Japan Reacts

Category: News

  • Video of a man standing his ground against a delinquent draws praise — 5ch: “The guy who won’t listen to reason is the strongest”

    A video posted on X showing a man who refused to back down even while facing off against a delinquent-looking (“yankii”) opponent has become a hot topic on 5ch. The video, uploaded to video.twimg.com, also shows a woman stepping in between the two men to try to calm things down. On 5ch, some praised the man’s unflinching attitude as having a “strong-man aura,” while others called his opponent “lame, for a delinquent” or compared him to manga characters — with the discussion drifting toward the idea that you can’t judge someone by looks alone.

    @

    The latest trend: the unyielding “chi-gyu” guy (net slang mocking a nerdy, unstylish “otaku” look)

    That chi-gyu’s got some serious strong-man aura

    Source: video.twimg.com / Original post here

    2AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:32
    I'll fight back. With my fists!
    I'm twenty-one years old!
    4AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:43
    Chi-gyu: "Did I do it again?"
    5AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:43
    C'mon, let's stop fighting
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:44
    This delinquent's actually a good kid — he's careful about the flu going around
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:46
    This is what you get from learning the Souther spirit from manga: never retreat, never flatter, never look back
    9AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:47
    Souther lost to Kenshiro, but he's still a compelling character
    Meanwhile
    Marty McFly beats Biff Tannen, but backs out of a fight with the thugs
    Which is the better way to go?
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:53
    The way he addresses them shifts from the polite "you guys" to the rougher "you lot"
    17AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:55
    "Large portion, extra broth, please" (random gyudon-order non sequitur)
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:55
    Looks like Gadō Zero (a delinquent-manga character)
    19AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:57
    His eyes are totally locked in by the end there
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:01
    He should've just kissed the woman who came to mediate
    24AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:02
    That delinquent's way too lame himself
    What backwater did he crawl out of
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:02
    Re: #11
    It's game over if he's carrying a butterfly knife or something
    27AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:03
    (Deliberately takes the right straight to the forehead and overreacts in pain. Gotta admit, that's pro-level.)
    28AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:04
    Not a single person here makes any sense
    33AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:11
    Honestly the guy with the black undercut seems decent
    Doesn't look like a delinquent at all
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:31
    How is this woman getting this close to them
    That's genuinely scary
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:37
    Yeah, she's a brave one
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:40
    This girl's wearing a Help Mark (a Japanese tag signaling she has an invisible disability or needs assistance)
    53AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:45
    Re: #38
    Wearing a Help Mark as a fashion thing is trendy right now
    39AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:41
    The woman steps in and smooths things over
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:41
    Both of them are only acting tough because they've got friends there to hold them back
    41AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:41
    Guess it just proves the guy who won't listen to reason is the strongest
    47AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:43
    Stuff like this — skip the talk and just duke it out like men
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:44
    The woman breaking it up looks straight out of the Heisei bubble era (Japan's late-'80s boom-time fashion)
    50AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:44
    Couple of nobodies trading insults lol
    52AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:45
    Re: #48
    He's got the eyes of a guy who'd actually stab you lol
    54AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:46
    Surprisingly, some otaku-looking guys turn out to be weapon nerds carrying concealed blades,
    or secretly into martial arts
    56AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:47
    Re: #54
    Though most of them are pathetically weak lol
    58AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:48
    Wearing a Help Mark as a fashion statement is way too much
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:49
    Re: #57
    Could be for an internal illness or something
    62AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:50
    Re: #59
    There was this skinny otaku I beat up once who claimed he did judo — one low kick and he went down flat, shaking lol
    63AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:52
    The "with my fists!" guy?
    64AnonymousSep 2, 2026 20:52
    You guys don't know who this is? You're gonna get cursed

    Background and Talking Points

    “Street trouble” videos going viral on social media are a perennial topic on 5ch, and this time the focus was on a man with a “chi-gyu” look who refused to back down. “Chi-gyu” is internet slang originally used to mock a certain appearance — glasses, a side-parted hairstyle, and so on — but in recent years it’s often invoked in a “don’t judge a book by its cover” sense, and several posters here noted that otaku-looking guys sometimes turn out to have real martial-arts experience. That said, the video doesn’t show the whole incident, so what triggered it and how it ended remain unclear, and most of the replies don’t go much beyond surface-level opinions about “who looks lamer” or “who’d actually win.” The woman who stepped in to mediate also drew attention, but it’s worth noting that nothing about her identity has been verified.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello!Project board) thread “[Video] Man who refuses to back down against a delinquent looks way too cool, becomes a hot topic wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Which US State Is the Most Obscure? 5ch: “Nobody Even Noticed Indiana”

    A casual thread on 5ch’s Nandemo Jikkyo G board asked “which US state is the most obscure?” and posters quickly threw out names like Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Rhode Island, and Maine. Others pushed back, arguing that states home to famous tourist spots like Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore hardly qualify as “obscure,” leading to a split over how exactly to measure name recognition. Late in the thread, one poster pointed out that Indiana hadn’t been mentioned even once — highlighting just how little presence the state has. In the end, the discussion never landed on a single conclusion.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:34
    Wyoming
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:36
    What's even in Maine or the Dakotas?
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:42
    North Dakota
    South Dakota
    Rhode Island
    Maine

    Feels like these are the "Big Four" of obscurity, at least from a Japanese perspective
    14AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:46
    Re: #10
    Maine used to often be written as "Mēn" in Japanese back in the day
    59AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:14
    Re: #10
    Maine is famous as the setting for a lot of Stephen King's work
    99AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:50
    Re: #10
    Maine's supposed to have amazing lobster catches
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:43
    Montana still doesn't click for me at all — I still catch myself going "wait, is that even a state?"
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:44
    I saw a YouTube video where actual Americans answered this, and Missouri, Arkansas, and Nebraska got named as the most obscure. Basically anywhere in the middle of the country.
    65AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:16
    Re: #12
    Sounds like a bigger version of eastern Hokkaido (rural, out of the way, nobody thinks about it)
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:46
    Both US coasts are the big cities and the whole middle is just endless countryside, right? Feels like it's mostly old towns where almost only white people live.
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:48
    I checked a map for any cities I might recognize, and I guess Augusta, Maine must be "that Augusta" — the one from the golf manga Harukanaru Augusta (about chasing the Masters at Augusta National)? The Dakotas really have nothing though.
    17AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:48
    There are a ton of states that start with "A" in Japanese, and Arkansas happens to be one of them, so I ended up memorizing it: Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Arkansas, Alabama, Arizona (all rendered with an initial "A" sound in Japanese)
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:48
    Honestly, for real, Alaska seems like it's got nothing going on
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:49
    Re: #18
    Sure it's got nothing, but it's known for the aurora and kayaking — there's a river that's basically a mecca for kayakers
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:50
    Re: #18
    It's got Denali
    19AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:49
    Aoki said Kansas has basically nothing going for it. Guess the middle of the country is just inconvenient and unremarkable.
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:49
    Wyoming's got Yellowstone though
    36AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:59
    Kentucky ← Kentucky Fried Chicken
    Vermont ← Vermont Curry (a popular Japanese curry roux brand)
    Idaho ← Idaho potatoes
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:02
    Re: #36
    Philadelphia ← Philadelphia cream cheese
    There was a commercial that went "Call me Philly ❤" or something like that
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:59
    Maine is such a state whose name oversells it — nobody could possibly name its capital
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:00
    Re: #37
    "Maine," right on schedule (the running joke on this board)
    39AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:00
    Connecticut
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:02
    Re: #39
    One of the original 13 colonies can't be obscure — it's still New England, whatever else you say about it
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:01
    Re: #38
    Oh, it's "Mēn"? Had no idea
    48AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:02
    Re: #43
    "Mein" is actually closer to the real pronunciation. It used to often be written "Mēn" in Japanese, but "Mein" has become more common these days
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:15
    Rhode Island has such a grand-sounding name for how little anyone ever talks about it
    66AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:17
    Re: #61
    It's tiny, and basically just an extension of Massachusetts anyway
    62AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:15
    Illinois is surprisingly weak in recognition for a state that's home to Chicago, the third-largest city in the US. Actually, even Chicago itself doesn't have much presence.
    68AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:18
    Re: #62
    Same as how foreigners don't know Aichi Prefecture. Being #3 just doesn't leave an impression — like, what's Korea's third-biggest city? China's? Nobody knows.
    86AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:32
    Re: #62
    Toshima Ward, home to Shinjuku, is pretty obscure as far as wards go too
    64AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:16
    Pennsylvania

    Mass-a-choo-setch (a jokey mangled pronunciation of "Massachusetts")
    67AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:17
    Rhode Island
    Don't even know where it is
    93AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:40
    Re: #67
    Never even heard of this one — did it get created recently or something?
    70AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:19
    Which state doesn't have a single famous city?
    77AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:24
    Re: #70
    Take South Dakota, for example — its capital is Pierre, and its biggest city is Sioux Falls, but both are pretty obscure. Though thanks to Mount Rushmore, some people might at least know Rapid City.
    85AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:31
    Probably one of the North/South pairs
    88AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:32
    Re: #85
    If anything, don't a lot of people remember them as pairs? North/South Dakota, North/South Carolina
    100AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:51
    Indiana hasn't come up once so far. I genuinely don't think anyone in this whole thread even registered it exists.
    102AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:55
    Re: #100
    I think the Indy 500 is pretty famous though

    Background and Talking Points

    There’s no official definition of what makes a state “obscure,” and the thread’s central tension comes from posters using completely different yardsticks for “name recognition.” One camp pushed back by pointing to famous landmarks or cultural touchstones — Yellowstone (Wyoming), Mount Rushmore (South Dakota), the settings of Stephen King novels (Maine) — arguing these states can’t really be called unknown. The other camp was talking about “obscure” at the level of barely knowing a state’s capital or even that it exists, and the two sides talked past each other for much of the thread. The observation that Illinois has a low profile despite containing Chicago, the US’s third-largest city, illustrates how population or economic size doesn’t necessarily translate into outside name recognition — a comparison also drawn to how Aichi Prefecture is barely known abroad. One thing readers might get wrong is assuming “obscure” simply tracks with a small population or land area; the thread suggests that indirect recognition through food brands — like Kentucky Fried Chicken or Idaho potatoes — can shape a state’s image just as much.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] The Most Obscure State in America wwwwwwwwwwww” (the string of w’s is Japanese internet shorthand for laughter, like “lol”).

  • Why Do People Line Up at a Staffed Register When Self-Checkout Is Open? 5channers Debate

    A thread on 5channel’s “Live Everything” board (nicknamed NanJ) blew up over customers who line up at a staffed register even when self-checkout machines are free. The original poster asked, “What’s the deal with people who go out of their way to line up at a staffed register instead of using self-checkout?” and the replies poured in. Sympathetic takes like “I just want to ease the staff’s workload” and “some items, like cigarettes, can only be bought at a staffed register” clashed with efficiency-minded opinions like “if the price is the same, you should pick whichever line moves faster.” The discussion also branched into talk about security cameras monitoring self-checkout stations.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:17
    What's their deal?
    4AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:18
    It's not like picking self-checkout makes it any cheaper
    5AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:18
    Why won't those people just use the self-checkout?
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:18
    Because the cashier's cute 😍
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:19
    Why should I have to scan the barcodes myself? Same price either way
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:19
    They're getting paid, so it's just basic courtesy to let them actually do their job, right?
    9AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:19
    Meanwhile I see people at the supermarket lining up for self-checkout even when the staffed register is wide open
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:20
    If you're team staffed-register, ask yourself why; if you're team self-checkout, the line's shorter for you either way, so who cares?
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:21
    I see the opposite a lot too — a huge line forms at self-checkout while the staffed register sits empty and the cashier looks bored. Way too many people want to use self-checkout
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:33
    Re: #15
    Probably a shoplifting hotspot
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:22
    I want to buy cigarettes 🚬
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:22
    The FamilyMart I usually go to has a super-efficient Indian cashier who's crazy fast, so I trust her
    28AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:23
    Nobody uses the cashless self-checkout machines
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:31
    Re: #28
    Sometimes I see rough-looking guys in their 40s–50s using it, and it makes me want to ask if they're board regulars too
    29AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:24
    My local supermarket got self-checkout and I cracked up — 6 machines with 3 staff watching over them
    On top of that they play the overhead security camera feed on a big-screen TV, talk about thorough lol
    How little do they trust us lol
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:27
    The optimal move is claiming you don't know how self-checkout works and just standing there while an employee does it all for you
    54AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:35
    Some self-checkouts are so useless you don't even earn points on them
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:39
    Re: #54
    If anything they should give you extra points for using it
    62AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:40
    This is way too petty lol
    Board regulars one-upping each other over which register they use… what a life 😭
    64AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:41
    Re: #62
    That's their whole identity, you know
    The kind of mind that thinks bragging about registers or PayPay makes them superior to others
    67AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:44
    Re: #62
    They're not one-upping anyone, they're just being looked down on
    74AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:58
    There are plenty of transactions that flat-out require a staffed register, you know
    77AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:02
    Re: #74
    These days there are even self-order machines for hot snacks. What a great era
    76AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:00
    I don't want to say "excuse me," so what should I say to call an employee over?
    78AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:03
    Re: #76
    "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your work, but could you please ring me up?"
    83AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:07
    Watching from the outside, self-checkout looks just like prison labor
    Don't people have any shame, coming in to shop and cheerfully doing the work themselves, beep beep?
    85AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:08
    Re: #83
    You even scan it yourself going "one item, 120 yen, beep!"
    86AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:09
    Nobody uses the self-service pump at a gas station if the price is the same, even if it means waiting an extra 30 minutes. Same goes for supermarkets
    92AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:14
    Re: #64
    ATM threads blow up just as much. Such a pointless thing to argue over
    101AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:28
    Re: #64
    Re: #92
    The pointless ones are you guys who can't even operate a self-checkout lol
    93AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:14
    I'd rather stand in line than have staff eyeing me like a shoplifter at self-checkout
    94AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:15
    Re: #93
    But honestly everyone shopping gets watched anyway
    96AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:22
    A lot of people have this weird hang-up that customers shouldn't have to do any of the work
    100AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:27
    Re: #96
    If it gets me out of the store faster, a little extra effort is fine by me

    Background and key points of this topic

    Self-checkout has spread rapidly in recent years amid Japan’s labor shortage, but some products — like cigarettes, which require age verification — and certain transactions can only be handled at a staffed register, so people’s reasons for choosing one or the other vary. In the thread, opinions split between “it’s odd to make customers do the work for the same price, so there should be a discount” and “people should just use whichever line is open, no big deal,” with no clear consensus emerging. Self-checkout stations staffed with monitors or security cameras as an anti-shoplifting measure also came up, but it’s worth noting this applies only to some stores rather than being a feature common to all self-checkout systems — an easy point to misread. It’s also worth remembering that self-checkout isn’t a cure-all, since certain operations still require a staffed register, as several posters pointed out.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Live Everything/NanJ board) thread “The truth behind the fools who insist on lining up at a staffed register like idiots when self-checkout is wide open.”

  • Is Cooking at Home Worth It or a Waste? 5ch: ‘I Have the Will to Save Money, But No Energy to Actually Cook’

    A thread titled “Cooking for yourself feels pointless when you’re single” popped up on 5ch’s News VIP board. The thread starter argued that cooking at home—from shopping to cooking to cleanup—takes 1 hour 20 minutes, while eating out only takes 30 minutes, effectively saving an hour. Home cooks pushed back with “eating out or grabbing food is way more expensive” and “it’s additive-free and healthy,” but the eating-out camp held firm with “I have no energy to bother saving money” and “if you live alone, the cost of eating out doesn’t even hurt.” Partway through, the debate veered off into a nitpicky argument over how wide or narrow the variety of home-cooked recipes really is.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:15
    Cook rice, run to the supermarket while it's cooking, whip up something simple, and clean up after—1 hour 20 minutes total.
    Eating out: 30 minutes.
    That's about an hour saved.
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:21
    Cooking itself doesn't take that long. Maybe 15 minutes? Cleanup eats up a decent chunk of time too though—washing dishes, drying them, wiping down the table and counter you used.
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:22
    Re: #11
    I cook because it's more worthwhile than the time I'd spend browsing 5ch.
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:25
    I cook to save money, and eating out or grabbing takeout is seriously expensive?? Do people who hate cooking at home just not care about saving money at all??
    19AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:28
    Re: #16
    I want to save money, sure, but I have zero energy to actually do the work for it.
    17AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:27
    I'm single and have money, so the cost of eating out doesn't hurt at all.
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:28
    Re: #17
    Even if it doesn't hurt, you could put whatever you save toward other fun stuff instead.
    Not a bad deal, is it.
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:29
    Eating out now runs just under 1,500 yen, right? For home cooking, I won't buy cheap meat because it's not tasty, so I'm looking at about 700-800 yen a meal.
    Either way, a few hundred extra yen a meal doesn't hurt at all.
    31AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:31
    Re: #21
    Shouldn't you be judging by quality, not just price?
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:33
    Doesn't eating out every day leave you not knowing what to eat?
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:34
    Re: #34
    Same goes for cooking at home though.
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:36
    Re: #35
    The degree is totally different, isn't it? Unless you've got a set-meal place with a huge menu near your house.
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:38
    Re: #38
    Not at all.
    If anything, home cooking has less variety.
    41AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:38
    Re: #38
    Well, home cooking sometimes just comes down to whatever's in stock or on sale.
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:41
    Re: #40
    If you can eat at the same place every day, then having like ten dishes in your home-cooking repertoire should be plenty, no?
    Unless you live 5 minutes from a busy downtown, I guess.
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:43
    Re: #43
    I'm saying the range for building that repertoire is narrow.
    I don't eat out so I wouldn't know, but with takeout you can pick whatever you like off the menu.
    Home cooking is limited to whatever you can easily make yourself.
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:44
    Re: #43
    Eating out also has a huge menu, so you can choose whatever you like.
    Once it's limited to what you personally can cook, it's pretty restricted.
    44AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:42
    Re: #42
    I'm not doing it to save money.
    I enjoy taking my time with ingredients and seasonings I like.
    Can't do the poor-man's-savings thing.
    51AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:44
    Re: #44
    That's just you—home cooking CAN be done cheaper, you know.
    53AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:45
    Re: #51
    What's the point of doing it cheap?
    I get the point of home cooking if it's about avoiding additives, but
    you're probably still loading up on additives while calling it 'home cooking.'
    Unhealthy.
    57AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:48
    Re: #53
    The 'point' is different for everyone.
    'It's meaningful because it's additive-free' is just your personal opinion.
    Can't you get that?
    58AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:48
    Re: #53
    Doesn't the company you work for do cost-cutting or anything?
    55AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:47
    People who say they cook at home to save money—
    do you not realize you're just a slave to the state?
    60AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:49
    Re: #55
    That's just, like, your opinion.
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:49
    Re: #55
    That's beside the point, isn't it?
    With home cooking you can get a meal down to 100-200 yen, you know?
    62AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:50
    Re: #57
    Don't you think it's contradictory to save for the future while shortening your lifespan? (lol)
    Re: #58
    What's the company got to do with it?
    Why not just earn more instead of cutting costs?
    65AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:52
    Re: #62
    A company and an individual are the same thing though.

    Does your company think it's fine to skip cost-cutting as long as it earns more than that?
    66AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:52
    Re: #62
    That's also just your personal opinion.
    Why do you assume everyone else shares your personal values and go 'don't you think so? (smug face)' demanding agreement?
    Like 'what I think is obviously what everyone thinks'?
    69AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:54
    Re: #63
    No matter how many recipes you pick up, the range doesn't change.
    Why do you think just knowing the method widens your range?
    75AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:55
    Re: #69
    If you have the recipe, you can make it, right?

    Maybe you don't have the skill to cook, but cooking at home every day is exactly how you build that skill.
    82AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:57
    Re: #75
    Even with the recipe and the skill, you can't make it without the time, stamina, and energy to actually do it.

    And on top of that, you're saying the skill only comes from cooking every day? That's no good.
    84AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:58
    Re: #82
    We're talking about range here.
    95AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:01
    Re: #87
    Because the conversation had drifted into 'even with the skill, you can't make it without the time, stamina, and energy'—Re: #82

    that's why I said we're talking about range.
    71AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:54
    Re: #65
    I'm not that serious, so I don't think about stuff like that.
    Are you really living life that desperately? (lol)
    Re: #66
    I wasn't asking for agreement or anything…?
    I just said it's a weird way of thinking.
    77AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:55
    Re: #71
    The moment you call it 'a weird way of thinking,' it's obvious you're assuming 'what I think is naturally what everyone else thinks.'
    79AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:56
    Re: #71
    Everyone's living life desperately, you know.

    You've probably never had to think about cutting costs at work or in your personal life because you've got the money for it.

    Must be nice.
    89AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:59
    Re: #85
    Sure, for chain places that just microwave pre-packaged stuff.

    But that's not tasty, is it?
    93AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:00
    Re: #89
    Cooking isn't really that big a skill when you get down to it, though.
    98AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:02
    Re: #93
    Right, and if you cook at home every day, your recipes keep growing and your skill keeps improving.
    103AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:04
    Re: #98
    Which basically means you HAVE to cook at home every day, doesn't it.
    104AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:04
    Re: #98
    Eh, cooking's fine even if you're sloppy about it.
    100AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:02
    Re: #95
    The conversation hasn't changed.
    We're talking about range here, right? Nobody's talking about whether you're technically able to make something or not.
    105AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:04
    Re: #100
    You're the one who shifted the conversation with 'even with skill, you can't make it without the time, stamina, and energy.'

    I'm talking about range, not about people who lack time or stamina.

    You don't need to reply anymore.
    108AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:06
    Re: #105
    What changed?
    We've been talking about 'range' from the start.

    'I'm talking about range, so I'm not talking about people who lack time or stamina'—sorry, but your Japanese is so broken I can't even parse that.
    The concept of 'range' still applies to people without time or stamina too.

    And nobody asked for your opinion on whether replies are needed or not.
    109AnonymousSep 2, 2026 19:07
    Re: #108
    You're getting put on my ignore list next, so there's that.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    Whether cooking at home actually pays off compared to eating out comes down to how much you count your own labor—cooking time, ingredient costs, cleanup effort—as a cost. As the thread itself shows, with figures ranging from “700-800 yen per home-cooked meal” to “100-200 yen per home-cooked meal” appearing side by side, the gap depends heavily on the grade of ingredients used, which makes a simple price comparison against chain restaurants unreliable. The claim that “home cooking is healthier because it has fewer additives” doesn’t necessarily hold up either, if you’re using store-bought seasonings and processed ingredients. The back half of the thread strays from the main topic into a circular argument over how to define the “range” of home-cooked recipes, and readers should note that the discussion loses steam as an argument about economic rationality well before it wraps up.

    ※This article is an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (News VIP) thread “Cooking for yourself feels pointless when you’re single.”

  • Rio Kitagawa’s Latest Photos Go Viral: “What Is This Level of Cute?”

    Recent photos of former Hello! Project member Rio Kitagawa became a hot topic on 5ch, with commenters flooding in with reactions like “what even is this level of cute?” The thread also featured a ranking of graduated members by workload, with Kitagawa placing near the top thanks to her frequent TV appearances. Some noted she had once aspired to be a TV announcer, ironically ending up with heavy television exposure anyway. Others sympathized with the fact that, despite being a rookie, she’s already pulling late-night shifts, and attention turned to how she seems to be based right in the heart of Tokyo.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:32
    What even is this level of cute?
    3AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:33
    Re: #1
    Post-graduation workload ranking

    Kasahara
    Kudo
    Tamura
    Sayashi
    Makino
    Iikubo
    Miyamoto
    Wada
    Ikuta
    Fukumura
    Takeuchi
    Morito
    Inaba
    Yamagishi
    Ogata
    Hamaura
    Kitagawa ← this one
    Sasaki
    Uemura
    Miyazaki
    Sato
    Katsuta
    Koseki
    Murota
    Kogata
    Fukuda Hana
    Ishida
    Hirose
    Niinuma
    Kaga
    Kishimoto
    Yamazaki Yume
    Ichioka
    Nakanishi
    Takagi
    Asakura
    Kamikokuryo
    Shimakura
    Aikawa
    Takase
    Suzuki, Fujii, Nomura, Tashiro, Yagi,
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:34
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:34
    She's on TV nonstop these days

    So much for not being able to become an announcer, huh
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:34
    Re: #1
    Kitagawa's always right in the heart of Tokyo

    Morning Musume's always out in the sticks
    9AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:35
    Re: #8
    LOL that's so true wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ("w" = laughter, like "lol")
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:35
    Re: #8
    Kitagawa's always right in the heart of Tokyo

    Morning Musume and Makino are always out in the sticks
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:35
    Re: #11
    LOL that's so true wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
    14AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:37
    Of course she's in Akasaka, lol
    Her workplace is in Akasaka
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:40
    She's a rookie and already pulling late-night shifts?
    Brutal, TV Tokyo
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:43
    Re: #18
    Rookies and staff ADs actually make bank
    Rookies at the major networks can clear 10 million yen a year just from overtime
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 18:43
    She's got that Showa-era delinquent-schoolgirl (sukeban) vibe
    Slightly thick eyebrows are cute though

    Background and key points of this topic

    Rio Kitagawa is a former idol who graduated from a Hello! Project group and is now appearing frequently on TV Tokyo programming. The “workload ranking” posted in the thread is just one poster’s personal impression, not an official statistic or agency announcement, so it should be taken with a grain of salt. The claim that she once aspired to be a TV announcer is also only hearsay from within the thread, and it hasn’t been confirmed whether she has ever said this herself. Note that the thread later devolved into an argument between posters over whether her workplace is in Roppongi or Akasaka, complete with “country bumpkin” insults being traded back and forth — this article has been trimmed to focus only on the discussion about Kitagawa.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “The latest photos of Rio Kitagawa in Akasaka are unbearably cute🩵.”

  • CANDY TUNE’s New Single ‘Souishi♡So Free’ Gets Slammed — 5ch: ‘The Secondhand Embarrassment Is Unreal’

    The new single “Souishi♡So Free” by idol group CANDY TUNE has been drawing a wave of criticism on X (formerly Twitter), sparking a thread on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Alongside opinions on the song itself, the thread mixed in popularity comparisons with AKB-affiliated groups and “kawaii-style” (Kawaii Lab) idols, plus debate over Hello! Project’s overall “going viral” strategy. Some commenters harshly criticized the lyrics and concept, while others defended the single by pointing out that past releases followed a similar formula, leading to a split in opinion.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:12
    "The secondhand embarrassment is unreal," huh
    3AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:14
    The tables have completely turned on AKB.
    AKB's new single is super popular right now.
    41AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:29
    Re: #3
    Yeah, you can tell it's catching on.
    48AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:31
    Re: #3
    At the end of the day it's all about the male otaku.

    RESCENE = AKB Juice
    ILLIT = CANDY TUNE
    They'll never win again.
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:17
    Kind of late to be making a fuss about this, honestly.
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:17
    Re: #1
    Man, this feels great.
    Chasing viral hits is just lame.
    "Purikyukkyukyu" was cringe too.
    Ah, serves them right.
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:18
    If you're gonna say that, "Kawadame" and "Purikyu" both have equally dumb lyrics.
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:18
    Must be nice for Hello! Project — no normal person cares about their songs, so there's no risk of getting dragged…
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:19
    Out of the Kawaii Lab groups, isn't this one the cutest?
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:23
    Re: #12
    My bad, I mixed it up.
    The one I thought was cute was Kyuusto.
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:20
    Getting way too full of themselves.
    Hate it.
    Classic Hello! Project.
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:21
    Tokisen's title tracks have had ridiculous lyrics lately too, but I guess that's just the trend now, can't be helped.
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:21
    For a group so obsessed with "cute," the word "Souishi" (consensus) is way too uncute.
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:24
    Kawaii Lab went viral on purpose.
    Hello! Project went viral by accident, out of sheer luck.
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:25
    Juice=Juice, that mysterious group whose stock just keeps rising even though all they do is sing, dance, and say hi.
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:26
    Once the hype dies down and people calm down, of course that's how it goes.
    It was just a fad, like catching the measles.
    Same thing happened with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:28
    Were their previous songs actually any good, though?
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:29
    Re: #35
    "Baibai Fight" is pretty popular.
    36AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:28
    "Shangri-La" is pretty much a straight copy of the original song.
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:32
    Re: #36
    Honestly it deserves to have like 90% of it ripped off lol
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:28
    This is the kind of song an anime voice actor would've sung back in the day.
    39AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:28
    They already made it onto Kohaku, so who cares.
    Just get Hello! Project trending more.
    42AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:29
    Getting sick of the "I'm so cute" schtick.
    This is a tailwind for Juice=Juice.
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:29
    That kind of stuff takes energy to keep consuming, too.
    Everyone's probably just worn out.
    Maybe folk songs will come back in style next.
    44AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:29
    At this rate, Kawaii Lab's gonna snatch up Yamazaki Aoi too.
    57AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:35
    Re: #44
    Moremi already provided a song for FRUITS ZIPPER before this.
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:30
    I don't want to actually listen to the song so I wouldn't know — why's it getting hate?
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:30
    Because "Kurakura," their cute-concept song, was pretty rough.
    50AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:32
    Re: #28
    Sounds like a song mocking otaku who jump on trends without thinking.
    52AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:33
    Even if people get tired of the "cute" concept, that alone wouldn't get them dragged.
    The song's just bad, plain and simple.
    53AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:33
    Kawaii Lab and Akimoto-produced groups always get flak, but isn't that just because they get more attention?
    Hello! Project as a whole is more at the level of being ignored entirely.
    54AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:34
    What's funny is that real cuteness has shown up in AKB now,
    and it makes all the "I'm so cute" posturing from Kawaii Lab look absolutely ridiculous lol
    56AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:35
    If this counts as a garbage song, Hello! Project would be getting flamed every single time.
    58AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:36
    If you set your mind to it, if you set your mind to it,
    Somehow it'll work out.
    Don't let that spirit go,
    Don't let that spirit go,
    Don't let that spirit go,

    Don't let that spirit go,
    Don't let that spirit go
    59AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:39
    Isn't this just some old-timer anti from Asahi Net (an old-school Japanese ISP, slang for an out-of-touch old internet user) causing a ruckus?
    60AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:39
    Hello! Project fans are fans because they genuinely believe in Hello! Project's music, but the antis just praise whatever rival group as a club to beat them with — so their club breaks pretty easily.
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 17:39
    I'm a Juice=Juice fan and was watching CDTV, and I was taken aback that they'd actually air CANDY TUNE's new song on network TV?!
    Any other Hello! Project group's new single would've been way better, no question.

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    What the thread really centered on wasn’t the quality of “Souishi♡So Free” itself, but the balance of power in popularity between the Hello! Project camp and AKB/Kawaii Lab-affiliated groups (Kawaii Kenkyuujo, or “Kawaii Research Institute,” groups). Because the discussion coincided with a period when AKB-affiliated new singles were gaining traction, two views coexisted: the sense that Hello! Project had been “overtaken,” and a cooler take that “Hello! Project was never reaching a mainstream audience to begin with, so the risk of real backlash is small.” Reactions on 5ch were far from unanimous — plenty of posts pushed back on the intensity of the criticism on X, arguing things like “it’s not that great a song to begin with” or “Hello! Project gets this kind of flak all the time.” One thing readers may misread is that the thread title’s “getting dragged” doesn’t mean X as a whole has reached a consensus — it’s simply 5ch’s shorthand for “this is generating buzz.” Also, proper nouns like “Kawaii Lab,” “Tokisen,” and “Kurakura” are insider abbreviations that can be hard to follow at first glance, but they’re all used as comparison points rooted in the idol industry’s long-running factional rivalries.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[Sad News] CANDY TUNE’s New Single “Souishi♡So Free” Is Getting Slammed Hard by X Users.”

  • Do You Really Need to Dry-Clean Slacks After Every Single Wear? 5ch Says ‘Once a Year Is Plenty’

    A thread kicked off after someone said they told a coworker, “You’re supposed to send slacks to the dry cleaner every single day you wear them,” and the coworker was shocked. On 5ch, plenty of people chimed in with “once a year is plenty” and “just spray some Febreze on them now and then,” while others pushed back with, “If you’re dry-cleaning them after every wear, you might as well just buy new ones daily and toss them.” The discussion spread to cover how to deal with sweat in summer, the traditional British method of brushing (not washing) wool suits, comparisons to school uniforms and bath towels, and even a generational divide over whether people even know or use the word “slacks” anymore.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:37
    Wearing dirty pants for days on end? lol
    2AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:38
    Once a year, right?
    Just spray some Febreze on them now and then.
    4AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:38
    How much do you even spend on dry cleaning per year?
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:41
    These days, it's rarer to see someone actually wearing slacks.
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:42
    I get it.
    They get all damp and gross after just one day.
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:44
    Wearing long compression leggings (spats) underneath helps.
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:45
    If you're dry-cleaning them after every wear, you might as well just buy a new pair daily and toss them.
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:46
    Women don't send their skirts and pants to the cleaners every single time either.
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:47
    Do you wash your hands every single time you use the bathroom? lol
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:51
    Re: #15
    Honestly, it's scarier NOT to wash them every time.
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:48
    You can totally tell when someone's been wearing the same slacks for days straight.
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:49
    What even is a "surakkusu" (slacks)?

    Or is it about your toupee (zura) slipping while everyone snickers (kusukusu) at you? (it's a pun — surakkusu sounds like zura + kusukusu)
    19AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:50
    Oh, the kind they sell in the clothing section on the 2nd floor of the supermarket?
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:51
    In Britain, the gentleman's country, wool jackets and trousers basically were never washed back then and still aren't now.
    Wear them for a day, hang them properly on a hanger to keep their shape, brush all the dust off carefully with a soft brush, and that's it.
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:53
    Were you washing your school uniform jacket (gakuran) and trousers every single day back in middle school?
    26AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:55
    Just wear something more stylish, like cargo pants or chinos.
    27AnonymousSep 2, 2026 14:58
    Summer really does make you sweat buckets.
    Around the time it became acceptable to just wear a polo shirt on top, I picked up a few pairs of "Kandou Pants" (a machine-washable trouser line).
    I wear those from early summer until just before autumn.
    Being able to wash them at home makes life so much easier.
    30AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:18
    I don't think I've said the word "slacks" out loud once in my entire life.
    41AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:00
    Re: #30
    That's just you.
    You're the only one laughing ("kusa") here too.
    31AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:18
    Every weekend I drop off 5 dress shirts and 1 pair of trousers at the cleaners.
    That's just the standard summer dry-cleaning routine for your average salaryman.
    33AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:19
    Wearing a suit in 40°C heat, lolololol
    I mean, come on, lolololol
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:16
    Re: #33
    What, are you working in a short-sleeve button-down and shorts or something?
    Realize how out of touch you are.
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:20
    Lately, sweet potato flowers — which normally only bloom in the tropics — have been blooming everywhere and causing a stir.
    That basically means Japan's climate has already turned tropical.
    If you don't dress for the tropics, you'll die out there.
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:21
    Sounds like you wash your bath towel every single day too, then.
    36AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:23
    Yeah, after wearing them for a day, the smell around the crotch area does start to bother you.
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:33
    A bath towel you just toss in the washing machine, so it's basically one use and done.
    39AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:35
    Even if people call it cheap, I've stopped buying anything but trousers I can wash at home.
    My current workplace has uniforms, but the uniform cleaning service itself only comes twice a month, so I guess that's the real-world standard.
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 15:52
    Back when I was a new hire, I used to send my shirts to the cleaners every single weekend too…
    42AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:00
    When I get home, I hang them up somewhere with good airflow.
    I mean, I'm obviously not sending them to the cleaners after just one wear.
    44AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:18
    Vintage Levi's 501XX?
    I've never washed mine, not even once.
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:23
    Are you calling 90s ones vintage now too?
    Back then, only celebrities could afford to wear those.
    47AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:24
    How much are you even spending on slacks alone per year?
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:29
    Even if you're unemployed, if you have any sense of style you've at least picked up a pair of Uniqlo slacks.
    I'm curious what kind of person doesn't know the word "slacks" or treats it like a dead term.
    53AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:37
    "Slacks"?
    Aren't those what corporate-drone middle-aged guys wear on their days off?
    57AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:43
    Re: #53
    The kind of guy who only ever goes to family restaurants.
    55AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:40
    I rotate through 5 pairs but don't dry-clean them until the season's over.
    After each wear I just douse them in Febreze.
    56AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:41
    If you spray way more Febreze than necessary, they end up feeling kind of sticky, don't they?
    58AnonymousSep 2, 2026 16:43
    I wear 7 pairs in rotation and air them out in the shade on my days off.
    I only send them to the cleaners about once a season.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Underlying this debate is a gap in perceptions about conventional dry-cleaning wisdom. Suit-fabric trousers are often made from material that can’t be washed at home, but frequent solvent-based dry cleaning can damage the fabric, so industry advice commonly suggests cleaning only when stains or sweat become noticeable, or roughly once or twice a month. The thread saw a clash between the “once-a-year” camp and the “once-a-week” camp, but rather than either side being simply wrong, it may just be that the right frequency depends on workplace dress culture, climate, and how easily a person sweats. The traditional British method of caring for wool garments (brushing off dust instead of washing) was brought up, but it’s worth noting that while this is a classic technique for making fibers last, it doesn’t necessarily translate directly to Japan’s hot, humid climate. Some generations apparently don’t even recognize the term “slacks” itself, which may reflect how remote work and the shift toward casual office attire have reduced everyday opportunities to wear formal trousers in the first place.

    ※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “I told a coworker slacks are supposed to go to the dry cleaner every single day you wear them, and they were shocked lol.”

  • Guy brings medaka fish home, sparks debate over his sketchy tub setup — 5ch: “I believe in senpai Anacharis’s power”

    On Nyuusoku VIP (5ch’s news/VIP board), a user who’d just brought home medaka (Japanese rice fish) and shrimp posted photos of his setup, prompting a flood of replies questioning the water quality and risk of oxygen deprivation. Experienced fishkeepers weighed in one after another — on keeping fish in a plastic tub, whether aeration was actually necessary, and how Anacharis (a water plant) supplies oxygen. At one point a poster flatly declared “they’ll all be dead within a week,” leading to a small bet with the OP over whether the fish would survive. By the end of the thread the fish in question was reported to be fading, leaving readers hanging on its fate.

    Any moment now……

    Source: imgur.com / Original post here

    4AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:37
    Props for actually acclimating the water temperature properly
    10AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:40
    Re: #4
    Yeah, pretty much.
    Re: #2
    https://imgur.com/a/fxWgTiD
    White medaka and black medaka.
    Both together cost 180 yen.
    The shrimp were 140 yen for 2 (one's a baby).
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:38
    Spoiler alert:
    it'll be dead by the time you wake up tomorrow
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:43
    Re: #6
    That's scarily plausible.
    Especially with this water —
    something feels a bit off.
    According to AI, the zeolite (the stones at the bottom) is supposed to clean it up.
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:44
    Re: #15
    That's not the zeolite doing it, it's the bacteria that's colonized it.
    Yeah, this thing's dead by tomorrow.
    19AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:47
    Re: #16
    Now I'm worried lolololol
    There's no way bacteria's grown in there yet.
    So what is it then… maybe he didn't rinse the substrate well enough?
    Eh, whatever.
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:48
    Re: #19
    You didn't add a bacteria starter?
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:47
    Don't medaka eat each other?
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:47
    Acclimating to water/temperature doesn't really matter much for freshwater fish, does it?
    30AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:52
    Re: #20
    Nah, they don't, they don't.
    They basically get along fine.
    I used to keep them and never saw anything like that.
    Re: #21
    So this was pointless then?
    Guess I'll just let them loose already.
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:48
    A plastic tub? Seriously?
    Just buy an actual tank.
    And get an air pump in there or they'll suffocate.
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:48
    I keep medaka and Minami shrimp together in a water-lily pot in my garden.
    Basically left alone, just fed occasionally — going on 7, 8 years now.
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:54
    Re: #23
    Is that actually fun though?
    Sounds kind of boring.
    Personally I think keeping them indoors in your room is more interesting.
    29AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:51
    Re: #25
    Looked it up — apparently zeolite promotes bacteria growth.
    So this might actually be a good sign.
    That cloudiness looks like a normal thing that happens once you add zeolite.
    Bottom line, the water in the photo doesn't seem harmful to the fish.
    32AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:53
    Re: #29
    It's not like it happens instantly though.
    31AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:53
    Re: #22
    Yeah, it's a tub.
    Tanks are expensive, intimidating, and heavy.
    I figured this would be enough…
    An air pump means running electricity and all that.
    I'm putting my faith in senpai Anacharis.
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:57
    Re: #31
    Anacharis releases oxygen through photosynthesis during the day, but at night it actually consumes oxygen.
    The oxygen your fish need mostly comes in through the water surface, so as long as you don't seal off the top, you should be fine.
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:00
    Re: #37
    Wait, really? It gives off oxygen under fluorescent or LED light too, right? It sucks in oxygen at night? That's kind of scary.
    But I guess it's fine since they can get it from the surface.
    No idea about the shrimp though (hey now lol) lol
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:01
    Re: #37
    In still water, the amount of oxygen that actually dissolves is pretty minimal.
    Same goes for the oxygen from photosynthesis under a room light.
    It'd be idiotic to kill your fish just to save like 100 yen a month on an air pump.
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:55
    Re: #27
    The bag's gotten all bulked up from topping off the water during acclimation.
    Want to let them out already…
    These guys are waiting too, right? Still not yet?
    Lol they're basically furious at this point.
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 12:58
    Re: #35
    Them thrashing around is stress from the sudden change in environment, so that's not really a good sign.
    Pretty good chance they'll be "turned into stars" by tomorrow (a Japanese euphemism for dying).
    46AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:02
    If I'm being 100% serious here, the shrimp are gonna climb out the top and be dried-out husks by morning.
    53AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:14
    Re: #46
    https://imgur.com/a/0Ootsym
    Got tired of waiting so I just put them in.
    No way they're escaping out the top —
    you can tell just by looking.
    So wait, even though it's dissolving in around the Anacharis, are you saying there's still not enough oxygen?
    48AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:05
    What about blowing bubbles into it with a straw every now and then?
    49AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:07
    Re: #48
    That just mixes in CO2.
    51AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:10
    Medaka really are best kept in a biotope setup.
    52AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:11
    Medaka don't need aeration.
    If anything, it's better not to create any water current at all.
    54AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:14
    Re: #52
    If you're keeping them indoors you do need it, since there's no wind.
    55AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:14
    Re: #49
    That's actually been debunked scientifically.
    The air you exhale has way more oxygen in it than CO2.
    So blowing bubbles through a straw yourself is considered to have some real effect.
    61AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:16
    Re: #55
    Well, it does contain some CO2 too.
    But the whole point of bubbling is that it mixes oxygen in from the surface anyway.
    59AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:15
    I'll say it with confidence:
    they'll all be dead within a week.
    62AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:17
    Re: #59
    Seriously?
    Alright, it's a bet then.
    I'm betting they'll still be alive.
    I'll make a new thread if they survive.
    76AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:27
    You put them in before the water settled, didn't you?
    Isn't it possible fine sand got into their gills?
    85AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:35
    Re: #76
    No, I rinsed the stones and changed the water several times.
    I asked AI about it repeatedly, even showed it photos —
    it says there's no problem.
    I'm starting to think this particular fish was just weak from the start.
    Apparently if the water were actually bad, the white one and the shrimp would be dead by now too.
    81AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:33
    If you want to breed more medaka, you'll need a secondary tank or a breeding box too —
    medaka will straight-up eat their own babies.
    They'll eat baby shrimp too.
    90AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:36
    Re: #81
    If you cut up some artificial turf matting and float it on top,
    fry small enough to get eaten will instinctively hide in it though.
    84AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:35
    My medaka in a pot on the balcony don't have any bubbler at all —
    gas exchange through the surface is plenty.
    88AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:36
    Re: #84
    That's because it's on the balcony —
    there's wind there.
    Wouldn't work indoors.
    86AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:35
    Is it dead yet?
    95AnonymousSep 2, 2026 13:44
    Re: #86
    It's still barely breathing, but
    honestly it's touch-and-go whether it makes it through tonight…
    Guhh……

    I think I'm gonna step away from this thread for a bit.
    This is rough on me mentally, ngl.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Acclimating medaka to new water is a standard procedure to prevent fish from dying of shock due to sudden changes in temperature and water quality, and whether this step had actually been done became the starting point of the debate in this thread. The main point of contention was whether aeration is necessary for indoor fishkeeping (as a measure against oxygen deprivation) — since the amount of surface agitation from wind differs between an outdoor water-lily pot and an indoor tub, opinions on necessity tend to split. The thread largely converged on the rule of thumb that it’s unnecessary outdoors but necessary indoors. It’s also easy to misunderstand that water plants like Anacharis produce oxygen through photosynthesis during the day but actually consume it at night, so simply adding a water plant doesn’t guarantee everything will be fine. The thread ended with the medaka in question still in a weakened state and no further updates, so whether it survived remains unconfirmed.

    *This article is composed as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Nyuusoku VIP) thread “So this idiot said he just picked up some medaka for home, but…“.

  • Renovating a Massive Warehouse in the Countryside Sparks Debate: 5ch Says ‘If They’re Having Fun, Who Cares?’

    A post on X (formerly Twitter) about “renovating half of a massive countryside warehouse to live in” was picked up on 5ch and drew a wave of reactions. Rather than just a house with a garage, the poster bought an entire warehouse and is remodeling it however they please — some praised the sheer enthusiasm behind that lifestyle, while others worried about the endless weeding, upkeep in old age, and how realistic it’d be with a family in tow. Between comments calling it “a bachelor’s hobby palace” and suspicions that it’s stealth marketing to unload a hard-to-sell property, the thread ended up split between admiration and concern.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:05
    @
    Bought a house.
    Skipped right past "with a garage" and got one with a massive warehouse attached 🏠
    2AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:12
    What about stuff like weeding?
    How's that gonna work?
    6AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:16
    Re: #2
    They invented this thing called herbicide, you know
    3AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:13
    Fine if you're single,
    but a family would hate this
    5AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:16
    This is the kind of thing only a single DIY YouTuber pulls off.
    No way you could do this with a family around
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:17
    A house built entirely around one guy's hobbies, huh. Gotta admit, kinda envy that
    12AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:25
    Faster to just drop a prefab shed inside and insulate that instead
    26AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:44
    Re: #12
    A contractor I know does exactly that
    14AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:29
    If a single guy dies and leaves something like this behind, it's gonna be a nightmare for everyone around him
    15AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:29
    Construction costs are high no matter where you renovate, that part doesn't change.
    And more importantly, everyone's got their job, commute, kids' schooling to think about — a truly rural place has basically zero resale value, it's basically just a vacation home
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:31
    Isn't this just stealth marketing to unload some money-pit property nobody wants to buy?
    18AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:34
    You could even open a shop in there, this is the best
    19AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:34
    Went and checked the original X post myself.
    Can't say I'm envious, but the guy himself looks like he's having a blast, so who cares lol
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:36
    Looks way more fun than being a minimalist
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:36
    Wouldn't it be better to buy one of those small factories in Ota Ward, Tokyo, turnkey with the fixtures already in place?
    22AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:38
    This is the police. There's been a car theft reported. Mind if we take a look inside?
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:39
    If you've got the land, put up solar panels and you could easily cover your daytime electric bill
    24AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:42
    Looks like it'd collapse in an earthquake.
    Looks like it'd flood if the river overflows.
    Looks like the roof would blow off in a typhoon
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:43
    Just thinking about maintaining a property this size gives me a headache
    28AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:44
    With that much volume, heating and cooling must be brutal.
    Living in a one-room apartment, my AC bill is basically nothing by comparison
    30AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:46
    He bought a house that came with a warehouse
    and is renovating the warehouse however he wants
    Must be nice
    31AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:46
    If you actually move a house in there, wouldn't the warehouse need to meet stricter seismic standards?
    32AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:47
    I think it's fine in your 40s or 50s.
    But once you're elderly you won't be able to maintain something this size, and it'll turn into a hoarder house
    33AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:48
    Watching this thread:
    people who react positively are enjoying their lives,
    people who react negatively are boring.
    Pretty easy to tell who's who
    36AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:50
    Re: #33
    People who can't take criticism just get discouraged and give up right away
    38AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:51
    Re: #33
    If I've got to force myself to gush over something like this,
    I'll gladly be the "boring one"
    34AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:48
    It's cheap simply because it's an inconvenient place to live — not for everyone
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:50
    You're only going to keep getting older, you know.
    Only someone who grew up in the city would find this appealing
    37AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:51
    Rather than the countryside, I'd want to live smack in the middle of Tokyo, in an office-cum-home like the ones from "Kato-Ken" or "Tantei Monogatari" (classic Japanese comedy show and detective drama)
    54AnonymousSep 2, 2026 11:02
    Re: #37
    Best would be doing what Sanma (comedian Akashiya Sanma) did — buy a building on prime Tokyo real estate, use it as an office, and convert a whole floor into your home
    39AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:51
    I don't even have the energy to tinker with cars anymore.
    Driving already wears me out — honestly I'd rather live without a car
    40AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:51
    I want to live in a prefab shack on a building rooftop
    41AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:52
    Places like this look nice because there's nature all around.
    I wonder which is the better deal — this, or just buying a regular house in the same area.
    For people who plan on hitting Hello! Project concert venues (ハロ現場) every weekend, the countryside might be rough to live in
    43AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:52
    People who feel fulfilled just by owning stuff
    are kind of shallow, no?
    44AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:52
    My license lapsed, so I've decided to just live a car-free life from now on
    45AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:52
    Don't need nature.
    I'd rather have it all paved in asphalt like a supermarket parking lot
    52AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:57
    I don't know the first thing about it, but I've got this vague urge to try farming out in the countryside someday
    56AnonymousSep 2, 2026 11:10
    Re: #52
    You can farm anywhere
    60AnonymousSep 2, 2026 11:30
    Re: #52
    A home vegetable garden is really the sweet spot.
    Actual serious farming is way too much work

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    “Maximalist” is a term that emerged on social media as the opposite of “minimalist” — someone who lives without possessions — describing a lifestyle centered on being surrounded by the things you love. The warehouse-property renovation appears to have been shared in that context. In rural Japan, population decline has led to more unused warehouses and vacant houses being sold cheap as “negative-value real estate” — property that costs more to maintain than it’s worth. The thread saw skepticism about renovation costs and resale value, alongside practical tips for upkeep like using herbicide or installing an insulated prefab unit inside. Whether this lifestyle is realistic hinges heavily on whether you’re single or have a family, and whether you can keep maintaining a property this size into old age — points the thread argued over without reaching any consensus.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “X (Twitter) post: “Renovating half of a massive countryside warehouse to live in — I think that’s the correct answer for maximalists”.”

  • Tokyoites Earn ¥4 Million a Year Yet Still Pay Six-Figure Rent — “Nagoya’s Way Better Value,” Say Critics

    A thread about Tokyo rent versus income, posted on the “Live Anything” board (Nandemo Jikkyo G), blew up. It kicked off with an image comparing average rent for 1K apartments in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, and quickly spiraled into inter-city bickering: “Nagoya pays about the same as Tokyo but rent is half — way better value” versus “yeah, but the manners and public order there are terrible.” Commenters also clashed over whether the widely cited ¥4 million annual income figure was a mean or a median, trading rebuttals sourced from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare statistics. The thread also touched on low disposable income, real examples of cut-rate apartments in central Tokyo, and whether the crime-rate rankings being cited were even accurate.

    1AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:16
    lol (lit. "grass" — 5ch slang for laughing)
    2AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:16
    Average rent for 1K apartments
    Tokyo

    Osaka

    Nagoya

    Fukuoka
    7AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:17
    Re: #2
    Fukuoka's way too high for being in the middle of nowhere
    11AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:18
    Re: #2
    Didn't realize Osaka salaries were this low
    4AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:17
    Nagoya's value is insane
    Same pay as Tokyo but half the rent
    17AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:20
    Re: #4
    But the city's a hellscape — Sakae is literally the only thing there
    8AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:17
    And it's even more brutal in dollar terms
    At ¥160 to the dollar, ¥4 million a year is only $2,500 a month… wait, $25,000 a year

    Back when ¥100 to the dollar was normal, that same $25,000 would've only been ¥2.5 million 😭
    31AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:23
    Re: #8
    Why would a regular salaryman even think in dollars
    Still, living in Tokyo is about as bad as it gets
    13AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:19
    Nagoya's value is way too good
    16AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:20
    Re: #13
    Nagoya's manners are so bad you can't really call it good value
    21AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:21
    Re: #16
    Tokyo's manners are honestly worse
    20AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:21
    Nagoya's just cheap — the performance side is garbage
    23AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:21
    Re: #20
    It's a big city where you can live in a spacious, clean home, earn good pay, and find work — that's plenty of performance
    25AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:22
    Making ¥4 million in Tokyo is just too much of a loser move
    35AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:23
    Re: #25
    It's the median, so Tokyo is a city with nearly 10 million of those "losers"
    26AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:22
    If you're going to live in Nagoya, you might as well live in Sendai or Sapporo
    30AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:22
    Re: #26
    Sendai and Sapporo have low pay and no jobs
    Nagoya has plenty of jobs and good pay
    28AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:22
    Nagoya's only selling point is being cheap. The public order and manners are so bad I wouldn't want to live there
    32AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:23
    Re: #28
    Crime rate rankings
    1st: Tokyo
    2nd: Osaka
    3rd: Kanagawa

    6th: Aichi (Nagoya's prefecture)
    87AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:39
    Re: #32
    https://www.alsok.co.jp/person/recommend/dangerous-ranking2024/
    The police don't publish per-capita stats anymore, but if you actually calculate it, has Tokyo really overtaken Osaka as the overwhelming worst?
    I guess five years is enough time for that to happen
    97AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:43
    Re: #32
    Even calculating from the official 2025 stats, Osaka's still #1 — what ranking is this even from?
    42AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:24
    Also, the area near central Nagoya is cheap because it's unpopular
    And it's unpopular because it's a pain to live in
    56AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:27
    Re: #42
    Of course it is
    It's just that Tokyoites who happily live downtown or on reclaimed landfill are the weird ones
    55AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:27
    Tokyo salaries seem decent, but disposable income looks really low
    60AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:28
    Re: #55
    Yeah, that's actually true

    It's fighting for dead last in disposable income nationwide
    64AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:30
    Re: #55
    Though for families raising kids, the subsidies are pretty generous
    Still, having kids pushes the rent you need even higher
    59AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:28
    Re: #35
    If you look at men only, the national median easily clears ¥5 million, and I'd guess it's around ¥6 million for Tokyo alone
    No point arguing with numbers that lump in part-time housewives
    62AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:29
    Re: #59
    This is full-time employees only, by the way
    69AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:31
    Re: #62
    If Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya all come in below the national stats that include part-timers, something's off
    Pensioners are probably mixed into that data too
    70AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:32
    Re: #62
    The latest Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare median for full-time employees is ¥3.7 million
    You're mixing that up with the average
    The average is around ¥5 million
    94AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:42
    Isn't Tokyo inflating so much that low-wage jobs won't be sustainable anymore?
    There's probably a limit to how many workers you can pull in from outside the city too
    98AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:43
    Re: #94
    That's exactly why they're bringing in tens of thousands of foreign technical intern trainees
    96AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:43
    The latest Reiwa-era floor plan, Tokyo edition!
    Only ¥100,000 a month! Such a deal!

    102AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:44
    Re: #96
    Looks like it's for "convict-tier" guys (a joke term for men who'll live in rooms as spartan as a prison cell)
    104AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:45
    Re: #96
    After all that, a shared toilet is still a dealbreaker?
    109AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:46
    [Photos] Behold Tokyoites Lining Up Around the Block for Gindako's ¥88 Deal (Only 88 Up for Grabs) lol










    Standing in line for over an hour just to save ¥500-600 seems like a terrible use of your hourly wage, no?
    114AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:47
    Re: #109
    Meanwhile
    Osakans: "We love Gindako!" ❤
    110AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:46
    Wait, Tokyo actually has the highest average income of anywhere
    Where's this ¥4 million figure even coming from?
    113AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:47
    Re: #110
    Plenty of Tokyoites make under ¥4 million too, you know
    115AnonymousSep 2, 2026 10:48
    Re: #110
    ¥4 million is the median
    It reflects reality better than the average does

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    What sparked the debate in the thread was how to interpret the figure “¥4 million a year.” According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Basic Survey on Wage Structure, the median annual income for full-time employees sits around ¥3.7 million, while the average climbs into the ¥5 million range. The median reflects the reality of the “person in the middle,” whereas the average tends to get pulled upward by high earners — so the same data set can leave very different impressions depending on which figure you look at. There’s no question Tokyo’s rents are among the highest in the country, but its low disposable income comes down to the heavy burden of rent, cost of living, and social insurance premiums — a high salary alone doesn’t guarantee breathing room. The thread also lit up with comparisons to Nagoya and Osaka, but judgments about “manners” and “public order” are largely based on personal impressions and should be read separately from official crime statistics.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (“Live Anything G”) board thread “[Sad News] Tokyoite Only Makes ¥4 Million a Year, Yet Rent Alone Eats at Least ¥100,000“.