`) Looks like the peak has passed
    41AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:13
    Re: #39
    (っ´ω`c) Good to hear. Natural disasters are scary, after all
    40AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:12
    (っ´ω`c) Isn't Ohtani's popularity with the public dropping lately? The media doesn't go on and on about 'Ohtani, Ohtani' as much anymore either, right?
    59AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:37
    Re: #40
    Ohtani always seemed like the type who'd rather not be fussed over, so honestly I think this is a good thing
    63AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:39
    Re: #40
    (ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ) It's not that his popularity dropped — isn't it just that the over-the-top coverage died down?
    42AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:13
    (´・ω・`) It's less about popularity and more that he's just an easy way to fill a program slot, that's all
    43AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:15
    Re: #42
    (っ´ω`c) ……
    44AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:18
    (´・ω・`) It's the same as how it's always just weather and food segments
    46AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:20
    Re: #44
    (っ´ω`c) You think so? …Maybe you're right
    50AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:29
    (ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ) I did pull, though?
    51AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:31
    Re: #50
    (っ´ω`c) So cut to the chase — what was the result?
    52AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:33
    Re: #51


    53AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:34
    (ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ) Though I'm completely out of gems now
    54AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:35
    Re: #53
    (っ´ω`c) Not totally sure what you actually pulled, but congrats
    56AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:36
    Hey there~
    Props for not spending money on it
    62AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:39
    Re: #56
    (っ´ω`c) I don't want to spend money on it anymore. The reason is: I just don't want to
    57AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:37
    (ꐦ·᷅ὢ·᷄ꐦ) Though no SSR has shown up yet
    60AnonymousSep 3, 2026 15:39
    Re: #57
    (っ´ω`c) How many times did you pull?

    Background and Points of Debate

    No clear statistics or data back either side of this debate — it’s strictly an exchange of gut impressions among thread posters. Both the claim that “popularity has dropped” and the counter that “it’s just that coverage volume has calmed down” are purely impressionistic; no actual figures on media exposure or opinion polling appear anywhere in the thread. It’s also worth noting this was originally a casual chat thread for reporting gacha-pull luck, and the Ohtani topic was nothing more than a temporary detour from the main subject. As a read, it captures that distinctly 5ch atmosphere where game chatter and topical commentary on public figures blend together seamlessly.</analysis>

    <parameter name="translations">{}

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Newsspeed VIP) thread 「(っ´ω`c) Anyone here playing Suikoden: Star Leap, come on in」.

  • McDonald’s Employee’s ‘Refused to Apologize’ Post Splits Opinion — 5ch: ‘Sincerity Isn’t Words, It’s Money’

    A customer whose McDonald’s order was missing an item posted on X (formerly Twitter) that, despite receiving the missing item, a refund, and even a free fries voucher from the store, there was still “no word of apology.” The post was reposted to 5ch and sparked a wave of discussion.

    On the thread, comments piled up like “Demanding an apology on top of the product and a refund sounds like customer harassment (kasu-hara)” and “Sincerity is shown through money, not words,” while others argued “A simple ‘I’m sorry’ should be a given.” The disagreement exposed a real divide over whether compensation and a verbal apology are the same thing. Plenty of posts also questioned whether the story was even true, noting it was spreading widely without any confirmation the employee actually said this.

    3AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:09
    Was there no apology even when they brought the burger over?
    4AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:09
    OP, did a McDonald's employee actually say what's in the thread title?
    5AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:09
    They mooched a free fries voucher out of them and still have the nerve to complain?
    7AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:10
    They brought it to you AND gave you a refund?
    Demanding an apology on top of that is basically customer harassment (kasu-hara) at this point.
    8AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:11
    "We'll bring it right over" — that IS the apology.
    What more do you need?
    10AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:11
    We don't even know if it's true yet, and just deciding McDonald's is the villain, making a thread title that trashes their image, and reposting someone's tweet without permission — that's not okay.
    12AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:11
    Just tell me straight — is this right or wrong?
    13AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:12
    They did apologize, technically.
    Is it just that getting the actual item handed to you doesn't let you flex on people online?
    15AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:12
    Just file a complaint with head office.
    Tweeting about it doesn't solve anything, you know?
    16AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:13
    Sorry, but I honestly can't follow what happened here.
    Is it just me?
    17AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:14
    They got the burger replaced, kept whining anyway, scored a refund AND a free voucher, and now they're thinking "I bet I can squeeze out a bit more" and going full moocher mode.
    18AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:14
    They got the product, the refund, AND a fries voucher, and they still have the nerve to say that?
    That's plenty of sincerity right there.
    19AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:14
    They already brought the missing item — so why is there also talk about a refund on the next visit?
    This person really can't write clearly.
    23AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:17
    Re: #19
    Probably went: "I couldn't eat it all together, it's cold now, I can't eat it — refund me!" and then "Okay, come back to the store and we'll sort out the refund," right?
    24AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:17
    Re: #19
    They probably turned down having it delivered and asked for a refund instead.
    I'd say that's plenty of sincerity already.
    20AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:15
    Honestly, a simple "I'm sorry" should be the bare minimum.
    21AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:15
    I don't need an apology.
    Just give me the burger.
    What's the point of begging for an apology?
    25AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:17
    If they brought the burger over, isn't that enough already?
    Asking for a refund on top of that — why not just say so on the first call? That's just greedy.
    27AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:18
    Did a McDonald's employee actually say what's in the thread title?
    28AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:18
    Years ago I bought a Tsukimi Burger (a seasonal "moon-viewing" burger with a fried egg) and got home to find there was no patty — just a fried-egg sandwich.
    I called and they brought me a replacement, with a normal apology too. I think I got a drink voucher as well.
    30AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:19
    Stuff blowing up on X should probably just stay on X, no?
    Same goes for people reposting it without permission — but chatting it up using someone else's unauthorized repost is shady too, honestly like a bunch of thieves.
    33AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:19
    Re: #30
    Eh, who cares, it's fine.
    34AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:21
    Re: #30
    But hey, we all love X anyway.
    31AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:19
    Can't tell from this post whether the missing item actually got delivered or not.
    Normally that alone would settle the whole thing.
    35AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:23
    This is just how McDonald's customers are.
    Nothing but poor folks spinning tall tales ("Kojiki" — slang borrowing Japan's oldest chronicle to mean a long-winded, self-serving story).
    39AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:26
    Not sure how it got to the refund stage, but they should've just brought the cash along when they delivered the item.
    47AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:31
    Re: #39
    Common pattern is: "While I was waiting my other food went cold, what are you gonna do about it?!" → "We're terribly sorry, we'll refund the whole order" → and then they just let the customer keep the canceled item too.
    I mean, it's not like they could resell it to another customer anyway.
    No proof, just guessing though.
    65AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:39
    Re: #14
    What even is "sincerity," anyway?
    70AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:41
    Re: #65
    That'd be the Great General, obviously.
    73AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:43
    Re: #65
    Sincerity isn't words — it's the amount of money.
    80AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:51
    Would someone who brought both the replacement item and a refund really hand it over with zero apology?
    If what they actually wanted was the employee handing it over while dogeza-ing (prostrating on the ground in apology) instead of just saying sorry, then sure, the post makes sense.
    84AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:53
    Re: #80
    They probably expected the entire staff to line up and bow in apology.
    90AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:57
    I've always thought takeout orders should just get checked on the spot for mistakes, but most places still don't do that. Just saying "okay, that's one of this, here's your drink" right there would avoid all this hassle.
    91AnonymousSep 3, 2026 18:58
    Re: #90
    They packed it up neatly — digging back through it to double-check would just mess it up.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    Some in the thread noted that at major chains like McDonald’s, part-timers handling the rush alone makes mis-packed or missing items more likely. This post originated from the customer’s own writing on X (formerly Twitter), which was then reposted to 5ch — whether the employee actually said “I have no obligation to apologize” can’t be confirmed from the text alone. Multiple replies pointed this out, and a fair number of posters were skeptical about condemning the store based on an unverified, single-source account reduced to a headline.

    The debate split over whether financial compensation — a replacement item, a refund, and a coupon — amounts to the same thing as a spoken apology. Those who saw the compensation as sufficient argued “sincerity is shown through money,” while those who still wanted an apology said “a simple sorry should be a given.” Both sides were arguing from guesswork without knowing the actual details of the exchange (whether it happened by phone or in person, or whether an apology was ever spoken) — worth keeping in mind given how shaky that premise is.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G board) thread “[Sad News] McDonald’s Employee: “It Was Someone Else’s Mistake, I Have No Obligation to Apologize” → Backlash Erupts.”