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  • Nintendo Accused of ‘Mass-Producing Shovelware’ — Pushback Floods In, With Some Pointing to Sony’s Own Flops

    A thread on 5ch’s Hardware/Industry board (Gehan) accused Nintendo of “mass-producing shovelware.” The thread’s creator lined up a list of new Switch 2 titles to criticize, but other users quickly fired back, pointing out that Sony-related titles like Saros, Wolverine, and Marathon were struggling with lackluster concurrent player counts. The discussion spread from comparing sales and review scores to broader debates about load times on old consoles and general player satisfaction — not quite the direction the original poster had hoped for.

    1AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:57
    ・Mario Kart World
    ・Nintendo Switch 2 Secrets Exhibition
    ・Wheelchair Basketball
    2AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:58
    Saros
    Wolverine
    Marathon
    Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls
    12AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:06
    Re: #2
    The 'Four Kings of Flops' lineup is strong
    And there's no letting up—their replacements are already lined up to take over after these
    13AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:09
    Re: #2
    Sony, King of Shovelware lmaooooooo
    21AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:14
    Guess getting called a 'shovelware mass-producer' himself based on what's in Re: #2 really stung…
    4AnonymousOct 2, 2026 16:58
    Why isn't Metroid Prime 4 on this list?
    9AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:03
    Graphics standards tick up just a little and this is the result
    No real technical chops
    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:05
    What do you do when Nintendo puts out a shovelware game?

    🐷 'Go bash Sony!'
    15AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:10
    Today's installment of 'Things That Stung When Called Out'
    25AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:20
    Sony's shovelware really isn't selling at all, huh
    26AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:23
    🪳💢<Ch-CHGYAAAAAAAAH!!

    Wolverine 20,039 ←NEW
    Saros 4,614
    Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls 2,814
    MLB The Show 26 (English version) 1,893
    Marathon (triple-digit concurrent players, about to get its servers shut down)
    29AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:24
    Re: #2
    Guess that's what real shovelware looks like, no wonder it's not selling
    Meanwhile Nintendo's stuff sells just fine
    31AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:25
    That 'home consoles ["house trash"] are all doomed' joke is starting to feel less like a joke
    32AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:27
    Could all of Nintendo's games released this year, combined, even beat GTA6?
    34AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:29
    Re: #32
    You should be more worried that it's barely moving on the Amazon sales ranking
    Makes you wonder if it's really coming out in November
    33AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:27
    Re: #2
    It's on a completely different level
    Though I haven't played any of them, so what do I know
    35AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:33
    GTA probably won't sell in Japan as much as people expect
    Even worldwide, I'd bet a lot of the core audience is waiting for the PC version
    36AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:33
    He made this thread all excited to stir things up
    and got shut down right out the gate, lmao
    39AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:36
    Pretty well-reviewed for something supposedly bad
    Unlike a certain other game
    51AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:52
    Re: #39
    It's got its flaws but it's playable
    Wolverine looks like it might be the same kind of deal from the outside, but with its scores still dropping, it seems like it might genuinely be bad
    42AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:39
    Re: #1-2
    Square Enix fanboys are always the ones stoking console wars
    They've got no real loyalty to either side, so they can keep it up forever
    46AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:45
    Re: #42
    Guess the console warriors ['Goki-buta,' a jab combining the PlayStation and Nintendo fanboy slurs] have finally started dragging Square Enix into the blame game too lol
    Well, even Square Enix can't stay on a sinking ship forever
    59AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:57
    A Zelda that's basically the same as ever, just with the bonus of load times nobody asked for
    76AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:39
    Re: #59
    Wait, the N64 didn't have load times?
    78AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:43
    Re: #59
    It did have load times, actually
    65AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:01
    The more a game sells, the more even just 1% of unhappy players can add up to 10,000+ people
    And since the people enjoying it are mostly just playing quietly, what shows up online ends up being mostly complaints
    Not sure what you'd even do to stop that from happening
    71AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:19
    Re: #65
    Honestly, nothing changes unless the players themselves do
    Even fair criticism branches off from there into 'can I forgive this or not,' so the same opinion isn't really the same depending on who's holding it
    75AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:32
    Wild that even combined, it's still less than Palworld
    79AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:44
    Re: #75
    Palworld's only 3,400 yen though
    77AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:41
    Re: #76
    The N64 supposedly went with cartridges in the first place specifically to avoid load screens
    86AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:02
    Re: #77
    PlayStation's load times really were brutal back then
    That said, Ocarina of Time did have load times too
    90AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:08
    Splatoon Raiders and FE Bansenshiko (lit. 'a riot of purples and crimsons') are both really solid
    These two alone crush PlayStation's whole lineup this year

    Background and Key Points

    The Hardware/Industry board, where terms like “gokiburi” (cockroach, a slur for PlayStation fans) and “nin-buta” (Nintendo pig) fly freely, has a long-established culture of Nintendo and Sony partisans goading each other’s camps — and many threads are created specifically to stir up that rivalry. The concurrent-player numbers cited in the replies appear to be drawn from Steam observation data, not official figures or primary-source statistics, so they should be taken with a grain of salt. Another hallmark of this board is how old hardware debates keep resurfacing, as seen in the back-and-forth over N64 and PlayStation load times. The view raised in the thread — that the better a game sells, the more complaints tend to dominate online discussion — is also a thought-provoking point for thinking about game reception in general.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Gehan]) thread “[Sad News] Nintendo Is Seriously Mass-Producing Shovelware Lately…“.

  • Namie Amuro’s “plunging neckline” photo sparks buzz — 8 years after retirement, fans say “it brings tears”

    A photo of Namie Amuro showing off a plunging neckline, reported by Nishi-Nippon Sports, became a hot topic on 5ch’s Entertainment/Sports Breaking News+ thread. Amuro, a native of Okinawa Prefecture, retired in September 2018 — eight years ago now. While many posters expressed nostalgia with comments like “So glad to see her” and “It brings tears to my eyes,” plenty of others pointed out that the photo itself appears to have been taken months earlier, questioning why it was being reported only now, and noting how unusual it is that no sightings have surfaced at all in this age of social media.

    Nishi-Nippon Sports

    2026.10.01 19:00

    Former singer Namie Amuro (from Okinawa Prefecture) is drawing attention for a photo showing off a plunging neckline.

    Source: nishispo.nishinippon.co.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:40
    Wait, this isn't even a recent photo? (;_;) I got duped
    9AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:42
    She probably said something like "I just want a bit of a break," and then everyone around her smelled money and piled on, and before you knew it she'd retired
    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:43
    Wild that there's not a single sighting in this social-media-saturated era
    She performed under her real name, so you'd think ordinary people would've crossed paths with her somewhere by now
    18AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:45
    Re: #10
    Is she even still in Japan?
    If she's living abroad, that'd explain why nobody spots her
    13AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:43
    So this is like a three-month-old photo?
    Why bring it up now
    15AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:44
    I actually saw her in Kyoto recently
    Though she's so petite I almost didn't notice her
    49AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:12
    Re: #15
    A lot of singers back then were on the short side
    Being smaller probably makes for a better voice
    Though apparently "short" meant 158cm according to Wikipedia and the like
    Actresses back then were all around 160 to 170cm
    Nobody would even mention it these days though
    17AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:44
    What's she even been up to since retiring?
    40AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:57
    Re: #17
    Probably just living free and easy
    19AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:45
    Thought this was a recent photo — nope, way off lol
    25AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:48
    Could be one of those unspoken "10-year retirement" deals
    Maybe a dramatic comeback next year?
    28AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:50
    I loved little Amuro-chan back when I first saw her on Yoru mo Hipparee, looking like a baby monkey (a late-night variety show from the '90s)
    88AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:38
    Re: #28
    You mean like Yuukorin's real voice?
    30AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:50
    Crazy that there's no sighting info even on social media
    She's distinctive-looking, so it's not like people wouldn't recognize her
    41AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:58
    Re: #30
    Maybe she doesn't live in Japan
    31AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:50
    I thought she'd had her tattoos removed
    When was this photo even taken
    33AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:51
    Amuro makes me think of Ponkikki
    The one where she showed up in a costume with Suzuki Rannran (a kids' TV show)
    35AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:52
    Why is this story surfacing only now
    38AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:54
    Re: #35
    It's got that "trial balloon" feel to it
    doesn't it
    36AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:52
    Ten years since retirement, huh
    Feels like she could be due for a comeback soon
    39AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:56
    Her songs aren't even on streaming
    no wonder people are forgetting about her
    42AnonymousOct 2, 2026 17:59
    Come on
    If it's a pre-retirement photo there should be a ton of those lying around already
    59AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:24
    A true pro would break into "Mr. U.S.A." right about now (one of her hit singles)
    66AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:33
    Wait, it's only been 8 years?
    For everything else I feel like a decade-plus flies by before I even notice, and it freaks me out
    71AnonymousOct 2, 2026 18:52
    Re: #66
    I honestly thought it was only like 3-4 years lol

    Background and talking points

    Namie Amuro held her retirement concert in Okinawa in September 2018, and is also known for having performed under her real name rather than a stage name. It’s unusual that so little sighting information has surfaced since her retirement, even in an era when social media is this pervasive, and the thread saw speculation that she might be living overseas. The photo in question appears to have been taken several months ago, which left many posters wondering why it was being reported only now. Some speculated it could be a “trial balloon” ahead of a possible comeback, and the thread stood out for reactions that went beyond simple nostalgia to probe the motives behind the report. The article does not clarify the circumstances in which the photo was taken or how it came to be published.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports Breaking News+) thread ““So glad to see her,” “Haven’t seen Amuro-chan in a while…” — 8 years after retirement, Namie Amuro’s “plunging neckline” photo puts her back in the spotlight: “It brings tears,” “Amuro-chan looks great”.”

  • Giants’ Bats Go Silent at Jingu Stadium — 5ch: ‘Nakagawa Just Doesn’t Want to Be the Scapegoat’

    This is a 5ch live-thread about the Giants–Swallows game played at Jingu Stadium on October 2. The thread title is “Giants Acting Manager 161,” the 161st installment in an ongoing series. With the Giants’ lineup struggling at the plate, commenters who appeared to be Swallows fans fired off harsh lines like “They just can’t hit” and “Did they even practice?” The game also carried weight for the Central League pennant race — midway through the thread someone posted an image of the title-race standings, and there was buzz over Swallows starter Nakagawa being described as pitching not to win, but simply to avoid becoming the game’s “scapegoat.”

    1AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:39
    Previous thread
    Giants Acting Manager 160
    3AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:39
    Jingu Stadium
    Starting Lineups
    【Giants】　【Swallows】
    9 Hirayama　　　　6 Nagaoka
    8 Matsumoto　　　　8 Iwata
    6 Izumiguchi　　　　9 Masuda
    2 Oshiro　　　　3 Yamada
    5 Richard　　7 Nishimura
    4 Yoshikawa　　　　4 Tanaka
    3 Masuda Riku　　　5 Matsushita
    7 Sasahara　　　　2 Suzuki Kanau
    1 Yamazaki　　　　1 Yamano
    5AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:42
    They just can't hit at all.
    14AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:51
    Re: #5
    Did you guys even show up to practice?
    6AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:46
    Central League pennant race standings (as of October 1)
    11AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:50
    Re: #6
    A draw today is basically a loss.
    7AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:47
    This isn't the usual Swallows…
    they're actually trying for once.
    8AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:47
    Wheeler: "We want everyone to come at them together and win."

    Not a word about breaking down their pitcher.
    He's seriously not thinking about anything.
    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:49
    Can't picture Kenshin and Raidel putting out this fire.
    16AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:52
    The Urata of right now would've caught up to that — no way Naoki can with his bad hip.
    22AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:55
    Japan's national volleyball team is getting overshadowed by the Hanshin Tigers.
    23AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:57
    The games-back gap stays the same, but the magic number still shrinks.
    If they can't shut this down, Nakagawa becomes the scapegoat.
    24AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:58
    Not fighting out of a desire to win—
    Nakagawa's grinding it out just so he doesn't become the scapegoat.
    47AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:11
    These Giants fanboys ('Kyojin-kasu,' a mocking nickname for Giants fans) won't let up.
    Hurry up and lose already! Then our team's magic number hits 1 lol
    51AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:12
    Haven't seen George get a hit in a while.
    53AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:12
    Oh, so it's "Monkey" instead of Sakamoto…
    no wonder they're walking Maru then.
    57AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:14
    I hate this chant, it smells like a Hiroshima (Carp) chant 😠
    60AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:15
    Re: #57
    Then what chant DO you like?
    74AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:17
    Takatsu's probably feeling a real kinship watching how Hashigami uses his pinch hitters.
    79AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:17
    81AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:17
    Whoa, they even sell towels that huge?
    83AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:18
    Hirayama's got a face just like Takatsu's lol
    84AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:18
    This chant's such a downer, let's drop it lol
    89AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:19
    Re: #84
    So what WOULD be good, then?
    96AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:20
    Re: #89
    Guess it's "Go Get the Win" since we're in the late innings
    98AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:20
    Re: #89
    Drop dead, Yomiuri — c'mon, let's go, let's go!
    85AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:18
    Is the guy from the post-75 image not even here?
    That's why we drew again yesterday and the magic number barely moved.
    87AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:19
    Strikeout, I bet (´・ω・｀)
    101AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:20
    Re: #87
    Tough luck, huh.
    195AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:30
    Our team's offense has a total bowel obstruction.
    203AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:31
    Re: #195
    Just take some Daikenchuto (a herbal remedy for bowel issues).

    Background and Talking Points

    The thread title “Giants Acting Manager 161” is the name of a running series of live-threads numbered sequentially, with the name apparently reflecting whoever was in charge of the Giants’ dugout at the time of posting. In the Central League pennant race, whether the first-place team wins or draws changes how fast the “magic number” ticks down, so for teams below first place, the leader’s result matters just as much as their own. Terms like “Kyojin-kasu” and “Chin-kasu” (mocking nicknames aimed at Giants and Chunichi fans, respectively) fly around in the thread — these are stock insults long used in 5ch/2ch baseball live-threads to needle rival teams’ fans, and are different in nature from discriminatory language aimed at protected groups. The phrase “our team” (waga-gun) is live-thread shorthand for whichever team the poster is rooting for, and context suggests these posters were backing the Swallows. Both the frustration over the Giants’ lineup going cold and the description of Swallows starter Nakagawa as pitching “not to win, but to avoid being the scapegoat” reflect how commenters were thinking less about this single game and more about the long haul of the pennant race.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Giants Acting Manager 161.”

  • Comedian Kazutoyo Koyabu Fires Back at Inomata Backlash: “Does Being a Johnny’s Jr. Make You Well-Behaved?”

    Comedian Kazutoyo Koyabu commented on October 2 on a Kansai TV program about Shuto Inomata of “timelesz,” who was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an acquaintance and had his contract terminated by his agency, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT. The day before, timelesz members including Fuma Kikuchi had held a press conference to apologize. Responding to criticism that Inomata joined the group without going through the typical “Johnny’s Jr.” apprenticeship, Koyabu offered his own take: “Does going through the Jr. system make someone a well-behaved person?” On 5ch forums, opinions split over whether a lack of that apprenticeship experience has any real connection to a person’s conduct, with many users countering by pointing to past scandals involving Jr. graduates.

    10/2 (Fri) 16:45

    Comedian Kazutoyo Koyabu appeared on Kansai TV’s “Shunkan LIVE Toretate!” on the 2nd, commenting on the news that Shuto Inomata of “timelesz” — arrested and later released on suspicion of assaulting an acquaintance — had his contract terminated by his agency, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT.

    timelesz members including Fuma Kikuchi held a press conference in Tokyo on the 1st following Inomata’s contract termination. Speaking on the group’s behalf, Kikuchi apologized: “We deeply apologize for the enormous worry and inconvenience this has caused everyone who has supported our activities.”

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

    3AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    Well, I do think going through the apprenticeship is better than not.
    33AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:24
    Re: #3
    As a person, he's lived his life like any regular guy, so it's irrelevant. If we were talking about skill level or industry rules, I'd get the point, but…
    38AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:25
    Re: #3
    Did Nakai-san go through it?
    66AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:38
    Re: #3
    Sounds like the type of guy who'd trash sushi-chef trade schools too.
    4AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:11
    True, that. Though when it comes to landing the finishing blow on the old guy, he's got a point about being camera-savvy.
    5AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:12
    There are plenty of guys who went through the Jr. system and still screwed up, lol.
    83AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:51
    Re: #5
    If anything, that's the overwhelming majority.
    8AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:13
    Well said. The senior guys just get their scandals covered up, after all.
    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:13
    Punching someone has nothing to do with whether you were a Jr. or not.
    12AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:14
    The apprenticeship might help with stuff like Shinozuka's screwups, but it doesn't touch the root problem with guys like Inomata, so it's meaningless here.
    14AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:14
    Can't you read?
    What he means is: "It really drove home how much it matters to fans whether someone went through the Jr. system or not."
    16AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:15
    Sounds like the sketchy ones get weeded out during the Jr. phase.
    31AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:23
    Re: #16
    But the group led by the guy who busted a woman's eyeball is the one steering the agency right now.
    17AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:15
    When you've got a young, good-looking guy, he's often playing around with women pretty flagrantly or being careless about covering it up, so the risk of it surfacing later seems pretty high.
    20AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:16
    Jr. or outside hire, every Johnny's talent is trash.
    22AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:17
    It's just the hardcore fans of Jrs. who never got to debut, kicking up a fuss.
    23AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:19
    Going through the Jr. system makes you tight-lipped and sharpens your instinct for danger. Whether you're actually well-behaved is a separate matter.
    24AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:20
    Re: #1
    At the very least, he'd know what it means to be a celebrity, lol.
    34AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:24
    It's not so much that the Jrs. are dangerous — it's Johnny himself who was the dangerous one.
    40AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:26
    Re: #34
    The BBC's former host is way worse.
    45AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:27
    Comedian Kazutoyo Koyabu ← got it
    Kansai TV's "Shunkan LIVE Toretate!" ← no idea

    "timelesz" released ← no idea

    Shuto Inomata ← no idea

    his agency STARTO ENTERTAINMENT ← no idea

    What kind of news story throws this many terms I don't recognize at me? Then again, 80% of teens and 20-somethings probably just know all this as a given.
    46AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:28
    Re: #45
    Do you enjoy putting your own ignorance on display?
    53AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:33
    Re: #46
    Nah, I actually meant it the opposite way — for an old-timer like me, knowing all this stuff would be the embarrassing part. But you know it all? Cute.
    65AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:38
    Re: #53
    Not knowing Johnny's changed its name is, frankly, just ignorant.
    73AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:42
    Re: #53
    I'm an old guy myself, but old guys who proudly flaunt not knowing things are, across the board, boring — I'd hate for young people to aspire to that.
    58AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:34
    What about Nakai? Tatsuya Yamaguchi? Sho Tanaka? Did they not go through the Jr. system?
    82AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:50
    Re: #58
    None of those guys got arrested, though.
    104AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:21
    Re: #1
    You can tell what kind of person someone is during their Jr. years, right? And they still chose to let him debut after seeing that. There are way more guys who just got older without ever debuting, aren't there? That's exactly why they set an age limit — so people wouldn't be given false hope.
    105AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:22
    Re: #104
    The "retirement at 22" rule was abolished.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    STARTO ENTERTAINMENT changed its name from the former Johnny’s Office after the 2023 official recognition of sexual abuse committed by founder Johnny Kitagawa against Jrs. under his management. Because of that history, “whether someone went through the Jr. system” tends to be discussed not merely as a matter of apprenticeship length, but as something tied to the agency’s troubled past. On the thread, opinions were split over whether apprenticeship experience actually affects a person’s conduct, with many commenters pushing back by citing past scandals involving Jr. graduates. Meanwhile, neither the details of the allegations against Inomata himself nor how timelesz will continue its activities going forward reached any clear consensus within the thread.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Kazutoyo Koyabu shares his view on criticism of Shuto Inomata’s lack of Jr. experience: “Does going through the Jr. system make you a well-behaved person?”“.

  • Yoshinoya’s Beef Is Exactly 1.3mm Thick — 5ch: ‘Everyone Else Just Hides Behind the Sauce’

    A thread titled ‘Things I Know About Yoshinoya’ popped up in 5ch’s Anything Live-Viewing board (Nandemo Jikkyou G), and users piled on with trivia about the beef bowl chain. Surprisingly obscure tidbits poured in — the branch in front of Yurakucho Station that’s the highest-grossing in Japan, outlets inside highway service areas and even the Diet Building, and the claim that the first-ever store was in Tsukiji. Opinions split when the conversation turned to how Yoshinoya compares to rivals Sukiya and Matsuya, with debate over beef thickness and how sweet the sauce should be.

    1AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:25
    Fun fact: the company actually went bankrupt back in 1980.
    4AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:26

    On the east side of JR Yurakucho Station (the side with Kotsu Kaikan and Itocia), there's the most famous Yoshinoya in Japan!
    Apparently it's the highest-grossing location in the whole country.
    26AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:37
    Re: #4

    This is Yurakucho Itocia, shot from the southbound side of JR Yurakucho Station (toward Shimbashi, Hamamatsucho, Shinagawa)



    JR Yurakucho Station
    6AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:27

    These days beef bowl chains like Yoshinoya, Sukiya, and Matsuya have even opened branches in highway service areas and parking areas.

    *By the way, the photo is Ebina SA on the Daiichi-Tokai Expressway (Tomei Expressway).
    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:29
    Re: #6

    There used to be a Yoshinoya at Daikoku PA on the Shuto Expressway too, but it's closed now.
    *McDonald's also pulled out of Daikoku PA.
    60AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:04
    Re: #6

    There's also a Yoshinoya at Ishikawa PA on the Chuo Expressway (Hachioji, Tokyo)!
    7AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:27

    The Yoshinoya logo
    100AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:52
    Re: #7
    That's a cool logo!
    12AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:29


    There's actually a branch inside the National Diet Building.
    They even have an exclusive menu item there — the Kuroge Wagyu Don (Japanese black beef rice bowl)!
    15AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:31

    It's said that Yoshinoya owes a lot of its fame to the Weekly Shonen Jump manga 'Kinnikuman.'
    It's the favorite food of the main character, Kinniku Suguru!
    16AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:31
    Re: #15
    Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu — Kinnikuman! Fri, Sat, Sun — time to play! Yahoo! (lyrics from the anime's ending theme)
    Wishing a beef bowl was still 80 yen, on this fine Friday

    I used to do the 'Kinnikuman Exercise' routine back in kindergarten
    Takes me back
    37AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:46
    Re: #15
    Kinnikuman was originally tied to Nakau, not Yoshinoya
    17AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:31



    Former SMAP member Takuya Kimura has appeared in Yoshinoya commercials.
    18AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:32
    An AI-generated illustration of Mabel-chan eating a Yoshinoya beef bowl



    The rabbit girl character 'Mabel-chan'
    19AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:32
    Re: #18
    Hey, Tetsugaku News (a popular 5ch summary blog)!
    Put this one in a roundup!
    103AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:57
    Re: #18
    By the way, Mabel-chan is from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, so she's probably at the Sendai Station East Exit branch (or maybe the West Exit one)!?
    20AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:32
    Best of the big three (Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Matsuya), no question.
    21AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:33
    Re: #20
    Agreed

    I don't dislike Sukiya or Matsuya either, but Yoshinoya has the best-tasting beef, hands down
    I feel like the others just mask it with sauce flavor… 😅
    27AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:38
    Re: #21
    Apparently 1.3mm is the thickness they settled on because it tastes best.
    At 1.2mm the meat falls apart, and at 1.4mm it gets tough, or so they say.

    The sauce has the best balance and depth too.
    Matsuya's is too sweet, and Sukiya's has too much ginger.
    29AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:40
    Re: #27
    I thought Sukiya was plenty sweet too…
    Yoshinoya's the one where you can actually taste the beef clearly
    79AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:32
    Re: #27
    So even 0.1mm off and it just doesn't work, huh…
    33AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:43

    Even the frozen beef bowl topping is just as good as what you get in the restaurant!
    34AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:43
    Gave the cold shoulder to Yudetamago (the Kinnikuman manga duo), despite all they did for the brand
    41AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:48
    Re: #34
    That's rough… 😢
    44AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:51
    Re: #34
    Honestly, that was just plain stupid
    If they'd treated them well, they could've made a fortune off collabs…
    67AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:14
    Re: #34
    40AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:48
    I always wanted to visit the Tsukiji Yoshinoya at least once — such a wild, unconventional menu
    43AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:50
    Re: #40
    Wasn't Tsukiji the first store to begin with?
    48AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:54

    There's also a Yoshinoya at JR Oyama Station in Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture!
    And it's accessible from both inside and outside the ticket gates!

    *Oyama Station is served by the Tohoku Shinkansen, the JR Utsunomiya Line (Tohoku Main Line), the Mito Line, and the Ryomo Line.
    *Right next to the Yoshinoya is a bakery called Little Mermaid.
    51AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:58
    Re: #48


    • Hakuoh University

    A prestigious private university on the east side of Oyama Station.
    The Faculty of Law and Faculty of Business have campuses right by the station (only the Faculty of Education is elsewhere).
    49AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:55
    Re: #43
    You're right that the Tsukiji Yoshinoya was the first store
    But the one I wanted to go to is 'Tsukiji Yoshinoya' (a specific gourmet-menu location)

    53AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:00
    Re: #49
    My bad
    Still, that's pretty cheap!
    65AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:12

    80 years, nothing but beef bowls
    Mizuho Matsuda was a legend!
    66AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:13
    Re: #65
    By the way, the current president is apparently from Toyama Prefecture
    68AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:16

    At one point they actually sold ostrich meat
    69AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:16
    Doesn't Utsunomiya have surprisingly few Yoshinoya locations?
    71AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:20
    Re: #69

    Yeah, only 7 branches for a city of 500,000 people does seem way too few…

    By the way, the Cainz Utsunomiya Techno store is located in the Kiyohara district (east of the Kinugawa River)
    The same complex also has Kasumi (a supermarket in the Aeon group), Cainz (a home center), and Kourakuen (a ramen chain)!
    The nearest stations are Yuinomori-higashi or Hagadai on the LRT line (Haga Town)
    72AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:22
    Re: #71

    By the way, present-day Utsunomiya is almost entirely former Kawachi District (same as Kaminokawa Town), except for the Kiyohara district east of the Kinugawa River.
    Only Kiyohara was formerly Kiyohara Village in Haga District (the same Haga District that now includes Moka City and Haga Town).
    75AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:27

    There's also a soba-serving version called 'Soba-dokoro Yoshinoya'
    Look for the blue sign instead of the usual orange one!
    76AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:29
    Re: #75
    By the way, Soba-dokoro Yoshinoya locations seem to be declining in recent years, probably because they're costlier to run… 😢
    81AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:33
    If you're getting the kakuni (braised pork belly) set meal, eat it at the Yoshinoya with free rice refills
    90AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:42
    Re: #81

    The thick-cut kakuni (braised pork belly) set meal

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Yoshinoya is a long-running chain founded in 1899 that has built its identity around ‘nothing but beef bowls.’ The 1980 corporate reorganization (effectively a bankruptcy) mentioned in the thread is generally attributed to beef import restrictions and soaring costs from the oil crisis, and the company stuck with its single-minded focus on the beef bowl even afterward. Where the thread’s opinions diverged was over how Yoshinoya’s flavor compares to rivals Sukiya and Matsuya — some claims about beef thickness and sauce sweetness are drawn from each company’s public information, while others are just posters’ personal impressions, and it’s worth noting the line between the two isn’t always clear. Likewise, the connection to the manga ‘Kinnikuman’ and the story about how the chain treated manga duo Yudetamago aren’t backed by any official account from Yoshinoya itself — they’re best read as anecdotes circulating on the forum rather than confirmed fact.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Anything Live-Viewing board) thread ‘[Ultimate Beef Bowl Shop] Things I Know About Yoshinoya [YOSHINOYA]‘.

  • Juice=Juice Instagram Growth Gap: Ebata Hisaki Gains Over 10,000 Followers in a Single Month

    In the Hello! Project idol group Juice=Juice, data tracking each member’s monthly Instagram follower growth was posted to 5ch’s Hello! Project board, sparking discussion. Over the course of September 2026, Ebata Hisaki’s followers jumped from 105,772 to 116,367 — a gain of +10,595 — the biggest increase in the group. At the same time, some argued that Instagram numbers don’t match real-world event popularity, while others pointed out that the gap can’t be explained by differences in post frequency or content, leaving fans divided over the cause.

    1AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:07
    Ranked by change
    2026/09/01 2026/09/30 Change Posts
    105,772 116,367 +10,595 6 Ebata Hisaki (Juice=Juice)
    2AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:13
    Hello! Project fans (haro-ota) pick their favorites (oshi) based on personality and skill, but the general public picks by looks — that's just proof Juice=Juice is finally getting noticed by the mainstream, which is great news.
    3AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:20
    Among otaku who actually go to shows, Yumeriai (a fan nickname) is more popular.
    4AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:22
    Instagram doesn't reflect real popularity at all.
    5AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:23
    For some reason it's nationally famous as a metric that Sayuminto (a fan nickname) is weirdly obsessed with.
    6AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:27
    Kawashima's growth had been outpacing Ebata's for a while, and I figured she'd eventually overtake her, but Ebata's picked up the pace.
    7AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:29
    There's way too big a gap in post count.
    Step it up a little, c'mon.
    8AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:29
    Not trying to put Kawashima down, but her posts don't feel like they have much effort put into them — Ebata's seem more thought-out in composition and stuff.
    12AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:35
    Re: #8
    Basically it's only updates from lives or outside work, so honestly it's kind of scary that it gets this much reaction from just that.
    25AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:44
    Re: #8
    Well yeah, Kawashima's pretty laid-back about everything.
    9AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:33
    But Ebata is a Noguchi who can never beat Sasaki Maika.
    14AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:36
    Re: #9
    Who's supposed to be Ebata's 'Sasaki'?
    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:33
    There are also kids like Matsumoto, who post videos and put together images that clearly took time, trying their hardest on Instagram, but still barely gain any followers… so post count and effort don't really matter.
    13AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:36
    I get it if people just like Juice=Juice and follow everyone, but a gap this big between members is kind of a mystery.
    15AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:36
    Re: #14
    Don't make me say it when you already know.
    18AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:38
    Re: #15
    I have no idea at all.
    Ebata's eventually going to have the most followers in Juice.
    16AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:37
    Post count and content aren't really that important.
    17AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:37
    Some girls post less often but update their Stories regularly, so you can't judge just by post count.
    20AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:40
    Members with fewer Instagram followers than Arisawa Ichika → Eguchi, Onoda, Kitahara, Ono, Fukuda, Matsumoto, Akiyama, Hirayama, Yumikuta, Saito, Hashisako, Goto, Tamenaga, Kubota, Inoue, Kaze, Tsutsui, Nakayama, Nishizaki, Hiromoto, Shimoitani (names run together in the original post)
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1790919823/
    21AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:40
    Honestly, Ebata and Kawashima are the ones who stand out for flattering photos.
    You often see comments like 'the short-haired one is cute' or 'the one with the ribbon is cute.'
    23AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:43
    Shame Hayashi can't get an Instagram going right now, at the peak of her prime.
    24AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:43
    Instagram is the metric that links most closely to mainstream popularity.

    From the general public's perspective, they just see Ebata as cute, plain and simple, and that's why her followers grew.
    28AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:45
    I really don't get why Matsunaga isn't more popular.
    Her visuals are great, her performance is great, so why?
    34AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:49
    If people don't properly take stuff like this on board, Hello! Project won't grow.
    44AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:51
    Re: #34
    That's because the Hello! Project fan bubble is out of step with the mainstream.
    42AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:51
    Setting the past aside, Matsunaga's cute now, isn't she?
    48AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:53
    Re: #42
    It's not really 'cute' so much as… intense, I'd say.
    51AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:54
    Re: #42
    She's gotten seriously cute though.
    60AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:58
    But every single day there are people who just desperately want to drag down Juice=Juice or its members, grasping at any excuse they can find.
    70AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:05
    Re: #60
    Honestly, so true.
    When there's no material to attack Juice=Juice as a whole, they latch onto the gap in numbers between members instead — trying to stir up infighting?
    If you've got no material, you don't need to force a new thread into existence.
    88AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:27
    Re: #60
    Reading this as an attack says more about your persecution complex.
    You can just take it as a normal popularity metric.
    71AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:06
    Tako-chan (nickname) has Yumeriai going for her,
    and there's the buzz-leader Endo plus the ace known as the 'pigeon seller' (fan nickname)…
    the problem is Risachi — there's no easy-to-grasp pairing (cp, a fan-shipped duo) for her.
    75AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:08
    Re: #71
    If only that guy hadn't retired — he and Tashiro got along well.
    83AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:17
    I'd love to see the Ebamifu (fan nickname for Ebata) leadership era soon, now that she's on a flattering-photo streak.
    Please don't let anyone in who isn't cute.
    89AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:28
    Re: #83
    That'd be hell around then, huh.

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Among Hello! Project fans, it’s become a regular practice to compile and post each member’s monthly Instagram follower change — treated as a gauge of general public name recognition, separate from drawing power at actual events. As some commenters note, the popularity of fans who actually show up to live shows doesn’t necessarily line up with the popularity that builds on social media when first-time viewers decide someone looks “cute.” Some argue the gap comes down to differences in photo composition or posting frequency, while others argue the gap persists regardless of such effort — no single decisive explanation has emerged. A few posts point to individual members’ posting habits or styles as possible reasons, but these remain speculation, and it’s worth noting as a reader that there’s no official explanation from the group’s management.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Yumeriai vs. Ebamifu: why is there such a huge gap in Instagram growth?“.

  • Kadonaka’s Retirement Game: Hawks Rally for 7th Straight Win as Yudai Yamamoto’s 3-Run Homer Seals It

    On October 2, the Pacific League game at Lotte’s home stadium against SoftBank was held as the retirement game for Lotte’s veteran outfielder Katsuya Kadonaka. The Hawks came back to win, 4-3 (M3-4H), stretching their winning streak to seven. In the 9th inning, pinch hitter Yudai Yamamoto hit his 6th home run of the season — a go-ahead 3-run shot — while Lotte closer Rikuto Yokoyama blew the save. On 5ch’s live-game thread, the home-plate umpire’s call during Kensuke Kondo’s 9th-inning at-bat, which set up the comeback, sparked controversy, and fans also compared the day’s events to other teams’ retirement ceremonies held the same day.

    SoftBank 　1 0 0　 0 0 0　 0 0 3｜4

    Lotte　　　　　0 0 0　 1 0 0　 0 2 X｜3

    [Battery]

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:08
    Just witnessed a brutal blown call (5ch slang: "toilet umpire," for a terrible ump). And that's how they won.
    8AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    Kind of sad that this is what he had to watch on his own retirement day.
    12AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    Brutal.
    This is what you get on a retirement day?
    36AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:17
    Re: #12
    Orix's Hirano retirement game was way worse than this
    They gave up 6 runs in the first inning and the result was already decided
    By 6:30 PM
    it was just a matter of waiting for Hirano to come out
    14AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:11
    Re: #10
    Kokubo's trash too for leaving Maeda in through the 8th when he wasn't even getting the win
    15AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:11
    Hakata Hanamaru once said: "A lot of people nationwide dislike the Hawks, so I don't bring up the Hawks on national TV."

    A line from "Downtown's Bar-Hopping" a few years back

    If you've ever left Fukuoka, you'll understand this reality
    37AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:17
    Lotte's battery's pitch-calling was awful
    39AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:17
    This is what happens when you don't hold Kadonaka's and Karakawa's retirement games together
    They just embarrassed themselves lol
    40AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:17
    Imagine the Baystars trading away a catcher who can hit like that
    46AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:20
    Re: #3
    Yudai Yamamoto:
    "Did you see my go-ahead 3-run homer?!"
    49AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:22
    Kondo took a called strike three in the 9th
    There was no comeback

    The toilet-umpire is garbage
    50AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:23
    The umpire who turned Kondo's strikeout into a walk should not be forgiven
    51AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:24
    If they wanted to get Maeda Yu the win by leaving him in through the 8th, they should've let him finish the 8th properly
    52AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:26
    Yudai Yamamoto just got to the Pacific League, so he probably has no clue who Kadonaka even is
    57AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:35
    Toilet-umpire strikes again

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    This game served as the retirement ceremony for Lotte’s veteran outfielder Katsuya Kadonaka, taking place at a point when the Pacific League pennant race had already been decided in SoftBank’s favor. Against that backdrop, pinch hitter Yudai Yamamoto hit a go-ahead 3-run homer late in the game that decided the outcome. Where opinions split on the thread was the umpire’s call during Kensuke Kondo’s 9th-inning at-bat — fans disagreed over whether it should have been a strikeout or a walk. Since this kind of close call is hard to judge definitively from broadcast footage alone, this article only notes the fact that “the call sparked controversy” and withholds judgment on which side was right. It was also noted that Kadonaka wasn’t the only one retiring that day — his teammate, pitcher Yuki Karakawa, had his own retirement game too, and fans discussed how several teams held retirement ceremonies on the same day. The blown save by Lotte closer Rikuto Yokoyama could also affect how the bullpen is used down the stretch of the season.

    *This article excerpts and summarizes the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Kadonaka’s Retirement Game] Pacific League M 3-4 H [10/2] Hawks Rally for 7th Straight Win! Yamamoto’s 6th Homer a Go-Ahead 3-Run Shot! Lotte’s Yokoyama Blows the Save.”

  • Nike’s June-August Revenue Falls 4%, Stock Plunges 7% — 5ch: ‘Well, What Did You Expect After Ditching the Brand?’

    Nike’s earnings report for the June-August 2026 quarter showed revenue down 4% year-over-year to $11.213 billion (about ¥1.7 trillion), with net income also down 2% to $712 million — both missing market expectations and sending shares down as much as 7% in after-hours trading. While there are signs of a rebound in North America, shrinking sales in Greater China dragged down overall performance. On 5ch, though, the thread cared less about the numbers than about gripes with Nike’s design choices and brand image, with plenty of comparisons to rivals like Asics, Mizuno, and Skechers — the comment that drew the most reactions was: “It sold because of the brand, and then they threw the brand away — well, of course.”

    [New York — Kenji Asada] Nike’s earnings report for the June-August 2026 quarter, released on the 1st, showed revenue down 4% year-over-year to $11.213 billion (about ¥1.7 trillion) and net income down 2% to $712 million. While there are signs of a rebound in the North American market, shrinking sales in Greater China weighed down overall results.

    Because revenue came in below prior market forecasts, Nike’s stock price fell as much as 7% in after-hours trading on the 1st compared with that day’s closing price.

    Nike has been working on its approach to consumers… (continues in the paid edition, 698 characters remaining)

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:43
    Isn't this the reason?
    76AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:05
    Re: #10
    (;゚Д゚) that's genuinely rough… gross
    18AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:45
    I only wear Skechers slip-ons now.
    Low-cuts are fine, but boots are nothing but a hassle.
    78AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:06
    Re: #18
    I'm not picky about shoes, but out of everything I've worn, Skechers hold up the best, lol
    23AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:46
    Can't afford Nike or Adidas anymore.
    Might as well just wear steel-toe work boots at this point.
    54AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:56
    Re: #23
    It's not that they're unaffordable, I just think the logos and the try-hard designs look tacky.
    155AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:55
    Re: #23
    I wear Adidas safety shoes — ¥15,000.
    24AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:46
    There's been a 'Nike is embarrassing' vibe going around for a few years now.
    Their sneakers have been uncool for ages too.
    So many weirdly over-designed shoes that I never even pick one up when I'm in the store.
    28AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:47
    Re: #24
    Sorry, but I wear the Nike Pegasus Premium.
    147AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:47
    Re: #24
    Which Nike shoes have the 'try-hard' design exactly?
    Isn't the real problem that Nike doesn't have any bold designs anymore?
    Isn't it actually alarming that they're still cranking out Air Force 1s, Air Jordans, and Air Max in huge numbers to this day?
    25AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:46
    What era are we even in? Adidas is washed up too, right?
    Don't tell me it's Asics now?
    52AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:54
    Re: #25
    I'd guess On (the Swiss running brand).
    62AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:01
    Re: #52
    The sole looks awful, but is it actually trending?

    If that's the bar, PREMIATA is way better.
    66AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:02
    Re: #52
    Total garbage.
    Pretty much just a product of ad spend.
    29AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:48
    Asics gets a lot of respect overseas.
    60AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:00
    Re: #29
    Really?
    I wear Asics a lot too, plus Adidas as a safe pick.
    Saucony got a cheap reputation from being sold at ABC-Mart (Japan's discount shoe chain), but I kind of like them too.
    32AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:48
    Why not just push Onitsuka Tiger again?
    40AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:50
    Re: #32
    Or better yet, put 'Asahi Shoes' (a long-running Japanese footwear brand) front and center.
    34AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:49
    They give you blisters — just not wearable for Japanese feet.
    38AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:50
    Re: #34
    The Pegasus Premium is actually really comfortable,

    and the new Air Max models have gotten comfier too.
    56AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:57
    At this point us middle-aged guys might as well just shop at Workman (Japan's cheap workwear chain).
    58AnonymousOct 2, 2026 19:59
    Re: #56
    Being a middle-aged guy myself, I've got my eye on the Asahi Cougar, but it's hardly ever in stock.
    63AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:02
    It sold because of the brand, and then they threw the brand away — well, of course.
    65AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:02
    Re: #63
    Isn't Nike not really a 'brand' anymore though?
    67AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:03
    If it's for resale/speculation, they really need to sort out that sole hydrolysis problem.
    69AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:03
    Re: #67
    People normally just wear them into the ground, lol
    85AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:08
    Nike, Adidas, and Puma are the big three.
    Asics is unfortunately a nobody on the world stage.
    Its pride only survives because Chinese makers haven't overtaken it yet.
    103AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:14
    Re: #85
    Nike and Puma are both washed up though.

    Adidas and Onitsuka Tiger are the ones actually growing.
    204AnonymousOct 2, 2026 22:44
    Re: #85
    What era are you even talking about?
    Puma's a total has-been now — its market cap and earnings are both way below Asics these days.
    90AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:09
    Sportswear got so expensive I can't afford it anymore.
    Uniqlo's the only option now.
    121AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:26
    Re: #90
    Sportswear basically always gets dumped at clearance prices once the season's over.
    Sometimes the tags are even cut off, but 90% off on Amazon isn't rare.
    You can grab stuff from ¥1,000 at Alpen or Xebio if you time a sale right, so buying Uniqlo instead is just throwing money away.
    Just like how HeatTech is considered terrible for actual sports use, you should leave specialty gear to the specialists.
    112AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:22
    Bought Mizuno and it was way better than I expected.
    The design is understated, and the big plus is nobody can tell what brand it is.
    117AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:24
    Re: #112
    Mizuno's good, right?
    135AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:35
    Premium sneakers, Kochikame (the long-running manga)
    Nike Air Max 95, a full-blown social phenomenon


    s://i.imgur.com/2LIids3.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/bBSW7d0.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/8HkfScV.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/xvXCjuV.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/LOmjQ1N.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/rOCLO9Q.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/lNLPTCg.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/5z00NJk.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/HdflRAS.jpeg
    s://i.imgur.com/kOQXEmE.jpeg
    140AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:41
    School-mandated shoes
    Moonstar (Tsukihoshi Kasei)
    Jaguar Σ 01 (1980)
    144AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:43
    Re: #140
    I'd want this one in black or navy.
    142AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:43

    Logo mark: the Nike Swoosh (since 1971)
    The swoosh design is based on the spread wings of Nike,
    the Greek goddess of victory — the brand name itself was taken from 'Nike' too.
    160AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:02
    Seiko Matsuda, Moonstar (Tsukihoshi)
    162AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:05
    Mizuno's M-Line series (1980-1986)


    *From 1986 the logo switched to the Runbird mark (a running bird).

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Nike’s fiscal Q1 (June-August) 2026 results showed revenue down 4% year-over-year to $11.2 billion and net income down 2% to $712 million, missing market expectations and triggering a sharp stock drop in after-hours trading. While North America shows signs of recovery, shrinking sales in Greater China dragged down overall performance — suggesting this is less a one-off slump than a structural shift in a key market. Reactions in the thread focused less on the figures themselves than on years of pent-up frustration with Nike’s product and brand strategy, rallying around lines like “it sold because of the brand, and then they threw the brand away” and “the designs are trying way too hard.” A post calling Nike an “antisocial-linked company” was left out of the main article as an unsubstantiated claim. One thing readers should be careful not to conflate: the thread’s energy is directed mostly at personal taste and talk of switching to rival brands (Asics, Mizuno, Skechers, etc.) within Japan, rather than at the actual core issue behind the earnings miss — shrinking demand in the Chinese market.

    *This article excerpts and summarizes the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[Earnings] Nike’s June-August Revenue Down 4%, Stock Briefly Falls 7% — Profit Decline Shows No Sign of Stopping.”

  • Former Child Star ‘Main-chan’ Marries Soccer Player Kubo

    A thread reporting the marriage of an actress affectionately nicknamed “Main-chan” during her child-actor days popped up on 5ch’s Hello! Project board and pulled in 41 replies. Her husband is soccer player Kubo, and topics like her own age — 28 — and her husband’s height of over 170cm quickly became hot talking points. Long-time fans’ congratulations stood out in the thread, but there were also plenty of jabs at the new husband and tangents name-dropping past co-stars and colleagues, making for a thread that mixed celebration with teasing.

    10AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:09
    Isn't she the one who looks like NKSK?
    18AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    Re: #10
    Comparing her to Booska is way too disrespectful to Main-chan (Booska being the old tokusatsu monster mascot).
    12AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:09
    If you don't get married on momentum, taking a beat makes it fall apart.
    Marriage runs on momentum.
    15AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:09
    More importantly — she's 28 now…?
    17AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    Quietly moving to Spain, just like Mano-chan did? (echoing former idol Mano Erina, who relocated there after marrying a soccer player)
    19AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    Even I, a casual soccer fan, know who Kubo is —
    she landed herself a good player.
    20AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    Both on the short side, huh — but surely Kubo's taller than Main-chan?
    45AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:13
    Re: #20
    Kubo's over 170cm.
    22AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    Oh, so it's Kubo-san with Main-chan —
    for a second I thought it might be Airi, and that made me sad, so never mind.
    23AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:10
    https://static.sanyonews.jp/image/article/size1/d/8/5/f/d85fe5c794708f9b95950c9a3ea68cc8_1.jpg
    27AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:11
    Wait, she's the same age as Yamagishi Riko!

    Which means…?!
    37AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:12
    Every day when he gets home, it's Main-chan Cooking (a nod to her old TV cooking segment).
    41AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:13
    Huh, so these two were dating? Was there a rumor about it?
    42AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:13
    Never even heard of this actress.
    50AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:13
    Re: #42
    Then why'd you even open the thread, lol
    58AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:14
    You can practically hear the Main-chan fanboys screaming, lol
    91AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:19
    Re: #58
    She's still got fans?
    59AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:15
    73AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:16
    I've still got Sakurada Hiyori.
    82AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:18
    Re: #73
    She's with Ken-On, so that's a little sus (that agency always has rumors swirling).
    108AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:21
    Re: #73
    I kind of feel like Meguro Ren, who co-starred with her in a commercial, would be a better match.
    93AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:19
    Kitaoka Karin-chan's former colleague
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EXlb_zWUMAEY_MQ.jpg
    95AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:20
    Yeah, she's been popping up in a lot of dramas lately.
    99AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:21
    Re: #95
    She's an Asadora actress, you know (NHK's flagship morning drama slot).
    102AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:21
    https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/c/cocomo888/20190809/20190809070148.jpg
    110AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:22
    These three are still at the same agency
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GKTScaUbgAACq9R.jpg

    Background and Talking Points

    5ch’s “Hello! Project board” is nominally meant for talk about idols from the Hello! Project franchise, but discussion of female celebrities in general tends to spill into it, which is why this marriage report about a former child actress drew so much attention there. Opinions in the thread split over how to judge her new husband, the soccer player: some posts praised him with lines like “she landed a good player,” while others teased that “she could have aimed higher.” Speculation about the couple’s height and age piled up reply after reply, with some posters stating things as settled fact that the couple themselves never actually confirmed — a reminder that not everything in the thread has been verified. Replies containing discriminatory language or insults aimed at the bride or her husband have been excluded from this article.

    ※This article excerpts and summarizes the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Main-chan Is Getting Married LOLOLOLOL.”

  • Ramen Chain Sugakiya Buys Burger Chain Domdom — 5ch Asks: ‘So the Day We Eat With a Spork Has Arrived?’

    Sugakiko Systems, which operates the Nagoya-based ramen chain Sugakiya, announced on October 2, 2026 that it has made Domdom Hamburger — said to be Japan’s first hamburger chain — a subsidiary. The company raised its equity stake to over 50%, though the acquisition price was not disclosed, and Domdom will keep its name and continue to be run by President Shinobu Fujisaki. On 5ch’s Breaking News+ board, posters discussed the contrast between Sugakiya’s stores being heavily concentrated in the Tokai region while Domdom has only a handful of locations even in greater Tokyo, along with their fondness for Domdom’s quirky menu items like the crab burger and the shungiku (edible chrysanthemum greens) burger — mixing surprise and anticipation over the pairing of the two chains.

    Sugakiko Systems (Nagoya), which operates the ramen chain Sugakiya, announced on the 2nd that it has made Domdom Food Service (Tokyo), operator of “Domdom Hamburger,” a subsidiary. It acquired additional shares, raising its equity stake to over 50%. The acquisition price was not disclosed. The move is meant to speed up the sharing of store-operation know-how between the two companies and strengthen their business foundations.

    Domdom Hamburger is said to be Japan’s first hamburger chain. Even after becoming a subsidiary, Domdom will keep its company name, and President Shinobu Fujisaki will continue to lead its management. Sugakiko Systems reportedly had already taken a partial stake in Domdom Food Service back in December last year.

    Sankei Shimbun, October 2, 2026, 18:32

    Source: sankei.com / Original article here

    17AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:26
    Still standing in Oizumi Gakuen
    95AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:44
    Re: #17
    Oizumi Gakuen — isn't that Uga-chan's hometown? (TV announcer Natsumi Uga)
    115AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:52
    Re: #17
    Sounds like Oizumi Ryokuchi (a park down in Osaka) — did one of them rip off the other's name?
    18AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:26
    Kanagawa doesn't have Sugakiya or Domdom, but I wonder if Domdom will show up now. I've only ever eaten it at the place by Hanayashiki.
    86AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:42
    Re: #18
    Both are here, actually — though the Sugakiya just opened in October.
    107AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:48
    Re: #18
    There's one in Kanazawa-Hakkei. The Mitsukyo and Kamimizo locations closed though.
    22AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:27
    "Whole Crab Burger!! Sweet Chili Sauce Flavor"

    That's the kind of crazy stuff only Domdom does.
    81AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:42
    Re: #22
    That's still within normal range — come back after you've had the shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) burger.
    37AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:32
    Wait, didn't they turn a profit after swapping in that lady they poached from some fancy restaurant as president?
    70AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:39
    Re: #37
    The president and the company name stay the same.
    72AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:40
    Re: #37
    From Wikipedia:
    "The equity stake isn't disclosed, but the largest shareholder is President Fujisaki herself.[15]"
    https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOCC164DH0W6A110C2000000/

    Apparently so.
    39AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:33
    Gaia: "Mash! Ortega! Let's hit him with the Jet Stream Attack!!" (a line from the Black Tri-Stars in Mobile Suit Gundam)
    50AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:36
    Re: #39
    Since it's Domdom, this must be the GQuuuuuuX version lol (a reference to the Gundam GQuuuuuuX anime)
    44AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:34
    Hope Domdom's charm doesn't get erased.
    60AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:38
    Re: #44
    Domdom employee: "Huh, what do you mean?"
    71AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:40
    Could an anmitsu burger be next? Or a cream burger, maybe?
    122AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:56
    Re: #71
    Like putting Sugakiya soft-serve on top of Domdom's karinto manju (fried-dough sweet bun)?
    82AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:42
    Never had one, but I really want this

    96AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:45
    Domdom is a Japanese company — these days it's basically just Mos Burger and Domdom left. Gotta root for them.
    105AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:47
    Re: #96
    What about First Kitchen and Freshness Burger?
    97AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:46
    Re: #91
    There's a collab with FLABOIS, and Mamiko (the Domdom mascot) is in on it too
    https://domdomhamburger.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SNS01.jpg

    https://domdomhamburger.com/topics/7642.html

    Who's actually buying the collab clothes, though?
    110AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:50
    Re: #1
    Forget some minor chain like that — if you're going to do it, buy McDonald's or Burger King.
    113AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:51
    Re: #110
    McDonald's: "No thanks."
    Burger King: "We're doing just fine without Sugakiya buying us, thanks."
    111AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:50
    Sugakiya, don't come to Kanto — you're worse than instant cup noodles.
    114AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:51
    Re: #111
    Too bad — they already opened ones in Nagatsuta and Honatsugi.
    123AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:56
    So the only Domdom that's survived in Tokyo since the old days is the one inside the Maruetsu in Oizumi Gakuen, lol. You guys really never go to Domdom, huh lol.
    125AnonymousOct 2, 2026 20:57
    That karinto manju shop — I've never had anything better anywhere else.
    134AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:02
    Re: #125
    Yeah, Domdom's karinto manju really is weirdly good — it's on a level that beats what you get at an actual Japanese sweets shop.
    133AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:01
    Will it turn into a "Suga Suga Burger"? (playful wordplay riffing on Sugakiya's name)
    135AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:02
    Re: #133
    Nope, it'll just stay "Domdom." There's already a Domdom store open in Osu, Nagoya.
    138AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:03
    Re: #135
    No way — guess I'll have to check it out sometime.
    137AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:03
    This kind of thing is great

    142AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:06
    Never thought I'd see the day you could eat a Domdom burger with a spork (the split spoon-fork hybrid famously used at Sugakiya).
    144AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:07
    Re: #142
    Don't eat the spork itself lol
    178AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:26
    Doesn't Sugakiya itself barely have any stores? 🥺
    181AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:28
    Re: #178
    There's a ton of 'em in Aichi, y'know ("dera" is Nagoya dialect for "really/a lot").
    182AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:28
    Re: #178
    They're everywhere in the Tokai region — there's even one inside Ghibli Park's Morikoro Park.
    192AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:35
    Re: #178
    Among ramen chains, Sugakiya actually has a fairly large number of stores — they're just heavily concentrated in Tokai, especially Nagoya.

    Aside from Ohsho and Ringer Hut, the top chain Hidakaya leans so heavily on Kanto that people from Kansai barely know it. Ramen chains in general tend to be intensely regional like that.
    195AnonymousOct 2, 2026 21:36
    Domzou (the Domdom mascot) looks kind of sad
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HTnZqLGbEAAHaww.jpg

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    Domdom Hamburger is regarded as Japan’s first hamburger chain, but it has shrunk dramatically from its peak, and today only a handful of locations remain even in greater Tokyo, such as the Oizumi Gakuen store. Reactions in the thread were split: some posters said Sugakiya should have gone after McDonald’s or Burger King instead, while many others voiced real affection for Domdom’s quirky offerings like the crab burger, the shungiku burger, and its karinto manju. Sugakiya itself is also a chain whose stores are concentrated in Aichi and the Tokai region, with still few locations in Kanto — the fact that neither company is a nationwide household name fueled comments like “I’ve never even seen a Sugakiya store.” The plan is to keep Domdom’s name and have President Shinobu Fujisaki continue running it after the acquisition, so how much of Domdom’s distinctive character survives will be worth watching.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “[Breaking] Sugakiya🍜 Acquires Domdom Hamburger🐘.”