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  • Ran Takahashi’s Brother, Rui Takahashi, Comes Out as Gay: ‘A Talk With My Brother Was the Turning Point’

    Rui Takahashi (26), a SV League player for Suntory and the older brother of Japan men’s national volleyball team star Ran Takahashi, came out as gay on his Instagram on September 29. He revealed he had struggled with it since childhood, but after spending roughly two years on the same team as Ran and talking things over with him, he was finally able to “accept himself.” On 5channel, opinions split between “did he really need to announce this?” and “living a lie must have been far more painful,” with many posts also drawing comparisons to his brother Ran’s dating history.

    Rui Takahashi (26), who plays in the men’s SV League for Suntory and is the older brother of national team star Ran Takahashi, updated his Instagram on the 29th to announce that he is gay.

    He posted a statement titled “An Announcement,” writing: “Since I was young, I was afraid to face one part of myself, struggled with it, and denied who I was. That part is that I am gay, one of the sexual minorities.”

    He explained the circumstances leading up to his announcement at length: “Spending about two years on the same team as my younger brother Ran meant more to me than anything, and talking with him is what first let me accept myself. Putting my feelings into words helped me sort out my heart, and little by little I came to feel that it’s okay to just be myself.”

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

    13AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:41
    What about the brother, though?
    30AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:44
    Re: #13
    He's fooled around with porn actresses, so he's at least not gay.
    38AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:45
    Re: #13
    He's got a porn-actress fuck buddy, dude's plenty active.
    23AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:43
    Wasn't the brother's "gay vibe" a topic of discussion too?
    36AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:45
    Re: #23
    If anything the brother's a womanizer.
    29AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:43
    Is this really something you need to shout to the world?
    Don't you think that these days, what you choose NOT to say matters way more than what you do say?
    77AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:50
    Re: #29
    Well said.
    True, that.
    123AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:56
    Re: #29
    Public figures like him get asked way more personal questions than ordinary people, so I think it's understandable.
    Interviewers basically always assume you're straight, and being marketed as "the brother of" his popular national-team brother probably comes up a lot too.
    Keep hiding it and piling up lies long enough, and eventually it gets exhausting — of course you'd want to come out.
    35AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:44
    What was the point of announcing it?
    Like, "don't bother, ladies, it's useless"?
    49AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:46
    Re: #35
    Probably just got tired of hiding it.
    61AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:48
    Re: #35
    He probably keeps getting asked "what's your type of woman?" or whatever.
    99AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:53
    Re: #35
    He probably just got sick of lying to himself.
    48AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:46
    Handsome guy, huh.
    Guess that means it's pointless for his female fans to chase after him.
    109AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:54
    Re: #48
    Isn't it the opposite?
    No risk of him getting snatched up by a woman, and you're on the same wavelength — it's basically like enjoying a night at a gay bar.
    51AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:47
    Honestly, is it even a "sexual minority" anymore at this point?

    I mean, "otoko no ko" (crossdressing pretty-boy) porn is trending these days.

    (Speaking as a straight guy.)
    70AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:49
    I mean, I can't help thinking he didn't really need to say anything.
    I don't really get it — is there some circumstance in that world I'm missing?
    108AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:54
    Re: #70
    At an age where people start thinking about marriage, if you don't announce it, women interested in dating him are bound to show up.
    So announcing it isn't weird at all —
    it also saves the women considering him from wasting their time.
    76AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:50
    Back when I used to be into guys, my boyfriend at the time was also in a volleyball club.
    88AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:52
    The older brother's handsome too.


    100AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:53
    I'm torn on whether I should come out as still using ADSL too.
    135AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:57
    Re: #100

    Me, a Telehodai (old flat-rate late-night dial-up plan) guy, already came out.
    134AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:57
    Why do people want to announce this stuff?
    Makes no difference to me either way.
    Well, if it helps him feel better, I guess that's fine.
    142AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:58
    Re: #134
    Because guys like you slander people on social media.
    160AnonymousSep 29, 2026 11:03
    Re: #1
    1 in 10 people is gay.

    That means there was definitely at least one in every class throughout elementary, middle, and high school.
    190AnonymousSep 29, 2026 11:08
    Re: #160
    Now that you mention it, *NSYNC, Westlife, Boyzone — whenever you get 5 or 6 guys together, there's always one who's gay.

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    The SV League, where Rui Takahashi plays, only launched in 2024 as Japan’s new top domestic men’s volleyball league, and it remains rare in Japan for an active male professional athlete to publicly disclose his own sexual orientation. Thread comments split between “did he really need to announce this?” and a defense of “living a lie must be harder,” reflecting differing values on how coming out should be viewed. It’s worth noting that Rui only disclosed his own sexual orientation — he made no statement whatsoever about his brother Ran’s orientation. Since sexual orientation varies between individuals even among blood relatives, speculation dragging the family into it has no factual basis.

    *This article is composed by excerpting and summarizing the 5channel (Geisokuho+) thread “[Volleyball] Men’s national team member Ran Takahashi’s brother, Rui Takahashi, comes out as gay: “I was finally able to accept myself for the first time”.”

  • Yakult’s Koyo Aoyagi Left Out of Next Season’s Plans — 5ch: ‘The Man Who Never Sparked a Single Controversy’

    It emerged on September 28 via a Nikkan Sports report that Yakult Swallows pitcher Koyo Aoyagi (32) has been left out of the team’s plans for next season. Aoyagi left the Hanshin Tigers to pursue a shot at MLB, was released from the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate last July, and signed with Yakult that same month — but went winless in three appearances last season and never got called up to the first team this year before receiving this notice. On 5ch, opinions split over whether his MLB bid was worth it, how quickly underhand pitchers tend to decline, and how to view Hanshin letting go of both Shintaro Fujinami and Aoyagi around the same time.

    Published 9/29 (Tue) 4:00 AM

    Nikkan Sports

    It was learned on the 28th that Yakult Swallows pitcher Koyo Aoyagi (32) has been left out of the team’s plans for next season. He was released from the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate last July and joined Yakult at the end of that month. He went winless in three appearances last season, and has not been called up to the first team at all this season. He is believed to want to continue his playing career.

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

    3AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:07
    The man who never sparked a 'wait, isn't that unfair?' debate the way Uesawa did
    24AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:13
    Re: #3
    Everyone probably figured Uesawa would actually turn out to be useful (lol)
    77AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:45
    Re: #3
    Who are you calling unfair!
    4AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:07
    Chunichi's got a new teammate coming in
    73AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:42
    Re: #4
    He's their nemesis, a real DeNA-killer, so it could work
    7AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:08
    Forgot he existed
    He should've just stayed with the Tigers
    27AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:14
    Re: #7
    He hated that idea, that's exactly why he went after the majors
    8AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:08
    A 4.42 ERA in the farm league is rough — feels like he burned through all his luck at his peak
    10AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:09
    No comeback for the hairline, but there's still hope for a comeback as a player
    11AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:09
    His family's basically a Yakult household, so it's kind of an obligation signing
    13AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:10
    Former Samurai Japan ace, washed up at 32…
    Even Fujinami still looks more likely to find takers?
    16AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:11
    Underhand pitchers have a short shelf life to begin with
    On top of that, once age drags his output down,
    his delicate balance collapses and he's no longer pro-level
    23AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:13
    Re: #16
    Reminds me of Hisashi Yamada or Masaki Saito — though those are seriously old-school names
    59AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:35
    Re: #16
    Rei Takahashi faded out fast too.
    18AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:12
    Isn't he just injury-prone to begin with,
    before we even get to 'decline'?
    19AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:12
    He was doing so well, then suddenly couldn't perform at all
    What happened
    61AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:35
    Re: #19
    His numbers were already sliding a good two years before he left for the majors
    So yeah, call it decline
    20AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:12
    Fujinami, now Aoyagi — the Tigers are a cold-hearted team
    46AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:30
    Re: #20
    Cold-hearted? They let two guys move to MLB without even having international FA rights — that's plenty generous. What happens after that is on them.
    21AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:12
    Didn't know he was college classmates with Yakult's Shiomi
    28AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:15
    Re: #23
    You don't have to go back that far — there's Shunsuke Watanabe and Makita too
    30AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:15
    Same age as Ohtani
    67AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:38
    Re: #30
    Nope
    Aoyagi's a year above him
    He's in the Kondo/Yoshida Masataka class
    31AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:15
    Hanshin probably let him go at just the right time
    and are feeling pretty smug about it (lol)
    34AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:20
    Fujinami, Aoyagi —
    both ended up on teams with zero stake
    in this year's pennant race
    38AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:23
    Fuse him with Fujinami into one demon pitcher (´・ω・`)
    48AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:31
    Re: #38
    Fujinami's velocity plus Aoyagi's form and control might actually add up to something usable
    52AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:33
    Re: #46
    That's not it
    Both Fujinami and Aoyagi were cut loose because they stopped winning, plain and simple
    Sato Teruaki wants to try the majors too, but they won't let him go because he's still a valuable piece
    64AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:36
    Re: #52
    'Cut loose' isn't the right word
    They just didn't stand in his way, they didn't push him out
    If anything, the club respected his own wishes
    Don't write careless nonsense
    55AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:34
    His composed pitching in the final game of the Japan Series was awesome
    65AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:38
    Re: #55
    Noisy's homer and Aoyagi's strong outing —
    that was a genuinely rare game
    81AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:46
    (32)? No way…
    He's got the presence of a (52) year old…
    88AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:51
    Re: #81
    He's been called a 'homegrown veteran' since the day he joined the team

    Background and Points of Debate

    Aoyagi was Hanshin’s ace-caliber pitcher around 2021, but his performance began declining around 2023, and in 2024 he left the team to pursue a move to MLB despite not holding international free-agent rights. He failed to produce the results he wanted in the Phillies organization, was released, and joined Yakult last July. In the thread, opinions split over whether to view his exit from Hanshin as the club ‘cutting him loose’ or as ‘the team respecting his own wishes,’ with Hanshin’s parallel split from Shintaro Fujinami around the same time cited as a point of comparison. This latest move — being ‘left out of next season’s plans’ — comes after a season with no first-team call-up, but the term itself doesn’t mean release or retirement; the article only notes speculation that he intends to keep playing. His future will likely come into focus through the coming release notices and roster-cut meetings.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Yakult] Koyo Aoyagi left out of next season’s plans — joined last July, no first-team call-up this season, believed to want to keep playing.”

  • Times Car’ Leaks Over 6.6 Million Personal Records — Including Driver’s License Photos

    On September 28, 2026, Park24 announced that up to roughly 6.6 million account records were leaked from its car-sharing service “Times Car” due to unauthorized access. The breach includes names, addresses, and dates of birth, as well as images of driver’s licenses and student IDs submitted for identity verification, and affects accounts of both former members and corporate clients. While no credit card data is confirmed to have leaked, users on 5ch warned that if license numbers and check digits were also exposed, they could be used to forge fake IDs, and many voiced unease that the cause of the leak has not been disclosed.

    On the 28th, Park24 announced that its car-sharing service “Times Car” had suffered unauthorized access, leaking personal information from up to roughly 6.6 million accounts, some of which included driver’s license images.

    As of now, no misuse of the information has been confirmed, and the service continues to operate. The leak affected up to roughly 6.6 million accounts belonging to Times Car members — including former members — and corporate clients of the Times Business Service.

    In addition to names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, and email addresses, the leaked data includes driver’s license details and images of driver’s licenses, student IDs, and other documents submitted for identity verification. No leak of credit card information has been confirmed.

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:49
    6.6 million people's license photos leaking out is insane
    6AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:53
    With this, people could forge My Number cards or driver's licenses and basically become 'Japanese' at will
    7AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:54
    Fraudulent credit card and phone contract applications using stolen identities are probably about to spike
    9AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:55
    Leaking the correct check digit for the license number is the scary part
    Swap in a new photo and you've got a perfect forgery
    10AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:00
    Was it a hack?
    Was security just lax enough to be exploited?
    Did an employee lose a PC or USB drive full of data?
    Did an employee sell it to a data broker?
    11AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:00
    When personal data leaks, victims can file damages lawsuits against the company.
    The going rate per person isn't actually that high.
    Consolation money tends to run ¥3,000–30,000, plus about ¥5,000 in legal fees.
    But if hundreds of thousands of people's data leaked and everyone filed a claim, the total could reach hundreds of millions of yen.
    12AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:04
    If scammers start calling pretending to be Times Car saying 'we're wiring you ¥100,000 in compensation, just give us your bank account details,' I bet a ton of people fall for it
    13AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:08
    This is what happens when companies casually make people submit photos of their ID documents
    14AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:10
    This is exactly why facial recognition [for Hello! Project fan events] is a non-starter
    18AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:24
    Is it being targeted because it involves driver's licenses?
    What happens if this data ends up overseas?
    20AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:32
    That's hell
    By rights the damages per person should be in the tens of millions of yen
    21AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:34
    Anyone whose data leaked can't use facial recognition anymore unless they get plastic surgery
    22AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:36
    Wonder if some of them will end up 'married' without even knowing it
    23AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:38
    There's been a string of these lately — Tokyo Metro, Seicomart, and others —
    but this one's on a whole different, hopeless level as far as data leaks go
    24AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:38
    Driver's license info (number/address/name/DOB/photo) is basically impossible to change
    Welp, lol
    25AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:39
    Regulators should just assume companies are fundamentally incapable of safely managing personal data and tell them not to store it in the first place
    27AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:42
    If you get an individual notice from Times, you might want to immediately flag the possibility of identity misuse to all three credit bureaus — JICC, CIC, and KSC
    28AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:45
    Just move, get plastic surgery, and sever the link between your My Number photo and your address
    Then hire a lawyer and bill Times for the whole thing
    29AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:48
    This is exactly why I still can't bring myself to get a My Number card
    31AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:51
    Honestly, who cares that it leaked
    This happens somewhere every single day
    You're better off just assuming data centers are leaky sieves and living with it
    32AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:55
    If you can't manage personal data properly, don't keep it around at all
    36AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:01
    Storing that on something that's always network-connected means either there's no security person or they're an idiot
    Once it's registered, move it to a separate offline vault
    Why can't they even manage that, lol
    37AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:02
    Sounds like you can't get through by phone to either Times or CIC right now, lol
    38AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:04
    The attackers really know where to strike though
    Driver's licenses have everything you need for identity theft all in one place
    40AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:07
    Could this end up being the biggest leak on record?
    Both in terms of the number of records and how sensitive the data is
    41AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:08
    Funny how it always just ends with a 'sorry' no matter how bad the leak is
    42AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:08
    @
    Got through to the Times Car Share inquiry desk and asked a few things
    – The exact number affected is still under investigation; 6.6 million is just the upper bound
    – They're still identifying who's affected via logs, etc.
    – Affected users will be notified by some method at a later date; they declined to specify the method, citing security reasons
    – There's no major difference between what the inquiry desk knows and what's on the official site
    43AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:09
    The driver's license is Japan's go-to ID document
    With the number, name, DOB, address, and photo all together, that combination is enough to open a bank account, sign a phone contract, pass identity checks at financial institutions, and even rent a car
    44AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:10
    What exactly makes people trust a company enough to hand over their info in the first place?
    wondered this old-school analog dad
    50AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:15
    Same principle as 'you can't put a door on people's mouths' — once it's out, it's out (Japanese proverb about gossip spreading unstoppably)
    51AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:15
    Glad I just drive my own kei car instead
    53AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:17
    Not just rental cars — any service like this requires handing over your personal info
    and yet every single one of them ends up with sloppy data management
    54AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:18
    Is Toyota Rent a Car okay, though?

    Background and key points

    The driver’s license is one of the few official Japanese ID documents that bundles address, date of birth, and photo all in one place, and unlike an email address, its number and contents can’t be changed by the user — which makes this leak especially serious. Concern over the license data was strong enough that the thread produced extreme countermeasures like “get plastic surgery to sever the link.” Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the cause of the leak (unauthorized access vs. an internal management failure) has not been disclosed, and both the method and timing of notifying victims remain “under investigation.” There has been a string of recent leaks at businesses handling identity documents — Tokyo Metro, Seicomart, Nippon Rent-A-Car, and others — putting the data-handling practices of any service that requires submitting license photos under scrutiny.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “‘Times Car’ leaks up to roughly 6.6 million records (names, addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, driver’s licenses, student IDs, etc.).”

  • Rural Elder Care Is Now a “Fighting Retreat” as Population Decline Threatens Services

    A news story using Shimokitayama, a village in Nara Prefecture, as a case study on the crisis facing rural elder care was picked up on 5ch’s News Speed+ board. As both the population needing care and the workers providing it dwindle, experts reportedly describe rural care as being in a “fighting retreat.” The thread mixed worries about a reversion to the era when families had to shoulder caregiving themselves, with conflicted reactions to the trend of concentrating elderly people in upscale urban facilities. Calls to improve pay and conditions for caregivers—who face low wages and irregular shifts—ran alongside warnings that raising wages would make facilities financially unviable, sparking a broader debate about a structural problem that simple “labor shortage” framing can’t fully explain.

    Rural elder care is in a critical state. A severe shortage of workers is being compounded by a shrinking pool of people who need care.

    A quarter century has passed since Japan’s long-term care insurance system launched with the goal of “socializing caregiving,” but some experts now describe rural elder care as a “fighting retreat.”

    Take Shimokitayama, a village at the southern tip of Nara Prefecture. Its population, which stood at 1,212 in the 2005 census, has fallen by 40% to 701 as of 2025. According to 2023 projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, it’s expected to shrink further to just 451 by 2040.

    Source: mainichi.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:00
    Care facilities are becoming a rich-people-only thing…

    We're heading back to an era where children look after their own parents, and only children will be forced to choose between their parents and their own life.
    36AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:16
    People who could easily be cared for by their own family
    get dumped in a nursing home by relatives with money to burn.
    What started as a business
    now has small operators going under.
    Users and families are idiots.
    Owners are scum.
    Caregivers get irregular shifts and low pay.
    Caregivers are at each other's throats, tearing each other down.

    That's just my impression—I don't even work in care.
    79AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:34
    Re: #3
    Isn't that exactly why they're talking about mandatory retirement at 45?
    Re: #36
    Abe praising Goodwill's care-services company (Goodwill Group, a staffing firm later hit by scandal) 20 years ago was the beginning of the end.
    131AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:57
    Re: #3
    There's a chance we're heading back to obasuteyama days—literally abandoning the elderly (from the old legend of carrying elders into the mountains to die)…
    4AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:01
    Don't rural families all live together in big houses or something?
    124AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:52
    Re: #4
    Maybe if you're a decent parent you'll get looked after lol
    8AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:03
    Rural areas default to extended families, so isn't caregiving basically just part of the family business?
    25AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:13
    Re: #8
    That only applies to the rare case, like a farming family whose kid actually took over the farm.
    Most rural areas are places where the kids moved to the city for work and only the old folks are left behind.
    59AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:24
    No, seriously, the caregiver shortage is way worse than you guys think.
    There's nobody willing to do the job. At this rate the whole care industry is going to collapse.

    I'm dead serious. Whether it's you, your friends, or your relatives—please try to steer people toward the care industry.
    63AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:27
    Re: #59
    Then the answer becomes 'pay them well'—but then nobody can afford to live in the facility in the first place.
    111AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:46
    Only solution left is nursing homes attached to prisons, to catch elderly people who have nowhere else to go.
    No idea if "I don't want to deal with wiping some old person's ass" would actually work as a deterrent against crime, though.
    114AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:47
    Re: #111
    Even in that prison, there are more and more inmates who might as well be senile old men.
    136AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:59
    Prefecture ranking for declining birth rates
    139AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:03
    Risks of living in the countryside

    1. Public transit disappears. Once you can't drive anymore, you can't function.
    2. Electricity, gas, and water bills skyrocket.
    3. Roads and other infrastructure become impossible to maintain.
    4. Even if you request home care, nobody comes.
    5. A bear stops by every day to check whether the homeowner is still alive.
    148AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:09
    Re: #139
    Just get the bear to work as the caregiver then, problem solved.
    158AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:16
    Re: #139
    That's why you live in a decent standalone house in a reasonably central spot within a "compact city."

    Speaking as someone whose family has actually used care services—
    >4. Even if you request home care, nobody comes.
    Believe it or not, that's actually a bigger problem in the city center.
    Home-visit nurses genuinely struggle without visitor parking.
    They'll ask you, "Is there somewhere I can park? Even a kei car? Not even a COMS microcar?"
    141AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:04
    I'm in Gunma, but the pricier facilities here that take in elderly people from the city center are booming.
    A modern-day obasuteyama (the mountain where the elderly were once left to die).
    142AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:05
    Re: #141
    Eventually a generation that can't afford the move-in fees will show up, and that's when it all falls apart.
    143AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:05
    Re: #141
    Even where facilities exist, they can't find any caregivers to staff them…
    149AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:10
    Honestly, it's shocking that neither the Health Ministry nor the Trade Ministry did any groundwork at all on stuff like self-driving cars or care robots for the aging population—even something as obvious as that, which I could've thought of myself.
    167AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:21
    Re: #149
    Ice Age generation here (Japan's "Employment Ice Age"—those who job-hunted during the long 1990s–2000s recession).
    Got rejected by 100 different nursing homes.
    Couldn't even get an interview.

    Whatever I went through job-hunting back then just keeps following me for life.
    173AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:22
    Re: #167
    Any sane member of the Ice Age generation wouldn't touch caregiving work.
    Maybe not so much in the old days, but dealing with the baby boomers now would drive you insane lol
    179AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:23
    Re: #167
    In the end, the ones who never even try to get into a nursing home turn out to be the winners.
    152AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:13
    The real crisis starts once the Ice Age generation hits old age.
    Are there even enough young people left to hold up that inverted pyramid?
    All I can picture is a future where you apply for a nursing home, get put on a waitlist, and just never get in.
    154AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:14
    Re: #152
    The Ice Age generation's pension won't kick in until age 85.
    Full out-of-pocket medical costs, too.
    And of course welfare ("namapo") will be abolished by then.
    161AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:18
    Re: #152
    Only option left is supplements and the gym to extend your healthy lifespan.
    169AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:21
    Re: #154
    Pretty seriously, it looks like things will be adjusted so the Ice Age-to-Yutori generations only ever get back 10-20% of what they paid in before they hit the average life expectancy.
    For Gen Z and beyond, with the birthrate dropping even further, it might not even be a question of how much pension you get, but whether you get any at all…
    177AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:22
    Re: #169
    The Ice Age generation will be rolling in it come retirement thanks to the new NISA (Japan's tax-free investment scheme), right? lol
    186AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:26
    Even now, nursing homes basically take your entire pension straight from you.
    Ice Age generation people who didn't even pay into the pension and won't get the full amount
    will get screened out by the facility right from the start, so all that's left is decomposing at home.
    And even if you're lucky enough to get in, if you're a loner nobody visits you, so you're still a loner no matter where you end up.
    It's hopeless.
    191AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:27
    Re: #186
    Your place is rented too, so you'll get kicked out of that as well lol
    196AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:28
    Re: #186
    Someone who's always been a loner is one thing, but it might actually be worse to have family out there who just never bother to visit.
    212AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:37
    Re: #186
    You can probably make friends once you're in a facility.
    Beats the daily grind of shuffling between a run-down apartment and the discount stickers at the supermarket.
    197AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:30
    Isn't there no future for this industry unless frontline caregiver pay goes up?
    At care-industry corporations, it's only the executives and board members outside the frontline who are getting fat off it.
    199AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:30
    Re: #197
    Okay then, let's double the consumption tax and double the long-term care insurance premiums.
    200AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:31
    Re: #197
    I think most employers would rather shut down the business than raise frontline wages.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    It’s been a quarter century since Japan’s long-term care insurance system began, yet Shimokitayama’s population has dropped 40%, from 1,212 in 2005 to 701 in 2025, and is projected to fall further to 451 by 2040. What makes rural elder care so difficult isn’t simply a shortage of caregivers—it’s that the number of people needing care is shrinking too. The thread saw calls to “raise wages” clash directly with warnings that “raising wages will bankrupt the facilities,” pointing to a structural problem that better pay alone can’t fix. Some also described the trend of gathering rural elderly into upscale urban facilities as a “modern-day obasuteyama” (the legendary mountain where the elderly were once abandoned), while others pointed to the risks of rural living itself—lack of transportation, crumbling infrastructure, and no home-care visits—making this a debate with no simple answer between urban concentration and sustaining rural life. There was also anxiety expressed about the outlook for pensions and medical costs once the Employment Ice Age generation reaches old age.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Rural Elder Care Is Now a “Fighting Retreat” as Population Decline Threatens Services.”

  • Oda Draws Another Villain as a Joke Again, Splits Fans — 5ch: “Sommers Was Always Gonna Be This Level”

    Sommers, a villain introduced in “One Piece”‘s Elbaf arc, has become a hot topic on 5ch after being drawn with comedic flair yet again. Despite belonging to the Holy Knights — the elite unit under the direct command of the Five Elders — some fans questioned why he wasn’t portrayed as a serious, formidable threat, while others defended it, arguing “he’s just matching Nika’s vibe” and “this level is fine for him.” Opinions were split.

    The discussion spread to other topics too, including the lack of a real rival swordsman for Zoro and the generational gap over whether Reiwa-era kids are even reading One Piece anymore, turning the thread into a sprawling debate with several arguments running side by side.

    1AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    lol ("kusa"/grass — Japanese net slang for laughing)
    5AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:32
    ☆Here it comes!!! (a stock 5ch reaction meme)
    12AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:40
    Re: #5
    That's already broken-tough territory, honestly.
    6AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:33
    It's cheesy because you don't just burst into tears and get a runny nose the instant you feel fear.
    66AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:20
    Re: #6
    Yeah, the way they portray fear here is just way too over-the-top…
    14AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:44
    I actually like One Piece, but come on Oda, this one's rough.
    These days bashing One Piece is basically a full-time job.
    Got too dumb so I quit buying Jump — I only catch up through clip compilations now.
    36AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:59
    Re: #14
    You don't actually like it, do you.
    Honestly even I, an anti, might like it more than you do.
    19AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:47
    Sommers being treated at this level is fine, isn't it — or did you want them to spend ages fleshing him out so you could get emotionally invested and see him drawn all cool?
    24AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:49
    He's a disciple of the guy who drew "Tar-chan" (Jungle King Tar-chan), so of course he knows how to properly switch between serious and gag modes.
    27AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:52
    Re: #24
    Classic "not even a millimeter of that rubbed off on him."
    41AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:02
    Seriously so lame.
    Oda and his editor are probably cracking up over this one.
    42AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:03
    Re: #41
    I bet the editor practices that exaggerated, hand-clapping laugh like TV comedians do.
    43AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:04
    Sad news:
    Turns out Conqueror's Haki was the ultimate form of selfishness all along.
    57AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:13
    Re: #43
    lol, that's just a knockoff of "the secret art of doing as one pleases" (the official name for Gear 5's Advanced Conqueror's Haki).
    50AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:08
    This is the kind of level where they should pull him off serialization.
    Give him a break like Togashi and make him redo the storyboards from scratch.
    53AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:09
    Re: #50
    He actually did take a long break and rework things before the Elbaf arc even started, though.
    62AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:15
    Zoro doesn't really have a rival, does he.

    Mihawk doesn't quite feel like a rival, and with the series nearing its end, Zoro's barely fought any proper swordsman. I think that's a pretty big problem.
    64AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:19
    Re: #62
    Is Ryuma about the only one who really counts as a genuine swordsman?
    75AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:25
    Re: #64
    Rocks, Roger, Shanks —
    though I guess these guys were too unpolished to even achieve Black Blade, so none of them became the strongest in the world.
    80AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:29
    Re: #64
    Ryuma's kind of a weak pick since his body's a zombie and he's really just bones underneath.

    And in Wano, right when I thought Zoro would finally fight a proper samurai, it just ended with him fighting some weird dinosaur-looking thing instead.
    63AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:17
    He's making it entertaining for Reiwa-era kids, and yet Heisei-era old guys keep raging "cut the lame gags!" — what even is this phenomenon.
    Just retire from manga already.
    65AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:19
    Re: #63
    Wait, was the die-hard fanboy actually the "unwanted kid" this whole time?
    72AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:24
    Re: #63
    Reiwa kids are watching Demon Slayer — they're not touching a crappy manga like One Piece.
    67AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:20
    Re: #63
    Reiwa kids probably aren't even reading it in the first place.
    73AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:24
    Re: #67
    But Dragon Ball and Hunter x Hunter don't even get brought up anymore.
    77AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:26
    Re: #73
    That's basically a Domain Expansion right there.
    69AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:21
    You guys really do love One Piece, huh.
    76AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:25
    Re: #69
    That's Hori Daisuke-tier popularity (Sanji's voice actor).
    81AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:29
    Isn't that gag-face style just being dragged along by Nika (Luffy's Gear 5 form)?
    88AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:32
    Re: #81
    Apparently this is foreshadowing.
    Classic Odacchi.
    87AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:32
    Sommers was always that kind of character to begin with…
    One Piece haters really are shallow.
    90AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:33
    Re: #87
    The weird part in the first place is that the Holy Knights have become gag characters — they're supposed to be the elite combat unit under the direct command of the world's king.
    99AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:39
    Why does Sommers give off such a weaker vibe than Enel?
    101AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:42
    Re: #99
    There's nothing suggesting he's actually stronger than Enel.
    100AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:41
    Was the last truly serious battle the fight against Katakuri?
    That's basically the only arc that's gotten good reviews since the two-year timeskip era began.
    105AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:44
    Re: #100
    Akazaya vs. Kaido, Yamato vs. Kaido, Kid vs. Shanks, Blackbeard vs. Hancock — there's plenty of those.
    119AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:56
    Why's one of the final-boss squad getting scared of something as ordinary as Conqueror's Haki?
    123AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:59
    Re: #119
    Because he's just some rank-and-file member of the final-boss squad, that's why.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    “Sommers” is a member of the Holy Knights, the combat unit under the direct command of the Five Elders, introduced in the Elbaf arc of Eiichiro Oda’s “One Piece.” What sparked discussion in the thread was that a character meant to carry a serious setting was given comedic treatment almost immediately upon introduction — a directorial pattern that has recurred throughout the series. The technique of expressing fear or shock through exaggerated crying faces, and the practice of depicting powerful enemies comically, has repeatedly sparked debate in past arcs as well, not just this one.

    Some exchanges in the thread treat “the secret art of doing as one pleases” (Advanced Conqueror’s Haki) and “Conqueror’s Haki” as if they were the same thing, but within the story’s own setting these are distinct abilities, so the comparison should be taken with caution. The complaint that “Zoro has no rival as a swordsman” is also a long-standing grievance that persists even now that the series has entered its final arc — this thread brought up names like Rocks, Roger, and Shanks, the strongest figures in the series’ history, showing it’s a recurring talking point among longtime fans rather than a one-off.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Image] Eiichiro Oda Turns Yet Another Villain into a Gag Character wwwwwwwww.”

  • Rakuten Mobile Faces Moment of Truth as KDDI Scales Back Roaming Deal, Base Station Rollout Lags

    At the end of September, Rakuten Mobile will lose part of its “roaming” agreement to borrow signal from KDDI. For Rakuten, which has relied on rival networks in areas where its own base station buildout hasn’t kept pace, this marks a make-or-break moment on the road to going it alone. The thread lit up with a report that an au store had posted a sign saying “roaming to Rakuten ends in this area,” along with the latest subscriber numbers for docomo, au, SoftBank, and Rakuten — and opinion split over how to weigh cheap rates against a spottier connection.

    Delivered 9/29 (Tue) 7:05 AM

    Jiji Press

    Rakuten Mobile, a Rakuten Group subsidiary, will have part of its “roaming” agreement to borrow KDDI’s mobile network terminated in some areas at the end of this month.

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

    4AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:34
    The smear campaign against Rakuten Mobile never stops, huh.
    Works fine for me and it's cheap — I don't have that many complaints.
    8AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:37
    Re: #4
    But it might stop working fine soon.
    70AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:01
    Re: #4
    Lucky guy…
    10AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:37
    au stores have started smearing Rakuten directly now.
    They put up a map in the store saying "signal lending to Rakuten has ended in this area"
    and tell customers to switch carriers.
    73AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:03
    Re: #10
    Seriously?
    That's blatant.
    They must have really hated lending out signal.
    99AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:13
    Re: #10
    These stores are run by disposable temp staff anyway
    — it's all about contract numbers for them.

    I don't need a store since Povo is enough for me. (Povo: KDDI's low-cost, app-only SIM plan)
    15AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:39
    I'm not worried — just bump it to 200 shares for the shareholder perk and the stock's at 1,200 yen.
    39AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:50
    Re: #15
    The perk could get scrapped and the stock could drop to 300 yen too.
    25AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:44
    Wanting big-carrier-level profits without doing the capital investment is just shameless.
    31AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:47
    Re: #25
    Roaming exists for rural areas where building your own infrastructure costs a fortune for zero benefit — using roaming there is actually the more financially stable choice.
    27AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:46
    Does Rakuten really have worse coverage than docomo?
    35AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:47
    Re: #27
    At my parents' place out in the suburbs, Rakuten's straight up out of range
    — and it's technically a regional city too.
    Though I think Rakuten's fine if you're just using it for data at home.
    30AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:46
    Re: #1
    You're mixing up the au/KDDI roaming (platinum band) story with the 5G story.
    38AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:50
    Re: #30
    Typo on my part — I meant low-frequency and high-frequency bands.
    40AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:50
    I figured they'd extend the au roaming deal at the last minute, but they're really cutting it, huh.
    44AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:52
    Re: #40
    And they're giving up on that not-so-cheap roaming fee too.
    42AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:51
    I used to do sales for Rakuten base stations — going it alone is pretty tough.
    Building owners tend to sign with multiple carriers, but once you're the 4th carrier, it gets messy and owners tend to balk.
    77AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:06
    Just looked it up.



    Is this going to go bad too?
    82AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:07
    Re: #77
    If you're connecting on Rakuten's own network, it should stay the same
    — this is about the partner network shrinking.
    84AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:08
    Re: #77
    That's a Rakuten-owned area, so nothing changes there.
    88AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:09
    Does it even work out in the countryside?
    Re: #77
    With this you wouldn't even need fiber-optic broadband.
    107AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:15
    Why did they ever get into the phone business…
    109AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:17
    Re: #107
    Mikitani's "gotta have everything" syndrome flared up again. (Hiroshi Mikitani, Rakuten's founder/CEO)
    121AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:20
    Re: #107
    They judged that running their own mobile network (MNO) was essential to complete the ecosystem tying together e-commerce, fintech, and telecom.
    Every other company's doing the same thing now, but
    Rakuten's execution is a cut or two above the rest.
    I was skeptical for years myself, but they've passed 11 million lines now
    — I think in the long run this'll turn out to have been the right call.
    126AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:22
    Re: #107
    "Why" — because once this turns profitable, the money's absurd. Anyone saying to cut losses on the mobile business doesn't understand economics.
    137AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:26
    Honestly, it's not even that cheap.
    143AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:30
    Re: #137
    Rakuten Mobile's Mikitani: "Honestly, having people use it for free forever would be a problem for us."
    https://k-tai.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1409103.html
    234AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:12
    Re: #137
    The unlimited plan is godly, but the other plans aren't especially cheap.
    Though there is something nice about not having to worry no matter how many GB you use since it's a flat rate.
    160AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:42
    Don't know much about it, but is it that docomo, SoftBank, and KDDI have the whole country's network locked up so there's no room for a newcomer?
    170AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:46
    Re: #160
    The low-frequency "platinum band," which can penetrate into buildings, is monopolized by the three major carriers, and every other usable frequency is already allocated to something — so there's no way to hand any to Rakuten. For reference, back when SoftBank didn't have a platinum band, they even paid to have other frequencies relocated just to secure one.
    174AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:47
    Re: #160
    Didn't Rakuten get a government subsidy to try a Japanese version of Starlink?
    If that pans out, they might be able to compete on equal footing with a whole new kind of network.
    191AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:56
    Isn't KDDI the one in trouble here?
    Rakuten's actually gotten pretty decent at connecting these days.
    (Though at big hospitals and places like that, I sometimes get "no signal" while everyone around me is on a call fine.)
    193AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:58
    Re: #191
    The same Rakuten that says "you're offline" when you try to pay at checkout?

    Rakuten has no standing to say anything about KDDI.
    197AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:00
    Re: #191
    au's been on a winning streak lately, so they probably don't want to keep lending roaming coverage to Rakuten for downtown subway tunnels and shopping complexes.

    NTT docomo……91,291,800 lines (-1,784,600)
    au (KDDI etc.)……73,814,300 lines (+1,053,700)
    SoftBank……57,019,700 lines (+99,600)
    Rakuten Mobile……10,750,000 lines (+390,000)
    235AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:12
    Just like cheap-and-good-enough eventually ate into Japan's high-quality-everything market,
    Rakuten is going to keep chipping away share from the big three high-quality carriers.
    Once it clears 15% share, you could call it the "big four" carriers.
    It's at 10% now.

    Look at how expensive everything's gotten these days and it's obvious what ordinary people are thinking.
    238AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:14
    Re: #235
    It's still in the 3% range though…
    241AnonymousSep 29, 2026 10:15
    Re: #235
    Their quality's only been decent because they were piggybacking on other carriers' networks — once they actually have to invest in infrastructure themselves, they won't be able to keep prices low. Isn't that game over?

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Rakuten Mobile’s roaming setup lets it borrow KDDI’s network in areas its own base stations don’t yet reach, and this round of cuts affects only part of that coverage area. The thread shows both anxiety — “is coverage really going to disappear?” — and shrugs from users who say they’ve never noticed a problem, revealing just how much the experience varies by person. There’s also a point about pricing: Rakuten’s unlimited plan is a genuine standout, but commenters note its other plans aren’t dramatically cheaper than rivals’, so the blanket “Rakuten = cheap” image can be misleading. The power dynamic between the carrier borrowing base stations and the one lending them — and the fact that an au store’s in-store notice effectively doubles as a sales pitch — hints at maneuvering within the industry that goes beyond a simple contract change.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (News Speed+) thread “[Mobile Phones] Rakuten Mobile Faces Moment of Truth Toward Independence as KDDI Scales Back Network Lending, Base Station Buildout Lags Behind Rivals.”

  • Juice=Juice’s Old Guard vs. Newcomers: Veteran Fans Get Dogpiled in YouTube Comments

    A video related to Hello! Project’s Juice=Juice went viral on YouTube, sparking a clash in the comments between longtime fans (the “old guard”) and fans who joined more recently (the “newcomers”). It started with a comment worrying that “going viral will make tickets harder to get,” which spiraled into exchanges like “it’s the newcomers’ fault for not shouting during concerts” and “newcomers who don’t know the group’s history are trying to argue down the old guard.” Claims also circulated that seats at Budokan and PIA Arena sold out instantly through fan club presale alone, highlighting both the group’s soaring popularity and the generational friction among its fans.

    1AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:07
    tps://youtu.be/GMQIbclKM24
    2AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:09
    Man, this kind of viral blowup is such a pain
    tickets are gonna be even harder to get now
    16AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:24
    Re: #2
    The old guard is the reason it's a pain
    the crappy agency is the reason tickets are hard to get
    6AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:13
    Newcomers need to remember: when in Rome, do as the Romans do
    8AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:14
    It's the newcomers' fault the concert has no energy
    you all need to cheer louder
    9AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:15
    The newcomers outnumber everyone now
    the group's history is just gonna get erased
    10AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:17
    >"Sorry, but her voice has too much personality, not really my thing"
    Oh no… poor Chan-san
    11AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:18
    A concert is a place to go listen to the artist sing, not to go watch otaku do their own chants and dance moves
    13AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:18
    Re: #11
    Then don't come to Hello! Project shows
    15AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:22
    Re: #11
    Save that opinion for K-pop concerts
    14AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:20
    Old guard and newcomers are about to hit an Aufheben (a Hegelian "synthesis" of the clash) — not sure what else you'd call it
    19AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:26
    So I guess Juice=Juice doesn't need any new members anymore, huh
    21AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:26
    Re: #19
    They're probably not planning to quit anyway, and honestly, they're not needed
    22AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:27
    If you like the current Juice=Juice lineup, then Danbara and Inoue should just stay in the group forever
    24AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    Re: #22
    Yep, that's exactly what I'm hoping for
    25AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    I think a female idol's shelf life is 25
    27AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    Re: #25
    =LOVE has members in their 30s, you know
    28AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    The newcomers say "now is the best era" without knowing the group's history, so the old guard just pushed back — and somehow it's the old guard getting dogpiled for it
    30AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    Re: #28
    If the original members were really the best, they'd have been huge back in the original-member era
    31AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    Well, the fact that this guy's doing this in a YouTube comment section already makes him a certified troublesome otaku too
    34AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:29
    Re: #31
    Nobody's talking about "troublesome vs. wholesome" fans here
    37AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:31
    They're supposedly the hottest act around right now, so they can't have empty seats, right?
    Then again, a crowd that's 100% newcomers doesn't sit right either
    39AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:31
    Re: #37
    Both Budokan and PIA Arena sold out all 8,000 seats in the first round with just fan club members, so please get a bigger venue
    38AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:31
    How does affirming the original members somehow mean denying that the group is selling well now?
    42AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:32
    Re: #38
    What do you mean?
    53AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:39
    This is the phase where newcomers start rewriting their own history, like claiming "I used to watch the original members' videos"
    55AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:39
    Re: #53
    Yeah right, no you didn't
    59AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:41
    Re: #34
    The point was that the old guard is the annoying one though
    62AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:43
    Re: #59
    But that's just a fact
    65AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:43
    It's not 'We're here, Risachi'
    it's 'We're here, Tomoko' (dueling versions of a concert call-and-response chant)
    69AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:45
    Re: #65
    Ancient-old-guard fan: "There's no such chant in the original song"

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Clashes between “old guard” and “newcomer” fans are a recurring topic among Hello! Project idol fandoms. As a group’s lineup changes over the years, fans who remember the original members (the “orimen” era) and those who started supporting the group after a later breakthrough often differ in how well they understand — and how attached they are to — the concert “call” culture (the shouted chants and cheers). One post in the thread claimed that seats at Budokan and PIA Arena sold out entirely through fan club presale alone, but this is simply a claim made on an anonymous message board and has not been confirmed by any official figures. The debate also tends to get framed simply as “old guard vs. newcomers,” but factors like the venue’s seating capacity and how tickets are sold play a role too — it isn’t purely down to individual fans’ attitudes.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Sad News] Juice=Juice’s Old-Guard Otaku Get Dogpiled in a YouTube Comment Section…“.

  • ‘Temp Work at a Big Company Beats Being a Full-Timer at a Small One,’ Says 5ch Poster — Thread Erupts Over ‘3-Year Rule’ Myth

    On 5ch’s Nandemo Jikkyo G board, a poster working as a temp (haken) at a major corporation sparked a mixed reaction by writing, “If we’re both losers anyway, being a temp at a big company beats being a full-time employee at a small one.” The original poster cited generous benefits and support for earning qualifications, but replies pushed back with concerns about job insecurity after age 50, disagreements over interpreting the Worker Dispatch Act’s so-called “3-year rule,” and the real-world example of staffing agency Rimp, which went bankrupt this past June. Beyond the clash over whether being a full-timer or a temp is the better deal, the thread later spiraled into accusations that the original poster was replying to themselves using multiple accounts (jien).

    1AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:07
    Look, among us fellow losers, there's always a chunk of people who just want the "full-timer" title for bragging rights, or who become full-timers at small companies and start looking down on temps.
    Honestly, being a temp at a big company beats being a full-timer at a small one — way less stress.
    Benefits are solid too.
    3AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:08
    What are you gonna do once you hit 50?
    4AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:09
    Re: #3
    I'm not that motivated myself, but they've got solid support for skill-building and certifications (training sessions, free textbooks, qualification allowances), so it'll work out somehow.
    8AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:12
    Re: #4
    I'm actually on the side that hires you guys, and honestly I think you're screwed — there's no incentive for them to raise your pay.
    You're a big help to us, sure, but if someone shows promise we actively push them from fixed-term → regional full-timer → full-timer.
    23AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:21
    Re: #4
    Even with certifications, a 50-something with no real experience isn't getting hired anywhere.
    Notice how there are barely any temps in their 50s? Most people hit their contract limit, or get hospitalized once and can't renew, and end up doing Timee (a gig-work app) or other day-labor jobs after that.
    7AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:11
    Wait, can't you not be dispatched to the same place for more than 3 years?
    10AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:14
    Re: #7
    That's a common misunderstanding, but no.
    As long as the client company doesn't end the contract, you can stay for however many years.
    If there really were a hard 3-year rule, it'd be way too inconvenient for the government and big corporations.
    12AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:15
    Re: #8
    Isn't that just about how the staffing agency's system works? For the record, I am a full-time employee — of the staffing agency.
    16AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:18
    I've done both multiple times, and full-time employment is overwhelmingly better.
    Got real confirmation of that once I got older.
    18AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:18
    Re: #16
    Just having a bonus alone can nearly double your annual income.
    19AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:19
    Re: #12
    Exactly why. A direct-hire contract employee still has a shot, but a "full-time-style" temp doesn't. Do what you want, but think it through.
    24AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:23
    Re: #19
    Even temps can get converted to full-time staff, you know.
    And even without conversion, there's no way they can just cut us loose.
    Maybe in an office job, sure, but on-site, temps make up like half the workforce — the company would fall apart without us.
    They've been covering everything with temps for so long that there are barely any young full-timers left, just middle-aged and older ones.
    26AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:25
    Re: #24
    I've seen plenty of guys that confident get cut loose anyway.
    30AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    Re: #24
    If you're not even on a fixed-term non-regular contract, that kind of thing normally isn't allowed — and even then, there'd have to be a severance payment.
    What kind of company is taking advantage of you like that?
    31AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:28
    Re: #26
    Even if I get cut, as long as I've saved up money by then, there's nothing to be scared of.
    I'm in my 20s now — even if I get cut at 50, it won't be a problem.
    36AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:30
    Re: #31
    Staffing agencies are dropping like flies right now, so I doubt you'll even make it to 50 in this job. Just search it — sources come up immediately.
    50AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:37
    Re: #36
    There were just too many staffing agencies.
    It's only the shady ones that can't land contracts that are going under.
    49AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:36
    I'm just saying, if we're both losers anyway, temp work at a big company is the better option.
    51AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:38
    Re: #49
    That's actually pretty on point.
    Only people who've made peace with it and gotten philosophical about it can stick it out as a long-term temp.
    53AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:39
    Re: #49
    Being a full-timer at a small company doesn't make you a loser.
    You've been poisoned by the internet way too much, man.
    52AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:39
    I was placed at a top-tier Prime-listed company, the highest-paying kind of temp gig out there.
    Same situation as OP — it's genuinely not a bad company, but people around you still just see the "temp" label.
    Must be rough these days if you're in the marriage-hunting phase of life.
    66AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:48
    Re: #52
    Honestly, these days nobody gets married except for the local bad-boy types who don't even care whether you're rich or poor from working at a big company.
    55AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:41
    Re: #53
    Then temps aren't losers either, right? That's not even the point right now.
    56AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:42
    Re: #55
    You're literally the only one who's been calling temps "losers" in the first place.
    58AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:43
    Re: #55
    You're the only one even using the word "loser" here.
    57AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:42
    Re: #54
    Which "big company" are you even talking about?
    You can tell a lot about a firm from which staffing agency it contracts with, so spill it.
    67AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:48
    Re: #57

    It has come to light that Rimp, a staffing company headquartered in Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, received a bankruptcy commencement order from the Fukuoka District Court on June 17.

    [See photos] Bankrupt: the staffing firm that specialized in call-center placements

    Total liabilities are estimated at around ¥410 million.

    ■ About 30,000 registered temp staff — call-center staffing was its core business

    According to Teikoku Databank's Fukuoka branch, Rimp was founded in June 2013 as "Create Staffing."
    Its core business was staffing for call centers, and it also ran its own in-house call centers.

    Rimp had roughly 30,000 registered temp staff.
    About 70% of its clients were in large-scale call-center operations, and it also placed staff with health-food mail-order retailers and mobile phone agency businesses.
    80AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:53
    Re: #67
    That's registered staff count, not actual employee headcount.
    And it's a company that's only been around a bit over ten years.
    That counts as "big company" status?
    83AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:56
    Re: #80
    If you can land contracts with major companies, that makes you a major player.
    86AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:58
    Re: #80
    The whole point was assuming OP's placement is at a big company, and that the staffing agency behind it went under — so it's right on topic.
    60AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:44
    Re: #56 Re: #58
    I think both are losers, that's why I said it that way.
    64AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:46
    Re: #60
    If you're replying "then they're not losers," that means you think I called them losers in the first place, right?
    Your Japanese logic's a bit off, dude.
    68AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:49
    Re: #64
    I'm on the move right now so I can't focus that well, sorry about that.
    69AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:49
    Re: #68
    Your sockpuppeting's been caught, you know.
    72AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:50
    Re: #68
    Used the wrong device, huh? Game over.
    71AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:50
    Re: #69
    What would even be the point of sockpuppeting here?
    73AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:50
    Re: #71
    You lose.
    75AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:51
    Re: #71
    Ahh, and it was just getting good too.
    90AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:59
    Re: #86
    It's not even a big company. Are you unemployed or something?
    92AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:00
    Re: #90
    It literally says "major call center" right there. Can this guy not even read Japanese?
    94AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:01
    Re: #92
    Nah, I can tell even when you're trying to cover it up. Or is it actually some tiny outfit?
    96AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:02
    Re: #94
    Jumping in here, but you've lost this one.
    101AnonymousSep 29, 2026 09:03
    Re: #94
    Now's your chance to bail, if you're gonna.

    Background and Key Points of This Debate

    Japan’s Worker Dispatch Act includes a “limit on the dispatch period,” capping assignments to the same workplace/organizational unit at three years in principle, with an extension requiring procedures such as consulting the labor union or employee representatives. One poster in the thread claimed there’s “no such thing as a 3-year rule,” but the cap itself is indeed written into the law — in practice, many companies get around it by rotating temps between departments or converting them to indefinite-term employment. The bankruptcy of staffing agency Rimp, raised partway through the discussion, is a real event: the Fukuoka District Court issued a bankruptcy commencement order in June of this year against the firm, whose core business was call-center staffing and which reportedly carried liabilities of roughly ¥410 million. What split the thread was a difference in values over whether being a temp at a big company or a full-timer at a small one is the better deal — both sides argued from personal experience, and no clear consensus was reached.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “I work as a temp and there’s one thing I want to tell you all.”

  • Tokyo’s 23 Wards: Average Rent for Single-Occupant Apartments Hits Record ¥114,339 — 5ch: “I Can’t Even Afford to Move Anymore”

    According to a survey by AtHome, the average rent for single-occupant rental apartments in Tokyo’s 23 wards rose 10% year-on-year in August to ¥114,339 — the highest figure since records began. Rents in nearby areas like Kanagawa and Saitama have also kept climbing, and posters noted that areas with good access to central Tokyo, such as Yokohama and Kawasaki, have long been at elevated levels. On the 5ch thread, some lamented that they could “no longer afford to move,” while others debated whether renting or buying makes more financial sense, and discussed how rising construction costs and interest rates are pushing up not just land prices but detached-house prices too — opinions were split.

    Apartment rents remain stubbornly high. Last month, the average rent for single-occupant apartments in Tokyo’s 23 wards topped ¥114,300, setting a new record high.

    According to real estate information site operator AtHome, the average August rent for single-occupant rental apartments in Tokyo’s 23 wards rose 10% from the previous year to ¥114,339.

    That’s the highest since the survey began.

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

    2AnonymousSep 29, 2026 02:38
    Whoa, that's steep

    Glad I bought when I did
    3AnonymousSep 29, 2026 02:39
    Re: #2
    But maintenance fees are skyrocketing too
    10AnonymousSep 29, 2026 03:02
    Re: #2
    What exactly did you buy?
    51AnonymousSep 29, 2026 04:38
    Seriously can't afford to move anymore…
    12AnonymousSep 29, 2026 03:04
    If it's ¥110k in Tokyo but ¥80k in Kanagawa, isn't Kanagawa way better?
    20AnonymousSep 29, 2026 03:21
    Re: #12
    You think Odawara/Hiratsuka have the same rent as Yokohama/Kawasaki?
    56AnonymousSep 29, 2026 04:54
    Re: #12
    Areas of Kanagawa within an hour's commute of Tokyo — Yokohama, Kawasaki, etc. — have always been pricey.

    Most people can't handle a 90-minute commute, it's brutal
    75AnonymousSep 29, 2026 05:59
    Re: #12
    Nah, Kanagawa's too run-down, don't like it
    28AnonymousSep 29, 2026 03:48
    My salary hasn't gone up though
    Is that okay?
    This is flat-out stagflation.
    33AnonymousSep 29, 2026 03:53
    Re: #28
    That's just you
    Regular salarymen have gotten decent raises
    46AnonymousSep 29, 2026 04:20
    What's the actual floor plan on these 'single-occupant' units?
    A 1R (one-room studio) isn't fit for a human to live in
    55AnonymousSep 29, 2026 04:50
    Re: #46
    Some 1Rs are over 40㎡, plenty roomy
    They really need to break it down by size instead of lumping in anything under 20㎡
    82AnonymousSep 29, 2026 06:15
    With reserve funds for repairs being collected under all this inflation, will the amount actually be enough when repairs are finally needed down the line?
    Owning rental property just looks like pure risk to me
    116AnonymousSep 29, 2026 06:59
    Re: #82
    What risk? It's basically free money for you (lit. "wet hands scooping up millet" — effortless profit), quit cherry-picking the convenient parts
    118AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:01
    Re: #82
    If it's just the first big renovation it's no big deal (won't go over budget), and I won't even be living there by the second one so it doesn't matter
    97AnonymousSep 29, 2026 06:41
    My rent's finally going up at the next renewal
    but it's still only just over ¥40,000 lol
    For singles, renting a cheap apartment is way better value than buying
    I'd only buy if I truly had nowhere left to live
    99AnonymousSep 29, 2026 06:43
    Re: #97
    Sounds like your quality of life is rock bottom
    109AnonymousSep 29, 2026 06:56
    Re: #97
    I'm in a 35-year-old 1K in Kokubunji myself for ¥45,000
    Even so, that's a steal for this area
    The landlord renovated it so it doesn't feel old at all, it's comfortable
    They're out there if you look — people probably just pile on conditions like "I absolutely must live in central Tokyo!"
    127AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:07
    Re: #97
    Even if you buy, you'll get hit with about ¥40,000 a month in condo management fees and repair reserve contributions
    111AnonymousSep 29, 2026 06:57
    Aside from rent, groceries and daily goods are actually cheaper in Tokyo, so living there isn't such a bad choice
    Plus you don't need a car
    120AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:03
    Re: #111
    Tokyo's gotten harder to live in with so many neatly-dressed foreign tourists around
    Now that the yen's weak, if you go out in ordinary clothes you stand out
    121AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:03
    Re: #111
    "Groceries and goods are cheaper in Tokyo, so it's fine to keep raising the rent"

    Guess we've entered that kind of era now
    139AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:16
    Re: #111
    Not needing a car only applies if you're single with no kids or caregiving to do — once you have children
    you really do need your own car, and it only gets more necessary as your parents get older
    124AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:05
    Getting evicted because the landlord wants the place back, can't find a new apartment, looks like I'll be homeless starting the month after next
    126AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:06
    Re: #124
    You can't rent a new place at 50?
    Am I gonna end up homeless too?
    129AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:08
    Re: #124
    Hurry up and find your next place
    Worst case, rent a Leopalace (a nationwide budget rental chain) temporarily
    145AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:19
    Old guys who sit home watching TV and browsing 5ch all day would do just fine in some backwater regional town
    147AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:20
    Re: #145
    But a backwater town like that doesn't have Uber Eats or Timee (a gig-work shift app) either
    149AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:21
    Re: #145
    Studio apartments are cheap in Osaka, so Osaka works too
    Wonder if there's actually work there though
    159AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:24
    Land prices are climbing too, you know

    "Hesitate and even detached houses get pricier" — what's behind the popular ¥100-million-plus "oku kodate" houses in greater Tokyo
    https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260914/k00/00m/020/134000c

    New detached-house prices in Tokyo's 23 wards top ¥130 million, a record high for the second straight month
    https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/1111394
    164AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:26
    Re: #159
    A size and layout with absolutely no dreams or hope left in it
    165AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:27
    Re: #159
    It's construction costs and interest rates driving it more than land prices
    171AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:30
    Can you even get a mortgage on a studio apartment?
    I'm starting to feel like I should just buy one, but thinking about all the rent I've already paid, buying now feels kind of pointless too
    177AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:32
    Re: #171
    The homeownership rate keeps climbing all the way into people's 70s, so even renter-guys who got squeezed out of the rental market end up buying eventually
    181AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:35
    Re: #177
    Isn't that just people moving into their dead parents' house?
    183AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:36
    Re: #177
    You won't be able to rent once you're old anyway
    Even a cheap row-house (rebuildable) couldn't get a mortgage
    Wonder if a studio apartment would qualify

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    This figure comes from AtHome’s published rent index, which tallies asking rents for single-occupant units (mainly studios through 1K layouts). Even within “single-occupant,” units range from cramped spaces under 20㎡ to spacious 1Rs over 40㎡, so as posters pointed out, the average alone doesn’t give a clear picture of the real market. The rent increases stem from soaring construction materials and labor costs, interest rate trends, and persistently strong demand for commuting access to central Tokyo. On the thread, some floated buying a home in response to the rent surge, but it was also noted that condo management fees and repair reserve funds are being pushed up by inflation too, so “buying means peace of mind” isn’t necessarily true. As for moving to the countryside, posters pointed to practical constraints of leaving urban areas, such as the lack of gig-work options like Uber Eats or Timee.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “August average rent for single-occupant apartments in Tokyo’s 23 wards hits record ¥114,339 — Kanagawa and Saitama also up over 10% year-on-year.”

  • Tokyo University’s Next President: Yuko Fujigaki, Chosen After Finishing 2nd in the Vote — 5ch: ‘Even Doubled, She’d Still Barely Lose’

    The University of Tokyo has announced that Professor Yuko Fujigaki of the College of Arts and Sciences will become its next president. She placed second in the faculty preference poll, receiving less than half the votes of the first-place candidate, yet was ultimately chosen after a selection process that also weighed input from outside experts. She will be the first woman to serve as University of Tokyo president. On 5ch, reactions ranged from shock at the size of the vote gap to debate over the system itself — where the faculty poll is merely advisory and the final call rests with the selection committee — as well as over whether it’s even fair to compare citation counts between candidates from different academic fields.

    [Breaking: 2026 Presidential Selection] Next President Is Professor Yuko Fujigaki — Finished 2nd in the Preference Poll

    First time in University of Tokyo history that a woman becomes president.

    Also the first time someone who wasn’t the top vote-getter has been chosen president,

    Source: todaishimbun.org / Original article here

    8AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:37
    Even if you doubled her vote count, she'd still barely lose.
    9AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:37
    Wait, that's how they pick the university president?
    11AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:38
    There's probably an academic theory that once you're at Todai's level, the word 'election' means something totally different from what the rest of us think it means.
    12AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:38
    It's basically a 'quiz-champion training college' these days anyway (a dig at Todai's reputation for producing TV trivia-show contestants), so let them run it however they want.
    13AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:39
    Kyoto University's been the real #1 in Japan for ages now anyway, so let Todai do whatever it wants.
    17AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:41
    Re: #13
    Japanese universities in the global rankings:
    • #26: University of Tokyo (#1 in Japan)
    • #61: Kyoto University (#2 in Japan)
    • Tied for #103: Tohoku University (#3 in Japan)
    34AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:59
    Re: #17
    Rankings based on what, exactly?
    89AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:33
    Re: #17
    International student numbers weigh heavily in that ranking, so Todai — which goes all in recruiting them — has a decent edge there.
    14AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:40
    Never once cared who the university president is.
    18AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:42
    Of course they're prioritizing diversity — it's for that 'university of excellence' government certification.
    20AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:44
    Remember, it's vote count plus input from outside experts. Apparently the outside experts pushed hard for her.
    23AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:46
    This faculty vote doesn't actually mean anything. It's just a staff opinion survey — the board decides everything.
    24AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:46
    By the way, this problem — where the president isn't chosen according to the vote results — has come up at other national universities too since they became independent administrative corporations, and some cases even ended up in lawsuits.
    32AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:58
    Sorry, I don't really understand how the presidential selection process works, so I can't say much. Are you saying vote count alone doesn't decide it?
    35AnonymousSep 29, 2026 07:59
    Re: #32
    The faculty vote is just an opinion survey — it's basically decided through board deliberations.
    57AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:14
    Ōin Junior/Senior High School (an elite girls' school)
    University of Tokyo (PhD)
    University of Tokyo Research Associate
    Senior Researcher, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy
    University of Tokyo Junior Associate Professor (7 years)
    University of Tokyo Associate Professor (3 years)
    University of Tokyo Professor (16th year)

    That's a pretty long climb up the ladder.
    74AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:25
    Re: #57
    She's clearly legit, but it's sad she's getting mocked as just a 'women's quota' pick.
    61AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:16
    Well, her career is solid, and realistically the university would probably run just fine with her as president. But precisely because of that, it's a shame she's getting stuck with the 'she only became president because she's a woman' label.
    99AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:40
    Re: #61
    But realistically, there were more qualified candidates, and the reason she got picked is because she's a woman.
    63AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:17
    Her vote count was less than half his — but her citation count is less than a tenth of his. That's the more brutal number.
    67AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:20
    Re: #63
    College of Arts and Sciences professors are at a disadvantage there — her work is things like scientometrics for research evaluation and philosophy of science, coming from a liberal-arts angle. The first-place finisher, Someya, specializes in electronic engineering, so of course there's a gap.
    65AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:19
    Fine, Todai's the top institution and all, but isn't it kind of alarming that the selection committee is packed with people from companies nobody's ever heard of?
    73AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:24
    Re: #65
    Mari Sako is a Todai agriculture researcher. Rumi Suzuki went from Todai's medical school to medicine at the University of London, and is now a senior exec at Eisai.

    You probably shouldn't judge people just by the name of the company they're currently at.
    77AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:27
    Re: #65
    Lol, people with no education can only judge by whether the affiliation sounds famous.
    66AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:20
    She's someone who's researched keeping science in check from a sociological angle to stop it running out of control — good pick. She also raised solid sociological objections against releasing the Fukushima treated water.
    79AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:27
    Re: #66
    Why write it in katakana?
    81AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:27
    Re: #67
    That whole 'broad but shallow' liberal-arts approach is third-rate as actual research, isn't it?
    85AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:30
    Re: #81
    At Todai right now, research spanning multiple fields basically has to be done under the liberal arts umbrella. In fact, this professor's own research covers things like the link between scientometrics and human stress.
    82AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:27
    Re: #75
    Can't you read? The ○ mark means 'acting chair.'
    88AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:30
    Re: #82
    Cringe, getting all worked up over an obvious joke post.
    87AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:30
    Is there even any point to the vote?
    95AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:39
    Re: #87
    Well, the vote's only ever advisory. 2025, Niigata University → the #2 vote-getter became president. 2026, Kyoto University → the #3 vote-getter became president.
    90AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:35
    Re: #89
    The international student ratio is dirt low. Todai's is 16%.

    Peking University: 25%
    National University of Singapore: 35%
    Oxford: over 40%
    Harvard: over 50%
    91AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:37
    Re: #90
    That just proves the better the university, the higher its international student ratio.
    93AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:38
    Re: #74
    Though in terms of actual track record, the male rival apparently outclasses her by more than 10x.
    96AnonymousSep 29, 2026 08:40
    Re: #93
    Did Someya even want to be president in the first place? He's got way too many other posts to juggle right now — he can always do it later once he steps down from his government roles.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Since national universities became independent administrative corporations, the selection of a president has worked through a combination of a preference poll among faculty and staff and deliberation by a selection committee that includes outside experts — meaning the top vote-getter isn’t automatically chosen. As noted in the thread, this isn’t unique to Todai: in 2025, Niigata University’s president was its second-place finisher, and in 2026, Kyoto University’s was its third-place finisher. Where the thread split was over whether it’s fair to compare citation counts between candidates from different academic fields, and over the legitimacy of a system where the preference poll is merely ‘advisory.’ It’s worth noting that the university hasn’t disclosed which criteria the selection committee weighted most heavily in choosing Professor Fujigaki, so the view that ‘she was chosen because she’s a woman’ remains speculation confined to 5ch.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nanademo Jikkyo G) thread “Todai: ‘The vote for president came in at less than half of first place, but eh, she’s a woman, so why not lol’ — Todai Gets Its First-Ever Female President.”