Category: Society

Suke-san Udon, a popular udon chain that originated in Kitakyushu, is drawing complaints on social media that “the noodle quality has dropped” as it expands its store count. It started with an article from Weekly Woman PRIME in which the poster’s younger brother lamented that “Suke-san Udon has gotten incredibly bad.” On 5ch, the discussion thread broadened to cover acquisitions, price hikes, and flavor changes at major chains like Marugame Seimen and Tsurutontan, splitting opinion between those who believe “quality drops after an acquisition” and those who countered “just eat it without worrying about taste differences.”

Posted 10:00 AM, Sunday 9/27

Weekly Woman PRIME

“My little brother was saying Suke-san Udon has gotten incredibly bad, and I was like, no way — but I went to check for myself, and yeah, the noodles have become a totally different thing, and it’s not good!”

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

*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “‘The Noodles Are a Completely Different Thing,’ ‘The Decline Is Incredible’ — Fans Slam Suke-san Udon as the Chain Expands, Calls Grow for ‘Maintaining Quality’.”

An article published by THE GOLD ONLINE tells the story of a 45-year-old salaryman earning ¥6 million a year who bought a Toyota Alphard using a residual-value loan (known in Japan as “zankure”), only to be forced to give up the car a few years later — and even hit with an additional settlement bill on top of that. According to the article, a survey found that only 36.9% of people correctly understand how these loans work, while 53.5% said they “don’t understand” them. On 5ch, commenters debated the mismatch between the family’s situation — three people with kids already grown — and their choice of a large minivan like the Alphard, whether choosing a car for show was worth it, and how the interest structure differs from residual-value plans for smartphones.

What a terrifying contract… The downfall of a 45-year-old salaryman earning ¥6 million a year who finally got his dream Alphard through a “zankure” residual-value loan [A Certified Financial Planner explains the pitfalls of “zankure” loans]

Published Sunday, 9/27, 11:00 AM

THE GOLD ONLINE (Gold Online)

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

*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “[Automobiles] What a Terrifying Contract… The Downfall of a 45-Year-Old Salaryman Earning ¥6 Million a Year Who Finally Got His Dream Alphard Through a “Zankure” Loan.”

Starting October 1, Sendai Bank—a subsidiary of Jimoto Holdings—will begin depositing a celebratory gift equal to a baby’s birth weight in grams (converted 1-for-1 into yen) into any newly opened savings account held in the child’s name. The move sponsors “Sukusuku Box,” a childcare support program in Miyagi Prefecture; eligible children must be six or younger, and opening the account requires a minimum deposit of 30,000 yen, among other conditions. Birth weight is verified using the mother-and-child health handbook. On 5channel, some argued the amount should just be a flat sum for everyone, others worried about the impact on children born underweight, and still others questioned the legality of savings accounts and deposits held in a child’s name.

On the 25th, Sendai Bank, a subsidiary of Jimoto Holdings, announced it would sponsor the “Sukusuku Box” childcare support project running in Miyagi Prefecture. Starting October 1, the bank will deposit a celebratory gift equal to the child’s birth weight in grams (as yen) into any newly opened account in the child’s name, provided certain conditions are met.

For a baby born weighing 3,250 grams, for example, 3,250 yen would go into the new account. Eligible children are those age six or under who have received a “Sukusuku Box” containing sponsor-company products; conditions include opening a new account and depositing at least 30,000 yen at the same time. Birth weight is confirmed via the mother-and-child health handbook.

According to a Sendai Bank representative, the celebratory-gift idea actually came from bank employees as part of the sponsorship effort. The bank also hopes that opening accounts for children early will lead them to keep it as their main bank well into adulthood. The “Sukusuku Box” project is organized by the Kahoku Shimpo newspaper and the Miyagi Consumers’ Co-operative Society.

Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

※This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5channel (Breaking News Plus) thread “Sendai Bank to deposit amount equal to birth weight when opening accounts in children’s names, sponsoring childcare support.”

A post claiming that an electrician wrote room names like “living room” directly onto the breakers of a home’s distribution panel in permanent marker sparked a split reaction on 5channel’s News Speed+ board. The contractor apparently meant no harm — the labels were likely meant to make it easy to tell which breaker controlled which room in an emergency — but from the homeowner’s point of view, it left the panel looking messy and carried an uncomfortable sense of “this was done without my permission.” The thread quickly moved beyond simple etiquette, with posters raising practical questions like who actually owns the breaker panel in the first place, and whether writing on masking tape instead would have solved the whole problem.

“Why Would You Mark Up Someone’s House Without Permission?” Electrician Writes “Living Room” on Breaker in Permanent Marker — Reactions Split Between “Totally Self-Centered” and “A Safety Measure” | Maidona News

2026.09.26 (Sat)

Takanori Chujo

Source: x.com / original post here

4AnonymousSep 27, 2026 08:31

Blue-Collar Guilt by Association

20AnonymousSep 27, 2026 08:34

Re: #4
The OP (Re: #1) altered someone else's article headline without permission.

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (News Speed+) thread “[Blue-Collar] “Why Would You Mark Up Someone’s House Without Permission?” Electrician Writes “Living Room” on Breaker in Permanent Marker, Reactions Split.”

According to a report by the Yomiuri Shimbun, JUNGLIA Okinawa, the large theme park in northern Okinawa Island, has seen visitor numbers stuck at roughly half of its original projections about a year after opening, and is now requesting additional loans and investment as its cash flow worsens. Tsuyoshi Morioka, CEO of the consulting firm “Katana,” which spearheaded the park’s planning, reportedly attended the shareholders’ meeting and presented a turnaround plan with lowered visitor targets and break-even points. On 5ch, opinions were split over whether poor accessibility or thin content was the main cause of the slump, with many also pointing out that the public-private Cool Japan Fund is among the park’s investors.

Struggling “JUNGLIA” Seeks Additional Loans and Investment… Visitor Numbers at About Half of Plan, “Risk of Running Out of Cash”

Fri, Sep 25, 21:03 JST

Yomiuri Shimbun Online

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

*This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “Struggling “JUNGLIA Okinawa” Seeks Additional Loans and Investment… Visitor Numbers at About Half of Plan, “Risk of Running Out of Cash”.”

A survey by a pharmaceutical company has found that roughly one in three sexually experienced women have faced the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy due to contraceptive failure or not using contraception at all. The most common reason for failure was a condom breaking or slipping off, while the most common reasons for skipping contraception were assuming pregnancy was unlikely or a partner not wanting to use protection.

The survey was conducted by Alinamin Pharmaceutical, maker of the emergency contraceptive pill Resoel 72, which became available over the counter at pharmacies without a prescription this past February. On 5channel, the thread saw a clash between comments putting the onus of contraception on women and others pointing to the pill’s side effects and men’s lack of accountability, alongside more basic questions about just why condoms slip off in the first place.

A pharmaceutical company survey has found that roughly one in three women have experienced the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy due to failed or absent contraception.

The leading cause of failure was a condom breaking or slipping off, while the top reasons for skipping contraception were assuming pregnancy was unlikely and a partner not wanting to use protection.

The survey was carried out by Alinamin Pharmaceutical, which sells Resoel 72, one of the two emergency contraceptive pills (“morning-after pills”) that have been available for purchase at pharmacies without a prescription since February.

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

*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (News Speed+) thread “[Contraception] 1 in 3 Sexually Experienced Women Have Faced the Possibility of an Unwanted Pregnancy — “Assumed It’d Be Fine,” “Partner Didn’t Want To” — Drugmaker Survey Finds”.

Heavy rain from Typhoon No. 25 breached a levee around Lake Inba in Chiba Prefecture, dealing severe damage to eel farms and rice paddies in the area. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, a body believed to be that of a man in his 60s who had been reported missing was newly confirmed dead in Kamogawa City on the 25th, bringing the combined death toll for Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures to 12. On the thread, posters worked through misconceptions about how eel “farming” actually works, expressed sympathy for farmers being pushed out of the industry, and clashed with those calling for large-scale consolidation of agriculture.

Sat, Sep 26, 5:00 AM JST

Yomiuri Shimbun Online

Around Lake Inba in northern Chiba Prefecture, where heavy rain from Typhoon No. 25 breached a levee and caused widespread flooding, the aquaculture and rice-farming industries have taken a severe blow. Producers are confronting a grim situation with no clear path forward. On the 25th, one more person — a man believed to be in his 60s who had been unaccounted for in Kamogawa City, also in Chiba — was confirmed dead, bringing the death toll across Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures to 12. (Reporting by Junichiro Takeda, Chiba Bureau, and Shoko Kaneko, Yokohama Bureau)

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

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (News Speed+) thread “[Lake Inba Levee Breach] Farmed eel “probably wiped out” — Fourth-generation rice farmer: “I have no choice but to consider quitting the business”… Major blow to agriculture and fisheries.”

Luxury car rental services aimed at foreign visitors to Japan are gaining popularity. Some tourists reportedly rent a Ferrari or similar car for around ¥300,000 a day and tour Hakone, Kyoto, Naoshima, and other destinations at their own pace. On 5ch, reactions to the price tag were split — some said “that’s pocket change for rich people over there,” others argued “it just looks cheap because of the weak yen” — and the conversation spread to how rental insurance works, road sign wording, and comparisons between Japanese and foreign cars.

※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “[Inbound Tourism] Ferrari Rentals at ¥300,000 a Day a Hit with Visitors to Japan — The Drive Itself Is the Highlight of the Trip.”

At a session of the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly on the 25th, Governor Mika Yokota signaled a positive stance toward having Hiroshima put itself forward as a candidate for Japan’s proposed “secondary capital.” Citing the need to correct Japan’s over-concentration in Tokyo, she said “our prefecture is fully qualified to take on this role” — effectively throwing Hiroshima’s hat into a ring that already includes Osaka, Aichi, and Fukuoka, which have floated their own bids. On 5ch, the remark drew a mixed bag of reactions: some pointed to Hiroshima City’s geographic constraints and poor airport access, others argued that relocating the capital outright would be more meaningful than merely designating a “secondary” one, and still others scratched their heads comparing Hiroshima to other prefectures, asking “why Hiroshima?”

At the prefectural assembly session on the 25th, Governor Yokota indicated a positive stance toward bidding to become a candidate site for the “secondary capital” initiative — a plan for certain cities to take over some of the capital’s functions — stating that “Hiroshima Prefecture is fully qualified for this role.”

[Governor Mika Yokota]

“I have long argued that, for the balanced development of Japan as a whole, we need to correct the excessive concentration of everything in Tokyo, and I believe our prefecture is fully qualified to take on the functions of a secondary capital.”

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

*This article was compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “[Hiroshima] Governor Yokota Signals Willingness to Bid for ‘Secondary Capital’ Candidacy: ‘We Have Ample Qualifications’.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, the man behind the AI chip giant, made a lightning visit to Japan this July. While a get-together at a yakiton (grilled pork skewer) joint in Kanda drew attention online as the “Yakiton Summit,” it’s now been reported that a separate one-on-one meeting also took place at a Tokyo hotel. The other party: Ibiden, a components maker based in Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture, that has been growing its presence in substrate materials for semiconductor packaging. Threads lit up in surprise at the news that Nvidia had even arranged an advance payment to secure supply. At the same time, comments piled up debating the position of Japanese firms in the supply chain, with remarks like “aren’t they barely profitable?” and “subcontractors get such a small cut.”

“We Have No Choice But to Rely on Ibiden” — The “True Identity” of the Japanese Company Nvidia’s CEO Paid a Massive Advance to Secure

Nvidia, the AI chip giant, is now the darling of the era. Jensen Huang, the CEO who built this global tech powerhouse, paid a lightning visit to Japan this July. While a get-together at a yakiton joint in Kanda drew attention as the “Yakiton Summit,” a separate closed-door, knee-to-knee meeting was also held at a five-star hotel in Tokyo. What was discussed there? (Titles omitted in the text.)

Six grilled skewers, a mountain of french fries, and motsunabe (offal hot pot) finished off with ramen… It’s a filling course for 4,500 yen a head, with two hours of all-you-can-drink included. The guests probably never imagined they’d be treated to a menu straight out of a college drinking party — courtesy of a billionaire whose personal fortune rivals Denmark’s national budget.

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

11AnonymousSep 26, 2026 16:05

180AnonymousSep 26, 2026 18:05

In ultra-high-layer-count FC-BGA technology, Ibiden and Unimicron sit in the top tier — they're the only two companies that have reached 20-32 layers. Substrates for AI servers need a rising number of I/O connections to the IC, which means simultaneously pulling off large packages, more layers, finer wiring, and low warpage. Factor in package integration with Intel's EMIB-T, and Japan's Ibiden is sitting in a genuinely critical position.

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Nvidia’s US CEO: ‘We Have No Choice But to Rely on Japan’s Ibiden’ — The ‘True Identity’ of the Japanese Company He Paid a Massive Chunk of 280 Billion Yen in Advance to Secure.”