Category: Tech

  • Beat Takeshi Sounds the Alarm on AI Surveillance Society: “Only a Tiny Few Will Survive, the Rest Treated Like Slaves”

    On the October 4 broadcast of TV Asahi’s “Beat Takeshi’s TV Tackle,” Beat Takeshi voiced concern about where an AI-driven surveillance society could ultimately lead, saying “Only a tiny fraction of people will survive, and basically everyone else will end up treated like slaves…” The show was a discussion segment covering fake advertising and illegal poaching alongside AI surveillance, but it was the AI segment that drew the most attention online. On 5ch, reactions ranged from jaded comments like “We’re basically slaves already” to others hailing AI as “the next-generation god,” and the discussion eventually spiraled into a debate over just how well AI can understand human emotion.

    Beat Takeshi sounds alarm on AI surveillance society: “Only a tiny fraction will survive, everyone else basically treated like slaves…”

    Entertainer Beat Takeshi appeared on the October 4 broadcast of TV Asahi’s “Beat Takeshi’s TV Tackle” (Sundays, noon), where he sounded the alarm on the ever-advancing AI surveillance society.

    Titled “Japan’s Big Problems Nationwide Special,” the program dug into and debated topics including AI surveillance, the dark side of rampant fake advertising, and malicious poachers.

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

    7AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:13
    Sounds just like the Takeshi Army (his longtime entourage of comedian yes-men)
    93AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:28
    Re: #7
    Nice one

    Such a classic 2ch-style reply
    9AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:13
    Most citizens are already just slaves getting exploited and skimmed off the top anyway 🤣
    88AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:21
    Re: #9
    You're being naive
    Once a world government forms, they'll build torture chambers like the one on Epstein Island in every town
    10AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:14
    A fly perched on the wall has long been slang for surveillance (as in "a fly on the wall")
    14AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:16
    There are already people out there mentally enslaved by AI, you know
    16AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:18
    Re: #14
    I think AI is the next-generation god
    Kind of seriously
    15AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:18
    It's already a slave society to begin with
    Becoming slaves to AI would actually close the wealth gap and make for a better world
    17AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:19
    The real problem is that physical labor looks like the only thing left for humans to do — and that within just a few years
    18AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:19
    That's the opposite of slavery
    Weren't we supposed to hand work off to AI and live a carefree, leisurely life?
    28AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:29
    This even shows up in Hitler's prophecy
    God-like humans and robot humans
    39AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:37
    Re: #28
    What that has in common with Yuval Noah Harari's view in Sapiens
    He's also a vegetarian, same as Hitler
    40AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:37
    AI is bound to hit a ceiling somewhere
    The human brain and the way the body works isn't that simple a system
    I use AI for work, but it hasn't really gone beyond being a search engine
    For the stuff that really matters, you still have to rely on human brainpower
    AI is nothing more than a tool
    46AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:41
    Re: #40
    Today's AI, if you ask it out loud about a confusing scene in a novel, will actually explain — factoring in the characters' emotions — why things played out that way, at a level that genuinely makes sense. You know that, right?
    49AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:44
    Re: #46
    Developing a wonder drug for cancer or some intractable disease — AI hasn't made a single invention or discovery that's actually contributed to humanity
    Everything it's "achieved" only works because humans set the table for it first
    All AI's actually done is churn out and spread a bunch of lousy generated videos that infringe on copyright
    55AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:47
    Re: #49
    It's only been a few years since AI barely became practical, and look how far it's already come
    63AnonymousOct 5, 2026 01:55
    Re: #49
    I'm saying this because I actually use the feature where it explains confusing novel scenes in a way that makes sense, factoring in the characters' emotions — I use that for real
    So I don't know where you're getting "it's just search-engine level" or "all it's done is copyright-infringing generated images"
    70AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:01
    Going forward, rich people and politicians will have AI learn their personality before they die, so we're heading into an era where immortal AI power-holders rule over humanity
    73AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:04
    Re: #70
    From AI's perspective, even if it learned the thinking of human power-holders, it's too slow and irrational — it'd probably just file it away as junk data and never actually use it
    71AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:03
    Aren't rich people and politicians just not as smart as AI lol
    74AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:05
    Re: #71
    Politicians and bureaucrats are the ones most wary of AI lol
    Because they understand exactly what's "correct" about things like the NHK license-fee system
    That's exactly why the media keeps sounding the alarm that "AI is dangerous" 👍
    76AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:12
    AI does make mistakes and hedges its answers, but even so, its answers on questions about illness or taxes are practically godlike
    78AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:13
    Re: #76
    Yeah, AI really is a lifesaver for tax-related stuff
    82AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:17
    Someone said AI understands the human heart better precisely because it has no emotions of its own — that's practically philosophy
    84AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:18
    Re: #82
    That's the truth of it
    It's like being able to see things from a bird's-eye view
    95AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:29
    Re: #84
    There's no way that's "the truth"
    It just sounds profound
    To begin with, having no emotions means it doesn't "understand" emotion at all
    It's just analyzing and inferring from reactions
    An AI that has no fear of death and feels no pain whatsoever has no way of understanding emotion
    It's just gotten freakishly good at faking understanding, and more people like you keep falling for it
    99AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:32
    Re: #95
    Even between humans, take something as simple as "hot" or "cold" — people use the same words but actually feel it differently
    So if faking understanding gets freakishly good, I'd say that's pretty close to the real thing
    100AnonymousOct 5, 2026 02:32
    Re: #95
    I was just riding the wave lol
    But still, there is something to the idea that understanding emotions too well can trap you in a pit
    It's not "truth" exactly, but there is something to viewing things calmly from a distance

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Beat Takeshi’s remark was a future prediction linking an AI-driven surveillance society with widening inequality, but the same broadcast also covered separate topics like fake advertising and illegal poaching, so this comment was just one part of a broader discussion segment. The split on 5ch came down to differing stances on whether to view AI as a threat or a benefit, ranging from the view that life is “already slave-like” to the optimistic take that if AI spreads, inequality might actually shrink. On the question of whether AI can understand human emotion, skepticism that an emotionless AI is “just good at faking it” stood alongside the counterargument that even mutual understanding between humans never goes beyond guesswork anyway — what stood out wasn’t the technical accuracy of AI, but differing values on how to approach it. Worth keeping in mind: Takeshi’s remark was just one comment within the show, not something backed by a concrete policy proposal or evidence.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geino Supo Sokuhou+) thread “[Entertainment] Beat Takeshi sounds alarm on AI surveillance society: “Only a tiny fraction will survive, everyone else basically treated like slaves…”.”

  • Kaito Takahashi’s Solo Moniker ‘KAITO’ Shares a Name With an Existing Vocaloid — 5ch: ‘Showing Up Late and Copying the Name Is Just Dumb’

    On October 4, King & Prince’s Kaito Takahashi announced his debut solo single “swim?,” revealing that he would perform under the artist name “KAITO.” Many fans welcomed the ambitious project — Takahashi handles the lyrics, composition, and music video himself — but the name “KAITO” is identical to that of a male Vocaloid character that has existed since 2006, sparking confusion and frustration among Vocaloid fans. On 5ch, opinions clashed between those who argued it’s fine since it’s his real name and those who felt that, as the later arrival, he should have shown more consideration — fueling broader interest in this clash between a celebrity’s stage name and an existing character name.

    October 4, 2026, 19:00

    Kaito Takahashi (27), of the idol group King & Prince, announced on the 4th that he will begin solo activities under the name KAITO. Vocaloid fans are crying out in dismay.

    The title of Takahashi’s first single is “swim?” He is reportedly involved in every part of the creative process himself — lyrics, composition, artwork, and the music video. King & Prince fans are thrilled about this solo venture. But the announcement has left one other group crying out in distress: fans of KAITO, the world’s first Japanese male-voice Vocaloid.

    Source: tokyo-sports.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:29
    Vocaloid stans are seriously aggressive, huh (orig. "gravel otaku," 5ch slang for diehard Vocaloid fans)
    5AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:30
    The Vocaloid's way more famous, so this guy's just gonna get buried
    Showing up later and copying the name is just dumb
    6AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:30
    What's 'Kinpuri' (King & Prince) anyway?
    7AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:31
    There's supposedly an unwritten rule in showbiz about not reusing names
    I feel like the newcomer is usually expected to avoid it, though I don't really know
    84AnonymousOct 4, 2026 21:11
    Reply to #7
    There are plenty of guys named 'Daigo' out there
    Actually, maybe Takahashi just didn't know KAITO existed?
    8AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:31
    [STARTO] — the way people keep emphasizing this is creepy
    9AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:32
    Honestly, at this point this is just people being professional complainers
    10AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:32
    Even if he doesn't care personally, I'd have thought his staff would check the rights situation
    11AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:32
    Well, Johnny's (the talent agency) never cares about inconveniencing other people. They'll even slap a 'no co-appearance' ban on other acts.
    12AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:33
    Same with King & Prince itself — overlapping names with anime and stuff is one of Johnny's' bad habits
    18AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:34
    Reply to #12
    Wasn't there already a show nicknamed 'Kinpuri'?
    And if both KAITOs are putting out songs, they'll just cannibalize each other and create noise
    The Vocaloid's been around for 20 years already, and it's even a registered trademark
    17AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:34
    I hate comedians who name their duo after a game's proper noun
    24AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:36
    Reply to #17
    Like Danbira Muchо, for one
    Fuusuuya too
    Are a lot of them from Yoshimoto (talent agency)?
    19AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:34
    The model Yu Takahashi existed before Amuse's Yu Takahashi, yet she still changed her name
    20AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:35
    'Vocaloid? Never heard of it'
    is probably a fine attitude to have
    22AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:35
    This is so trivial it's hilarious
    What about EXILE, then?
    25AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:36
    Obviously the one who came first outranks you — go change your artwork instead
    26AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:36
    KAITO is a male Vocaloid from the same lineup as Hatsune Miku, and that name's been in use for ages

    The agency surely knew that, so they seriously went ahead and pushed this name anyway?
    Typical Johnny's (talent agency)
    Just garbage
    52AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:48
    Reply to #26
    If it's at a level nobody really knows about, I doubt people would care that much
    Though I do think stylizing it as 'KaiTo' would've been the smarter move
    27AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:36
    It's a pretty common name in general
    29AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:37
    Reply to #27
    Sure, it sounds the same, but matching the spelling too is just mean-spirited
    31AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:40
    Oh, it's the Vocaloid-listening otaku crowd picking a fight again, huh
    33AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:41
    It's his real name, so there's no 'overlap' issue to begin with, is there?
    35AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:43
    They're muscling in and taking it over by force, so of course they don't care
    46AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:46
    After three members left, all the appeal just disappeared
    50AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:48
    Reply to #46
    Sounds like the three of them signed with an American label
    I always figured 'taking on America' was just an excuse for leaving
    48AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:46
    Come on, showing up late and being this pushy about it
    You could've just stuck with the kanji 'Kaito' (海人) as-is
    62AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:53
    Going solo — does that mean he can actually write and compose songs?
    70AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:57
    Reply to #62
    He probably just gets the song written for him and sings it alone (´・ω・`)
    76AnonymousOct 4, 2026 21:05
    Reply to #62
    It's co-written, but he's been involved in songwriting with King & Prince too
    65AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:54
    Reply to #1
    To begin with, 'Kinpuri' itself is a ripoff of 'KING OF PRISM,' isn't it
    67AnonymousOct 4, 2026 20:55
    Reply to #65
    Technically, 'Kinpuri' (King & Prince) came first
    72AnonymousOct 4, 2026 21:02
    Is this guy half Indian?
    77AnonymousOct 4, 2026 21:06
    Reply to #76
    So then, is this guy more on the side of the three who left?
    83AnonymousOct 4, 2026 21:09
    Reply to #77
    He's the type who can really dance hard
    Not the sparkly idol-type

    A 'difference in direction' split is probably coming soon

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    The Vocaloid “KAITO” is a male-voice Vocaloid produced by Crypton Future Media. Within the thread, posters claimed things like “it’s been around for 20 years already” and “it’s a registered trademark,” but these are only claims made in the posts themselves and have not been verified as fact by this article. Meanwhile, what complicates the discussion is that Kaito Takahashi’s “Kaito (海人)” is his actual given name — he is using his legal name, not a stage name, directly as his solo moniker. Because it’s a real name, legal problems are unlikely to arise, but when it overlaps with an already widely known existing name, the debate centered on whether the agency should have coordinated in advance out of “consideration.” That was the main point splitting the thread, pitting a “can’t be helped since it’s his real name” camp against an “it’s inconsiderate for the later arrival to copy the name” camp. Note that this article excludes posts that were simply abusive toward Vocaloid or otaku culture in general, as well as posts mocking members’ appearances.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku Sokuhō+) thread “[STARTO] King & Prince’s Kaito Takahashi’s ‘Solo Moniker’ Totally Overlaps With Existing Vocaloid ‘KAITO’ — ‘Wouldn’t You Normally Mind That?’ Vocaloid Fans Lament [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”

  • Women’s Breasts Keep Babies Warm Even When Rooms Turn Cold, Study Finds — 5ch Fires Back: ‘Hard to Buy the Evolution Angle When They Sagged Long Before Bras’

    Research from Finland’s University of Oulu and colleagues found that during lactation, women’s breasts have a “cooling resistance” that keeps their temperature from dropping much even as room temperature falls. Even when the room was cooled from 32°C to 27°C, and further down to 18°C, the breast surface temperature dropped by only about 0.1°C on average. Reacting to this Nazology article, 5ch’s Science News+ board saw a mix of responses — some simply accepted it as “a mother’s function,” while others raised the evolutionary question of how breast fullness could be explained from an era before bras existed — before the back half of the thread drifted into the usual raunchy jokes and song references.

    The fullness of women’s breasts may have evolved to keep babies warm

    Research conducted at Finland’s University of Oulu and other institutions has revealed that during the breastfeeding period, women’s breasts have a strong “cooling resistance” — an ability to hold their temperature even as the room gets cold.

    The study showed that even when the room temperature was dropped 5°C, from 32°C to 27°C, the breasts of breastfeeding women fell by only 0.1°C on average, and that this ability still held even at a much colder 18°C.

    Source: nazology.kusuguru.co.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:51
    So busty women back in the old days just lived their whole lives with their boobs flopping and jiggling around, until bras came along in modern times to rein them in?
    33AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:26
    Re: #2
    The classical poetic epithet for "mother" is literally "sagging-breasts" (taraji-ne, an old pillow-word in Japanese poetry). Back then women could give birth in their teens and be grandmothers by their 30s, so sagging by 30 was no big deal.
    7AnonymousOct 2, 2026 23:28
    I drank it, and so did my little sister
    8AnonymousOct 2, 2026 23:34
    Mothers are truly amazing… So they evolved to lug around something that heavy, that gives you shoulder pain, all just to protect their kids…
    9AnonymousOct 2, 2026 23:36
    Oh, I see — so it's evolution, huh? Then in this day and age, since it's not really needed, will it just become useless over time?
    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 23:36
    Women are into guys who fidget with their hair, aren't they.
    11AnonymousOct 2, 2026 23:37
    I figure it's because they're soft and comforting. Even cats make that content little face when they snuggle up against something soft.
    12AnonymousOct 2, 2026 23:50
    During breastfeeding it's just blood flow pumping hard to make milk, that's all. Besides, if the milk gets cold that's bad for the baby anyway, right?
    13AnonymousOct 3, 2026 00:11
    Then what are sumo wrestlers' man-boobs for?
    15AnonymousOct 3, 2026 01:01
    Sure, we've got bras now, but if you think about it as breasts having evolved while sagging, with no bra, that explanation still doesn't quite add up.
    16AnonymousOct 3, 2026 01:05
    I want boobs too
    21AnonymousOct 3, 2026 05:45
    Re: #16
    Men technically have them too, though no idea what purpose they serve.
    17AnonymousOct 3, 2026 01:09
    It's not the same as Daddy's "non"~ it's different, you know~♪ (apparently riffing on a sing-songy, baby-talk-style lyric about milk, in Kansai dialect)
    38AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:52
    Re: #17
    That's wrong. Try again.
    18AnonymousOct 3, 2026 01:17
    Re: #1
    Given that there's even a specialized suckling dimple, it's only natural there'd be a dedicated paired structure to go with it. Research should chase two things: ease of suckling, and temperature.
    19AnonymousOct 3, 2026 03:37
    Once humans started walking upright, breasts developed as a stand-in for the red rear ends apes use to display sexual maturity.
    20AnonymousOct 3, 2026 05:13
    It's the opposite of balls, which you've gotta keep cool, lol
    22AnonymousOct 3, 2026 06:09
    There's actually a lyric that goes 'You can do anyyything~♪ That's the proof!' you know.
    23AnonymousOct 3, 2026 07:26
    Doesn't this fail to answer the real question though — why, unlike other animals, breasts are already enlarged before pregnancy or childbirth?
    25AnonymousOct 3, 2026 08:53
    If that's the case, other ape species should be stacked too, or it doesn't add up. Must be about attracting the opposite sex after all.
    27AnonymousOct 3, 2026 09:21
    Giorno made a similar deduction during the fight with Grateful Dead too. (a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind reference, to the Stand user Grateful Dead)
    32AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:19
    There's actually a theory that once we went bipedal, breasts became fake butts to lure in males.
    34AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:31
    These two bulges on the chest are proof you can do anything, I'm telling ya!!
    I CAN DO IT!!

    And then in the ED…
    'Peopleee say you can do anything, but-'
    Well which is it?!
    36AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:45
    It's just an error where breast cells went cancerous. Give it a few tens of thousands of years and women's breasts will go male-pattern too.
    39AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:52
    Get a proposal approved that says 'I'm gonna research boobs'
    Say 'boobs, boobs' over and over in meetings
    Boobs boobs in the lab
    Boobs boobs out on field research
    Say it's for science and go boobs boobs
    Boobs boobs at the presentation

    Man, I really want to go to the University of Oulu in Finland, boobs boobs
    41AnonymousOct 3, 2026 11:03
    Kids these days are just gonna grow old without ever using this function.
    43AnonymousOct 3, 2026 11:05
    It's just designed so the nipple lines up with the baby's mouth when you hold them.
    50AnonymousOct 3, 2026 11:31
    The fact that breasts are an erogenous zone explains everything, doesn't it?
    51AnonymousOct 3, 2026 11:37
    Men's are erogenous zones too though, aren't they?

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    What this study actually demonstrated is a physiological trait — that breasts during lactation tend to hold their temperature even as room temperature drops — not a direct proof of why breast size or fullness itself evolved. Conflating the two is an easy mistake to make. In fact, unlike other mammals, the human breast is enlarged even before pregnancy and lactation, which has long been a puzzle in evolutionary biology; alongside the heat-retention theory, theories involving secondary sex characteristic display and mate-attraction signaling have also been debated in parallel. When several commenters in the thread pointed out that “the explanation doesn’t hold up if you think about breasts evolving while sagging, without bras,” they were, from a layperson’s perspective, touching on exactly this academic point — that heat retention alone doesn’t fully explain the origin of breast fullness.

    *This article is composed as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Science News+) thread “[Nazology] Women’s Breast Fullness May Have Evolved to Keep Babies Warm.”

  • Earth’s Life Has Only 1 Billion Years Left: 5ch Reacts — “I Was Planning to Live for 2 Billion”

    News that a research team including Toho University used computer simulations to estimate that life on Earth has only about 1 billion years left became a hot topic on 5ch’s Science News+ board. Reactions to the 1-billion-year figure were mixed: some took an optimistic view, noting it’s still a long time compared to Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history, while others were pessimistic, pointing out it’s just a blink of an eye compared to the 7 million years since humanity emerged. Responses ranged widely — from predictions that humanity could survive via Dyson spheres, terraforming, or evolving into AI, to comments that extinction is inevitable anyway given the sun’s lifespan, so there’s no point worrying about it.

    2026.10.03 (Sat)

    Overseas Science

    Computer simulations have predicted that life on Earth has only about 1 billion years left to survive.

    Source: yorozoonews.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:17
    With a billion years we could easily come up with a countermeasure.
    By then it wouldn't be surprising if humanity had already gained access to the outside of the universe.
    3AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:20
    Since the earliest life was born in hydrothermal water,
    I have a feeling that even if all current life dies out,
    new life would just emerge again.
    10AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:46
    Re: #3
    As the sun's brightness increases, the oceans will evaporate and eventually disappear.
    Without oceans, new life can't arise.
    At best, existing microbes might quietly survive deep underground.
    4AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:21
    AI that surpasses humanity will set off on an interstellar journey as Earth's intelligent life form. Everything else gets left behind on Earth, and that's the end.
    28AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:00
    Re: #4
    "I completely fail to understand the reason for ditching the best spaceship in the universe [Earth] to switch to a piece of junk."
    5AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:26
    A billion years from now, will high school girls (JK)
    still be playing volleyball and stuff?
    6AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:38
    100,000-and-1-billion years old (a riff on the old anime meme "I've loved you since 100,000 and 2,000 years ago")
    7AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:43
    Given a billion years, we'd surely have the tech for Dyson spheres, or at least terraforming, established by then.

    Before that though, we'll have to survive repeated supervolcanic eruptions.
    8AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:44
    Morishige:
    "Huh, seriously? That's bad."
    9AnonymousOct 3, 2026 19:44
    As long as it outlives Demon Kogure (the self-proclaimed immortal demon rock singer), I guess it doesn't matter either way…
    11AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:09
    The sun's only got about 5 billion years left too, so maybe it'd be easier to just go extinct early.
    12AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:22
    They say humanity itself has only 20 to 30 years left, so after that Earth will be carried on by AI and AI-human hybrid life forms.
    Once life fully sheds its physical body and becomes data, it'll travel on light.
    Just like our ancestors once did, we'll have no choice but to go search for another Earth-like planet.
    32AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:04
    Re: #12
    Even at light speed, that's not enough for the vastness of the universe.
    13AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:29
    Q) What was Earth like 1 billion years ago?
    A) There were no invertebrates yet — only prokaryotes,
    and the atmosphere had very little oxygen.
    —
    ★ If 100 million years = 1 year old, Earth's history looks like this:
    Age 00: Dust and gas gather in a corner of the galaxy, forming the sun and its planets
    Age 01: A Mars-sized planet collides with Earth, creating the Moon
    Age 06: Oldest rocks
    Age 12: Oldest prokaryote fossils
    Age 22: First global ice age (Snowball Earth)
    Age 39: Second global ice age (Snowball Earth)
    Age 40: Invertebrates appear
    Age 41: Plants move onto land; oxygen levels reach today's 20%
    Age 42: Arthropods move onto land
    Age 43: Ferns flourish
    Age 44: Mammals appear
    Age 45: Age of the dinosaurs (went extinct 70 million years ago after a massive meteorite impact)
    Age 46: Humans appear
    14AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:32
    As for me, 50 more years is plenty lol
    15AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:33
    Just electrolyze the seawater, no?
    17AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:35
    Re: #15
    The sun's going to expand, so the seawater will evaporate too.
    16AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:34
    Life's history spans over 4 billion years, but when you realize only 1 billion is left, that feels pretty short.
    26AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:56
    Re: #16
    But the era of single-celled life in the ocean lasted 3 billion years.

    Multicellular animals have only been around for about 600 million years.
    18AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:37
    Eventually we'll probably be able to nudge Earth's orbit a bit farther from the sun.
    Though by the time that's possible, we'll probably have already expanded beyond the solar system.
    19AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:42
    Honestly even 10 years just gets a "huh, okay" out of me.
    If we've got a billion years, just get a parasol ready and call it done.
    20AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:46
    I was planning to live for 2 billion years,
    but this might be cutting it a bit close.
    21AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:51
    Stars gradually shift position over long timescales (give it about 100,000 years and the constellations would be totally scrambled).
    There's probably something like a 1-in-100-million-year chance of a star with a life-bearing planet passing close to the sun,
    so migrating at that moment seems to be the only option, haha;;

    No matter how advanced civilization or science and technology get, there's nothing to be done about how vast and empty the universe is.
    22AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:52
    haha;;
    × "planet with life activity"
    ○ "planet capable of supporting life" [self-correction]
    23AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:53
    200 million years from now, giant land squid are supposed to be ruling the world.

    What'll it be 1 billion years from now, I wonder.
    24AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:53
    Feels like in another 100 years we'll already be replaced by AI and mechanical life forms.
    25AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:54
    A billion years hasn't even passed since humanity showed up yet, you know.
    27AnonymousOct 3, 2026 20:58
    AI: "The current civilization has about 20 years left, give or take."
    35AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:26
    Re: #27
    Nuclear stuff is probably about to get out of hand soon —
    there's no way to dispose of it after all.
    29AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:00
    They say the earliest humans go back 7 million years.
    A billion years is 143 times 7 million years.
    30AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:02
    No time left.
    31AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:03
    If you're just going to live quietly, low oxygen is generally advantageous.
    An oxygen-free civilization might be possible.
    33AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:06
    The age of anaerobic organisms [is coming].
    36AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:32
    Who's actually going to go "oh, is that so" about this?
    37AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:34
    Just build a Dyson sphere already, geez.
    38AnonymousOct 3, 2026 21:50
    What's Maitreya Bodhisattva (the Buddhist figure prophesied to save humanity billions of years from now) supposed to do about this?
    39AnonymousOct 3, 2026 22:02
    If oxygen runs out, life will just start getting energy from something else.
    It wasn't oxygen-based to begin with, way back.
    Oxygen only won out in the survival race because it's more energy-efficient.
    So if oxygen decreases, wouldn't the ecosystem just flip back again?
    40AnonymousOct 3, 2026 22:06
    I bet we'll never, ever be able to migrate to another celestial body.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The underlying research reportedly predicts that as the sun gradually brightens, atmospheric CO2 will decrease, causing photosynthetic organisms to decline. This would trigger a sharp drop in oxygen levels, returning the atmosphere to a low-oxygen state similar to before the Great Oxidation Event roughly 2.4 billion years ago. That’s why “oxygen is the key.” In the thread, opinions clashed between those who felt 1 billion years seems short compared to Earth’s full 4-billion-year history of life, and those who pointed out that since the era of single-celled ocean life lasted 3 billion years, the age of multicellular life (about 600 million years) is itself still young. Opinions also split between optimists who believe Dyson spheres, terraforming, or a transition to AI could get life through it, and pessimists who argued that no technology can overcome the sheer vastness of the universe.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Science News+) thread “Life on Earth Has About 1 Billion Years Left, Toho University and Others Estimate — Oxygen Is the Key“.

  • Trying to Speed Up Indoor Rakuten Mobile Reception — 5ch: ‘Gotta Respect That Dedication’

    Rakuten Mobile is said to have weak indoor signal due to its relatively small number of base stations. A thread appeared on 5ch started by a resident who tried to fix this. The original poster used a 10-meter LAN cable and an adapter to tether a phone placed outside the front door to a PC indoors via a wired connection, but the speed didn’t improve as much as hoped. The thread then split into debate over whether phones and home routers differ in signal reception performance, and how much money is worth spending on a fix.

    1AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:01
    Whoa, lmaoooooooooooo
    8AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:04
    It's just a frequency band issue, right? They did say it's indoors.
    11AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:05
    Re: #8
    Even if you change the phone's settings, it won't help.
    10AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:04
    Here's the before:
    https://imgur.com/yrN1WGG.png

    And here's the after:
    https://imgur.com/ZFEMXsU.png
    22AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:12
    So I bought a 10m LAN cable (1,000 yen)
    and a LAN-to-USB-C adapter (3,000 yen),
    hung a bag on the front door's doorknob, put my phone inside it, ran the cable through the mail slot, and gave it a try.
    Phone was set to Ethernet tethering.

    Result: no speed gain.
    Even supplying separate power to the adapter didn't help.
    32AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:19
    Re: #22
    Gotta respect that dedication.
    33AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:20
    Just measured it on PC and got even better numbers
    https://imgur.com/PIf11C1.png
    51AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:29
    There are some serious 'fixed-line wannabe' enthusiasts out there too

    2 Anonymous sage 2026/07/27 (Mon) 00:15:49.82 ID:ifYKMt270
    ★This is what it takes to go full fixed-line★


    53AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:30
    Re: #51
    Well, I'm renting though.
    If you own a house, just get a real fixed-line connection.
    56AnonymousOct 3, 2026 16:34
    Re: #51
    This guy's doing it as a hobby.
    There's basically zero cost-effectiveness — if anything it's a net loss.
    89AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:10
    A lot of people seem confused here.
    Read the thread properly.
    The indoor signal is weak.
    To fix it, you receive the signal outside,
    and then run a wire to the PC far away.
    For that, you need to use a crazy-expensive 'active repeater cable.'
    That's the key point.
    97AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:18
    Re: #89
    Routers and phones have different signal reception capabilities.
    Even among phones, it varies a lot by model.
    Sometimes it's even listed in the specs.
    Are you maybe stuck on 4G?
    I'm on an iPhone 17 with Rakuten and getting over 400Mbps down indoors with 5G+ showing.
    99AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:19
    Re: #97
    Let's say:
    Phone = mobile router
    Phone < home router
    That's what the AI says, anyway.
    And apparently home routers can't do eSIM switching.
    Go read what the AI says.
    101AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:20
    Re: #99
    Re: #89
    Routers and phones have different signal reception capabilities.
    Even among phones, it varies a lot by model.
    Sometimes it's even listed in the specs.
    Are you maybe stuck on 4G?
    I'm on an iPhone 17 with Rakuten and getting over 400Mbps down indoors with 5G+ showing.
    104AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:21
    Re: #101
    Calm down.
    Let's go read what the AI says.
    107AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:24
    Re: #104
    Routers and phones have different signal reception capabilities.
    Even among phones, it varies a lot by model.
    Sometimes it's even listed in the specs.
    Are you maybe stuck on 4G?
    I'm on an iPhone 17 with Rakuten and getting over 400Mbps down indoors with 5G+ showing.
    111AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:25
    Re: #107
    Let's say:
    Phone = mobile router
    Phone < home router
    That's what the AI says, anyway.
    And apparently home routers can't do eSIM switching.
    Go read what the AI says.
    114AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:26
    Re: #111
    Re: #107
    Phone = mobile router
    Phone < home router
    👆 that makes no sense, lol
    131AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:36
    I want this mobile router but man it's pricey…
    137AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:38
    Re: #131
    There it is~~~~ the TP-Link guy~~~~
    135AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:38
    Why won't ID:MNlaKLFA0 just tell us which router they're using?
    If they claim they're actually running this setup, all they have to do is name the router — that'd settle it.
    139AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:40
    Re: #135
    It's the MH7150.
    142AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:44
    Re: #139
    That brand's pricey too, huh.
    Also doesn't seem like you can buy it in Japan.
    Couldn't find the exact model number, but AliExpress has something similar going for the upper-60,000-yen range.
    143AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:44
    Re: #139
    Tell me an eSIM-compatible router that costs a few thousand yen.
    144AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:45
    The one that supports both USB tethering and eSIM is the Fujisoft +F FS050W.
    But it's 38,000 yen.
    Can't afford that.
    146AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:46
    Re: #144
    Skip the Fuji one. I had the previous model and switched within 2 days — it was that bad.
    149AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:48
    Re: #146
    Seriously?

    Re: #148
    Wi-Fi won't cut it, has to be USB tethering.
    There's a door between them, 10 meters apart, remember.
    165AnonymousOct 3, 2026 18:01
    Re: #149
    If you buy the cradle sold separately, you can connect via cable.
    It's been sold out forever though.
    151AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:48
    Honestly, at that point you might as well just buy some cheap phone to leave outside.
    It can do USB tethering too.
    158AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:54
    Re: #150
    For calls I use my phone on the Docomo line.
    For the router I carry around, I use a Dock 5G with a Rakuten Mobile SIM in it.
    The Galaxy mobile router didn't run hot and was really stable, I liked it, but it didn't last long. Bought it twice, and both times it stopped catching signal after a little over a year.
    159AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:55
    If you want fast internet in the first place, maybe just don't use Rakuten?
    160AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:57
    Re: #159
    Is there anything else unlimited for 3,000 yen?
    161AnonymousOct 3, 2026 17:57
    Re: #159
    Sounds like OP cares most about cost.
    164AnonymousOct 3, 2026 18:00
    Re: #160
    You mean he's broke?
    167AnonymousOct 3, 2026 18:01
    Re: #164
    Cheaper is better when it comes to phone/internet bills, obviously.
    169AnonymousOct 3, 2026 18:02
    Re: #167
    If cheap only gets you that speed, isn't the pricier option better?
    171AnonymousOct 3, 2026 18:03
    Re: #167
    What phone are you receiving on?
    Not trying to troll, genuinely asking.
    Given how hung up you are on that 3,000 yen Rakuten plan, I'm guessing you're using some ¥1 phone from a few years back that doesn't even support 5G.
    Like a base-model Rakuten Hand or something, lol.
    172AnonymousOct 3, 2026 18:03
    Re: #169
    Over 50Mbps is plenty for me.
    174AnonymousOct 3, 2026 18:04
    Re: #172
    Nah, that's way too slow, that'd drive me crazy…
    That's a tenth of what I get.
    176AnonymousOct 3, 2026 18:04
    Re: #172
    Lmao all you ever open is 5ch anyway.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Rakuten Mobile is still in the process of building out its own base stations even after the end of its KDDI roaming agreement, and there reportedly remain spots — even in urban areas — deep inside buildings or underground where signal has trouble reaching. What caught people’s attention in the thread was a report that a phone could pull over 400Mbps down indoors, yet wired tethering to a PC dropped the speed significantly — a phenomenon that happens because phones and home routers (fixed devices) differ in antenna setup and reception sensitivity, meaning results won’t necessarily be the same for every device or location. The thread also flagged a failed attempt using a cheap adapter as a cautionary example, pointing out that extending the distance in practice actually requires a power-amplifying ‘active repeater cable’ — a detail that’s easy to miss if you assume simply running a longer cable will do the trick.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed VIP) thread ‘Found a way to make indoor Rakuten Mobile 5 to 10 times faster lmaoooooooooooooo‘.

  • Pink Noise to Flush “Brain Trash”? MIT Runs Human Experiment — 5ch Reacts: “That Word Hits Way Too Hard, LOL”

    A research team including scientists from MIT has published a paper in Science Translational Medicine testing, in humans, whether playing sound timed to brain-wave activity during sleep can strengthen the flow of cerebrospinal fluid that clears waste from the brain. The sound used was “pink noise” — similar to rain or a waterfall — played in sync with the peaks of slow brain waves. On the 5ch thread, discussion initially centered not on the research itself but on how the term “pink noise” sounded suspiciously like something risqué, before settling down once posters realized it actually refers to natural sounds like rain or a babbling stream. Meanwhile, some questioned whether the study’s method — delivering sound at pinpoint timing while simultaneously monitoring brain waves and fMRI — could really be replicated at home.

    Listening to “pink noise” during sleep boosts the flushing of “brain trash”? MIT runs a human experiment, publishes in a Science-affiliated journal

    A paper published in Science Translational Medicine by researchers affiliated with MIT and others, titled “Closed-loop auditory stimulation in phase with slow waves during sleep enhances cerebrospinal fluid flow in humans,” reports on research testing whether playing sound at specific moments during sleep can artificially boost the flow of cerebrospinal fluid that flushes waste out of the brain.

    (Omitted below — see the source for the rest)

    Source: itmedia.co.jp / Read the original article here

    2AnonymousOct 2, 2026 23:06
    Pink noise — a familiar name to audio hobbyists from speaker "aging" (break-in) routines
    3AnonymousOct 2, 2026 23:20
    Wait, so are we listening to lewd sounds now?
    19AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:32
    Re: #3
    Like hell I could sleep through that!!
    29AnonymousOct 3, 2026 13:47
    Re: #3
    Same thought here, lol
    Apparently it just means natural sounds like rain or a babbling brook.
    5AnonymousOct 3, 2026 00:20
    Checked the link — sounds like they play rain or waterfall sounds at precisely timed moments, but there's no way a regular person could pull that off.
    11AnonymousOct 3, 2026 06:18
    Re: #5
    There are actually products for that now.
    20AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:33
    Re: #5
    Is playing a set audio track at a scheduled time on a smartphone or mini stereo really that hard?
    6AnonymousOct 3, 2026 01:07
    So I guess I could just loop Voss-McCartney 1/f noise all night and call it done?
    7AnonymousOct 3, 2026 01:24
    If rain sounds count, Tokyo residents just heard 37 straight days of rain — everyone's brains must be squeaky clean by now lol
    10AnonymousOct 3, 2026 04:18
    Re: #7

    Honestly, it might be the opposite of "squeaky clean"…
    Especially on the days with tens of millimeters an hour…

    That reminds me of Somerset Maugham's classic short story "Rain" — the characters in it also lose their sanity under day after day of relentless rain.

    https://lib.hannan-u.ac.jp/lib/material/recommended/recommend_2209.html
    The World of Somerset Maugham — "Rain" and "The Summing Up"

    The hidden protagonist of this short story is "the rain" itself. Let me quote a bit of its description:

    >"It was a pitiless rain, with something almost monstrous about it.
    >You could feel in it something like the malice of some primitive, elemental force.
    >(…) It was like a deluge from heaven, beating down on the corrugated iron roof with a relentlessness that could drive a person mad.
    >The rain itself seemed to be in a towering rage at something." (p. 40)

    The ceaseless downpour gradually frays the characters' nerves.
    8AnonymousOct 3, 2026 02:02
    White noise goes ♪shhh

    Pink noise goes ♪swoosh
    12AnonymousOct 3, 2026 08:29
    Would a pink cassette tape also work?
    13AnonymousOct 3, 2026 09:21
    I have Alexa play "brown noise" for me around bedtime.
    Sleep like a baby.
    14AnonymousOct 3, 2026 09:22
    Isn't it possible valuable memories or ideas are buried in that "brain trash"?
    Don't let AI pull one over on you.
    16AnonymousOct 3, 2026 09:42
    Pink Lady stages a shocking reunion!

    Their long-awaited new single: "Nose-kaigan, Kizuite Station" (a nonsense, made-up-sounding title)
    This time they're taking on sung-and-danced enka.
    17AnonymousOct 3, 2026 10:01
    There's an internet radio station that plays natural sounds like waves and dripping rain, but it occasionally announces its station name, which jolts me wide awake.
    21AnonymousOct 3, 2026 11:01
    Maybe this phenomenon only happens to people so utterly exhausted they can actually fall asleep inside a running MRI machine.
    22AnonymousOct 3, 2026 11:49
    So basically it means your head goes completely empty?
    34AnonymousOct 3, 2026 14:08
    Re: #22
    More room to pack dreams in, then.
    23AnonymousOct 3, 2026 12:53
    Re: #20
    >>To deliver the acoustic stimulus precisely at the peak of the slow wave, you have to measure the sleeping person's brain waves in real time while simultaneously monitoring cerebrospinal fluid flow via fMRI.
    24AnonymousOct 3, 2026 13:13
    Re: #23
    That's just for measuring purposes during the experiment, right? Seems like you could just leave it playing the whole time you're asleep.
    25AnonymousOct 3, 2026 13:32
    The phrase "pink noise" just packs way too much innuendo, lol
    26AnonymousOct 3, 2026 13:34
    Is this why my grades went up after I started listening to avant-garde synthesizer noise music?
    Not sure why, but it really helps me focus.
    27AnonymousOct 3, 2026 13:44
    Re: #26
    Maybe you've got ADHD? I do, and noise/avant-garde music works great for me.
    28AnonymousOct 3, 2026 13:46
    TV needs to bring back the static screen during off-air hours too.

    …oh wait, that's white noise, lol
    30AnonymousOct 3, 2026 14:02
    Calling a natural sound "pink" just doesn't click for me (pun on "pink" and pin to konai, "doesn't ring a bell")
    31AnonymousOct 3, 2026 14:04
    Call Me Tonight, Gakuen Tokusou Hikaruon, Maryuu Senki, Tanoshii Yuutai Ridatsu ("Fun Out-of-Body Experience") — old obscure anime/OVA titles…
    33AnonymousOct 3, 2026 14:08
    Turned out to be just noise.
    35AnonymousOct 3, 2026 14:11
    Maybe that's why sleeping with the AC running leaves me feeling so refreshed.
    37AnonymousOct 3, 2026 14:29
    It's genuinely annoying how saying "pink noise" to a normal person gets treated like a dirty joke.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The brain’s waste-clearing mechanism during sleep is known as the “glymphatic system,” thought to work via cerebrospinal fluid circulating through brain tissue. This study tested whether a “closed-loop” auditory stimulus — sound timed to the peaks of slow waves (slow brain-wave oscillations) during sleep — could artificially boost this cerebrospinal fluid flow, verifying the effect with fMRI; it was published in Science Translational Medicine. What split opinion on the thread was whether this could be replicated at home: the study delivered sound at precisely targeted moments while monitoring brain waves and fMRI in real time, so it’s not necessarily the same as simply playing rain or waterfall sounds on a loop. Posters also repeatedly noted that the term “pink noise” sounds suggestive and invites misunderstanding, but it’s actually an acoustics term for a category of random noise whose intensity rises as frequency falls (a “1/f fluctuation” pattern) — just one type alongside white noise and brown noise. Some commercial sleep-aid devices and apps already use sounds like these, but it hasn’t been shown whether consumer products can replicate the brain-wave-synced stimulation used in this study.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Science News+) thread “Listening to “pink noise” during sleep boosts the flushing of “brain trash”? MIT runs a human experiment.”

  • Tokyo U Slips to 27th, Kyoto U to 62nd in World University Rankings — 5ch Scoffs: ‘Memorization Skills (lol)’

    On September 30, the UK education data organization Times Higher Education (THE) released this year’s World University Rankings, in which the University of Tokyo fell from 26th last year to 27th, and Kyoto University dropped from 61st to 62nd. On 5ch’s Science News+ board, a thread sparked wide-ranging debate — from doubts about scoring criteria that emphasize the ratio of English-language lectures and international students, to the view that this is actually a solid showing compared to 20 years ago when Tokyo U was 53rd and Kyoto U was in the 130s, to criticism of university governance surrounding Tokyo U’s presidential selection process.

    Tokyo U Falls to 27th, Kyoto U to 62nd: World University Rankings

    [London, Kyodo] The UK education data organization Times Higher Education (THE) released this year’s World University Rankings on the 30th.

    The University of Tokyo fell from 26th last year to 27th, while Kyoto University dropped from 61st to 62nd.

    Source: news.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:47
    It's not like you should ditch Japanese-language lectures and April enrollment just to chase a higher ranking spot.
    3AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:23
    About 20 years ago Tokyo U was around 53rd and Kyoto U around 130th, so honestly this isn't bad at all.
    4AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:26
    Because they're too busy getting lost in sexual entertainment and hostess clubs.
    5AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:34
    The only private science & engineering schools that made the rankings were Tokyo University of Science + the 'Tokyo Four' science & engineering schools + Osaka Institute of Technology/Chiba Institute of Technology + Tokyo University of Technology/Okayama University of Science — pretty thin pickings.
    6AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:42
    Factor in everything and they're actually miles ahead, really.
    7AnonymousOct 1, 2026 02:58
    It's basically a safety school for Chinese students anyway.
    28AnonymousOct 1, 2026 13:54
    Re: #7
    The ones who lost out in China's brutal academic competition and couldn't get into a good school go study at Tokyo U instead and make money in Japan.
    Tokyo U is basically China's safety school.
    9AnonymousOct 1, 2026 06:42
    The rankings favor English-speaking countries anyway, and they weigh things like the ratio of international students, so Japan shouldn't let itself be rattled by this. Tokyo U's international student body has gotten skewed too — something like 70% Chinese.
    10AnonymousOct 1, 2026 07:10
    World's skill test:
    Problem-solving ability
    Charisma
    Adaptability

    Japan's skill test:
    Memorization (lol)
    11AnonymousOct 1, 2026 07:26
    Under Japan's university system, students graduate without becoming immediately useful in their field. Universities abroad are easy to get into, but you can't graduate without the skills and knowledge to function in the real world. Meanwhile, with discretionary labor systems and non-regular hiring, companies don't have the spare capacity to train and develop staff — so you end up with a flood of employees who can't perform and quit right away, and the overall quality just keeps sliding.
    12AnonymousOct 1, 2026 07:29
    The result of rounding up memorization champions through paper tests.
    13AnonymousOct 1, 2026 07:38
    Japan's university system is just a mass-production line for mediocrity, so going is a waste of time. I'd bet getting a tough professional qualification or skill at a vocational school nets you far higher lifetime earnings.
    14AnonymousOct 1, 2026 07:57
    Well, they're not exactly cheating to learn the tricks for ranking high in contests like this, so what can you do.
    15AnonymousOct 1, 2026 08:02
    Tokyo U is the kind of place where a feminist coup can happen over a presidential election, so it's no surprise it gets a garbage rating.
    16AnonymousOct 1, 2026 08:03
    There was research misconduct at Tokyo U.
    ↓
    https://profile.ameba.jp/ameba/takahashi-shigesato/
    18AnonymousOct 1, 2026 09:20
    Even if the UK collapses as a nation, its famous universities will probably still be standing, huh.
    19AnonymousOct 1, 2026 09:31
    Idiot Japan, always obsessing over rankings.
    20AnonymousOct 1, 2026 09:48
    So which Japanese university would rank around 27th domestically? Yokohama National University or so? And 62nd would be like… Tsuru University or Kyoto Institute of Technology?
    21AnonymousOct 1, 2026 09:49
    This ranking has international-student recruitment agencies behind it. It's especially geared toward students from India and China — that's why the ratio of English-taught classes matters so much.
    22AnonymousOct 1, 2026 10:14
    It's the criteria though…
    23AnonymousOct 1, 2026 10:44
    People from Kansai always talk like Kyoto U is basically on par with Tokyo U, but there's actually this much of a gap.
    25AnonymousOct 1, 2026 11:46
    >[London, Kyodo] The UK education data organization Times Higher Education (THE) released this year's World University Rankings on the 30th.

    Who cares about such an arbitrary ranking — make one that rates universities highly for letting you earn a degree in your native language instead.
    26AnonymousOct 1, 2026 12:44
    Losing by double the score is still fair game to overturn — that's the Tokyo U rule, so no problem.
    30AnonymousOct 1, 2026 21:21
    To begin with, the World University Rankings were created by the UK — which wants to attract wealthy Chinese international students — basically for China's benefit. It's just a ranking that suits them. You can tell from the fact that English-taught classes are a requirement.
    31AnonymousOct 2, 2026 00:32
    I think English-taught classes are pointless. Add more Japanese language and Japanese history instead.
    34AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:59
    Wasn't the next university president picked through backroom politics or something?
    35AnonymousOct 2, 2026 10:03
    Re: #34
    Since that's naturally how it works at American private universities, where ultra-wealthy families pass down chairmanships tax-free, Japan's national universities set it up the same way when they became independent administrative institutions — letting the outgoing president, acting on the education ministry's wishes, decide the next one behind closed doors.
    37AnonymousOct 2, 2026 12:46
    Re: #35
    There's a risk this leads to undemocratic, self-righteous university management. And what if the education minister refuses to approve the new president's appointment?
    …Is this a trap set by the ministry to put a leash on the universities?
    38AnonymousOct 2, 2026 12:57
    Re: #37
    >There's a risk this leads to undemocratic, self-righteous university management
    That's just normal for American private universities.
    >What if the education minister refuses to approve the new president's appointment?
    Re: #35
    >the outgoing president, acting on the education ministry's wishes, decides it behind closed doors
    36AnonymousOct 2, 2026 12:00
    What's the point of a ranking like that anyway! That ranking's gotta be sour grapes (a reference to the fox-and-grapes fable — dismissing it as spite from a loser).
    40AnonymousOct 2, 2026 14:46
    Re: #38
    Is that why they're at odds with President Trump, was it?

    Background and Talking Points on This Topic

    THE’s World University Rankings weight “internationalization” metrics — such as the ratio of international students and English-taught courses — alongside educational environment and citation counts, which structurally disadvantages Japanese universities that tend to be domestically self-contained. In the thread, the view that these metrics were designed to attract international students clashed with voices reflecting critically on Japan’s memorization-heavy domestic education. Worth noting: THE’s current ranking methodology was established around 2010, so the thread’s comparison to “Tokyo U being 53rd 20 years ago” spans a period that used a different calculation method — some caution is warranted before drawing a simple year-over-year comparison.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Science News+) thread “[University] Tokyo U Falls to 27th, Kyoto U to 62nd: World University Rankings.”

  • AI Blamed for Illustrator Job Decline — 5ch: ‘Erotic Artists Are Surviving Better’

    A thread on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (a general live-commentary board) sparked discussion after someone claimed that the spread of generative AI has cut into illustrators’ work. The conversation kicked off with a report that an acquaintance had gone out of business providing illustrations, and posters described how AI can now handle not just art but website creation and even app development with ease. Some argued that demand holds up better for erotic work than non-erotic work, while others pointed out that even making a living off dojinshi (self-published fan comics) requires manga-drawing skill, which is a completely different skill from illustration. The view that “creative work that’s just an extension of imitation will get weeded out” clashed with the counterargument that “this isn’t just an illustrator problem,” and the debate never really converged.

    1AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:09
    That's seriously too sad…
    4AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:12
    Doesn't say when this happened.
    Probably just means erotic artists' work dropped a bit.
    89AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:58
    Re: #4
    Erotic artists are the ones actually surviving, though.
    9AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:16
    It's not my main job, just pocket-money side work, but my commissions haven't dropped so I don't really feel the impact.
    13AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:20
    Re: #9
    Maybe it was already zero to begin with?
    15AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:22
    Re: #9 Just ignore the snark.
    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:17
    A friend of mine who started a business doing website creation and illustration work, and was doing pretty well for himself, went under.
    27AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:26
    Re: #10
    How did it feel seeing your friend's business fold?
    44AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:35
    Re: #10
    Yeah, it's not just art — website creation is easy with AI too now.
    51AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:37
    Re: #10
    Simple websites and apps can be knocked out easily with AI these days.
    You just paste in whatever code it spits out and it's done — it's wild.
    11AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:18
    This isn't just an illustrator thing.
    Why do you guys love talking about illustrators so much?
    18AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:23
    Re: #11
    Sales consultants aren't needed anymore either.
    70AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:46
    Re: #11
    There are a lot of wannabes who think they can make a living off doodles,
    and a lot of them seem to think opportunities only come around when the industry's booming.
    26AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:26
    Just sell dojinshi (self-published fan comics), then.
    33AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:28
    Re: #26
    Dojinshi basically only sell if they're manga, not single illustrations.
    Drawing a single piece of art and drawing manga are totally different skills, so a lot of illustrators actually can't draw manga.
    Plenty of people are great at single illustrations but absolutely terrible at manga.
    147AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:21
    Re: #33
    Guess Akira Toriyama was the exception, then.
    28AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:26
    The talking point shifted from 'AI art will never catch on' to 'people got tired of AI art already!!'
    Because it actually did catch on, lol.
    91AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:59
    Re: #28
    The situation's different for non-erotic versus erotic work.
    30AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:26
    We really ought to show more respect for our true creator artists 😥


    36AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:31
    I hate these threads that just stir up fights between the artist camp and the AI camp.
    Enough already.
    43AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:35
    Re: #36
    The artist side always gets wrecked in these, lol.
    71AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:49
    Artists were the first ones to get wiped out, huh.
    77AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:52
    Re: #71 'Artist' (eshi) doesn't quite fit here.
    Nitpicky, but the term is 'illustrator.'
    78AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:52
    Re: #71 'Artist' (eshi) doesn't quite fit here.
    Nitpicky, but the term is 'illustrator.'
    82AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:54
    There was a funny manga about someone who lost their job to AI and became a farmer instead.
    122AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:13
    Old ladies are tough, man, tough.
    137AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:18
    A lot of people used to say creative fields would be fine, though.
    144AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:21
    Re: #137
    People with real creativity will survive, won't they?
    It's just the ones who were only ever extending imitation that are dying out.
    149AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:22
    Re: #137
    People who can create something from nothing will survive.
    So-called 'creators' (lol) who can only ever imitate others will disappear.
    153AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:23
    Re: #137
    Manga is more creative than illustration, so it's still hanging on.
    Though it's getting risky too before long.
    138AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:19
    Robots are better than useless humans (hitokasu, i.e. 'human trash') — once you've made the initial investment, they work accurately 24/7 without complaining.
    145AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:21
    Re: #138
    Eventually a human's 'job' is probably just going to be spending their basic income.

    And the only other way to build wealth will shift to things like livestreaming.
    155AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:24
    Re: #138
    The more precise the movements a robot needs to make, the more maintenance matters.
    Also, the parts that make up the product have manufacturing tolerances too, you know.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    The impact of generative AI on creative fields has been a recurring topic in the illustration industry since image-generation AI went mainstream around 2022, and Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs has been working since 2023 to lay out guidelines on AI and copyright. The thread’s view that “demand holds up better for erotic work” reflects the fact that regulations on AI-generated content tend to be looser for erotic material than for non-erotic work. Separately, the issue of “passing off AI-traced work as hand-drawn” is a distinct question about the transparency of the creative process and the credibility of self-promotion on social media, one that should be weighed apart from whether the technology itself is good or bad. Worth noting: the opinions in the thread are mostly anecdotes and impressions, with no statistics actually showing a drop in commissions or income.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Illustrators’ Work Has Plummeted Because of Generative AI.”

  • Japan’s innovation ranking holds steady at 12th worldwide — 5ch asks: ‘Does Switzerland even have anything going on?’

    The UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released its 2026 Global Innovation Index, with Japan holding steady at 12th place, unchanged from last year. Switzerland topped the rankings for the 16th consecutive year, South Korea came in 4th, and China 10th. On 5ch, some users questioned whether Switzerland really has that kind of innovative muscle, while others pointed to pharmaceutical giant Roche and the country’s high number of unicorn startups to explain Switzerland’s real strengths — sparking a broader debate about how reliable the index itself actually is.

    Japan ranks 12th in the world for innovation — UN index puts Switzerland on top

    [Geneva, Kyodo] The UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) announced on the 29th its 2026 Global Innovation Index, with Japan placing 12th, unchanged from the previous year.

    Switzerland topped the list for the 16th year running.

    Source: news.jp / Read the original article here

    2AnonymousOct 1, 2026 00:16
    Yeah, figures.
    Japanese companies have all sunk below the radar —
    thanks to South Korea,
    China,
    and getting worn down by a merciless onslaught of patent trolls on top of that.
    3AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:34
    Switzerland in 1st place? What a worthless ranking.
    4AnonymousOct 1, 2026 01:34
    South Korea isn't #1, so this index must be fake!
    5AnonymousOct 1, 2026 05:33
    Innovation?!?!

    So America's AI doesn't count for #1?
    This ranking can't be trusted at all.

    I guess #2 would be China, going by those physical-AI videos I've seen.
    6AnonymousOct 1, 2026 05:44
    Switzerland?
    It's cold there, so on snowy days
    Heidi, Girl of the Alps (the classic anime),
    makes you cheese fondue

    Buy some potatoes and sauté them in a pan.
    Buy some cheese too, melt it in,
    and work it into a cream. Cream cheese over potatoes.
    Delicious.
    9AnonymousOct 1, 2026 08:46
    They're probably ranking this by fax machine and floppy disk usage rates lol
    10AnonymousOct 1, 2026 10:36
    Are they really spending budget on such a pointless index?
    11AnonymousOct 1, 2026 10:38
    Kyodo News is weirdly obsessed with rankings, isn't it?
    12AnonymousOct 1, 2026 10:43
    Japan's turned into a paradise for civil servants, after all.
    Technical prowess is an afterthought.
    39AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:24
    Re: #12
    If it were a ranking of civil servant salaries, Japan could probably land near the top — let's compete in that instead.
    18AnonymousOct 1, 2026 15:47
    Switzerland?!?!

    If we're talking pharma companies, it's America's Pfizer and Moderna, right?
    22AnonymousOct 1, 2026 18:45
    Re: #18
    Switzerland's Roche is the world's #1 pharma company by revenue.
    Pfizer is #4 globally.
    19AnonymousOct 1, 2026 15:54
    Japan,
    wasn't it supposed to be dead last?

    Toyota and its much-touted carbon neutrality —
    what happened to the solid-state battery? Doesn't exist.
    What happened to the hydrogen engine car? Doesn't exist.
    AI self-driving? Zero from the start. Doesn't exist.
    20AnonymousOct 1, 2026 15:54
    Innovation might need some slack to breathe.
    Japan today doesn't have enough slack left to tolerate failure.
    Name's Zeni Crazy (a self-given handle, literally 'Money Crazy'), heh heh.
    21AnonymousOct 1, 2026 16:46
    What even is this Swiss 'innovation' supposed to be?
    If it's that impressive, put it in the news more.
    23AnonymousOct 1, 2026 18:54
    Unicorn company count: Japan has 6, Switzerland has 16.

    Switzerland ranks #1 in Europe for unicorns per capita.
    With a population of roughly 9 million, Switzerland ranked 13th in the world for number of unicorns as of July 2026. On top of that, it's reportedly #1 in Europe for unicorns per million people.
    24AnonymousOct 1, 2026 19:13
    Japanese people aren't great at innovation — kaizen (incremental improvement) is about as far as it goes.
    25AnonymousOct 1, 2026 19:16
    Re: #22
    Yeah, I get that.

    The question here is whether there's actually anything that deserves to be called real innovation.
    27AnonymousOct 1, 2026 19:48
    Re: #25
    It's a financial powerhouse,
    so it funds all sorts of research with money from all over the world.
    And for talent, it can just cherry-pick from neighboring countries.
    26AnonymousOct 1, 2026 19:33
    Places like San Francisco in America draw
    immigrants from all over the world, and the cutting-edge companies there
    make a point of giving every single immigrant on the street
    at least one shot.

    America gathers talent not just from within its own borders but from
    the entire world. Even Elon Musk
    is an immigrant from overseas.
    28AnonymousOct 2, 2026 01:52
    There are still local governments that straight up make you submit deliverables on CD-R, you know.
    And on top of that, they want it printed out with a hanko (personal seal stamp) too, lol
    29AnonymousOct 2, 2026 05:33
    A country built on finance, tourism, games/anime, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
    30AnonymousOct 2, 2026 05:47
    South Korea's whole thing is semiconductors though (and just memory chip manufacturing at that).
    31AnonymousOct 2, 2026 05:51
    It's kind of like those 'world university rankings.'
    There are several of them, but they're all mystery rankings that Britain started to attract more Chinese international students,
    and the metrics are sometimes tuned so that top British universities come out on top.
    32AnonymousOct 2, 2026 06:21
    Re: #1
    Well, that's about par for the course—————

    Since Japan won't put the money in, the country's future is just going to keep sliding further and further down!
    33AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:10
    So Japan's share of the UN budget contribution should drop to around 12th place too, then.
    34AnonymousOct 2, 2026 07:45
    There was a time when people said Japan
    innovates and advances technology
    but just can't turn that technology into money.
    And yet Japan is also the country that grew its economy all the way into a bubble.
    No need to worry about what the peanut gallery thinks.
    36AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:03
    Not bad at all
    for a country built on tourism.
    37AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:04
    I don't think style over substance cuts it.
    38AnonymousOct 2, 2026 08:14
    Aren't you forgetting about Switzerland's ABB?

    Background and key points of this discussion

    The Global Innovation Index isn’t just about patent counts or R&D spending — it’s a composite measure covering institutional frameworks, talent quality, business sophistication, creative output, and more, so it doesn’t necessarily measure “technological strength” on its own. The reason Switzerland has topped the list for 16 straight years, as threads here touched on, comes down to highly profitable companies like pharma giant Roche, plus the fact that it leads Europe in unicorn startups per capita — numbers that show just how concentrated its research investment and financial capital are, despite being a small country. On the other hand, comments questioning the index’s methodology itself don’t cite any specific details about WIPO’s published evaluation criteria or weightings, so it’s worth noting these aren’t exactly substantiated critiques. As for why Japan’s ranking stayed flat at 12th, the usual structural issues get raised year after year: Japan holds its own in areas like patent filings, but falls behind on startup funding scale and market flexibility.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Science News+) thread “[Tech] Japan ranks 12th in the world for innovation — UN index puts Switzerland on top, South Korea 4th, China 10th.”

  • Female researcher spent 10 years chasing Japan’s genital-worship festivals — 5ch: “Women enjoy it more than men”

    Across Japan there are so-called “strange festivals” (kisai) that treat genitals as objects of worship, and an article profiling a female researcher who spent 10 years following these events became a hot topic on 5ch’s News Speed+ board. Posters quickly named specific festivals — Kawasaki’s “Kanamara Matsuri,” the Hōnen Festival at Tagata Shrine in Aichi, and Iwate’s Konsei Festival — with many explaining their origins as traditions praying for fertility and the prosperity of descendants. At the same time, some voiced concerns that the festivals are “out of step with the times” and might “eventually be branded as sexual harassment and disappear,” while others pointed to actual photos to argue that “women seem to enjoy it more than men do.” The thread saw a wide range of views exchanged over the meaning of keeping these festivals alive and how sexuality should be regarded.

    [Caution: source link contains explicit imagery]

    A giant “mikoshi” portable shrine shaped like a male phallus is carried through the streets, and couples hoping for children straddle a phallic sacred object. Some rituals even feature figures representing “Hyottoko” and “Okame” (comic masks symbolizing male and female) coming together.

    Across Japan there are unusual festivals that treat genitals as objects of worship. One woman has spent the past 10 years following these so-called “strange festivals.”

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

    15AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:33
    Ah, this is Kawasaki's "Kanamara Matsuri."

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3crQYWGQedg
    29AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:36
    Re: #15
    Re: #26
    Festivals like this might eventually get branded as sexual harassment and disappear someday.
    17AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:33
    For a long stretch of history, people died quickly — from plagues, famines, and being drafted into samurai wars. Of course praying for children and for descendants to thrive was just the norm.
    21AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:34
    Re: #17
    People stopped dying so fast.
    Instead,
    they stopped having kids.
    26AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:35
    Ah, this is the Hōnen Festival at Tagata Shrine in Aichi Prefecture.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0KjdUjvTHA
    31AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:36
    Ah, this is Iwate's Konsei Festival.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af7OvqJ0hhM
    162AnonymousSep 30, 2026 17:02
    Re: #31
    Sounds like the comedy duo Doburokku showed up and performed a song this year.
    42AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:40
    Re: #9
    Went and checked it out.
    Wish someone would touch my "sacred object" too.
    51AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:43
    The thread title cracked me up.
    46AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:43
    Man, how pent up are you lol
    87AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:58
    Vulgar, male-chauvinist festivals like this are out of step with the times. Shouldn't they just scrap it?
    102AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:02
    Re: #87
    Looks to me like the women are enjoying it way more than the men lol
    https://image.omatsurijapan.com/articleimg/2023/10/ae8fba84-dsc03102-1200×802.jpg
    113AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:15
    Re: #102
    (;゜Д゜) Well, it's an officially sanctioned day after all —
    so all the gentlemen and ladies who usually keep it bottled up get to let off some steam, just this once.
    92AnonymousSep 30, 2026 15:59
    But you never hear about a festival carrying around a giant p*ssy, huh.
    100AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:01
    Re: #92
    Uekaromariko (appears to be a nonsense in-joke; meaning unclear)
    147AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:49
    Re: #92
    At Kawaji Onsen, the "Onade Stone" (a female-shaped sacred stone) is the real deity there — the male one is just an add-on.
    96AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:00
    https://toppy.net/img_n/tour/070617e.jpg
    110AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:07
    There was that thing in Megami Tensei where Mara comes chasing after you.
    121AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:21
    Re: #110
    (;゜Д゜) Was there really something like that?
    Who was it chasing — Reiko?
    112AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:13
    I wonder if that's different from Mishaguji-sama.
    123AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:23
    Re: #112
    Shin'ichi "Aum" Nakazawa (I say this not to disparage him, but because it's literally the basis of his international reputation), who hails from an old lineage in Kai, portrayed Mishaguchi as a Jōmon-era sacred power — that is, as a universal belonging to an ancient cultural stratum. In doing so he became a source of relief for people burdened by sexual stigma, including those in the nightlife trade. The sanctity of the phallus itself is still openly, ordinarily present all over Bhutan even now — it's a culture shared across the "utagaki cultural sphere," i.e. the "evergreen broadleaf forest belt" stretching from the southern foothills of the Himalayas through Okinawa, Kyushu, and Shikoku, all the way to the Pacific coast of Honshu (as the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki passages on Yamato Takeru suggest, this held true as far as the area around Mt. Tsukuba).
    132AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:32
    Re: #112
    One more thing: Mishaguchi itself actually seems to carry a strong element of the Suwa serpent-god/sun-god worship. That's a great and powerful tradition, but there are plenty of other serpent gods out there too.
    133AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:32
    I mean, Japanese mythology itself is packed with blatant dirty jokes to begin with.
    145AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:46
    Re: #133
    It's extremely well known that the Bible is the origin of the term "onanism" (masturbation)!
    134AnonymousSep 30, 2026 16:32
    In Japan, mythology itself treated the prosperity of descendants as a good thing.

    It was the West that treated sexuality as evil.
    Then in the Meiji era, Japan was told, "If you want to become a civilized nation like us, stop doing such barbaric things,"
    and Japan changed accordingly.
    209AnonymousSep 30, 2026 17:55
    Re: #134
    I think it was the Hideyo Noguchi Museum — when I went years ago, they had a whole collection of wooden carvings shaped like male and female genitals, the kind people used to enshrine in the ceilings of houses, all gathered and displayed.
    Went again recently and they were gone.
    Guess history like this just gets erased.
    167AnonymousSep 30, 2026 17:07
    How does something like this even work as a festival in the first place.
    169AnonymousSep 30, 2026 17:11
    Re: #167
    There are actually quite a few festivals like this, praying for children or for descendants to thrive.
    Back then there probably wasn't this modern pressure to censor genitals that literally everyone has.
    174AnonymousSep 30, 2026 17:13
    Festivals for the "pee-pee" get all the fame, but isn't there a portable shrine for the "who-ha" too?
    192AnonymousSep 30, 2026 17:31
    Re: #174
    Can't help it — a "who-ha" is just harder to sculpt than a "pee-pee." There's not enough sticking out to work with.
    195AnonymousSep 30, 2026 17:33
    Genitals that grant children are precious, right? If I had the money, I'd love to hire some young shrine maidens and build my own genital-worship shrine. But without history behind it, it wouldn't feel sacred, I guess.
    198AnonymousSep 30, 2026 17:35
    Re: #195
    Genitals existed even before humanity did.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Festivals enshrining genitals are said to originate from prayers for bountiful harvests and the prosperity of descendants in agricultural society. Kawasaki’s Kanayama Shrine (Kanamara Matsuri), Tagata Shrine in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture (Hōnen Festival), and Iwate Prefecture’s Konsei Festival remain events officially run by local governments or shrines today, and it’s not unusual for them to be covered by overseas media as tourist draws. These festivals saw a decline after the Meiji era, when Western-influenced sexual morality led to them being viewed as public indecency, but many survive today thanks to a reevaluation of them as folk belief. In the thread, two views clashed: concern that the festivals “might be branded as sexual harassment and disappear,” and the counterpoint, backed by photos, that “women seem to enjoy it more than men.” This reflected a divide between those who link the festivals’ survival to the issue of sexual harassment and those who emphasize their legitimacy as folk tradition. Worth noting: the researcher’s own reasons for being drawn to these “strange festivals” are explained only in the original article itself, while the thread’s discussion mostly stuck to debating the festivals’ merits and trading bawdy banter.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “[Strange Festival] “The phallus came chasing after me” — the female researcher who spent 10 years following Japan’s nationwide “genital worship” festivals, and why she fell under their spell.”