Japan Reacts

Latest from Japan

From our other sites

JapanTroveJapan travel & shopping
Mahjong Parlors in Japan: Where Tourists Can Play or Watch a GameRiding the Yamanote Line: Tokyo’s Loop Line, Stop by Stop
海外ChOverseas reactions (JP)
ハイムリック法で肋骨骨折、命を救ったのに訴えられる?海外で議論【海外の反応】日本食に惹かれる理由「西側は沈みゆく船だから」
即まとchJapanese 5ch threads
ドイツの都市、AI監視カメラで不法投棄を摘発し高額罰金EUの内燃機関車「2035年全廃」方針、後退へ　独語圏で賛否

  • Kioxia Job Ad Promises ¥260,000/Month and a ¥1 Million Bonus — 5ch Says ‘There Are No Line Workers’

    A thread went up on 5ch’s “Live News” board sharing a Kioxia semiconductor factory job listing under the provocative headline “Calling all patriots 🇯🇵.” The ad touted attractive terms — a monthly salary of ¥260,000, full-time employment, free dormitory housing, and a ¥1 million signing bonus — but replies quickly piled up arguing that the job is really temp-staffing work centered on cleaning and miscellaneous tasks, not actual production-line work. Posters were divided over the staffing-agency “skimming” structure, the health toll of shift work, and whether this job could really be a life-changer.

    1AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:40
    There's no job out there that'll satisfy your patriotism like this one!
    Every unemployed member of the Ice Age generation (Japan's long-suffering "lost generation" of job seekers) should apply.
    s://i.imgur.com/EP5zlXK.jpeg
    4AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:43
    Skip the two-shift rotation — it'll shorten your lifespan.
    8AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:44
    Re: #4
    Two shifts isn't a big deal.
    Three shifts will kill you.
    13AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:45
    If you're lucky enough to actually become a Kioxia employee, that's a ¥6 million-a-year track, right?
    14AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:46
    Re: #13
    That's a total life turnaround right there.
    You'd get to look down on everyone who mocked you.
    24AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:49
    Re: #13
    Can you actually work your way up from a regular laborer to that?
    21AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:49
    Are you all really okay staying like this?
    Keep it up and you'll spend your whole life being mocked and looked down on.
    Just applying to this job could open up a whole new life for you Ice Age-generation NEETs!
    I'm handing you your last chance here.
    34AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:52
    Re: #21
    But aren't you unemployed too?
    29AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:51
    Is a cleanroom really that rough?
    Isn't it just putting on a weird suit and wiping down machines?
    64AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:57
    Re: #29
    Kiriko (a character famous for grumbling about his suit): "It gets so stuffy in there."
    32AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:51
    Oh, so it's just cleaning and inspection?
    Well no wonder it pays so little if literally anyone can do it.
    37AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:52
    Re: #32
    That's actually the main part of the job.
    Everything else is handled by machines and full employees.
    36AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:52
    It makes no sense that shift work still exists in an age when medicine and information networks have advanced this much.
    42AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:53
    Re: #36
    No matter how far medicine and networks advance, human life is still cheap.
    43AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:53
    There are no line workers at Kioxia.
    What's being recruited right now are cleaning staff dispatched from a temp agency — Kioxia is just where they're placed.
    50AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:54
    Re: #43
    They exist, actually.
    46AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:53
    Night shifts will take a good 10 years off your life.
    58AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:56
    Re: #46
    If your average lifespan drops by 10 years,
    your healthy lifespan drops by 15.
    You'll be fighting illness from around 65 on.
    55AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:55
    Same with semiconductor plants and data centers — they basically don't hire regular employees.
    Most of the workforce is temp staff.
    62AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:57
    Re: #55
    They don't hire temp staff for that.
    65AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:58
    That's way too cheap… unless you get that ¥1 million bonus twice, it's not worth it.
    76AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:02
    Re: #65
    But you're a NEET, aren't you?
    67AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:59
    All you guys do is look for excuses not to do it.
    Is there really no one here serious about turning their life around?
    You're making me look like an idiot for offering you this chance.
    72AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:01
    Re: #67
    So what about you, then?
    70AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:00
    It's just temp work inside a Kioxia factory.
    The staffing agency skims a cut off the top,
    so Kioxia is probably paying around ¥6 million a year per worker,
    and the agency pockets 40% of that, leaving the worker with 60%.
    78AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:03
    Re: #76
    Sorry, but it's actually ¥7.5 million a year.
    81AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:04
    Re: #78
    Lol that's pathetically low.
    84AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:05
    Re: #81
    Haha, tearing up already lol
    85AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:07
    If you're a line worker, doesn't a night-shift allowance get added on top of that?
    Factory workers these days actually pull in decent money.
    88AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:08
    Re: #85
    There's no such thing as a line worker at a semiconductor plant.
    It's just cleaning and hauling heavy stuff — odd jobs.
    89AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:08
    Re: #85
    It's nowhere near that much.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    In semiconductor factory job ads, the term “line worker” tends to take on a life of its own, but at major plants the production lines are largely automated, and the actual work on offer is often peripheral tasks like cleaning, transport, and inspection. The thread saw conflicting claims on this point, with an exchange continuing between posters who appeared to have hands-on experience. Factory job postings commonly go through staffing agencies, and the gap between what the company pays and what the worker actually takes home — the so-called “skimming” — was another recurring point of debate. As for the health risks of shift work, no clear figures based on official statistics were presented; the numbers of years cited in the thread should be read as posters’ personal impressions rather than hard data.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Live News) thread “[Calling All Patriots 🇯🇵] Kioxia Semiconductor Job! ¥260,000 Monthly Salary, Full-Time, Free Dorm, ¥1 Million Bonus.”

  • “There’s Nowhere Left to Properly Discuss Hello! Project” — Fans Search for a New Home

    A thread appeared on 5ch’s Hello! Project board asking “where can you actually have a proper discussion about Hello! Project these days?” The original poster complained that X (formerly Twitter) has devolved into one-upmanship contests where real conversation can’t happen, and that regular 5ch threads are just as prone to getting derailed by slander and rivalry-baiting. In response, posters traded a range of opinions on fighting off trolls and finding a new home: some said threads with IP addresses displayed tend to allow more civil discussion, others called for setting up a dedicated Hello! Project server on Mastodon or Misskey, floated LINE Open Chats, or suggested migrating to an outside forum altogether.

    1AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:28
    Where are we even supposed to go?
    4AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:29
    Just get to know the small percentage of sane fans at actual events and go drinking with them.
    7AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:32
    Can we keep this online please — I live out in the sticks, I can barely make it to events.
    8AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:32
    X is hopeless, it's all one-upmanship contests, no real conversation ever happens.
    11AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:34
    Not sure what you even want to talk about, but why not just start posting and see what happens?
    12AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:35
    Just talk to people at events.
    Hardcore-fan density (low to high):

    Release events
    Concerts
    Individual meet-and-greets
    Fan club events
    16AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:39
    Re: #6
    Even when people are having a decent conversation, some guy shows up trying to one-up everyone and the thread's trashed instantly.
    30AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:12
    Re: #16
    Never seen anyone like that lol
    17AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:41
    Yahoo message boards, the ASA board, GM… go there.
    Oh wait, they're all gone now.
    18AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:43
    I just want to talk about the songs and the members, but every time a thread like this goes up, someone shows up to drag it into slander and rivalry-baiting. It's tiring.
    19AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:43
    Re: #1
    Only fix is to add the word "Juice" to your NG (mute) filter (i.e., block out Juice=Juice discussion since it's what sets off the group-rivalry flame wars).
    20AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:46
    Wish there were more people over on "Sheep" (nickname for a related 5ch idol-fan board), but being stuck on a dead board is rough.
    21AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:46
    It's definitely not "Wolf" (another 5ch idol-fan board nickname). Honestly your best bet is following people you trust on X and locking your account.
    22AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:49
    If Re: #1 is being dead serious about this:
    Re: #14's suggestion actually lets you have a pretty decent conversation.
    You'll still get 1-2 idiots showing up,
    but in the regular topics only about 2-3 out of 50 posters are worth talking to,
    so IP-display topics are way better by comparison.
    That said, if you can't even tolerate the 1-2 idiots in an IP topic,
    then Re: #21 is really your only option left.
    23AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:51
    If you hate X that much, guess all that's left is bouncing ideas off an AI lol
    26AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:59
    Why keep making new threads when just turning on IP display would fix it? Oh right — because you actually want to keep slandering people lol
    37AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:17
    There's already a weirdo in here.
    Next time I'll make the thread with IP + Wacchoi (an ID tag derived from network info) turned on.
    41AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:22
    Re: #37
    Like you'd ever actually make one lol
    45AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:26
    I say this every time one of these threads pops up, but if you're a multi-group stan who's also anti-Juice=Juice, you genuinely can't discuss a single thing properly here.
    46AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:29
    Re: #45
    There aren't even any anti-Juice=Juice multi-stans on "Wolf" to begin with.
    82AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:06
    Re: #45
    I feel that. I'm a DD (a fan who loves multiple groups/members equally) leaning anti-Juice=Juice, and things blow up so fast I lose all motivation to even share an opinion.
    50AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:39
    Up until a few years ago, late-night Hello! Project threads used to pop up a lot on NanJ/NanG (baseball/general-discussion boards), and you could actually have a real conversation there.
    Lately they've pretty much stopped showing up though.
    62AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:55
    Re: #50
    Pretty sure they even ran live-watch threads for concerts late at night.
    61AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:55
    Never checked it out myself, but I peeked at a LINE Open Chat and there were a decent number of people in it — might be worth joining.
    66AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:56
    Re: #61
    It's just one single chat thread, so it's not great for juggling different topics.
    I want to be able to start separate threads or dig into a specific topic.
    Guess moving over to a Talk room (LINE group chat) would work though.
    64AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:56
    Shouldn't Wacchoi and ID display just be made the default at this point, seriously?
    The trolling is brutal every single day.

    Anyone who objects to that is probably a troll or a slanderer themselves.
    69AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:57
    Re: #64
    The board admin hasn't been doing anything.
    Hasn't for a long time now.
    70AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:59
    Re: #64
    Yeah. Let's all just migrate to some other board together.
    71AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:01
    This is probably exactly how the Sakamichi (Nogizaka/Sakurazaka/Hinatazaka) fans ended up migrating to Talk rooms.
    78AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:04
    Re: #71
    Probably the right call.
    72AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:02
    Would be great if some rich, IT-savvy person out there set up a dedicated Hello! Project server on Mastodon or Misskey.
    74AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:03
    Re: #72
    Whoever ran it would have to actually handle deletions and bans properly, which sounds exhausting.
    They'd probably be on the hook for policing any criminal posts too.
    It's rare to find a lawless free-for-all like this place anywhere else.
    76AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:04
    At the end of the day it all comes down to:
    "I'll say whatever I want,
    but the rest of you better not say anything that upsets me."
    So really, just go do whatever you want wherever you want.
    79AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:05
    Re: #76
    You say "at the end of the day" but that's not summing anything up at all.
    You're completely ignoring the actual point about doing something about the unhinged trolls.
    81AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:06
    Re: #78
    Even "Oyaki" (nickname for a notorious poster) nearly had to migrate once when this place got unusable, but he got reported to the admin, banned, and just came crawling back.
    I mean, on a normal forum a nutjob like that would just get banned.
    86AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:08
    Re: #81
    Once that guy was gone, the normal posters should've moved over there even more than they did.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    5ch has features like an “ID” display that identifies individual posters and “Wacchoi,” an identifier derived from IP address, though whether a given board adopts them varies. The “IP display” setup that several posters in the thread were calling for is meant to thin out anonymity, making it easier to pin down trolls and posters engaging in slander, and thereby keep the quality of discussion up. There’s also an underlying factor at play: since Hello! Project is made up of many different groups, fans of one group turning hostile toward other groups — or their fans — tends to be a major source of thread derailment. The broader shift away from open, anonymous message boards toward LINE Open Chats, invite-only social platforms, or dedicated private servers isn’t unique to Hello! Project — it’s a trend that’s been widely observed across idol fandoms in recent years, and this thread can be seen as part of that same movement.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “[Urgent Request] A Place to Properly Discuss Hello! Project.”

  • Yamamoto Yoshinobu: “Sasaki Roki Won’t Talk to Me” — With Ohtani Gone, “I Have No One to Talk To”

    Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto started on the road against the Reds on the 15th (16th Japan time), throwing seven scoreless innings on one hit for his 14th win of the season — a career high. According to Yahoo News, after the game Yamamoto said of Roki Sasaki, “He won’t talk to me,” lamenting that with Shohei Ohtani away, “I have no one to talk to.” On the 5channel entertainment/sports board (Geinou Sports Express+), most posters took the remark as a lighthearted joke, while others speculated about Sasaki’s English ability, the reality of communicating through an interpreter, whether a dialect barrier might be at play, and even Yamamoto’s close rapport with pitcher Blake Snell — the thread wandered well beyond his pitching stats.

    Yoshinobu Yamamoto: “Roki won’t talk to me” — A surprising remark… With Ohtani away, “I have no one to talk to”

    [MLB] Dodgers 4-0 Reds (Cincinnati, 16th Japan time)

    Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto started on the road against the Reds on the 15th (16th Japan time), delivering a brilliant outing of seven scoreless innings on one hit to notch his 14th win of the season, a new career high.

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

    4AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:20
    Guess he's just
    bad at socializing lol
    64AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:53
    Re: #4
    Can't even take a joke
    5AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:20
    Poor little Usaki will die if you don't talk to him, you know? (´･ω･`) (playful bunny-themed nickname for Sasaki)
    6AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:20
    He and Snell just gaze into each other's eyes anyway
    68AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:55
    Re: #6
    Sounds like Skubal gets jealous
    11AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:23
    Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
    12AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:23
    Guess you need good looks like Darvish
    13AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:24
    Say stuff like that and Snell's gonna get sulky
    14AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:24
    I wonder how good Yamamoto's English actually is
    70AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:55
    Re: #14
    There was an article saying that when he met his former Orix teammate (now with the Tigers), Wagespack, this year, his English had improved so much that even with an interpreter there, he barely needed one
    16AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:25
    No one to talk to

    Snell: "oh…"
    18AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:26
    Yamamoto's funny
    stuff like this is probably why guys like Snell like him
    19AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:26
    Isn't it that on start days everyone just assumes he's mentally locked in like Kershaw and gives him space??
    Either way, it's a day that drains you mentally, so casual small talk just isn't happening
    20AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:26
    Aren't you the one who should be looking out for Roki?
    As his senior
    21AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:27
    Would've been nice if Yamamoto had language skills like soccer players do
    40AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:38
    Re: #21
    He definitely doesn't want to hear that from you lol
    22AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:29
    From Sasaki's position, talking to a big senior's gotta be nerve-wracking, no?
    23AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:29
    These days you could just use an iPad translator to talk, though
    55AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:42
    Re: #23
    Would be funny if Yamamoto and Sasaki were talking through an iPad. Though I bet you meant something else…
    27AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:30
    What's with 'he won't talk to me' 😂😂
    33AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:33
    Roki Sasaki Does Not Speak

    (riffing on) Rohan Kishibe Does Not Move
    50AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:41
    Guess it's kind of like Chiikawa (the wildly popular 'small and pitiful but cute' character franchise)
    60AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:48
    Re: #50
    So Roki's the Chiikawa type, huh, makes sense
    73AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:59
    Re: #1

    74AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:59
    A man's better off being the quiet type
    77AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:02
    Re: #74
    As for fish, seared squid'll do
    83AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:06
    Re: #77
    During free agency he got invited to lavish meals by every team day after day and got wined and dined — they called him 'Meshi-Nobu' (a pun combining meshi, 'meal,' with Yoshinobu)
    78AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:03
    Also makes you realize Ohtani's got solid communication skills
    81AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:04
    Re: #78
    'Otani-san' is a communication superhuman
    80AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:04
    Well, Roki's a graduate of a public high school that sends 100 students to national/public universities
    84AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:07
    Re: #80
    So does that mean he looks down on Yoshinobu, who's from a vocational high school?
    89AnonymousSep 16, 2026 18:12
    Re: #80
    Apparently it's a regular academic track with a hensachi of 51-53, but can that many kids really get in with that these days? (hensachi = Japan's standardized academic deviation score, where 50 is average)

    Background and Talking Points

    This story is a classic case of a post-game quote from Yahoo News being turned straight into a headline — it’s unclear from the article alone how much of “he won’t talk to me” is Yamamoto’s exact wording. That’s also where thread reactions split: most read it as a lighthearted jab riffing on Ohtani’s absence, while others dug into the practical side of communication — Sasaki’s English ability, the need for an interpreter, and theories that his Iwate dialect might be a barrier. Side trivia that came up alongside it — like how close Yamamoto and Blake Snell are, or the deviation score of Sasaki’s old high school — is really a sign of how little the thread actually discussed his pitching line itself (a career-high 14th win, seven scoreless innings on one hit). One thing readers could easily misread: this remark isn’t a knock on Sasaki — it’s reported as Yamamoto’s own self-deprecating joke about having no one to talk to, not a jab at Sasaki’s character or ability.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (sports news board) thread “[MLB] Yoshinobu Yamamoto: “Roki Sasaki won’t talk to me” — A surprising remark… With Shohei Ohtani away, “I have no one to talk to”.”

  • ABC Won’t Air a Hanshin Pre-Championship Special — 5ch: ‘Ugh, They’re Really Gonna Win It Now’

    At its September 16 fall programming lineup press conference, ABC TV stated flatly that it will not air a Hanshin Tigers “pre-championship celebration special” this season or in any season to come. Behind the decision is a “jinx”: after the station aired a similar special in June 2021, Hanshin’s form collapsed almost immediately afterward. Meanwhile, neighboring station MBS TV aired its own Hanshin special on September 5, hosted by freelance announcer Yumiko Udo. Sure enough, starting the day after the broadcast, Hanshin went on a shocking 7-game losing streak, and their lead over second-place Yomiuri shrank to just 0.5 games. On 5ch, reactions ranged from amusement at the apparent cause-and-effect between the broadcast and the losing streak, to cries of “MBS is the guilty party,” to counterarguments that the station should just keep airing the specials anyway.

    On the 16th, Osaka’s ABC TV held its autumn programming lineup press conference at the station’s offices in Fukushima Ward, Osaka, where a programming representative stated clearly that the station will not air a “pre-championship celebration special” this season or in any season going forward.

    The “incident” happened over at the neighboring station in Chayamachi. On the 5th, MBS TV aired a special hosted by freelance announcer Yumiko Udo, “Gathering with Hanshin Fans — Yumiko Udo’s Tiger Cafeteria.” At the taping on the 1st, she told reporters, “It was like, ‘Oh, MBS is already doing this? Not even waiting for the magic number to hit single digits — you’re just going for it.’ I was genuinely impressed,” adding that being a sort of “pre-championship celebration special” was part of the show’s whole appeal. Then, starting on the 5th — the very day it aired — Hanshin suffered a shocking 7-game losing streak. Their lead over second-place Yomiuri, which stood at 4.5 games at the time of taping, has since narrowed to just 0.5.

    For Tigers fans across the Kansai region, pre-championship celebration specials are nothing but trauma. Akira Kitanaka, ABC TV’s head of programming, gave a wry smile and said, “I knew for sure someone would ask about this.” “On June 20, 2021…” Kitanaka recited the date smoothly without even glancing at his notes, then bit his lip as he continued, “…we aired ‘[Tora-ban Special] #Uh-oh, Hanshin’s Gonna Win the Pennant.’ Airing that is something we deeply, deeply regret.” Up until the day that special aired, Hanshin had been in first place with a 6-game lead over Yakult and Yomiuri, who were tied for second — and then the team completely collapsed.

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

    4AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:43
    It's gonna be V (victory)
    Hiroshima's on fire

    What else happened again?
    32AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:59
    Re: #4
    Ugh, they're gonna win it now
    16AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:49
    That "cafeteria" show is ripping off ABC's Ninjo Shokudo too
    Just cancel the whole thing already
    19AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:50
    Hachiware (the Chiikawa character): "It's a curse… from the championship special."
    20AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:50
    They can't beat Chunichi anymore now that their injured guys are back
    Got hammered by them last year too and never fixed it, huh
    22AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:51
    So Sun TV, Yomiuri TV, and Kansai TV aren't doing pre-celebration specials?
    23AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:53
    The real problem is the players' weak mentality lol
    24AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:53
    They should just air a fake report saying Hanshin's on a losing streak
    25AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:54
    I'm not even a die-hard Hanshin fan, but
    the Giants ("Trash-uri," as some call them) are in bad shape too
    honestly look like a second-division team
    26AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:54
    Maybe if they air it one more time it flips back around
    things can't get any worse than this, so airing it nonstop might actually break the jinx
    27AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:55
    Is Hanshin actually looking like pennant winners this year?
    28AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:55
    One more pitch! Just one more pitch!
    34AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:00
    Re: #28
    They got hit right after that "one more pitch" too
    honestly they should scrap all these premature-celebration shows
    29AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:56
    At this rate Hanshin could clinch the pennant without either team winning another game
    30AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:56
    Re: #29
    If that happens, Yokohama's gonna end up winning it instead
    33AnonymousSep 16, 2026 15:59
    But Kansai folks will be cracking up going "so sooorry~" the whole time
    36AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:02
    There's no way players are glued to some local TV show in the middle of a busy season and losing focus over it — this whole "bad omen/curse" thing is just silly occult nonsense
    37AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:02
    Back in '85 they had something like a 6-game losing streak too.
    Didn't they fall to third place late in the season as well?
    38AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:02
    It's more exciting once the magic number disappears, right?
    39AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:06
    SoftBank's winning the Japan Series anyway, so this is all completely irrelevant to me
    42AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:08
    Isn't there a special for reaching the Japan Series?
    43AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:11
    Why do TV stations always want to do these weird specials before anything's even decided?
    44AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:12
    With Ohtani unavailable they just swapped him out for Okamoto — what a heartless move by the station
    45AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:12
    With this much of a talent gap
    it's gotta come down to manager Fujikawa's responsibility
    46AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:14
    Are Kansai TV stations Tigers fans across the board with no exceptions? Feels like the "Guroha" crowd (fan nickname) probably jumped ship to SoftBank
    48AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:15
    SoftBank winning it all just kills baseball's popularity even more, doesn't it
    49AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:19
    Re: #48
    The Giants keep setting themselves up for it with losing streaks and still can't capitalize at all
    50AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:20
    Come on Giants, senpai, go take down SoftBank
    54AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:33
    Re: #50
    I think the BayStars still have more fight left in them
    51AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:22
    Honestly, the show's format itself and the bandwagon celebrity guests are what's fundamentally boring
    53AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:24
    They should really retire this "one more batter, one more pitch" bit
    55AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:36
    Re: #53
    Even Giants fans have started copying it now lol
    57AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:44
    Does it turn into a flood of specials whenever it's about Hanshin?

    I'm a Yakult fan, and even when we win the pennant there's no special, no live coverage, nothing……
    66AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:50
    Re: #57
    Yeah, and no championship parade either — story of Yakult's life

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    ABC TV’s “jinx” traces back to a special aired on June 20, 2021, after which Hanshin — then in first place — went into a major tailspin. This time, MBS aired its special on September 5; at the time of taping, Hanshin held a 4-to-5-game lead over the second-place pack, but starting the day after the broadcast, the team dropped seven straight games and that lead shrank to just 0.5. Opinion on the thread split between those who see this as pure coincidence and those who half-seriously believe the show’s “vibe” could actually affect the players. There’s no actual evidence that the broadcast content itself impacts player focus — it’s simply that the stations are avoiding pre-championship specials as an on-air superstition for good luck. Note that, per the original article, this policy reflects ABC’s own programming decision, and the piece doesn’t address whether MBS plans to continue airing similar specials going forward.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Baseball] ABC TV Calls It “Trauma”: Won’t Air Hanshin Pre-Championship Special… Meanwhile MBS TV’s Broadcast Was Followed by a 7-Game Hanshin Losing Streak…”.

  • Dial-Up Days and ‘Telehodai’ Nights: 5ch Says ‘That Old Buzz Is Gone From the Internet’

    A thread titled “Memories of the Early Internet” popped up on 5ch’s Live Anything board, drawing in stories from the days before everyone had always-on broadband — dial-up connections, NTT’s late-night flat-rate “Telehodai” plan, even getting online through a Dreamcast. Some posters recalled “logging on every day buzzing with excitement,” while others lamented how dull the internet feels now by comparison. The thread also split over where exactly the early internet era ends, and whether users back then really were sharper than today’s.

    1AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:38
    I used to log on every single day buzzing with excitement — gotta check the updates on this site, that site, and that other site! Better update the diary on my own site too! Guess I should add more content to upload! Every day was like that. Now none of that excitement is there anymore, and it's just boring.
    2AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:39
    In the early days I was way too paranoid about the phone bill.
    37AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:54
    Re: #2
    That's what Telehodai (the flat-rate night hours) was for
    Though of course, while you were dialed up the phone line itself was tied up the whole time
    3AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:39
    These days you just don't feel that old excitement from the internet anymore.
    5AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:40
    I'm out here buzzing with excitement every day — as a 3rd grader lol
    Jealous of my youth?
    Suck it, old man 🖕
    6AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:40
    I got online right after ADSL came out, so I missed the whole generation that worried about phone bills. Still had the 1.5Mbps kind though.
    11AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:42
    Follow netiquette, you piece of trash.
    42AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:56
    Re: #11
    I used to be a true believer in netiquette
    but I honestly couldn't keep up with the whole "spit venom" style of net manners — if anything, that's what got me questioning netiquette in the first place
    14AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:42
    I used to go hunting for adult art through a search engine called "Surfers Paradise" 🥺 (an old-web search portal)
    16AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:44
    My debut was hooking my Dreamcast up to a phone line to get online. The Dreamcast was truly great.
    19AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:44
    Re: #16
    You could do that with a PS2 too
    Though I never met anyone who actually did 🥺
    38AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:54
    Re: #16
    Brings back memories
    I feel like I spent forever playing the trial version of some game called "Guruguru Onsen" (an old online board-game site) after getting connected
    47AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:00
    Re: #16
    I used to do that during Telehodai hours
    28AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:49
    Re: #19
    Isn't that only for the slim model?
    30AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:51
    Re: #28
    There's an external add-on unit for it
    29AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:50
    The people running personal homepages did it out of genuine passion, not for money, so the energy behind it was completely different.
    31AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:52
    Re: #29
    They were run by people who actually knew their stuff, so the info was solid, and there weren't nearly as many ads as now.
    Things were pretty comfortable and fun back then.
    40AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:56
    The average IQ online was clearly higher back then.
    49AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:03
    Re: #40
    In the beginning, basically only rich people could even get online.
    Even in 2ch's early days, I think it was mostly content made by single men who had some money and knowledge to spare.
    Sure, there were odd expressions and weirdos, but deep down a lot of them were people with room to spare in life.
    70AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:19
    Re: #49
    How do you figure? Unlike now, it was a total lawless wasteland.
    61AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:08
    When exactly did the internet become something anyone could enjoy for free? It sure wasn't like that back in the flip-phone era.
    64AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:08
    Re: #61
    It's still not free even now.
    65AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:08
    Re: #61
    Probably sometime after we hit the 21st century.
    77AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:22
    Re: #61
    Even flip phones had 2ch browser apps back then
    I used one called "i-Mona" (named after 2ch's "Mona" mascot character)
    67AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:14
    Game strategy sites used to genuinely be built collaboratively by everyone.
    Things really do go downhill the moment money gets involved.
    82AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:31
    Re: #67
    Wiki-style sites didn't even exist yet in the early internet era.
    89AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:39
    I wonder if you can even open swf files anymore these days.
    93AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:42
    Re: #89
    You can't view them at all now unless you install special software 🥺
    Flash is dead, after all.
    91AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:42
    I only really know the post-ADSL era. Don't know much about anything before that.
    94AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:43
    Re: #91
    That still counts as "early" too
    All the way up until blog culture came along and diluted the whole flavor of the internet.
    98AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:46
    Re: #94
    So you're drawing the line by internet culture, not by connection type?
    Still not totally clear where the cutoff actually is.
    102AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:48
    Re: #98
    My take: the "early" era lasted until people stopped painstakingly hand-coding personal sites in HTML or installing Movable Type to run their own blog-like page.
    104AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:49
    Re: #102
    There were newsgroups too, weren't there?
    105AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:50
    Re: #104
    Don't remember that one, lol

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    In the dial-up era, NTT’s flat-rate late-night service “Telehodai” (launched in 1995, offering unlimited connection from 11pm to 8am) was, for many users, one of the few windows to get online without worrying about the phone bill piling up. Connection environments then changed dramatically around the turn of the millennium as ADSL began spreading. In the thread, opinions split over where to draw the line on the “early internet era” — some measured it by connection technology (dial-up vs. ADSL), while others measured it by culture, drawing the cutoff somewhere between the age of hand-coded personal HTML pages and the rise of blogging platforms. There’s no fixed definition, and readers should note that where people draw the line tends to depend on when they personally experienced it. It’s also worth noting that the claim “average IQ was higher back then” drew pushback from another poster who called it “a lawless wasteland” instead — a reminder that the rosy, idyllic image of the early internet isn’t a universally shared memory.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Live Anything board) thread “Memories of the Early Internet.”

  • The ’90s Fighting Game Boom: 5ch Users Recall ‘Beat Someone with a Cheap Combo and an Ashtray Came Flying at You’

    A thread reminiscing about the ’90s fighting game boom popped up on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyou G” (Anything Goes Live Commentary) board. The thread’s creator, apparently too young to have experienced it firsthand, wrote “I wish I’d been there for it” — which prompted a flood of hair-raising stories from users who actually haunted the arcades back then: beat someone with a cheap infinite combo and an ashtray would come flying at you, losers would spit on you, or your whole cabinet would get shoved against the wall with you still in the seat. Others pushed back, though, insisting “there was no such boom” or that it was “just a thing among teenage boys” — showing just how differently that era’s fever is remembered depending on generation and region.

    1AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:50
    Apparently the whole country was buzzing about fighting games…😭
    2AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:51
    Not the whole country — just teenagers.🥺
    4AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:52
    I kind of envy that era — beat some delinquent at a fighting game as a quiet loner and an ashtray comes flying, then you get beaten up for real.
    6AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:52
    Re: #4
    There was that genuinely insane game, Gundam vs. Gundam EXTREME.
    5AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:52
    There were tons of scary older guys around.🥺
    7AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:53
    It all fell apart once the internet showed up — you can't be a big fish in a small pond anymore.
    14AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:57
    Re: #7
    If anything, that's what breathed life back into it. Right before 'nettai' (arcade online matchmaking, a pun on 'net taisen') showed up, the scene was on its last legs.
    8AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:54
    This was an era where beating someone with a cheap combo at the arcade got you an ashtray thrown at your head.
    9AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:54
    SNK cabinets were everywhere — candy shops, outside supermarkets, you name it.🥺
    11AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:56
    I remember going to a Shinjuku arcade for the location test of KOF '98. Brings back memories.
    12AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:56
    This was an environment where the guy you just beat would spit at you across the cabinet on his way out.
    13AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:57
    Virtua Fighter had a pretty unique culture. Strong players weren't known by their real names — they went by [place name] + [character name] instead. Like 'Osu Akira' or 'Shinjuku Jacky.'
    15AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:57
    Kids these days can talk trash after winning because nobody's actually going to hit them for it.🥺
    20AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:59
    Re: #15
    That's pretty much the core of it. Today's kids don't have that respect (fear) for their opponent — the idea that talking trash gets you smacked.
    16AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:58
    Forget ashtrays — I got pinned against the wall, cabinet and all.
    17AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:59
    There was no such boom, though.
    41AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:06
    Re: #17
    They literally ran a TV program covering Street Fighter Zero 3 tournaments. The Hiroshima tournament segment even had the comedy duo Saruganseki on location.
    56AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:19
    Re: #17
    From Street Fighter II onward — Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, Art of Fighting, KOF, Vampire (Darkstalkers) — those were all huge.
    18AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:59
    I loved the Vampire (Darkstalkers) series.
    19AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:59
    Guess it depends how old you were back then. I barely ever played versus matches on the cabinets — my allowance would've evaporated instantly if I had.
    23AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:00
    There was this weird custom where people waiting their turn would stack 100-yen coins on top of the cabinet — even though there was no way to tell whose coin was whose.
    84AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:36
    Re: #23
    Where I grew up, the rule was: if the guy currently playing had stacked coins on the machine, your turn wouldn't come until he'd used them all. Looking back, the arcades that didn't crack down on that were pretty awful too.
    28AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:03
    Even Shimamura (a clothing store chain) had a KOF cabinet.
    36AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:04
    Re: #28
    Pretty rare case, but I've seen them inside restaurants and even inside swimming pool facilities.
    40AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:05
    Re: #36
    Pools seem pretty plausible actually — public bathhouses and hot springs often had MVS cabinets set up too.
    43AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:09
    I was playing Street Fighter II when a nerdy-looking guy asked if I'd play against him. I picked Chun-Li, he picked Ken, and I lost.
    45AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:09
    Re: #43
    There was a period where getting the other player's consent before challenging them was actually considered good manners.
    52AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:15
    Middle and high schoolers just casually smoked cigarettes back then, huh.
    55AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:18
    Re: #52
    You could just buy cigarettes and alcohol from vending machines, and a pack ran about 250 to 300 yen.
    58AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:20
    Re: #55
    During the '90s fighting game boom it would've been more like 200 yen. Seven Stars didn't hit 250 yen until around 2000.
    59AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:21
    Re: #55
    My usual brand was 220 yen.
    65AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:22
    Word would get around that there was a strong player at such-and-such arcade, and other strong players would flock there looking for a match, forming their own little community.
    96AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:44
    Re: #65
    Starting with Virtua Fighter 3 you could set a player name, so people used their nearest station + character name — it was fun being able to share info on who the strong players were that way.
    66AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:23
    The nerve it took to just barge in ('ranyuu') on a cabinet where two friends were playing together.
    71AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:26
    Re: #66
    Happened to me once in elementary school — got interrupted by a kid around my own age.
    67AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:23
    Re: #1
    Arcades back then were pretty lawless, so honestly I was too scared to even go near one.
    72AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:27
    Re: #67
    Yeah, that's the kind of bias the place carried. Where I lived, even middle and high schoolers showed zero mercy to us elementary school kids — it was rough. There was a kid at the neighboring elementary school, who I later ended up at the same junior high with, who actually carried a knife. Smart guy though — he's a cardiac surgeon now.
    69AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:24
    For some reason the laundromat near my house had a Real Bout Fatal Fury cabinet. Brings back memories.
    73AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:27
    Re: #69
    Great way to kill time while your laundry ran.
    89AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:41
    By the time I hit junior high, everyone was playing Hot Gimmick together, and that's how we all learned mahjong.
    92AnonymousSep 16, 2026 17:43
    Re: #89
    I wonder how many times Shinseisha (publisher of Gamest magazine, notorious for controversial rankings that made angry readers joke about bombing their office) 'got bombed.'

    Background and Key Points

    The ’90s fighting game boom is generally regarded as having kicked off with Capcom’s “Street Fighter II,” with SNK’s “Fatal Fury,” “Samurai Shodown,” and “KOF” series, along with Sega’s “Virtua Fighter,” driving its popularity from there. Arcades were also places where the gap in skill between players translated directly into real-world social tension. While the thread gathered stories like “ashtrays came flying” and “the guy I beat spat on me,” some commenters also pushed back with “there was no such boom” — suggesting the intensity of the experience varied widely depending on where you lived, your age, and how often you actually went to arcades. Unlike today’s online matches, the tension that came from playing face-to-face, along with unique etiquette like “get the other player’s consent before challenging them,” may be hard for younger generations to fully grasp.

    ※This article is composed as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyou G) thread “I Wish I’d Experienced the ’90s Fighting Game Boom…😭“.

  • White Sox Stunned: Walk-Off Loss With Two Outs in the 9th — Murakami Goes 0-for-4 with 4 Whiffs as Series Splits 1-1, Gap Now 0.5 Games

    On September 15, the Chicago White Sox suffered a stunning comeback walk-off loss, 6-7, on the road against the Guardians in Cleveland. The go-ahead runs scored with two outs in the ninth, stretching the gap behind the AL Central-leading Guardians to 0.5 games. Munetaka Murakami, who played in the game, went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts and a walk. Over his last 14 games since September began, he’s batting just .098 (5-for-51), with his OPS cratering to .436. In the 5ch reaction thread, users debated the causes behind this extreme slump, compared him to Kazuma Okamoto — who has been adjusting well around the same time — and discussed batting order and usage decisions.

    Sponichi

    [ September 16, 2026, 10:38 ]

    AL White Sox 6-7 Guardians (September 15, 2026 Cleveland)

    Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:12
    Honestly, watching random Osaka night-view channels on YouTube is more entertaining than watching the Peace-kun livestream from Omiya Park (a local zoo's famous swan cam).
    9AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:14
    If striking out 4 times in 5 at-bats is fine, he could at least hit one home run.
    10AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:15
    Pitchers have figured him out — this is crunch time now.
    His OPS might drop below .800 too.
    14AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:17
    Isn't an OPS above .800 supposed to be considered good in MLB?
    15AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:18
    14 games since September started: 5-for-51, batting .098.
    16AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:18
    181 strikeouts already this season — if he hadn't missed a month, he'd be on pace to break the MLB record.
    19AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:19
    Re: #16
    If he hits 200 strikeouts despite missing a month, that's insane.
    He'll be back at SoftBank (his old NPB team) the year after next.
    17AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:18
    Was this guy just full-swinging off AI analysis this whole time?
    Now that teams have scouted him, he's got nothing.
    18AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:19
    If he full-swings on 100 pitches and connects just once, that's still 40 homers a year lol
    20AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:20
    Last 14 games:
    5 hits, 2 HR, 6 BB, 31 K, .098 AVG, .436 OPS
    22AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:22
    Strikeout or home run —
    that's just how Murakami is, and that's fine.
    48AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:40
    Re: #22
    If he had 60 home runs to go with 181 strikeouts, sure, but it's only 31.
    And he's on pace to top 200 K's.
    24AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:23
    If he didn't have 30+ homers, he'd have been benched long ago.
    Fine, keep starting him, but why not drop him down in the order?
    25AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:24
    Okamoto's been picking it up, but Murakami's just gotten figured out and fallen apart, huh.
    27AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:25
    Hey there, the Reiwa-era Strikeout King❗ Looking great❗ (sarcastic)
    28AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:26
    An overdone Schwarber impression.
    29AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:26
    Guess he's been scouted out. There goes the big contract.
    30AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:27
    Really wanted to win that one. That loss stings.
    32AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:27
    His strikeout total isn't that different from Okamoto's, huh.
    34AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:28
    He really needs to start hitting soon.
    Sure, he's got 30 home runs, but he needs to get to 40.
    35AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:30
    The AL Central is being led by a .500 team lol.
    Even in that low-level division race, a guy swinging for the fences and batting .200 like Murakami is pretty bad.
    36AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:31
    If they drop to 2nd in the division, the wild card gets tough.
    The AL East could lock up the top 3 wild card spots, maybe even a 4th lol.
    38AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:33
    Re: #36
    They're actually fighting directly with Okamoto's Blue Jays — and Okamoto's team lost again today too.
    37AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:32
    His average is about to dip into the dreaded .100s.
    His strikeout rate could rank among the worst in MLB history.
    40AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:36
    Since the 'AI' ban, he's hitting .130 with 7 homers…
    uh-oh…
    41AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:38
    Schwarber's 200 strikeouts came before the shift-ban era.
    Comparing that to this guy's 200 K's after the shift ban — it's night and day.
    42AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:38
    No matter how you look at it, way too many strikeouts.
    43AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:39
    It's all walks or strikeouts — he's barely hitting any home runs.
    45AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:40
    By the way, his average with runners in scoring position and 2 outs is .107 lol
    47AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:40
    Feels like ever since he hit his 31st home run, all he's done is strike out.
    49AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:41
    And not long ago people were calling him the 'Japanese Schwarber.'
    52AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:42
    This is getting rough.

    Munetaka Murakami — US media turning skeptical… flip-flopping to 'the haters were right'
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2da713480e7cc74840fc36584c20167986a0983a
    59AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:46
    Re: #52
    Whoa, he'd been getting nothing but praise and now they're finally turning on him.
    If the team drops out of first and misses the playoffs on top of this, isn't he going to get absolutely torched?
    61AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:47
    Okamoto's average is climbing back up toward .250, so he seems to be adjusting reasonably well.
    97AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:12
    Re: #61
    People had been saying all along that Okamoto seemed more likely to succeed in MLB —
    guess they were right.
    104AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:17
    Wasn't there a guy who led MLB in home runs but got cut a couple years later because his average was low and he struck out too much? That's how bad a high strikeout rate can look.
    109AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:19
    Re: #104
    That'd be Chris Carter.
    The Brewers DFA'd him the same year he led the league in home runs.
    Well, that was before the universal DH too.

    Background and Talking Points

    “OPS,” mentioned in the article, combines on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and a mark around .800 is generally considered excellent in MLB. Murakami has cratered to .436 over his last 14 games — a serious level of decline for a middle-of-the-order hitter. In the thread, users focused less on the sheer strikeout total and more on his prolonged slump with runners in scoring position (with some noting a roughly .107 average with two outs and runners in scoring position). That said, “full-swing” sluggers who pile up strikeouts alongside home runs aren’t unusual in modern MLB — though there are cautionary precedents too, like Chris Carter, mentioned in the thread, who was released despite leading the league in home runs because of his high strikeout rate. Whether Murakami can hold his starting job and qualify for the batting title will be one storyline to watch alongside his team’s fight for first place in the division.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “White Sox Stunned: Walk-Off Loss With Two Outs in the 9th — Murakami Goes 0-for-4 with 4 Whiffs as Series Splits 1-1, Gap Now 0.5 Games.”

  • Concerns Mount Over Ticket Sales for Tsubaki Factory’s Budokan Show — 5ch: ‘Even If Nobody Shows Up, It’ll Be Fun’

    With idol group Tsubaki Factory gearing up for a Nippon Budokan concert, a thread titled “Day-of ideas to pack Budokan for Tsubaki” popped up on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Posters pointed out that even past graduation concerts held at the same venue failed to fill every seat, and fans piled in with idea after idea — from bringing in Juice=Juice as the opening act to inviting Asakura Kizuki and Ogata Risa as special guests. Serious proposals mixed with joke posts, and the thread took off.

    1AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:11
    [URGENT] Ideas Needed to Fill Budokan for Tsubaki Factory's Show
    6AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:12
    Get Juice=Juice to open for them
    11AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:13
    Just have Juice=Juice perform the whole thing
    13AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:13
    Still an easier ask than getting ANGERME (mockingly nicknamed "Ankasu" here) to sell out Pia Arena
    14AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:13
    If Asakura and Ogata actually fight, does that count as budō (martial arts) and get them a discount on the Budokan rental fee?
    17AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:14
    Special guests: Ogata Risa & Asakura Kizuki
    21AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:15
    Things they've done before (or this time)

    Handing out flyers
    Daily Instagram Live
    Graduation concerts
    All OGs reunited
    New song reveal
    Performing every single
    Live band
    22AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:15
    For just that one day, the Juice=Juice members become Tsubaki Factory
    28AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:17
    Do the old "Just a Little Bit~" striptease-tease gag on a rotating stage
    30AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:17
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20140716/02/nets2007/6a/67/j/o0450030013004463288.jpg
    Get the Hina-zu (fan nickname for a member called "Hina") into this outfit
    31AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:18
    Have Juice=Juice perform actual Juice=Juice songs
    32AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:19
    Use a disappearing-act magic trick to make Saniko vanish (a member's nickname)
    33AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:19
    Rito Kyame + first-ever Budokan show
    Yamagishi's graduation + Kishimoto's graduation
    Niinuma's graduation + all OGs reunited
    Yagi's graduation + 10th anniversary

    Every single one of these Budokan shows was half-empty
    35AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:20
    Let's start by handing out homemade flyers at Juice=Juice's shows
    39AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:20
    Curtain off the entire 1st and 2nd floor and only sell arena-floor seats
    Or better yet, make the whole arena floor the stage
    44AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:22
    While we're at it, might as well throw in one more member's graduation for good measure
    45AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:22
    Have Kishimoto Yume do an acoustic solo set out front of the venue
    47AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:23
    Take a page from Juice=Juice's book and just don't announce attendance numbers
    48AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:23
    Not to be harsh, but even getting every graduate back together couldn't fill the place, so this looks rough
    55AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:24
    Re: #48
    That one was rough to watch
    Made me feel down too
    59AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:25
    Re: #48
    If that couldn't fill the place, I don't know what could
    51AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:23
    Have every member of Rito Kyame graduate and retire all at once
    That'd definitely fill the place
    No clue what happens after that though lol
    52AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:24
    Turn it into one giant game of musical chairs with a single seat
    112AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:45
    Re: #52
    Or flip it — a musical chairs game where the number of seats exactly matches the number of members
    57AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:24
    Opening act: Morning Musume, Juice=Juice, ANGERME
    Guests: Asakura & Ogata
    58AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:24
    Bring in Juice=Juice as the opening act
    60AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:25
    Even if nobody shows up, I think Tsubaki's Budokan shows are actually pretty elaborate and fun
    Kisora's graduation concert was great too — though the balloon segment was surprisingly serious
    66AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:28
    A sparring match between Asakura and Ogata between every song
    67AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:28
    Kisora's graduation and Yagi's graduation Budokan shows were both worth watching
    76AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:32
    There's no way to sell it out, but there is a way to avoid a half-empty house
    Just cancel the show that day
    77AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:33
    When S/mileage did their first Budokan show, Morning Musume and ℃-ute were the guests
    And they didn't even come on as the opener — they showed up in the middle of the show
    93AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:39
    Re: #77
    That works too
    Have Juice=Juice guest in the middle of the show

    Background and Talking Points

    Nippon Budokan holds roughly 14,000 people, making it a venue that’s tough to sell out unless you’re one of Hello! Project’s top-tier acts. Tsubaki Factory has held member graduation concerts there before, and posters in the thread pointed out that even those past shows didn’t fill every seat. This thread wasn’t sparked by any official announcement — it was simply fans joking around about their ticket-sales anxiety and trading ideas, with posts competing more on creativity than realism, from suggestions to book other groups to proposals for guest appearances. Since the thread mixes genuine analysis with jokes, the posts shouldn’t be taken as statements of fact.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “[URGENT] Ideas Needed to Fill Budokan for Tsubaki Factory’s Show.”

  • Former Johnny’s President Julie’s 60th Birthday Bash Draws Crowd of Ex-Agency Talent, 5ch: “What a Star-Studded Lineup”

    Shukan Bunshun has reported that a 60th birthday celebration for Juri Fujishima, former president of the ex-Johnny’s agency, was held on July 20 at an upscale restaurant in Roppongi, with numerous current and former STARTO ENTERTAINMENT talent turning out for the occasion. When Fujishima announced the agency’s dissolution in October 2023, she stated she would “focus solely on compensation and emotional support for the talent, and have no involvement in any other operations.” The agency itself told Bunshun that “the talent organized it as a surprise.” Reactions on 5ch were split between those who saw no issue with it as a private celebration and those questioning why someone who was supposed to have stepped back from management still has such close ties to the talent.

    Shukan Bunshun’s reporting has revealed that a 60th birthday celebration for Juri Fujishima, former president of the ex-Johnny’s agency, was held on July 20 at an upscale restaurant in Roppongi, with talent from the former Johnny’s agency (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT) turning out in force.

    When Fujishima dissolved Johnny’s agency in October 2023, she declared, “Going forward, I will focus solely on compensation and emotional care for the talent, and will have no involvement in any other duties,” stepping back from talent management operations.

    A star-studded lineup showed up to surprise her

    Source: bunshun.jp / Original article here

    17AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:11
    There was a thread yesterday about "Johnny" having fun in Hawaii (referring to late founder Johnny Kitagawa)
    18AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:11
    Nothing's changed, still a shitty sex-crime agency
    20AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:13
    Guess this is the lineup:
    Masahiro Nakai
    Tatsuya Yamaguchi
    Sho Tanaka
    Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
    Taichi Kokubun
    Goro Inagaki
    Junnosuke Taguchi
    Akira Akasaka
    Tomohisa Yamashita
    Kusama Richard Keita
    73AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:43
    Re: #20
    Yeah, that really is a star-studded lineup lol
    21AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:14
    Who cares, they're paying for it out of their own pockets
    24AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:15
    He was spotted recently too, at a concert venue for one of the young Junior groups
    25AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:15
    Well, they go way back, so of course a lot of people would show up
    30AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:19
    Rushed over to celebrate Juri Fujishima's 60th birthday
    Didn't know Kokubun was doing that
    Dead silent on the Kitagawa allegations though

    Real stand-up guy (sarcastic)
    32AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:21
    That was quite a while back though
    Maybe he's just a former employee by now?
    33AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:21
    Reporting on this like it's some kind of scandal seems off
    34AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:21
    Dunno which restaurant this was, but blabbing about customers to a reporter like that — wouldn't be surprised if they've got a bug planted under the table too

    Speaking of which, a few years back there was that whole no-show controversy that got the talk shows buzzing —
    how's the other Julie, Kenji Sawada, doing these days?
    36AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:21
    Oh good, so everyone hates Matsuoka too, glad it's not just me
    37AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:22
    I'm more curious about the list of TV networks, ad agencies, and industry people who are still connected to Julie
    39AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:22
    Guess the "Merry & Julie" name still carries some clout (Merry Fujishima and Julie ran the agency together)
    42AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:24
    Nothing wrong with voluntarily showing up to celebrate someone who looked out for you
    43AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:24
    Re: #1
    Is the one further down about this?
    M!LK wins Special Award at the 'MUSIC AWARD' but no members show up — the odd twist that ended up debunking 'fix' rumors, surprising fans
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/914816f7424c8f29af178fc89b5ea198ba242c75
    44AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:26
    Even after renaming it Smile-Up,
    this person still holds 100% of the shares
    92AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:55
    Re: #44
    Wild that a Japanese company just changes the agency's name and keeps using Johnny's talent like nothing happened
    45AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:28
    Re: #1
    Is there actually a problem here?
    Julie isn't a criminal or tied to organized crime or anything
    53AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:31
    Re: #45
    Feels like even though she was president, she just dumped it all on Higashiyama — who's just a talent — and bailed
    47AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:28
    Technically the current agency operates on the premise that it's cut ties with the Kitagawa family, so even if it's framed as "the talent's own idea," having them throw her a company-adjacent celebration is a bit of an issue
    48AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:29
    Bunshun:
    Julie's comeback
    Reportedly furious, saying none of her agency's talent will appear on this year's Kohaku
    49AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:29
    What's wrong with that?
    54AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:32
    Re: #49
    Nothing's wrong with it
    Bunshun's just run out of material and is hunting for a new target to bash
    51AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:30
    Messed up organization as always
    Why hasn't a company that sexually abused as many as 500 boys gone under?
    52AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:31
    They probably figured enough time had passed to hold it safely
    Guess it took about two years for the public to forget
    55AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:32
    If Sakurai wasn't there, Julie's probably furious lol
    56AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:33
    The fact that the talent threw her a party shows she's genuinely well liked
    65AnonymousSep 16, 2026 16:40
    If she'd actually gone back into management that'd be a real problem, but this is just a heartwarming little story

    Background and Points of Debate

    Following the 2023 revelation of sexual abuse by agency founder Johnny Kitagawa, Juri Fujishima announced the dissolution of the agency that October, stating she would focus on compensation and support for the talent. The agency was renamed STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, with Hideaki Higashiyama taking over as the new president. Opinions on the thread split over how to reconcile Fujishima’s stated departure from management with the fact that so many former agency talent personally turned out for her private birthday celebration — some saw it as nothing more than an extension of personal relationships, while others suspected she still retains real influence behind the scenes. Note that Fujishima’s nickname “Julie” is also the stage name of singer Kenji Sawada, and some posts in the thread appear to have confused the two.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Agency admits “talent organized it as a surprise”] Former President Julie’s 60th Birthday Celebration at Upscale Roppongi Restaurant [Guest List Obtained] [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”

  • GTA6: Even PS5 Owners Are Lukewarm — 5ch: “I Doubt Even 10% Will Actually Play It”

    A thread appeared on 5ch’s “Hardware/Industry (Geha)” board asking, “Are Nintendo fans supposed to just skip GTA6?” Replies included comments that even PS5 owners are only 50/50 on actually buying it, alongside harsh reviews from people who’d actually played the previous game, GTA5, saying things like “the missions don’t make any sense” and “it’s boring.” The discussion ended up splitting more over opinions of the game itself than over which console people owned. The thread also touched on PC play environments, whether mods are necessary, and the possibility of a Switch 2 release.

    1AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:36
    If you're a real gamer, you're gonna want to play this, right?
    2AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:37
    I played 5 back when I had a PS4, but it wasn't for me, so I don't really care either way.
    3AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:37
    Instead of calling those guys out, why not just get together with people who are actually planning to buy it and chat?
    4AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:38
    There's no way you can play a driving game locked at 30fps.
    It's so choppy it'll make you motion sick.
    6AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:39
    I've put a decent amount of time into the previous game, so I can say this:
    It's not something you can really enjoy without online and mods.

    I'm skipping it until an online-enabled Steam version comes out.
    8AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:40
    Re: #6
    Hmm, that sounds like "air-play" (talking like you've played it when you clearly haven't).
    7AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:39
    Not interested — I'll think about it if Epic gives it away for free.
    9AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:40
    I don't want to play it at 30fps, so I'll get it on PC.
    11AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:41
    Re: #9
    Do you even own a PC?
    Show me your Steam library.
    18AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:45
    Re: #11
    Showed you — now what are you gonna do for me?
    12AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:42
    If you seriously wanted to play it, you'd just buy a PS5.
    The fact that you haven't says it all.
    14AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:43
    "Please buy it" isn't really a reason to start a thread.
    15AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:44
    I doubt even 10% of PS5 owners in Japan will actually play it.
    16AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:44
    Well, I played 5 and it just wasn't for me, so I'm not gonna bother with this one.
    19AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:45
    It might come out on Switch 2, so people are trying to get everyone on record saying "You said you didn't want to play it!" lol
    27AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:51
    I have zero interest in GTA.
    If it's a PS5 title, I'd want the Demon's Souls remake, but buying a whole console just for that feels like a stretch.
    28AnonymousSep 16, 2026 10:53
    Re: #27
    I heard some guy overseas got Demon's Souls running on an emulator.
    52AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:11
    Even if it does come out, it's probably going to be over 100GB, so storage is going to be rough on Switch 2.
    54AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:13
    Re: #52
    FF7's final chapter went from 300GB down to about 120GB, so I think they can pull off GTA6 too.

    The real issue is how much effort it'll take to optimize it.
    And even if it does come out, there'll probably be some kind of downgrade, like fewer people/NPCs on screen.
    80AnonymousSep 16, 2026 11:52
    I still haven't even played GTA5.
    I got it for free on Epic, though.
    100AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:27
    Re: #80
    I got it free too.
    Installed it and messed with it a bit.
    0% of the achievements unlocked.
    What's supposed to be fun about this?
    96AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:23
    GTA5 is genuinely awful and boring — I've stopped playing partway through again.

    I mean, there's still a lot of people who haven't played it, right?
    Go ahead and try it — it's really not for a general audience.
    The missions specifically are the absolute peak of "not fun."
    It's basically an average game that scrapes by only because the graphics are nice and the cars are well-detailed.
    103AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:28
    Re: #96
    I bought Shenmue too but never actually played it.
    Just because a game has a ton of detail outside the actual gameplay doesn't automatically make it fun.
    It all comes down to whether the gameplay itself clicks with you or not.
    101AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:27
    PS4 Grand Theft Auto V (Reprice Edition) — 384,813 units
    104AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:30
    Re: #101
    This time it's a code-in-a-box release (a physical box that just contains a download code, no disc), so it'll probably sell fewer than that.
    102AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:27
    GTA5's missions
    Most of them make zero sense.

    No, seriously.
    Why did a shootout just start? Why are we storming what looks like a CIA building?
    Why are we escaping on a plane? Why are we flying a helicopter?
    You do all that and never get caught, but then when the cops are chasing you, getting caught means getting shot dead.
    It genuinely feels like a scenario Tarantino wrote while wasted — and on top of that, it's boring.
    109AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:34
    Re: #102
    If it were a game with that cool, gritty Reservoir Dogs vibe, I might actually want to try it.
    111AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:35
    This game is just really talky to begin with.
    It's clearly influenced by Tarantino, so the dialogue-driven scenes are apparently supposed to matter.

    But even the Japanese version is subtitles-only, so you have to actually read them to know what's being said.
    And most of that talking happens while you're driving, so you can't read the subtitles because you need to focus on driving.
    That's one of the crappy parts about it too.
    Anyway, just try it yourself and you'll see — it's not a normal game.
    113AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:40
    I'm one of the guys who tried it through Game Pass lol

    Yeah, my take is basically the same as Re: #111's.
    If you want a solo game like this, I'd recommend "Cyberpunk" (Cyberpunk 2077) instead.
    116AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:43
    Re: #111
    It's one thing when you're just casually tailing a target at a comfortable distance,
    but some missions have you chasing a target fleeing at full speed, and falling too far behind means instant mission failure.
    117AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:44
    Let the Xbox and PC users enjoy it.
    I actually own the hardware it's launching on, but I'll be enjoying Phantom Blade Zero and Ocarina instead.
    120AnonymousSep 16, 2026 12:45
    Re: #117
    *PS users, you mean.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Conflicts on the Geha board are typically framed around console rivalries, but what stands out this time is that the discussion centered on evaluations from people who’d actually played the previous game, GTA5. While GTA5 is widely regarded as a massive worldwide hit, the thread also featured specific complaints that could only come from actually playing it — things like “the point of the missions is hard to follow” and “you can’t read the subtitles while driving” — making this more than just a simple statement of likes and dislikes. As of this writing, there has been no official announcement on whether GTA6 will come to Switch 2, and the speculation in the thread remains just that — speculation. Some replies cite platform-specific sales figures, but no source or date is given for those figures, so the numbers shouldn’t be taken at face value.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “Are Nintendo Fanboys Supposed to Just Skip GTA6?.”