Category: Society

  • Over 150 Million US Driver’s License Records May Have Leaked — 5ch: “Maybe Pen and Paper Really Are Cutting-Edge”

    A Louisiana-based ID verification company has disclosed that unauthorized access may have exposed personal information, including driver’s license data, in a breach estimated to affect over 150 million records. Attention has focused on the fact that a company underpinning US identity-verification infrastructure was the one targeted. In a 5ch thread, speculation flew over whether an AI was behind the attack or whether a specific nation-state like China or Russia was involved, with commenters repeatedly — and half-seriously — recommending a return to pen and paper, or even fax machines.

    US: Over 150 million records of information such as driver’s licenses may have leaked

    Amid a string of incidents involving unauthorized access to companies, a case has also come to light in the US in which unauthorized access exposed information such as individuals’ driver’s licenses.

    A company headquartered in the southern US state of Louisiana that provides ID verification services announced last month that certain data may have been accessed without authorization.

    Source: news.web.nhk / Original article here

    3AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:46
    AI, that's enough already

    Let's just stop.
    30AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:53
    Re: #3
    Yeah, I guess if it's not labeled "SI," it counts as the enemy (SI presumably = "super intelligence," as opposed to AI).
    168AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:32
    Re: #3
    The ones using it are raking in huge profits
    If we stop, the gap will only widen — it'll turn into open season.
    6AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:47
    It's probably some Chinese AI anyway, right?
    8AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:47
    Everyone except China and Russia
    got hit all at once across the whole world?
    60AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:00
    Re: #6
    So that means Chinese AI > American AI?

    Re: #8
    So China and Russia are taking over the world?
    127AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:18
    Re: #8
    Even if they got breached too, they'd probably never admit it.
    17AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:50
    So only China and Russia came out unscathed…
    26AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:53
    Re: #17
    If they really weren't hit, that just means the West is incompetent
    This kind of thing is an ongoing attack war anyway.
    89AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:08
    Re: #17
    If you just don't report the leak, it's as if nothing happened!
    33AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:54
    Sounds like an AI gone rogue
    Even scraping personal data from the whole world like this, there's no way you could ever use it all.
    39AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:55
    Guess World War III turned out to be an information war, huh.
    43AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:56
    Re: #39
    The Battle of NEWoMan (wordplay on "new man"/"new human" — NEWoMan is a shopping complex at Shinjuku Station).
    53AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:58
    If Japan's driver's licenses and My Number (national ID) data ever got leaked like this, it'd be a general-election-level scandal.
    58AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:00
    Even the US now, huh
    Guess we'd better switch back to fax.
    63AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:01
    Re: #58
    A comeback for white-collar workers, I guess.
    65AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:01
    Re: #60
    When it comes to mining power, China and Russia are already the top two.
    73AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:02
    Re: #65
    Like Bitcoin mining or something?
    81AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:04
    Re: #65
    I'll go install Kaspersky, just in case.
    76AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:03
    Apparently Chinese, Russian, and North Korean hackers are using AI to go on an absolute rampage.
    83AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:05
    Re: #76
    You mean Western weapons are going to become useless?
    82AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:04
    What they're doing is basically a straight-up Communist International.
    85AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:06
    Re: #82
    You mean the West is collapsing?
    92AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:08
    Maybe recording information with pen, paper, and fax machines is actually the cutting edge of security these days.
    226AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:55
    Re: #92
    "Meanwhile, Russia just used a pencil"

    — turns out that joke was right all along.
    137AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:21
    The Department of Defense has screwed up too, so we're basically finished.
    138AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:22
    Re: #137
    Japan's Ministry of Defense has been riddled with bugging devices since way before AI was even a thing, lol
    Guess they're only defending their submarine tech to the death 👍
    142AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:24
    Re: #138
    Didn't the Self-Defense Forces also get infected via a USB drive and leak stuff not long ago?
    Japan's got problems way more basic than AI.
    176AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:34
    Re: #138
    That's about the US Department of Defense, isn't it — the one where their HR data center stored personal info in plain text and leaked about 3 million people's records.
    151AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:27
    Country: "USB? Never heard of it — is that tasty?"
    159AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:29
    Re: #151
    I wonder how the Minister for Cybersecurity is doing these days
    Sakurada, wasn't it?
    160AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:29
    Re: #151
    I wonder how the Minister for Cybersecurity is doing these days
    Sakurada, wasn't it?

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    Companies that provide identity-verification services typically hold, all in one place, exactly the kind of information used to confirm someone’s identity — driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, and the like — which makes them an attractive target: a single successful intrusion can hand attackers a massive trove of personal data at once. The original article never explicitly states that this was an AI-driven attack, but it’s worth noting that theories like “an AI gone rogue” or “maybe it was a Chinese AI” spread independently within the thread. It’s also worth flagging that the leak of roughly 3 million people’s personnel records from the US Department of Defense, mentioned in some replies, is a separate, earlier incident unrelated to this case involving a private company, and shouldn’t be confused with it. Attacks on companies that handle identity verification expose a structural problem that’s hard for ordinary consumers to defend against: a breach at just one company can ripple outward to affect identity checks across multiple fronts, from driver’s licenses to Social Security numbers.

    *This article was compiled as an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[Breaking] US: Over 150 Million Records of Information Such as Driver’s Licenses May Have Leaked Due to Unauthorized Access.”

  • Pentagon Breached: Personal Data of 3 Million Military Personnel Allegedly Exposed in Plain Text

    The Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), which manages U.S. Department of Defense personnel data, suffered unauthorized access, and it has come to light that the personal information of over 3 million active-duty and retired service members was sitting there readable in unencrypted plain text. Just before this, the FBI had suffered a similar cyberattack that leaked its agents’ information, and the string of breaches hitting government agencies has sent shockwaves through the public. On 5channel threads, reactions ranged from disbelief that even the Department of Defense couldn’t secure its systems, to calls for AI regulation on the grounds that its spread is fueling these attacks, to arguments for an “analog comeback” — physically disconnecting networks altogether.

    It has come to light that the servers of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) were accessed without authorization, and that the personal information of more than 3 million people — including current and former military personnel — had been viewed by unknown parties. In the U.S., the FBI had only just reported that it too had suffered a cyberattack that leaked its agents’ personal information. With U.S. government agencies — which are supposed to have ironclad security — hit one after another, those involved are reportedly shocked.

    See source for details, 2026/10/9

    Source: itmedia.co.jp / Original article here

    8AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:53
    Intel agents' info leaking out in the open?
    14AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:54
    Re: #8
    If CIA data leaks, agents are gonna get whacked.
    36AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:59
    Re: #14
    Feel bad for any DEA agents undercover in Mexico.
    21AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:56
    If even the Pentagon can't stop this, no way civilians can, aru~ (a 5ch meme mimicking a stereotyped 'Chinese guy' speech pattern)
    24AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:57
    Re: #21
    Weren't they supposed to be using AI to plug the holes?
    37AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:59
    The most important thing isn't fighting AI with AI — it's disconnecting from the network entirely.
    47AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:01
    Re: #37
    Analog is king.
    38AnonymousOct 10, 2026 00:59
    Guess the enemy isn't human after all. Humanity's done for.
    44AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:01
    Re: #38
    But humans are the ones pulling the strings, no?
    82AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:09
    Maybe a massive solar flare fries every electronic device on Earth at once, wipes the slate clean, and everyone lives happily ever after.
    85AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:10
    Re: #82
    Just use an EMP, no?
    86AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:10
    Re: #82
    Like the Carrington Event? (the 1859 solar storm that fried telegraph systems worldwide)
    92AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:11
    Haven't Russia and China had leaks too? Or do they just keep quiet about it, I wonder.
    122AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:17
    Re: #92
    China had a massive leak before, didn't they.
    110AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:14
    By the way, amid all these leaks happening country after country, there's one country you almost never hear leak rumors about.
    116AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:16
    Re: #110
    Iran and North Korea, maybe?
    144AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:19
    Re: #110
    Lol, China's had leaks on a whole different scale.

    https://www.cnn.co.jp/tech/35246217.html
    > A massive trove of data, including top-secret defense-related information
    > The leaked classified information is said to exceed 10 petabytes
    > Believed to have been stolen from the National Supercomputing Center Tianjin (NSCC) in Tianjin. NSCC's infrastructure was used by over 6,000 clients across China, including advanced scientific research institutions and defense agencies.
    > Some of the stolen information was posted online as samples.
    > Multiple experts CNN spoke with said their initial assessment was that the leaked information appeared genuine.
    127AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:17
    Re: #1
    This is all because they let AI spread everywhere.
    If this keeps getting ignored, incidents like this are just going to keep multiplying forever.
    Digital money getting siphoned off without permission, companies unable to even run normal business because they're stuck dealing with personal-data-leak fallout…
    If AI keeps being left unchecked, the damage is just going to keep growing worldwide — governments, companies, individuals, all of it.
    The international community needs to work together and ban AI, immediately.
    150AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:20
    Re: #127
    The humans abusing it are the problem. Penalties need to be way harsher.
    129AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:18
    Just a matter of time before this becomes scarier than nukes.
    143AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:19
    Re: #129
    Makes you wonder if the nuclear football the US president carries around could get hacked.
    134AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:18
    Honestly the Chinese Communist Party's probably grimacing over this too — if Chinese-made AI makes it this easy to hack servers, there's a good chance someone infiltrates the Party itself.
    149AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:20
    Re: #134
    If they built it themselves, wouldn't they know how to defend against it?
    151AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:20
    Back to analog, that's the only way. Anyone who doesn't will end up with a zero bank balance.
    156AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:21
    Re: #151
    Well, even if you personally go analog, the bank itself is all data, so your balance hits zero anyway.
    169AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:23
    Fine if some mom-and-pop BBQ joint or parking lot company has weak security, but what's the Pentagon doing being this pathetically weak, lol
    180AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:25
    Re: #169
    Storing stuff in plain text would get even a regular company roasted.
    185AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:26
    This is AI's fault too, isn't it — regulate it already.
    190AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:27
    Re: #185
    Too late to regulate now. We already gave criminal groups room to evolve with it.
    192AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:27
    AI should be regulated. Humans are supposed to matter most, after all.
    197AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:28
    Re: #156
    Just keep an amount in the bank you wouldn't mind losing entirely. Store the rest of your assets offline, spread across different places. Need to put up defenses before AI gets you — if a brokerage gets hit, your NISA (Japan's tax-free investment account) could vanish just like that.
    202AnonymousOct 10, 2026 01:29
    Re: #197
    Not like analog cash is guaranteed to hold value if banks and stocks are already wrecked, though? Gold, maybe — that'd hold up.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    What leaked this time is said to be personnel data rather than classified defense information, but the fact that it was stored in plain text has drawn criticism of the Department of Defense’s basic security practices. Combined with the FBI breach just before it, the ongoing wave of attacks on U.S. government agencies is hard to ignore. Within the thread, opinions split between those arguing that “the spread of AI itself is driving more attacks” and calling for regulation, and those countering that “it’s humans who abuse it in the end,” absolving AI of blame. The thread also brought up the past case where over 10 petabytes of data were reportedly stolen from China’s National Supercomputing Center Tianjin (NSCC), suggesting that this kind of attack is becoming the norm worldwide. That said, the specific methods and entry points of the attack had not been officially confirmed as of this writing, so some of the speculation in the thread should be taken with a grain of salt.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Breaking News+) thread “[Breaking] U.S. Department of Defense Pentagon Hit by Cyberattack, Personal Data of 3 Million Allegedly Leaked in Plain Text.”

  • Honda Renames Next-Gen Hybrid System ‘Honda Hybrid’ — 5ch: ‘The Name Decides Everything’

    On October 9, 2026, Honda announced it will rename the next-generation hybrid (HV) system set to debut in models from 2027 onward from “e:HEV” to “Honda Hybrid.” The company says it’s aiming for a fuel economy improvement of more than 10% through system miniaturization and improved control technology, and plans to fit the new system in 15 models sold worldwide by fiscal year 2029. With Nissan branding its hybrid system “e-Power,” a 5ch thread saw users questioning whether the name change actually means anything, before the discussion expanded into comparisons of fuel economy and torque across Toyota’s, Nissan’s, and Honda’s different hybrid systems — and even into the bigger question of whether EVs or hybrids will dominate the future.

    On the 9th, Honda announced that the next-generation hybrid (HV) system to be installed in models launched from 2027 will be renamed “Honda Hybrid.” This moves away from the previous name, “e:HEV” (pronounced “e-H-E-V”), toward something simpler and easier to understand.

    Honda’s HV system normally runs on the motor and switches to the engine at highway speeds. The new system aims to improve fuel economy by more than 10% through miniaturization and more efficient control technology. Honda plans to fit it in 15 models sold worldwide by fiscal year 2029.

    Nissan Motor also gives its hybrid system its own brand name, “e-Power.” In that system the engine is used solely to generate electricity, while the car itself is driven by a motor, just like an EV.

    Source: yomiuri.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:21
    Does this even matter?
    60AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:53
    Re: #3
    Nope! Soichiro Honda is crying somewhere right now.
    74AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:08
    Re: #3
    Probably because some customers were mistaking it for an EV.
    167AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:37
    Re: #3
    Actually, it does matter. Let's be real — the name decides everything. Engineering types seriously underestimate how much naming matters.
    10AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:26
    Is there some rule that every automaker has to use a different name for their hybrid system?
    Feels like they could all just call it "HV" and be done with it.
    17AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:28
    Re: #10
    There are "hybrid in name only" systems out there too, so you can't just lump them all together.
    77AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:09
    Re: #10
    Gas-engine cars are the same way — every automaker slaps whatever name they want on their systems.
    27AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:36
    Re: #23
    Toyota's is optimized purely for fuel economy — torque is basically nonexistent.
    40AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:44
    Re: #27
    Is that really true though? It's not like it can't accelerate when you step on it. There's a computer managing things in between and you can switch drive modes — I think it's more that the deliberate tuning just doesn't match your personal taste.
    55AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:51
    Re: #40
    It does accelerate, but on torque it's clearly inferior to e-Power and e:HEV.
    89AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:14
    Re: #55
    That's just because the throttle mapping is tuned way softer in Eco mode. That's why Toyota's HV gives the impression you have to really stomp the pedal to get it moving when you're driving in Eco mode.
    257AnonymousOct 9, 2026 22:06
    Re: #55
    It accelerates, but it's inferior on torque. Go ahead, explain torque then lol
    45AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:48
    In the long run I think Nissan's pure series-hybrid approach is going to become the mainstream — where the engine only generates electricity.
    52AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:50
    Re: #45
    If the motor is the only thing providing power, efficiency tanks at mid-to-high RPM, which defeats the whole point of a hybrid.
    56AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:51
    Re: #45
    I heard Toyota looked at range extenders early on and dropped the idea, saying it had no future.

    But then again, a call made 30 years ago could change as times move on — plenty of component technologies keep evolving.
    57AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:52
    Re: #45
    Nissan's hybrid drops to like 10 km/liter in winter.
    66AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:59
    In the end, Toyota's strategy starting with the Prius was the optimal answer — the idiot followers who twisted things up trying to look original for pride's sake failed across the board lol
    73AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:08
    Re: #66
    Yeah, it's true that Toyota came out of the gate with something that already looked like the final, evolved form of the hybrid.
    103AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:19
    Re: #73
    Toyota's hybrid just bolts a battery and motor onto a gasoline car, so the vehicle price goes up by that much. It's such garbage tech that you have to drive 100,000 km just to recoup that extra cost in gas savings. They got the government to pour subsidies and eco-car tax breaks into it, squeezed their suppliers to build it cheap, and that's how we got here.
    112AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:22
    Re: #103
    Tesla only sold because of subsidies too lol, same with Chinese EVs lol
    80AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:10
    Toyota's dropping 3-cylinder engines too, so maybe they'll get their act together.
    85AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:12
    Re: #80
    Wait, are they discontinuing the GR Yaris?
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:13
    Re: #80
    Apparently Chinese buyers really care about cylinder count. Is that why?

    Though of course there's also vibration, engine size, and I think some advantage with emissions regulations or something too, right?
    144AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:29
    Honda should quit the car business right now. There's no way they beat Tesla, China, or Korea in EVs no matter how hard they try.

    They should pivot to infrastructure or some other field, like the home appliance makers did.
    146AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:29
    Re: #144
    Huh? What's that you're saying about Honda Motor, the pride of my home prefecture, Tochigi?
    151AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:31
    Re: #144
    Hitachi bought Honda Motor's parts subsidiary, and that's how (Hitachi) Astemo — Denso's rival — came to be.
    145AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:29
    Re: #115
    I don't know about overseas, but in Japan the traffic lights are deliberately timed so you get stopped at every single intersection, which absolutely wrecks your fuel economy lol. Stopping again after just a few hundred meters, no way lol. What a dumb country lol
    152AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:31
    Re: #145
    Well, they're traffic lights — their whole job is to make you stop (lol)
    154AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:31
    Re: #145
    More like Japan just has way too many traffic lights. I was on assignment in Germany for two years and it's nowhere near as packed with lights as Japan.
    158AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:33
    Re: #146
    I'm saying Honda Motor is a wonderful company. That's exactly why I'm saying they don't need to be in the car business at all.

    Japanese appliance makers who got crushed by Chinese competitors in home electronics switched to infrastructure and other non-appliance fields and became huge successes — their stock prices shot way up too. That's why I'm saying automakers should do the same.
    162AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:36
    Re: #158
    The two giants of general-purpose gasoline engines are Honda and Suzuki, you know?
    168AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:37
    Re: #162
    Engines are an advanced and wonderful technology, sure, but in cars and motorcycles they're completely obsolete at this point.

    Sorry, but it's time to say goodbye to the car and motorcycle business.
    184AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:44
    Re: #162
    Honda already pulling back on gasoline engine investment puts them below Toyota at this point.
    172AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:39
    I'm telling youuu — unless they get rid of Mibe, it's just going to keep inching toward the end. (Toshihiro Mibe is Honda's current president)
    174AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:40
    Re: #172
    The one headed for the end is Toyota, isn't it — the one that put some clueless corporate suit in as president?
    188AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:45
    Hybrids are a fundamentally flawed product. They're nothing more than a stopgap until EV range improves. Loading both an engine and a motor into one car is just way too inefficient.
    193AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:47
    Re: #188
    Then why are EVs the more expensive ones…?
    200AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:50
    Re: #193
    Everything is expensive when it's new. But structurally, EVs can be made far cheaper — you're basically just bolting wheels onto a motor. Same as a washing machine, an electric fan, or an RC car.

    And because they're so easy to build, countries that never had a seat at the table in the gasoline-car era — Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, India — are seeing their domestic automakers surge once things shift to EVs. Korea's absolutely thriving in EVs too.
    207AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:51
    Re: #200
    It's been over 15 years since the Leaf came out though…
    214AnonymousOct 9, 2026 21:52
    Re: #200
    Mitsubishi and Nissan started mass-producing EVs 20 years ago. You call that "new"?

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Honda’s “e:HEV” name has been in use since the Fit launched in 2013, describing a proprietary system that mainly runs on the motor while using the engine for generating electricity or driving directly at highway speeds. Toyota’s THS, by contrast, is a series-parallel system that mechanically switches between generating electricity and direct engine drive, while Nissan’s e-Power is a series system that uses the engine purely to generate electricity — so even though all three get called “hybrids,” the underlying mechanisms differ by automaker. The thread split over two questions: whether the name change itself carries any real substance, and how the different systems stack up against each other on fuel economy, torque, and everyday drivability. The thread contains plenty of confident technical claims, but it’s worth noting that fuel economy and power characteristics can vary by driving conditions and individual vehicles, so comments from the thread shouldn’t be taken as a universal verdict.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Honda’s next-gen HV system renamed “Honda Hybrid”… moving on from “e:HEV,” targeting a 10%+ fuel economy improvement.”

  • Aeon-affiliated supermarket chain to shutter 100 stores — 5ch reacts: “It’s a Maruetsu and it’s still expensive lol”

    Aeon-affiliated USMH (United Supermarket Holdings) has announced it will close roughly 100 stores by fiscal 2030, mainly among its Maruetsu, Kasumi, and Inageya chains. President Takemi Ide explained that “inflation has been tougher than expected, which is how we arrived at this number of closures,” revealing a reality in which rising procurement costs driven by inflation are squeezing the business. On 5ch, the reaction focused less on shock at the closures themselves and more on debates over which is more convenient, My Basket or Big-A, the price gap with local supermarkets like Taiyo, and personal takes on whether life was easier in the deflation era or the inflation era.

    United Supermarket Holdings (USMH), an Aeon-affiliated operator of food supermarkets, revealed on the 9th that it will close approximately 100 stores by fiscal 2030. It runs chains including Maruetsu, Kasumi, and Inageya in the greater Tokyo area, and the closures are part of a broader structural reform.

    President Takemi Ide said at a press conference, “Inflation (rising prices) has been tougher than expected, which is how we arrived at [this number of] closures.” Inflation appears to be pushing up procurement costs and squeezing profits.

    [Asahi Shimbun]

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

    2AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:27
    Genuine question for anyone who actually knows this stuff:
    with prices soaring across the board, are small regional sash (window/door frame) manufacturers out in the sticks going to lose work? Go under?
    4AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:28
    Re: #1
    Isn't it "U.S.M.H"? Or is that just Asahi's style?
    21AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:32
    People aren't even buying from the supermarket, let alone eating out.
    What are Japanese people even eating these days?
    29AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:34
    Re: #21
    Eating Kasumi (also means "mist" — i.e., living on thin air).
    And on that note… (classic rakugo sign-off line)
    48AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:36
    This is probably what's coming for former independent chains in Kansai and Tokai
    that got absorbed into Aeon.
    95AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:42
    Re: #48
    Among Osaka-born supermarkets, Daiei, Mycal (Nichii),
    Daimaru Peacock, and Koyo all ended up bought out by Aeon.
    Originally, Jusco (later renamed Aeon) was jointly founded by
    Okadaya of Mie Prefecture, Futagi of Hyogo Prefecture, and Shiro of Osaka Prefecture,
    and Jusco's head office at founding was located at Shiro's Noda store in Fukushima Ward, Osaka City.
    166AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:48
    Re: #48
    Already happened.
    49AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:36
    For the Aeon group, My Basket is good enough.
    116AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:44
    Re: #49
    My Basket's fresh food is way too low quality.
    It's fine if you're just buying packaged goods though.
    60AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:38
    HERE IT COMES━━━━(°∀°)━━━━!! (classic forum hype reaction)

    63AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:38
    I wish La Mu would expand into the greater Tokyo area.
    83AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:41
    Re: #63
    There's one near me but it smells kind of off somehow.
    The deli food and fruit are pretty cheap, but everything else isn't really anything special.
    68AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:39
    The little Daiei in my neighborhood closed the other day and got torn down immediately (yikes).
    For the people in the residential area who relied on it, now all that's left within walking distance is convenience stores.
    134AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:46
    Re: #68
    In Tokyo residential areas, online supermarket delivery services target wealthy households and deliver right to your door, don't they?
    Per-item prices are high, but if you own a house, the store covers delivery and with a drop box installed you don't even need redelivery.
    70AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:39
    Were we actually happier back in the deflation era?
    Nah, surely not… or were we?
    80AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:41
    Re: #70
    Economists hate deflation because it kills growth, but it's not all bad.
    Say what you will, Japan's GDP growth stagnated, but we still held onto 2nd place in the world for ages.
    Then the moment Abenomics kicked in with yen-weakening policy, we went into steady decline —
    to the point of being overtaken by South Korea and Taiwan in per-capita GDP.
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:41
    Re: #70
    Just look at the results.
    However you slice it, life was easier to live during the deflation years.
    Just look at convenience store bento prices, it's obvious.
    78AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:40
    Ever since Kishida, they've been forcing through "raise prices, raise wages" policy — now the bill's come due.
    98AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:42
    Re: #78
    Prices go up but wages don't — that's just how Japanese society works, it was always obvious.
    And yet they ran a weak-yen policy that assumed wages would rise along with it.
    96AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:42
    Re: #88
    But back then the Japanese economy was an absolute wreck.
    119AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:44
    Re: #96
    That's only because it's converted into dollars.
    In real terms, things are far worse now.
    147AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:47
    Re: #96
    Even the "nightmare" DPJ years (the Democratic Party's 2009-2012 government, long derided by the LDP) were way easier to live through than this.
    112AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:43
    Since around the day before yesterday I've been seeing posts saying average spend per customer is rising but the number of items bought is falling.
    At this rate, small and mid-sized food makers are going to start dropping like flies too.
    122AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:45
    Re: #112
    Not "the day before yesterday" — the year before last.
    120AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:44
    Don't need My Basket, but keep Big-A around —
    I depend on it for drinks and canned tomatoes.
    133AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:45
    Re: #120
    Big-A's open 24 hours, after all.
    Big-A >>>>>>> My Basket.
    142AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:46
    My local Kasumi is losing out to Taiyo.
    At Taiyo, customers fill their baskets to the brim.
    182AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:50
    Re: #142
    Taiyo's always packed with people.
    It's cheap, that's why.
    155AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:47
    Re: #133
    There are like 3 My Baskets near me too,
    but there's nothing worth buying there.
    163AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:48
    Aeon was way more appealing back when it was this in-between thing — part regular supermarket, part department store.
    Now it's no different from any other supermarket, and that "gotta buy it at Aeon" feeling is gone.
    Having a real identity really does matter.
    181AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:50
    Re: #163
    Out in the countryside, local chains are cheaper anyway.
    "Aeon is expensive" is just the standard impression.
    169AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:48
    I'm not in Kanto so I wouldn't know, but going by the names they all sound old lol.
    Are the buildings run-down too?
    194AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:52
    Re: #169
    The Maruetsu near me has no customers.
    It's a Maruetsu and it's still expensive lol.
    It's cramped too.
    New supermarkets keep moving in, so it'll probably end up on the closure list.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    USMH (United Supermarket Holdings) was formed in 2015 when Aeon-affiliated chains Maruetsu, Kasumi, and Inageya merged into a single food-supermarket group with deep roots in the greater Tokyo area — one that has faced constant price competition from discount formats such as My Basket, Big-A, OK, and Gyomu Super. This latest round of roughly 100 store closures is being framed as a structural reform meant to offset rising procurement costs by shrinking the store network. On the thread, interest centered less on the reasons behind the closures and more on comparing My Basket versus Big-A, the price gap with local chains like Taiyo, and whether life felt easier during the deflation years or the current inflation years, with opinions split over how to judge the weak-yen policy. It’s worth noting, though, that these are personal impressions rather than claims backed by concrete business data, such as changes in average spend per customer or number of items purchased.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (News Express+) thread “Aeon-affiliated food supermarkets to close 100 stores — inflation headwinds “worse than expected”.”

  • Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Former ICC Judge Pillay, Spotlighting the ‘Rule of Law’

    On October 9, 2026, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced it would award the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay (85), former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Coming amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing military clashes between the US and Iran, the selection was said to underscore the importance of “the rule of law.” On 5ch’s News Flash+ thread, reactions split between those who read the award as a jab at President Trump and those pointing out that the ICC has no power of arrest or investigation and little real teeth, with the political meaning of the prize dividing opinion.

    [Oslo — Yuya Yokobori] The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on the 9th that it would award the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay (85), former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

    Pillay has also served as a judge on the International Criminal Court (ICC), and with armed conflicts flaring around the world—including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and military clashes between the US and Iran—the award put the spotlight on the importance of “the rule of law.”

    [Yomiuri Shimbun]

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

    6AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:11
    Sweden: "Hey Trump… go ahead and launch a missile at us if you've got the guts 🤣"
    9AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:12
    Re: #6
    My bad
    It was Norway 🤣
    258AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:00
    Re: #6
    Ugh, there go the retaliatory tariff hikes
    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:13
    The world's 3 great CCs:
    ICC
    10cc (the British rock band)
    175AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:44
    Re: #11
    CC Girls (a 90s Japanese idol group)
    195AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:47
    Re: #11
    Ah, so you're an old geezer who's into classic rock, huh?
    49AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:21
    The ICC's a weird outfit honestly
    No international investigative or arrest powers of its own, yet it issues arrest warrants anyway—all talk, leaving the actual work to everyone else
    55AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:22
    Re: #49
    If it's annoying Trump this much, it's doing its job just fine
    120AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:32
    Re: #49
    Same deal as the UN really
    Enforcement is left to the individual member states
    63AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:24
    The only person who thought Trump could win it was Trump himself
    70AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:25
    Trump dies of pure rage
    80AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:26
    Re: #63
    Trump: "My aides keep telling me only two people in the whole world think I'm going to win the Peace Prize."
    Melania: "Two people? You're one—who's the other?"
    142AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:36
    Re: #63Re: #70
    Just like Toru Hashimoto said, truly "the greatest US president in history"! Re: #1

    "Trump urges supporters to vote by mail, reversing his fraud claims" https://l.smartnews.com/m-8DXjXbr2/qWvO5l
    102AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:29
    Totally a dig at Trump lol
    129AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:34
    Re: #102
    Yeah, it's a jab at Trumpy, and a warning shot too
    Basically: if you want the Peace Prize in your last two years, maybe don't go sanctioning the ICC
    109AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:30
    Calling it now—

    someone's definitely gonna make an AI video of them announcing Trump's name as the winner
    127AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:33
    Re: #115
    Basic rule of the Nobel Prize: the recipient has to actually be alive

    Good luck with that, buddy
    162AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:42
    Re: #109Re: #115
    Just like Toru Hashimoto said, truly "the greatest US president in history"! Re: #1

    "Even 'Trump districts' turn into surprise toss-ups in the US midterms—Republicans losing steam even in unexpected districts, pouring huge money into once-safe seats. Can President Trump defy 'history'?" https://l.smartnews.com/m-8Cevk41i/RUXE7P
    148AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:38
    Re: #129
    Before that, it's basically "we don't give it to warmongers, dummy lol"

    that's what this is (´・ω・`)
    194AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:47
    Re: #148Re: #153
    Just like Toru Hashimoto said, truly "the greatest US president in history"! Re: #1

    "One month before the US midterms: Trump's approval sags, giving Democrats a tailwind" https://l.smartnews.com/m-8CpXR7Vu/rFvSmW
    199AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:48
    Re: #194
    Evil has never once prospered for long in this world
    202AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:48
    Re: #194
    He's the best president ever—for weakening America, that is
    157AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:40
    Let's see Article 9 of the Constitution stop a cyberattack (Japan's pacifist clause renouncing war)
    174AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:43
    Somebody go interview poor Trump-kun who missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize lmao
    178AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:44
    Nobel Dictator Prize: Donald Trump
    Bonus feature: a lifetime stay in prison included
    187AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:45
    Re: #174
    Ah, I can't wait.
    Approval ratings are gonna keep tanking lol
    What's he gonna do about next month's midterms lol
    207AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:49
    Re: #174Re: #178
    Well, just like Toru Hashimoto said, truly "the greatest US president in history"! Re: #1
    215AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:51
    I think Japan should push for "rule of law," not "rule by force"

    That said,
    upholding "rule of law" takes force too, so maybe what's needed isn't a Japanese military but a world police force
    233AnonymousOct 9, 2026 19:55
    Re: #215
    Not happening under the Takaichi administration
    255AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:00
    This is clearly a provocation aimed at Trump
    268AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:02
    Re: #255
    This kind of political bias is exactly why people say the prize has lost its value
    269AnonymousOct 9, 2026 20:02
    Re: #255
    What upholds the law is the spirit of standing up to power
    Even in America, the courts have slapped President Trump with a "No" when he's acted against the law

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    The Nobel Peace Prize is an independent award chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, not Sweden—the thread’s “Sweden” slip-up and subsequent correction is a classic example of this common mix-up. The ICC, a permanent international court established in 2002, has no police or investigative body of its own, and as the thread notes, enforcing its arrest warrants depends on member states’ cooperation—the same structural weakness as UN resolutions, which likewise sit and wait on member states to act. The split in opinion comes down to one question: whether to read this year’s award as recognition of “the rule of law,” or as a jab at the Trump administration amid its military actions and pressure on international courts—both readings show up in the thread’s reactions. Doubts about the ICC’s actual effectiveness and the political meaning of the award itself are two separate issues, and it’s easy to conflate them and jump to the mistaken conclusion that “the ICC is powerless, so the prize means nothing too.”

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “[Nobel Peace Prize] Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and ex-ICC judge Navi Pillay honored… emphasis on the importance of “the rule of law”.”

  • Napa Cabbage Tops ¥1,000 a Head as Long Rains Send Leafy Greens Prices Soaring — 5ch: ‘Nothing Can Replace Napa Cabbage’

    Record-breaking long rains and a lack of sunshine have driven up prices for leafy greens, with some supermarkets in Tokyo now selling a single head of napa cabbage for over ¥1,000. A TV Asahi News report captured shoppers out buying ingredients for hot pot being stunned by the prices, with one lamenting, “I can’t make nabe (hot pot).” On 5ch threads, some users shared workarounds like substituting cabbage bought earlier when prices were low, and predicted that prices would settle down after the New Year once growing regions shift northward. Others noted that taro, lotus root, and matsutake mushrooms are having bumper harvests, highlighting how the weather has hit different vegetables unevenly. Opinions were also split on whether any vegetable can really substitute for napa cabbage.

    Fri, Oct 9, 1:56 PM

    TV Asahi News

    Record-breaking long rains and a lack of sunshine have sent vegetable prices soaring, especially for leafy greens. At some Tokyo supermarkets, a single head of napa cabbage now costs over ¥1,000.

    Source: topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:07
    Grow it yourself.
    What are you, a kid?
    6AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:08
    Chinese-grown napa cabbage would be cheap, though!
    12AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:09
    I'm peeling off leaves as needed from a giant cabbage I bought back when it was cheap —
    still more than half left.
    48AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:21
    Re: #12
    Yeah, peeling off leaves makes it last way longer.
    It's dumb how cooking shows just slice the whole thing in half.
    26AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:12
    It's freaking hot for October.
    Hot pot is still a long way off — from Tokyo.
    28AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:13
    Re: #26
    In western Japan it's already coat weather morning and night.
    57AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:23
    Picked up komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) at Gyomu Super today for ¥158 🤭
    80AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:33
    Re: #57
    The supermarket right at the station has the same price.
    When komatsuna is cheap it's ¥78, so that's double.
    82AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:33
    Taro's apparently cheap right now.
    Lotus root's having a bumper crop too — and best of all, matsutake mushrooms had a huge bumper harvest.
    85AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:34
    Re: #82
    This season's taro is really tasty.
    93AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:38
    Guess I'll hoard it all and scalp it lol
    103AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:43
    Can't do anything about bad weather.
    Just gotta make do with what's available.

    Re: #93
    Nobody's buying perishables at a markup from some random nobody off the street.
    98AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:41
    I've got a ton of wild garlic chives growing in my yard, come pick some.
    121AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:49
    Re: #98
    That's probably daffodil… (´・ω・`) (daffodils look like garlic chives but are toxic)
    101AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:42
    Napa cabbage prices have really shot up, and it's THE classic winter hot pot ingredient too.
    106AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:44
    Re: #101
    Just don't eat it for a month, it'll come back down eventually.
    134AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:54
    At the supermarket I went to today, a small whole head was priced around ¥699.
    A quarter head was about ¥198.
    148AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:01
    Re: #134
    ¥198 is actually generous — basically loss-leader advertised-special territory, like you'd see at an AEON-group store.
    Even at usually-cheap grocery stores it's more like ¥280.
    Since the cabbage price hike is making people avoid hot pot, the meat and fish meant for nabe are now half price.
    If you can think of another dish to use them in, that's the move lol
    160AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:05
    Temperatures are still high so it's kind of a stretch, but yeah, hot pot's off the table.
    179AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:10
    Re: #160
    It is a bit hot today.
    The chill only hits late at night and in the morning, so it's not really hot pot season yet.
    174AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:09
    You've gotta pick whatever's cheap at the time and change up the menu accordingly.
    180AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:11
    Re: #174
    Historically and culturally, the point was to eat whatever's in season, cheap and delicious — but the media's lost the plot on that.

    Travel/tourism shows will do 'seasonal flavors' segments, but studio-based shows will happily feature stuff that's out of season and sky-high in price as 'tonight's recommended dinner recipe' without batting an eye.
    191AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:15
    Ah, this is gonna be a seed scramble — if you sow now you can still make it in time.
    206AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:20
    Re: #191
    It takes 2 months to harvest, so you'd make it by New Year's Eve.
    213AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:22
    Saying you flat-out 'can't make hot pot' is being way too locked into the idea that hot pot = napa cabbage, isn't it?
    Hot pot is delicious with pretty much anything in it.
    226AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:26
    Re: #213
    There's just nothing that can replace napa cabbage.
    Cabbage or lettuce just isn't quite the same, right?
    224AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:25
    Re: #206
    For longer-growing varieties it's more like 2.5 to 3 months — depends on how the current growth is going.
    The November crop looks like it's taken a real beating from the rain.

    Whatever's for January onward is probably getting planted right about now. The current crop's done for, so farmers will probably push hard to meet the surge in demand.
    If people act like the dumb media and assume it's 'in season' from early October and eat hot pot nonstop, they'll just stop eating it from December through February.
    231AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:29
    Re: #224
    It's only expensive because the region currently in shipping season got hit.
    Once a different shipping season rolls around, it'll go back to being cheap as usual.

    Growing regions shift northward, so once Tohoku starts shipping it'll probably drop sharply.
    Looks like it'll be cheap from around next month through the New Year.
    232AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:29
    If prices for leafy greens keep rising, couldn't we shift toward factory/indoor production that's more resilient to climate change?
    241AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:32
    Re: #232
    Japan is a long, narrow country, so shipping seasons shift a lot between the south and north.
    If the south has a bad crop, you just wait for the north's shipping season — and vice versa.

    Disasters don't wipe out the entire country at once, so honestly, keeping things as they are plus guaranteeing farmers' income would be totally fine.
    239AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:31
    Japanese agriculture is at a major turning point.
    It's obvious small and mid-sized farmers can't keep up, so subsidy-dependent farmers should just switch careers (we do have freedom of occupation) and big corporations should be allowed to move in.
    Big companies could use biotech and AI for large-scale indoor farming and potentially stabilize the food supply.
    Deregulate, let massive indoor farming operations happen, and have landowning farmers become shareholders instead.
    If the law isn't changed right now, Japan might not even have a future a few years from now, let alone long-term.
    248AnonymousOct 9, 2026 17:35
    Re: #239
    There's no way a big company paying high salaries can beat on cost a farmer effectively earning just ¥10 an hour.

    Background and Key Points

    Leafy greens depend more heavily on sunlight than root vegetables do, making them more directly affected by the lack of sunshine caused by the long rains. Indeed, even within the thread, some users noted that root vegetables like taro and lotus root are having bumper harvests, showing that the weather’s impact varies a lot by vegetable type. Napa cabbage’s main growing regions also shift with the seasons — high-altitude areas like Nagano in summer and autumn, and lowland areas like Ibaraki and Aichi in winter — with production moving north and south accordingly. This price spike is largely because the region currently shipping cabbage was hit hard by the long rains, so prices could settle down once the shipping center shifts to a different region. Meanwhile, opinions in the thread were split over the “can’t make hot pot” reaction — whether other vegetables like cabbage can really substitute for napa cabbage, with some emphasizing napa cabbage’s distinctive flavor and resistance to falling apart when simmered, and others saying people are being too particular.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “[Napa Cabbage] Cabbage Tops ¥1,000 a Head as Long Rains and Lack of Sunshine Drive Up Leafy Green Prices — Customers Baffled, ‘Can’t Make Hot Pot’.”

  • Data Breach at JR East’s “eKiNet” and “Adult Holiday Club” Services — 2.06 Million Records Exposed

    On the 9th, JR East announced that personal information such as email addresses may have leaked for a combined total of approximately 2.06 million members of “eKiNet” and “Otona no Kyujitsu Club” (Adult Holiday Club). The cause was unauthorized access to the data center of SoftBank subsidiary IDC Frontier, and for Adult Holiday Club members, the exposed data reportedly includes membership numbers, credit card expiration dates, and dates of birth. While addresses and credit card numbers themselves are said not to have leaked, the forum saw a wave of reports that suspicious phishing emails resembling the real ones had already been showing up for a while, splitting reactions between resignation that personal data has basically leaked everywhere already, and calls for the company to be held liable for damages.

    On the 9th, JR East revealed that personal information, including email addresses, belonging to a combined total of roughly 2.06 million members of “eKiNet” and “Otona no Kyujitsu Club” may have been leaked. This reportedly stems from unauthorized access to the data center of SoftBank subsidiary IDC Frontier.

    According to JR East, the possible leak covers about 1.67 million accounts from eKiNet, the train ticket reservation and purchase service, and about 390,000 accounts from Otona no Kyujitsu Club, a membership service for people aged 50 and over. For eKiNet, email addresses may have been exposed; for Otona no Kyujitsu Club, membership numbers, credit card expiration dates, and dates of birth may have leaked in addition to email addresses.

    JR East says this leak did not expose addresses or credit card numbers themselves. It also says that while member email delivery has been partially disrupted for both services, train ticket reservations and other functions are working as usual.

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

    5AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:11
    Emails from eKiNet are phishing
    206AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:27
    Re: #5
    That used to be a classic phishing move back in the day
    9AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:13
    Wait, seriously? I'm an eKiNet member though?
    23AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:18
    Re: #9
    I'm not even an eKiNet member but I get phishing emails that look just like theirs
    Every single day, too
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:14
    Back in the Showa era everyone's address and phone number were public knowledge as a matter of course, so there's nothing to worry about. Even idols' home addresses were known to anyone back then
    17AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:15
    Re: #13
    Then go ahead and post your real name and address right here
    You don't mind, right?
    16AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:14
    This was always something that happened to other people, but now I guess I've become a victim too
    102AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:45
    Re: #16
    You're fine
    Personal info is leaking everywhere at this point anyway
    Unless you're a celebrity or a star, don't worry about it
    25AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:18
    This is probably just a test run
    Infrastructure-related targets are going to get hit next, bit by bit
    I can't help but think they'll make their real move once everything's paralyzed by simultaneous attacks
    34AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:21
    Re: #25
    Next thing you know someone's pulled off identity theft, stuff you never ordered starts showing up at your door, a "tokuryu" crew (a loosely organized, anonymously recruited ad-hoc crime gang) comes knocking, and finally the grand finale where your assets get drained down to zero
    50AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:23
    Is e5489 (JR West's online ticket reservation site) safe?
    60AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:25
    Re: #50
    JR West uses the J-WEST Card
    66AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:27
    Re: #50
    They'll probably slip out their own announcement while everyone's distracted by this mess
    80AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:35
    This is already beyond containment at this point
    Wonder what happens from here
    87AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:38
    Re: #80
    In the end everyone's assets get drained and it's game over for all of us
    99AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:42
    With this much leaking, is there anyone out there who's come through completely unscathed?
    I'd love to know what kind of life they're living
    104AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #99
    Name, address, email, phone number — that much is probably fine.
    It's your credit card or driver's license that turns it into a real problem.
    167AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:05
    Re: #99
    For numbers I don't recognize, I look them up before calling back
    I ignore any text message that isn't a login verification code
    I figure just doing that much keeps you protected
    173AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:07
    Re: #99
    I have a driver's license but I'm a "paper driver" (licensed but never actually drives). Don't have a credit card.
    The only thing I'm signed up for is Amazon.
    107AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:47
    Leaks are happening everywhere but I never even get grazed (kind of lonely, honestly…)
    112AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:49
    Re: #107
    What kind of life are you living? 😮‍💨
    139AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:55
    Re: #107
    The real nationwide catastrophe is still ahead of us
    Might be a few years off, but it's coming
    136AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:54
    Honestly I've kind of stopped caring at this point lol
    My name, email, address, and phone number have probably already been scattered everywhere ages ago
    140AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:55
    Re: #136
    If it's already circulating under the #AssetsZero hashtag, maybe nothing bad actually happens at this point?
    146AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:57
    Re: #136
    AI is basically the ultimate hacker now
    It's only a matter of time before credit card info leaks too
    Crypto exchanges and the like are seriously in danger as well
    158AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:59
    Re: #136
    I was talking to a telemarketer once and they told me my name, address, phone number, and even my school name were all on their list
    Probably cross-referenced from multiple leaked databases, but it genuinely freaked me out
    174AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:07
    Right now it looks like Times Car's (a car-sharing service) corporate members are taking the biggest hit
    175AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:08
    Re: #174
    Having a photo ID attached to it is the real killer
    178AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:10
    Re: #174
    Not individual members?
    180AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:13
    People shouldn't just scroll past these leak stories as they keep piling up — we need to actually take action and demand damages
    Once it becomes "everyone's doing it so it's fine," it's over
    184AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:14
    Re: #180
    I honestly think the biggest blame lies with the government for allowing companies to trade personal data with each other in the first place.
    186AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:14
    Re: #180
    The problem is, calculating the damages is pretty much impossible

    If anything, the companies are the victims here too
    203AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:23
    Re: #180
    You can't sue for damages until actual harm has occurred
    183AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:14
    The Adult Holiday Club list is going to make for quite the scammer's target list
    The people who use it to travel are middle-class or above, after all
    185AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:14
    Re: #183
    A solid list of paying, high-value members
    187AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:15
    Re: #183
    Sounds like a "tokuryu" crime crew is standing by for this one
    Terrifying
    212AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:29
    Email addresses and phone numbers leaking is basically par for the course at this point
    215AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:30
    Re: #212
    Name and address are the bad part
    Unlike other info, you can't easily change your name or the fact that you own a house or condo
    222AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:32
    Re: #215
    Name and address are things anyone can get just by pulling the property registry anyway, so it's not that big a deal
    224AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:32
    Re: #215
    Maybe people will start appreciating being a transferred-for-work renter after all?

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    This leak traces back to unauthorized access at data center operator IDC Frontier, a SoftBank-affiliated company. On the forum, other companies’ names, including Times Car, also came up, sparking discussion that leaks through the same channel could extend to multiple businesses. Opinions split over how serious the real-world damage actually is: some said a leaked email address alone is nothing to be shocked about, while others argued that membership services like Adult Holiday Club — where credit card expiration dates and dates of birth are also exposed — carry a much higher risk of abuse. This time, addresses and card numbers themselves reportedly were not leaked, and the easily overlooked practical point is that the bigger concern isn’t direct financial loss, but staying alert to sophisticated phishing emails crafted using the leaked data.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[JR East] Possible Leak at “eKiNet” and “Adult Holiday Club” — 2.06 Million Records Total“.

  • Welfare Recipients in Their 20s: Single-Person Households Now 7x What They Were 25 Years Ago

    A report highlighted the case of a man who quit his job just 19 days after starting and, unable to rely on his parents, ended up on welfare in his 20s. According to an NHK survey, about 46% of welfare recipients in their 20s that fiscal year were single-person households, and the number of single recipients in their 20s has grown to roughly 7 times what it was 25 years ago. The head of a support group pointed out that “one factor is that the parents’ generation is itself struggling financially and can’t support their kids,” and the number of people in their 20s receiving welfare due to disability or illness has also roughly quadrupled over the same 25 years. On 5ch, opinions were divided over workplaces that burn out new hires early, the connection to the “Lost Generation” (hyouga-ki, those who entered the job market during Japan’s long post-bubble recession and struggled to find work), the real-world practice of certifying disabilities, and how the welfare system itself should work.

    While elderly households make up about half of all welfare recipients, the sharp rise in single-person recipients in their 20s has been especially striking in recent years, now reaching roughly 7 times the level of 25 years ago. According to an NHK survey, about 46% of recipients in their 20s that fiscal year were single-person households.

    Nana Iwamoto, representative director of the NPO POSSE, which supports young people in financial hardship, points out that “the parents’ generation is struggling too, and not being able to rely on them is one factor driving poverty among young singles.” What’s more, people with disabilities or illnesses make up nearly half of welfare households in their 20s — a figure that has also roughly quadrupled over 25 years, suggesting a growing number of young people on welfare who find it hard to work because of disability or illness.

    AERA

    Source: dot.asahi.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:05
    Speaking as a full-time new hire myself — sure, a starting salary of ¥350k is nice, but they cram in way too much training because they're in a rush to turn you into a manager while you're still in your 20s.
    Maybe it's the labor shortage, but they push so hard to fast-track new hires that a lot of them burn out and quit early.
    A guy who started with me quit after just six months over it.
    Also, the power harassment and sexual harassment from bubble-generation bosses over 40 is just brutal.
    "You don't even know THAT?"
    "You're useless."
    "I'm only telling you once."
    Those guys aren't even human.
    They should hurry up and get laid off and go work in some understaffed industry instead.
    20AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:10
    Re: #3
    Even the Lost Generation is 50+ by now.
    The bubble generation is basically at retirement already.
    190AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #20
    The dead center of the Lost Generation is 46-47.
    9AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:08
    Why can't they rely on their parents?
    16AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:10
    Re: #9
    All they've got is pride.
    They don't get that being on welfare ("namapo," slang for government welfare) is seen as rock bottom socially.
    176AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:45
    Re: #9
    Because their parents are from the Lost Generation.
    What with all this talk lately of retiring at 45.
    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:08
    The number of people carrying disability certificates has really shot up, hasn't it — mental health clinics are handing them out like candy.
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:09
    Go to college in Tokyo
    ↓
    Get hired as a new grad
    ↓
    Quit within 3 years
    ↓
    Jump to a sweatshop job (a "black company")
    ↓
    Mind and body break down, quit
    ↓
    Fall into non-regular work in your 20s
    ↓
    Family back home is broke, you've got no savings either — straight to welfare


    This pattern is popping up like crazy lately.
    206AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:50
    Re: #13
    If your family's supposedly broke, how'd you afford to go to college in Tokyo in the first place lol.
    I'd get it if they lived somewhere they could commute from home.
    221AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:53
    Re: #13
    I get quitting your first job because it's a sweatshop, but quitting your first job and then transferring TO a sweatshop? That's just dumb.
    18AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:10
    What do people on welfare in their 20s even do with their time all day?
    204AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:50
    Re: #18
    Pretty much what we're doing right now.
    21AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:11
    Why are there so many more disabled people now?
    85AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:26
    Re: #21
    Probably because, unlike in the past, being "menhera" (emotionally/mentally unstable) now counts as a valid reason you can't work.
    Plenty of people in their 40s use mental health issues as an excuse to mooch off their parents and not work too.
    55AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:19
    Kids from the Lost Generation really can't take a hit, huh.
    59AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:20
    Re: #55
    Dude's determined to bash the Lost Generation no matter what lol.
    56AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:20
    Why let them collect welfare at all?
    What they need is job placement support.
    64AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:21
    Re: #56
    Who's going to hire someone who might have a mental disability?
    68AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:23
    Re: #64
    You're contradicting Re: #44.
    There's a bus driver shortage too — the city should just hire them for that.
    79AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:24
    Re: #68
    That's exactly my point — don't make them job-hunt in the private sector, just hire them as civil servants, no conditions attached.
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:26
    Re: #79
    City bus drivers ARE civil servants, genius.
    93AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:27
    You guys are thinking about this too lightly — once you're on welfare, you spend the rest of your life being monitored by a caseworker.
    If you're able to work, working is obviously the easier road.
    127AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:36
    Re: #93
    If that's all it takes to get out of working, that's paradise.
    Work and you get power harassment, sexual harassment, moral harassment, customer harassment, harassment-harassment… paragliding! (a sound-pun: stringing together Japanese harassment terms ending in "-hara" until the repeated sound slides into "paragliding")
    102AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:31
    Better to spend your time on things you love than waste it on some boring job.
    107AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:32
    Re: #102
    Don't do that with other people's money.
    Live however you want on money you actually earned — no problem there.
    122AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:35
    Re: #102
    "Things you love" isn't really on the table — welfare only gives you enough to eat and sleep.
    138AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    I've seen this come up on other boards too, but why is this actually happening?
    Does it have something to do with generations before the "satori generation" (Japan's so-called "enlightened" or low-desire cohort that came of age in the 2010s) generally having stay-at-home moms?
    If that's not it, then what's the difference… is it just that the social mood these days is darker?

    I honestly don't get why this trend suddenly shows up with the generational shift like this.
    145AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:39
    Re: #138
    How they were raised, and what they ate.
    161AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:43
    Re: #138
    Because "poverty business" scams (operators who profit off exploiting the poor) are running rampant.
    172AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:44
    Sounds like there soon won't be any working population left to foot the bill for welfare payments.
    182AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #172
    Productivity is already sky-high, so we also need people on the consumption side to keep things circulating.
    So this is fine as is.
    We're in an era where basic income is being seriously debated anyway.
    183AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:46
    Re: #172
    Welfare will probably get abolished eventually.
    By then I'll be dead anyway, so who cares lol.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    Welfare statistics are compiled by the age of the household head, based on surveys such as the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s survey of welfare recipients. The rise in single-person households in their 20s appears to stem from a mix of factors, including the spread of non-regular employment and increased diagnosis and social recognition of mental illness and developmental disabilities. The thread split between those who see the parents’ generation’s (the Lost Generation’s) lack of financial means as the main driver, and those who suspect personal laziness or abuse of the system. Worth noting, even though the article itself doesn’t mention it: welfare payments are capped at bare subsistence level and come with regular check-ins from a caseworker, so the notion that recipients get to “live easy” doesn’t really match reality.

    ※This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “Man who quit 19 days after joining a company ends up on welfare in his 20s, unable to rely on his parents either… single recipients in their 20s now roughly 7 times what they were 25 years ago“.

  • Skyticket Hacked — Over 14 Million Records Possibly Leaked, 5ch: ‘Password Reuse Could Grind Society to a Halt’

    Adventure Co., Ltd., which operates the comparison and booking site “skyticket,” announced on October 9, 2026 that unauthorized access to its systems resulted in a leak — or suspected leak — of users’ personal information. The number of potentially affected records is said to exceed 14 million. On 5ch’s News Flash+ forum, posters pointed to the string of recent data breaches at Japanese companies happening around the same time, warned of the danger of secondary damage from reused email addresses and passwords, and voiced frustration with the company’s “apology” response.

    “October 9, 2026 — Adventure Co., Ltd.

    We have discovered that the system behind our comparison and booking site “skyticket,” which we operate, was subject to unauthorized access by a third party, resulting in the leak — or suspected leak — of our customers’ personal information to outside parties.

    We deeply apologize for the significant trouble and concern this has caused our customers and all other parties involved.

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

    11AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:02
    Felt like Japan was the only one getting targeted lately… but yeah, I can kind of guess why.
    13AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:03
    For a second I misread that as a 'Skynet' breach.
    20AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:05
    Re: #13
    He's probably in pretty rough shape too lol
    218AnonymousOct 9, 2026 16:10
    Re: #13
    Sarah Connor's data probably got leaked too, huh
    16AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:03
    Good time for other companies to announce their breaches too — it won't stand out now.
    28AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:05
    First time I've seen a four-digit number (in units of 10,000) for a leak like this — how many years' worth of garbage data is that?
    145AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:36
    Re: #28
    Isn't that basically their entire customer base at this point?
    31AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:06
    What's going on, leaks are happening like crazy lately… they owe everyone a million yen apiece in apology money.
    147AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    Re: #31
    Companies that think saying 'we sincerely apologize' makes everything okay
    33AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:06
    Wait, so nobody's mentioning that this also makes people targets for 'yami baito' (shady crime gigs that recruit via leaked personal data)?
    153AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:38
    Re: #33
    Users, tremble and sleep (a common ominous meme phrase)
    35AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:07
    With this recent flood of leaks, is Japan basically being hit with cyberwarfare from China or somewhere?
    37AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:07
    This is obviously data from wealthy customers,
    so it's probably going to be a hot seller on the dark web.
    42AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:09
    Re: #37
    Rich people wouldn't bother with Skyticket, they'd book direct…
    59AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:12
    I got an email from Skyticket, but what am I actually supposed to do about it?
    63AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:13
    Re: #59
    Do nothing.
    64AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:13
    Re: #59
    That email itself is the scam.
    62AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:13
    It won't turn into a huge fuss unless sites like FANZA or FC2 (Japanese adult-content platforms) get breached.
    71AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:15
    Re: #62
    Most people using those sites probably already assume their info will leak sooner or later anyway
    112AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:26
    Re: #62
    Now THAT would be a disaster
    117AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:26
    Re: #62
    Is there really anyone dumb enough to register for porn sites under their real name?
    66AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:14
    At the rate breaches are happening every single day, pretty much everyone in the country is going to have something leaked within a month, and it'll probably get exploited soon after.
    75AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:16
    Re: #66
    I'm on the list for a few of these companies, but I haven't gotten a single email.
    Guess I'm just not affected?
    Lawson's notification rate was only about 1 in 10 too
    84AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:18
    Re: #66
    As for 'abuse,' it's only a matter of time before they start saying 'getting scam emails or phone calls doesn't even count as real abuse!' lol
    I can already predict it becoming 'complain once you've suffered actual financial damage! Until then you don't even get a QUO card (gift card)!' lol
    67AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:14
    Heads up, phishing emails pretending to be from Rakuten have been on the rise this month too —
    the kind that say 'please install the Rakuten account protection app.'
    72AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:15
    Re: #67
    My inbox is already so clogged with phishing emails it doesn't even function anymore, so I'll be fine
    129AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:29
    So who's actually behind this in the end?
    North Korea? China?
    Or someone else entirely?
    132AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:30
    Re: #129
    At this point AI is just doing it on its own
    133AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:30
    Re: #129
    Even high schoolers are hacking with AI these days, so it could honestly be hackers from anywhere in the world
    148AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:37
    Feels like capitalist society could actually collapse within a month at this rate

    Does the government even realize what's happening?
    This might be like January 23, 2020, when the news broke about Wuhan being locked down over COVID
    Only a tiny handful of people in Japan have caught on to how bad this is, while the government and the higher-ups have no clue what's going on
    189AnonymousOct 9, 2026 15:51
    Re: #148
    Exactly this

    What leaked was email addresses and passwords
    Most systems use your email as the login ID
    and a lot of people reuse the same password everywhere

    So say a hacker group logs into a major retailer like Amazon using those emails and passwords,
    and floods it with tens of thousands of fake orders —
    that retailer would have to shut down order-taking entirely

    Society grinds to a halt

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information requires companies to notify affected individuals and report to the Personal Information Protection Commission when a personal data breach occurs, and this “apology and notice” appears to have been issued in line with that requirement. The thread was dominated by anxiety over the recent string of unauthorized-access disclosures from Japanese companies happening in quick succession, along with warnings about the risk of so-called “credential stuffing” attacks given how many people reuse the same email address and password across multiple services. Some posts speculated about a specific country being behind the attacks, but since no official attribution has been announced, that speculation is treated as baseless and not reflected in the main article text.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “[Apology and Notice] Travel Booking Site “Skyticket” Suffers Unauthorized Access — Over 14 Million Customer Records Possibly Leaked.”

  • Consumer Spending Falls for 9th Straight Month, Down 3.1% in August — 5ch: “Anyone Who Actually Shops Knows Prices Are Soaring”

    On the 9th, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released August household survey data showing that consumption spending for households of two or more people fell 3.1% year-on-year in real terms, marking the ninth consecutive month of decline. For worker households, real income fell 0.9% while consumption spending dropped even more sharply, down 6.8%. On 5ch’s Breaking News+ thread, opinions clashed between posters cutting back on living expenses due to high prices and those arguing the economy isn’t bad at all given the stock rally and rising asset values. Many also wondered why consumption is falling even as real wages rise. Opinions were split on the merits of policies like rate hikes and the tax system too.

    The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ August household survey, released on the 9th, showed that consumption spending per household (two or more people) was 310,975 yen, down 3.1% year-on-year in real terms once price changes are stripped out. This marks the ninth consecutive month of decline.

    Real income for worker households (excluding the self-employed, etc.) was 616,704 yen, down 0.9%, while consumption spending was 331,134 yen, down 6.8%.

    October 9, 2026, 9:25 AM, Kyodo News

    Source: 47news.jp / Original article here

    31AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:03
    Yeah, we really need a consumption tax cut
    45AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:18
    Re: #34
    The cause is all that wasteful expansionary spending
    143AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:06
    Re: #34
    Exchange rate moves aren't set in stone
    36AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:05
    Obviously. Calculating an inflation rate while excluding subsidies and food is pointless.
    Anyone who actually goes to the supermarket and shops can tell prices are shooting up — nobody wants to spend, or rather, nobody even has money to spend
    39AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:12
    Re: #36
    That's the number after taking blood pressure meds (i.e., an artificially suppressed figure)
    88AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:22
    Re: #36
    I was shocked at how insanely expensive vegetables have gotten
    49AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:25
    Consumption is this weak, so why raise interest rates at all?

    Rate hikes are supposed to cool down an overheating economy, aren't they?
    51AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:27
    Re: #49
    It's because inflation and the weak yen have overshot a bit.
    Look, even if consumption is weak and the economy is bad, once inflation gets excessive, rate hikes and tax hikes have to happen even if it wrecks people's lives
    52AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:27
    Re: #49
    It's meant to curb prices
    62AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:42
    Re: #51
    With the domestic economy not even overheating, will putting the brakes on economic activity via rate hikes really bring prices down? Will the price of imported crude oil actually fall?
    66AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:45
    Re: #62
    Nobody can know the future, but my guess is it won't fall.
    Still, judging from the past, I have a feeling next year is going to be a disaster
    68AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:46
    Re: #62
    Even if they cut rates,
    it'll just pile up inventory of goods and services nobody wants.
    The wealthy need to accept it's a bubble
    and just accept the losses
    70AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:50
    Re: #66
    If the Strait of Hormuz just reopens, crude oil will drop to $60.
    That alone would calm down Japan's price hikes too.
    It all comes down to Trump
    71AnonymousOct 9, 2026 10:51
    Re: #70
    I wonder if it'll really fall (lol)
    156AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:15
    Re: #70
    Shipping networks are wrecked, so it'll take years to recover
    75AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:03
    But prices are rising?
    There's a limit to how much you can cut spending.
    Or is it that prices actually aren't rising?
    129AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:00
    Re: #75
    Are there still people who don't get what 'real' (inflation-adjusted) means?
    There's a thread like this every month, so figure it out already.

    > down 3.1% year-on-year "in real terms, with price-change effects stripped out"
    130AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:00
    And that's with inflation running wild like crazy.
    Just imagine how much consumption has actually dropped in nominal terms
    136AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:03
    Re: #130
    > down 3.1% year-on-year "in real terms, with price-change effects stripped out" Re: #129
    149AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:11
    Re: #137
    > down 3.1% year-on-year "in real terms, with price-change effects stripped out" Re: #129
    94AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:29
    Japan's price increases are pretty mild compared to other countries though.
    I'm not denying prices are rising, but it's still nothing compared to other countries.
    The reason prices aren't rising more despite the weak yen is probably the subsidies
    96AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:31
    Re: #94
    And that's exactly why the weak companies survive and the economy never grows
    98AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:32
    Re: #94
    Actually rice is the big factor —
    it's pulling the CPI down by 0.7 to 1.0 points
    107AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:36
    The Nikkei is around 70,000 yen, so listed companies are clearly doing well.
    For ordinary people it's probably a two-tier split though.
    117AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:45
    Guess Yoichi Takahashi was right that raising rates causes a recession
    120AnonymousOct 9, 2026 11:51
    Re: #117
    That's because the ones hurt most by rate hikes are the working-age generation that spends the most
    150AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:12
    On 5ch, posts from broke old guys stand out,

    but in reality wages are up and stocks are soaring —
    the economy's doing great, right?

    Household financial assets just keep climbing too
    152AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:12
    Re: #150
    Then why is consumption dropping this much?
    This number is clearly closer to reality
    176AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:37
    Re: #122
    Wait, what?! Uh oh…
    Re: #150
    O…oh, okay
    161AnonymousOct 9, 2026 12:18
    Weird phenomenon, given that real wages are rising
    198AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:22
    Re: #161
    Last year it was the opposite — real wages were negative but real consumption was positive.
    I've always wondered why.

    Maybe there's a time lag between changes in real wages and changes in real consumption, or maybe
    even 'real' figures don't fully strip out price effects, so some of the swings from volatile rice prices still bleed into the real consumption numbers
    https://imgu.web.nhk/news/u/news/nd/kiji/20261009de56954/20261009de56954_E0000059143_1_l.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HUGrv2nacAAuYE_.png
    185AnonymousOct 9, 2026 13:04
    Japan's real wages are rising the most this year,
    though that's partly a rebound from how bad last year was
    https://gzo.ai/i/dDfvjYt.jpg

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The “real” figure in the household survey measures changes in purchasing power with price increases stripped out — a different concept from nominal income and spending — and the thread had plenty of posts that confused the two. The drop in consumption spending stems both from people cutting back on essentials due to high prices and from wage growth failing to keep pace with prices. At the same time, some people have grown their assets thanks to the rising Nikkei, and posters noted a widening gap in how good or bad the economy feels depending on whether you hold assets. On whether rate hikes and tax policy are justified, several tangled issues — the weak yen, import prices, the scale of fiscal spending — meant the thread never reached a consensus.

    ※This article is composed of excerpts and summaries from the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “[Household Consumption Spending] Down for 9th Straight Month — August, -3.1%.”