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  • Kazushige Nagashima and Yoshizumi Ishihara Shows Collide in Primetime — Ratings ‘Triple Crown’ Battle Behind It

    On the evening of September 8, during the 7pm hour, Nippon TV and TV Asahi each aired shows featuring Kazushige Nagashima (60) and Yoshizumi Ishihara (64) in the very same time slot. Reactions on 5ch’s Geinou/Sports Breaking News+ board were split, ranging from “nothing but nepo-baby talents” to “nothing wrong with going head-to-head.”

    The article’s headline cited comments like “no wonder young people are giving up on broadcast TV,” but many in the thread argued the causality runs the other way — networks cater to older viewers precisely because younger viewers tuned out first. Behind it all is the networks’ ongoing battle for the ratings “Triple Crown.”

    “No wonder young people are giving up on broadcast TV” — Kazushige Nagashima and Yoshizumi Ishihara’s shows clash in primetime… ratings “Triple Crown” race also a factor

    On September 8, during the Golden Prime-time slot, Nippon TV and TV Asahi each aired signature shows starring popular second-generation celebrities Kazushige Nagashima (60) and Yoshizumi Ishihara (64), drawing surprised reactions from viewers.

    Starting at 7pm on the 8th, Nippon TV aired “Kazushige x Kamaitachi: Genba 2-Hour Special,” hosted by Nagashima and comedy duo Kamaitachi.

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

    4AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:25
    Nothing but nepo-baby middle-aged guys on screen (lol)
    Old media.
    5AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:25
    Yoshizumi's on TV nearly every day now — feels like he's more in-demand than ever.
    6AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:26
    Nepo-baby talents (riding on their famous parents' fame) running wild as always.
    7AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:27
    Yoshizumi's the red oni, Kazushige's the blue oni, and Chisako's King Yama (demon judge of the underworld).
    8AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:28
    Not watching either one, so it's fine by me~
    9AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:28
    So this is the wholesome Reiwa-era variety show the internet wanted, huh
    No wonder people hate comedians
    Nepo-baby talents, and from the same generation to boot?
    10AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:28
    They're not a duo, so there's nothing wrong with them clashing time slots.
    51AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:52
    Re: #10
    Apparently it's a hit with the senior crowd.
    11AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:28
    No, it's the other way around — even when they hand shows to younger talent, young people don't watch, so it ended up like this.
    12AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:29
    Thought it was the same guy on both
    but nope, different people
    what's actually wrong with that?
    13AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:29
    5ch itself is nothing but old men, yet everyone's acting like it's someone else's problem.
    14AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:29
    TV Asahi's pushing him hard, but does he actually pull ratings?
    15AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:29
    Ishihara's brother has also been popping up on TV nonstop lately — who's actually asking for that… Is Yoshizumi out there doing sales pitches, like "my brother's free these days, could you use him?"
    26AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:35
    Re: #15
    I've only seen him on shows like Sunday Japon, but he just looks out of place somehow
    From the network's side they probably think they landed a former politician nicely, but it's kind of cringe to watch
    30AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:38
    Re: #15
    His talent agency has serious clout, so it's just straight-up favoritism.
    17AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:31
    Young people are probably watching YouTube and TikTok shorts instead
    not that I really know.
    18AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:31
    Doesn't the staff feel like giving up while making this show? 🤔
    19AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:31
    Even old folks don't want to watch Kazushige.
    77AnonymousSep 9, 2026 19:02
    Re: #19
    Well, Kazushige himself just turned 60, so he's basically a granddad too…
    21AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:32
    TV is basically the senior citizens' club meeting hall now
    just give up on it already.
    22AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:33
    But Ayumu Nakajima's big breakout definitely started on TV, though.
    23AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:33
    Kotaro Koizumi, Yoshizumi Ishihara, guys like that —
    who's actually watching shows where some rich kid just strolls around town looking carefree?
    24AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:33
    It's way more entertaining than some random idol, so it can't be helped.
    25AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:34
    > No wonder young people are giving up on broadcast TV
    It's backwards
    They make it for old people because young people don't watch
    So what, run a Snow Man special instead?
    Then it'd be Snow Man 24/7
    Besides, the youngest guy in primetime is what, Ninomiya, who's over 40? lol
    27AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:35
    It's the other way around — they made stuff for young people and nobody watched at all, so they shifted to appeal to older viewers
    Even shows aimed at elementary schoolers don't get watched
    28AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:36
    Yoshizumi Ishihara, 64 years old
    He's only on shows with that snarky TV Tokyo-style edge.
    29AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:37
    This place is nothing but old folks too
    it's over, done.
    33AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:39
    Shows young people actually want to watch? Celebrities they want to see?
    Do those even exist? Is there anyone?
    57AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:56
    Re: #33
    I'm not young either, but for me there's nothing there
    I don't watch guys like Kazushige or Kotaro, but there's no young talent I want to watch either
    It comes down to whether there's even a young actor, idol, or talent that young people actually want to see
    34AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:40
    Younger generations genuinely hate NHK — that bottomless-pit cost center, no joke
    If NHK went away, I think broadcast TV could make a real comeback.
    60AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:56
    I don't dislike Yoshizumi Ishihara.
    66AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:58
    Re: #60
    Same, I don't dislike him either.
    61AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:57
    Kazushige got good at pulling that 'loser face,' and now he's in high demand for variety shows.
    75AnonymousSep 9, 2026 19:01
    Re: #61
    Wait, why's the assumption that people watch BS (satellite broadcast)?
    78AnonymousSep 9, 2026 19:03
    Ever since Maijitsu started this trend of lazy 'kotatsu articles' (written from the couch with zero original reporting) bashing TV with a "here's what the internet is saying" format, I'm sick of seeing the same pattern everywhere.
    81AnonymousSep 9, 2026 19:04
    Re: #78
    Oh, media criticism, huh
    Just trying out what everyone else is already doing lol

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    Behind this lies the commercial networks’ ongoing battle for the ratings “Triple Crown” (household ratings, individual ratings, and Golden Prime-time ratings). Second-generation celebrities are easy to cast because they come with built-in name recognition and a loyal following. In this case, Kazushige Nagashima’s and Yoshizumi Ishihara’s signature shows simply happened to overlap in the same 7pm slot on the 8th. Despite their different public personas — a former pro baseball player versus a former weather forecaster — both share the trait of being children of famous parents.

    The thread was divided over the order of causality: whether broadcast TV skews toward older viewers because young people left first, or whether the older-skewing lineup is what drove young people away. Both positions had a fair number of supporters. One easy misreading is to assume this scheduling overlap proves network mismanagement or that the talents are unpopular — in reality, some pointed out that the casting also reflects the talent agencies’ bargaining power and past ratings success, meaning a simple generational narrative doesn’t fully explain it.

    *This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “[TV] ‘No wonder young people are giving up on broadcast TV’ — Kazushige Nagashima and Yoshizumi Ishihara’s shows clash in primetime… ratings ‘Triple Crown’ race also a factor.”

  • Single Middle-Aged Man Answers Every Reply About the Reality of Aging — 5ch: “Being Unpopular Is My Destiny”

    A thread titled “I’m bored, so I’ll reply to everyone” appeared on 5ch’s News VIP board, with a single middle-aged man answering the board’s questions one by one. On the physical side, he admitted to the effects of aging, saying he’d “gotten weak to oily food” and “put on weight easily,” and revealed his appetite has “shrunk surprisingly” — though his erections, he says, are “still totally fine.” He’s one of four siblings in a family of six, though they’re all scattered now, and he himself is single. His hobbies include watching baseball, comedy, and idol videos on Tver (a Japanese TV catch-up streaming app), and while he only finished high school, he says he still reads books. A fellow resident, apparently also 47, joined in, and the two swapped notes on the side effects of hair-loss medication and how their popularity with women has changed over the years.

    1AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:06
    Just an old guy here.
    2AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:06
    Is it always the same person starting these threads?
    Or is it more like people go "lol, this is fun, I'll rip it off and start my own!"
    4AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:08
    Re: #2
    I've done this a few times myself, just changing the thread title.
    Doesn't feel like copying to me — there must be tons of similar threads out there.
    13AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:15
    Anything else that's changed compared to when you were young?
    14AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:17
    Re: #13
    Let's see…
    The classic stuff — I've gotten weak to oily food and I gain weight way too easily.
    I used to think middle-aged guys saying "I put on weight easily" were just making excuses, but it's actually real.
    18AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:19
    What's your family like?
    21AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:22
    Re: #18
    I'm one of 4 siblings in a family of 6, but we've all been scattered for a long time now.
    I'm single.
    20AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:21
    Do you feel like your erections have weakened, or that your semen volume has dropped?
    22AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:23
    Re: #20
    Erections are still totally fine.
    But compared to the old days, it doesn't build back up in just 3 days like it used to.
    23AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:25
    How's your appetite?
    Has how much you eat actually gone down?
    24AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:29
    Re: #23
    It's dropped surprisingly.
    When I do eat, I eat, but I get full fast.
    Hard to believe there was a time I could eat two go of rice (about 300g) and not gain weight.
    30AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:41
    Drinking already at this hour?
    Take care of your health.
    31AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:43
    Re: #30
    Well, it's an occasional indulgence.
    Even on days off I rarely do this, but there's nothing else to do.
    33AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:49
    I'm a middle-aged guy too, 47.
    Nice, booze sounds good.
    I've got my part-time shift coming up soon so I can't drink.
    34AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:50
    Re: #33
    A senior!
    Anything worth watching out for once you're past 40?
    Thanks for working at this hour.
    36AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:55
    Re: #34
    I really have gotten weight-gain-prone.
    Drink too much and your body starts falling apart.
    I guess that's just how it goes?
    I'm also on hair-loss medication, so my sperm output's gotten worse.
    I used to be popular with girls in their teens and 20s all through my 30s, but not so much anymore.
    Guess that's just how it goes.
    The physical decline is the toughest part.
    37AnonymousSep 9, 2026 15:57
    Re: #36
    I already feel that way, and it gets worse from here…
    Good grief.
    Though I don't drink as much as I used to these days.

    Being unpopular is my destiny~
    39AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:06
    Re: #37
    Also, life genuinely speeds up.
    Feels like I was just 40, and now I'm already 47.
    Are you single?
    40AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:09
    Re: #39
    That part's actually kind of nice.
    Waiting for time to pass is the hard bit.
    I'm single.
    No girlfriend either.
    42AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:14
    __,.,,_
    ./ *・ω・ヽ A 46-year-old has arrived
    44AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:15
    Re: #42
    Ri… never mind.
    It's a secret!
    48AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:17
    Re: #42
    Oh, it's Zaba~-san.
    Re: #43
    I was supposed to be long dead by now too, honestly.
    Rather die before getting old, huh.
    True, I never really went after single women my own age.
    45AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:15
    What's with this guy?
    46AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:16
    Re: #45
    A middle-aged guy's a middle-aged guy, what'd you expect.
    51AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:21
    Re: #46
    What does this guy even live for?
    52AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:22
    Re: #51
    Booze isn't really it lately, so food I guess.
    Also interesting videos (not shorts).
    47AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:17
    __,.,,_
    ./ *・ω・ヽ What's the old guy having for dinner?
    49AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:18
    Re: #47
    Haven't decided yet.
    Maybe I'll have udon.
    50AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:20
    Re: #48
    Not sure what I'll do.
    Guess I'll figure it out later.
    Women in their 40s and 50s are pretty rough, huh…
    57AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:28
    Re: #50
    I just wish I could live happily.
    Honestly, your 40s and 50s are rough…
    54AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:24
    Re: #52
    What videos are you watching, old man?
    56AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:27
    Re: #54
    Mainly Tver, I'd say.
    I watch that while half-watching baseball and other sports.
    Also comedy shows and idol videos.
    60AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:32
    Re: #55
    Re: #56
    This guy's life sounds kind of empty.
    Couldn't you study back in school?
    59AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:31
    Re: #57
    Yeah, the things you enjoy just dwindle.
    Speaking from experience, I've gotten to where I can sit through pretty much any sport now.
    I just kind of leave the TV on.
    If she's good-looking, a woman in her 40s is about as far as I could go, personally.
    62AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:34
    Re: #59
    Having a hobby would help.
    I get it, I end up half-watching volleyball while messing with my phone too.
    A good-looking woman in her 40s, huh — sure, that could work, but I've never actually met one.
    63AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:34
    Re: #60
    Like you probably guessed —
    high school grad.
    But I do read books.
    Not completely uncultured.
    64AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:35
    Re: #63
    Oh, nice.
    What kind of books do you read?
    125AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:50
    Alright! Hope things work out for you someday! Good luck answering everyone!
    127AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:51
    Re: #125
    Thanks.
    Maybe again sometime.

    Background and Talking Points

    The “answer every reply” format is a classic pastime on 5ch’s News VIP board, where the thread starter diligently responds to every question other users throw at them. This time, a self-described “middle-aged guy” fielded questions about aging with striking candor, opening up about highly individual topics like changes in stamina, libido, and appetite. At one point another resident, apparently around the same age, chimed in about semen volume dropping as a side effect of hair-loss medication — the kind of detail that only comes up when people going through the same thing compare notes. That said, by the end of the thread some commenters were calling it “empty,” so opinions on the content were mixed. The thread also contained a reference to an unresolved past incident, but since the facts couldn’t be verified, it hasn’t been included in this article.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News VIP) thread “I’m bored, so I’ll reply to everyone.”

  • One Piece’s Zoro and His ‘Only Fight Swordsmen’ Rule Spark Debate — 5ch: ‘Bet You Can’t Name a Better Manga’

    The thread kicked off with a claim that Eiichiro Oda himself may be breaking the principle he set for One Piece’s Zoro — that to become the world’s greatest swordsman, he’ll only fight other swordsmen — through recent developments involving Luffy (Nika).

    On 5ch, the discussion didn’t stop at that question and expanded into a full-blown “name a manga better than One Piece” debate, with posters throwing out titles like Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, and Jujutsu Kaisen. Interpretations of Zoro’s rule were also split, with some pushing back that there’s nothing wrong with him fighting non-swordsmen at all.

    1AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:12
    Having Nika fight the swordsmen instead of Zoro
    3AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:13
    Who cares
    If you've got complaints, go write your own
    Do something about that empty life where all you can do is nitpick
    4AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:14
    Re: #3
    If this is what passes for garbage manga, I could do better
    9AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:15
    Re: #3
    It's obvious you're just jealous of Oda's earnings
    I wonder how many months it takes Oda to earn what these guys make in a lifetime
    10AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:15
    Re: #3
    If I wrote it, I could make something more interesting than this boring manga
    16AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:17
    You guys keep calling One Piece boring, boring, but I bet you can't name a manga more interesting than it
    And your favorite moe slice-of-life 'Kirara'-style manga and web-novel isekai ('narou') adaptations don't count
    17AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:17
    Re: #16
    So Oda-kun is losing even to Kirara and narou manga now?
    19AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:18
    Re: #16
    Chainsaw Man Part 1 was more interesting than One Piece
    22AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:19
    Oda's probably already forgotten the dream he wrote about back then

    26AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:20
    Oda-kun's bad at making manga, but he's good at drawing
    27AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:21
    Re: #26
    Good at what, exactly?
    30AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:22
    Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen are both more interesting than One Piece too
    35AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:24
    Re: #30
    Never read Jujutsu Kaisen so I can't say, but Demon Slayer's story is dark, gloomy, heavy, and reeks of introvert energy
    And the female characters have no charm either
    37AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:25
    Re: #30
    But Akaza is basically Katakuri, right? (a running comparison in this thread — Akaza is a villain from Demon Slayer, Katakuri a villain from One Piece)
    31AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:22
    Luffy: 'Shanks, Imu, and Mihawk were all swordsmen, but I beat them.'

    Zoro: 'Without even fighting, I'm the world's greatest!'

    This could totally happen
    42AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:26
    Re: #31
    Zoro: 'Now that the strongest guys are gone, I'm the strongest by default 😁'
    34AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:23
    Re: #32
    Yeah, that's so One Piece
    The fact that someone would post that just proves they're a fanboy
    36AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:24
    Re: #34
    Lol you can't even give a specific rebuttal
    39AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:26
    Re: #35
    Shinobu Kocho is way cuter than One Piece's weirdly-proportioned Nami or Robin
    40AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:26
    Come on, a captain who's lost sight of even his own crewmates' goals is just lame
    Back in the day there was mutual respect among the crew, which made it satisfying to read
    But now it's just a cult pirate crew

    44AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:27
    Re: #37
    You already admitted Akaza isn't Katakuri
    Give it a rest
    58AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:31
    Re: #44
    Muzan's like a JoJo arc boss, and I admitted I don't get the standard by which Akaza's supposedly not Katakuri, but I never admitted Akaza isn't Katakuri
    Re: #53
    Sanji's the one who gave the word 'kuso' (damn/crap) the nuance it has today
    53AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:29
    Even when you quote a famous One Piece line, people just go '…huh?'
    JoJo references land fine at work, but
    I sang the 'Binks' Sake' song (One Piece's famous pirate drinking song) and not a single person picked up on it
    55AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:29
    Re: #19
    Never read Chainsaw Man, but it seems needlessly grim and gory
    Sorry for judging off vibes alone, but it lacks that One Piece brightness of punching every bad guy out one by one for a satisfying resolution
    56AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:30
    Re: #55
    It's a manga where Denji, who's even dumber than Luffy, satisfyingly chainsaws through everything
    62AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:31
    Grown men playing pretend as 'Z' (Zoro)…
    Creating a special-grade cursed object like this is way too sinful (borrowing Jujutsu Kaisen's term for a monster born of dark feelings)
    Just end One Piece already and set these guys free…
    65AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:33
    Re: #62
    If anything, the 'Z' crowd is dead center in the generation that grew up on One Piece
    Right in the middle of the One Piece boom sparked by the show Hexagon, around the Marineford War to Fish-Man Island arcs
    64AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:32
    Re: #58
    Akaza is NOT Katakuri
    71AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:35
    Re: #64
    I mean, the way Muzan gets beaten and the way the 41-year-old gets beaten — Akaza's basically Katakuri
    76AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:36
    Re: #71
    We're talking about Akaza and Katakuri here, so if you want to change the subject, settle this first
    If you move on to something else, that means you've admitted Akaza isn't Katakuri
    70AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:34
    I'm not an anti-fan or anything
    I just stopped reading because Nika is gross
    One Piece was great back when Luffy still had some brains left
    79AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:38
    Re: #70
    Same here
    I still genuinely think it's great up through around the Grand Line
    But past that it's a matter of opinion, and I don't think there's any point reading past the Nika stuff
    Guess that makes me a flipped anti-fan
    72AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:35
    That rule is just something you made up yourself
    Did Oda ever actually say 'Zoro will only fight swordsmen'? Huh? Did he?
    80AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:38
    Re: #72
    It's not that he'll only fight swordsmen — it's that he can't be called the world's greatest swordsman unless he fights strong swordsmen
    89AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:41

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Within the story, Zoro has repeatedly been shown pursuing the dream of becoming the world’s greatest swordsman, a goal that requires defeating the world’s strongest swordsman (Mihawk). The claim at the center of this thread stems from readers’ sense that, in recent years, Luffy (Nika) has increasingly clashed with powerful enemies who aren’t swordsmen, making Zoro’s “only fight swordsmen” principle feel diluted by comparison. That said, it’s worth noting that Eiichiro Oda himself has never explicitly stated in the manga or in official materials that “Zoro will only fight swordsmen” — some posters in the thread pushed back, saying they don’t recall Oda ever setting such a rule — so the premise itself leaves room for interpretation. The comparisons drawn to Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man are likewise subjective, personal-taste judgments rather than being based on objective measures like circulation figures or popularity rankings.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Image] Eiichiro Oda breaks another rule he made up himself wwwwwwwww.”

  • Okamura Minami’s Birthday Event Venue Shrinks from 994 Seats to Just 398

    Morning Musume ’26’s Okamura Minami is holding a birthday event, and its venue is shrinking dramatically — from Shintoshi Hall (994 seats) in 2025 down to I’M A SHOW (398 seats) in 2026 — sparking discussion on 5ch’s Hello! Project board. Posters in the thread were split on whether this reflects a genuine drop in popularity or simply fans scattering due to new members joining, with some pointing to other members’ venue histories, like Sasaki Rikako’s, for comparison.

    1AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:06
    2025
    Shintoshi Hall [994 seats]
    2026
    3AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:07
    She turned into such a beautiful young woman… so why?
    6AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:08
    Well, Shintoshi Hall usually only seats 600-700 anyway
    but still, this is way too much of a downgrade.
    7AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:08
    Miimi's not THAT unpopular, is she?
    9AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:10
    Miimi doesn't really have antis, but she doesn't get much attention from DD types (fans who don't commit to one member), so I get why her birthday event would struggle.
    17AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:12
    Re: #9
    She's just… totally inoffensive.
    That's actually the worst thing you can be as an idol.
    10AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:10
    Shintoshi Hall's capacity varies by member, but for Hello! Project it maxes out at just over 700.
    Sometimes it's under 600.
    13AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:10
    Whenever new members join, it's always the current youngest member who takes the hit.
    15AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:11
    Feels like she could've landed a slightly bigger venue than this, honestly.
    21AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:14
    If anything, plenty of people probably like her.
    But that's as far as it goes.
    22AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:15
    Miimi wasn't in Beyooooonds, right?
    24AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:15
    Isn't she just too nice a girl?
    Any hint of a boyfriend?
    25AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:16
    Baseless guess here,
    but it feels like her fans have been drifting toward Nagano Momoha.
    29AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:19
    Re: #25
    Tons of fans are flowing from Angerme into Beyooooonds — no way it's reversing just for her, lol
    27AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:18
    Maybe her popularity dropped because she was Kato Taka's (a staff/producer nickname) favorite?
    30AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:21
    Re: #29
    The ones flowing from Angerme to Beyooooonds are Rikamiko's (a fan nickname pairing two members) fanbase
    Miimi and Nagano both draw a different crowd than that.
    32AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:22
    Sasaki Rikako
    2025: Setagaya Egret Hall (933 seats)
    ↓
    2026: Hiratsuka Hall (368 seats)
    33AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:22
    Well, isn't Nagano Momoha basically an upgraded version of Okamura Minami?
    Both the local-idol-turned-idol-cyborg type.
    45AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:30
    Re: #33
    Not sure if fans are really moving over, but if you're gonna get hooked on someone's fan interactions, it'd be Nagano.
    35AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:23
    Miimi's such a capable member — she can pull off cute performances AND cool ones, it's a shame.
    68AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:40
    Re: #35
    That's because even you don't oshi (actively support) her.
    79AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:45
    Re: #35
    She's cute like little baby-talk sounds, haha
    39AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:25
    What's the actual reason Miimi's unpopular?
    46AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:31
    Re: #39
    Because in Hello! Project, 'Okamura' means Homare first, no contest.
    40AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:25
    Couldn't they book Shintoshi Hall this time?
    41AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:25
    Miimi, this must be rough… come on over to Angerme.
    42AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:26
    They keep saying she's going viral, but Beyooooonds itself is struggling with ticket sales for its tour too.
    49AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:33
    Re: #42
    Then they should've just let the group disband instead of ignoring the age limit to cram in new members and keep it on life support.
    43AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:27
    I don't personally know anyone who switched over, but I can kind of sense Okamura's fans drifting toward Nagano.
    47AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:31
    Even if they couldn't book Hikōsen Hall (the 'airship' venue), Ranma Hall's open year-round anyway.
    48AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:32
    Everyone's crying 'too small, too small,' but it's probably just first-part, second-round tickets anyway.

    Background and Discussion Points

    The “birthday festival” is a Hello! Project tradition — a solo event for each member — and turnout capacity tends to be read directly as a barometer of popularity. That said, venue size can also shift based on day-of availability, event timing, and the organizers’ budget, so judging rising or falling popularity from seat counts alone may be premature. The thread also raised Sasaki Rikako’s case, whose venue shrank from 933 seats to 368, suggesting a broader trend of scaled-back venues across Hello! Project events generally rather than something specific to Okamura. Others pointed to fan dispersion from new member additions as a possible factor, though it’s worth noting these remain unconfirmed guesses with no official statement behind them.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Okamura Minami’s Birthday Event Venue Drastically Shrinks: Shintoshi Hall [994 seats] → I’M A SHOW [398 seats].”

  • Actor Jiro Sato casually reveals his height on X, sparking surprise: “I didn’t know he was that tall”

    On the 9th, actor Jiro Sato (57) revealed on his own X account that he’s “181 cm tall” while sharing an exchange with his wife. In the episode, his wife climbed onto a stool and ended up level with him, exclaiming in surprise, “You’re so tall, so tall!” But readers reacted to the height figure itself. On the 5channel entertainment/sports news board, threads split between people surprised (“I didn’t know he was that tall”) and people saying “no, he always seemed big to me,” with opinions divided over how big a gap there is between his perceived build and his actual height of 181 cm.

    9/9 (Wed) 16:29

    Actor Jiro Sato (57) updated his own X account on the 9th. He revealed his height, and the reaction has been one of surprise.

    Sato posted about everyday life with his wife: “My wife is 147 cm tall, but when she climbed onto some kind of stool to reach something up high, she happened to end up about the same height as me (181 cm). Looking down, she said, ‘Whoa, that’s high, so high! You must be afraid of heights, huh? That must be rough.’ But something about that logic feels a bit off to me.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:55
    3AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:56
    181 is pretty common among salarymen you see around
    I'm about that height too, and honestly it's the most comfortable height to be
    77AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:43
    Re: #3
    I'm 182 too, but I definitely don't see that around me
    It's not that rare anymore if you count all the foreigners who've flooded in with inbound tourism, though
    But when I get on a packed train full of Japanese people, I'm often head and shoulders above everyone else
    4AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:56
    He just gives off a stocky, dumpy vibe facially, doesn't he
    5AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:56
    Isn't he fudging the number a bit (padding his height)?
    Or rather, couldn't he just keep it to himself?
    7AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:57
    No matter how you look at it, this guy's huge
    8AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:57
    He's not tall, his face is just huge lol
    11AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:57
    He's always given off a kind of bulky-big vibe anyway
    13AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:58
    What was the point of making that his last post?
    14AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:58
    I'm 178 and even then I'm on the taller side when I look around
    You guys are all so short
    20AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:00
    Just tell us straight whether he's going to be in Bayside Shakedown (Odoru Daisousasen) or not
    23AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:00
    Huh, so he's exactly the same height as Akiko Wada (famed singer known for her height and deep voice)
    26AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:03
    I only learned this guy's name because of the recent controversy
    Whether it's bashing or sympathy, it really drove home that for celebrities, just getting talked about is a win
    28AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:04
    Yacchan, the slot/pachinko YouTuber with a similar face, is only just over 160 though
    29AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:05
    Re: #28
    Garizou looks more like him
    33AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:05
    Re: #1
    No way, Sato's definitely big
    What even is this article
    39AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:09
    Re: #33
    Yeah, I never got a "small" impression from him at all
    45AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:11
    Re: #8
    When he stood next to Osamu Mukai, their shoulder height was totally different
    He's the type who makes his money on his face
    72AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:37
    Re: #45


    It's true
    When you hide the faces, Mukai actually looks about 5cm taller
    81AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:45
    Re: #72
    What's going on with Mukai's body proportions lol
    Wonder who has the smaller face, him or Mokomichi (actor Hiro Mizushima's nickname)
    64AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:29
    I'm 186 cm but my shoe size is only 28.5
    82AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:45
    Re: #64
    Back in the day, shoe stores used to have wagon sales out front dumping pretty tall, cool-looking sports shoes at cheap prices
    That's how I got my 28.5 Adidas
    It's sad those wagon sales don't really happen anymore
    76AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:43
    So Jiro Sato was already 181cm back in high school

    Background and key points of this discussion

    The impression of someone’s height tends to be shaped more by the balance of their facial features and build than by the actual number. Because of his solid build and somewhat baby-faced looks, Jiro Sato tends to be seen as “short” or “stocky,” but at 181 cm he’s clearly on the tall side among Japanese men. Even in the thread, opinions split between the camp saying “you see plenty of 181 cm salarymen around” and the camp saying “that height stands a head above everyone on the train,” which shows that what counts as “tall” has less to do with the actual number than with the viewer’s own environment (city vs. countryside, the age range of the people around them, etc.). Also, as the exchange about a single photo with a co-star changing the impression of a height difference shows, comparing celebrities’ heights is easily thrown off by camera angle, shoes, and framing, so it’s not unusual for the officially stated number to diverge from the “visual impression.”

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Actor Jiro Sato casually reveals his height on X, sparking surprise: “I didn’t know he was that tall”.”

  • Manga Legend Tetsuya Chiba Launches Crowdfunding for Temporary Housing in Kumamoto Earthquake Zone — ¥1.5M Goal, Deadline the 15th

    Tetsuya Chiba (87), the manga artist behind “Ashita no Joe” (“Tomorrow’s Joe”), is calling for crowdfunding to deliver simple temporary housing to areas hit by the Kumamoto earthquake in July. The campaign runs through September 15, with a goal of ¥1.5 million to build three air-conditioned housing units.

    On the thread, many commenters said “someone of his stature could surely cover this out of pocket,” while others argued it’s wrong to rely on celebrity donations for something the government should be handling, and still others compared the amount to past donations from manga artists like Eiichiro Oda — opinions were split over how celebrity giving should work.

    Wed, Sep 9, 14:33

    Tetsuya Chiba (87), the manga artist known for “Ashita no Joe,” and others are seeking support through crowdfunding to deliver simple temporary housing to areas affected by the July Kumamoto earthquake.

    The campaign runs through the 15th, with a goal of ¥1.5 million. Chiba is appealing: “Please lend us your strength.”

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

    2AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:08
    Guess I'll crack a beer while watching Peace-kun, the world's most famous capybara from Omiya Zoo, on YouTube.
    5AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:09
    Wild that he's still got a running series — in color, no less.
    8AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:11
    He's basically just an ordinary old man you'd see anywhere now.
    9AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:12
    Can't a guy with Chiba's wealth just cover ¥1.5 million out of his own pocket?
    10AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:12
    Re: #1
    He's got the money — just pay it out of his own pocket instead of relying on broke citizens.
    11AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:12
    I want a Mammoth Nishi illustration (a character from Ashita no Joe).
    89AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:12
    Re: #11
    You udon bastard.
    12AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:13
    Even his protégé Koshiba Tetsuya could probably cough up ¥1.5 million.
    13AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:13
    What happened to the ones used in the last earthquake? Just reuse those.
    14AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:14
    🍙 I thought he was the author of the baseball manga 'Captain,' huh (´^ω^`)… that's Chiba Akio. Are they brothers or something, huh (´^ω^;) (mimicking the singsong "~o" speech pattern of the old 'onigiri' copypasta meme)
    18AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:17
    A guy of his caliber wouldn't even need to crowdfund — just auction off a signed shikishi board with a drawing and message, and the money would roll in fast.
    19AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:17
    Nah, nah — just get Togashi, Buronson, and Rumiko Takahashi to chip in ¥500,000 each and call it done.
    20AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:17
    His protégé George Morikawa could probably spare ¥10 million, easy.
    22AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:18
    What's Eiichiro Oda up to? He's from Kumamoto, right?
    25AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:19
    Re: #22
    Didn't he donate something like a hundred million yen last time?
    24AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:18
    This time the goal is ¥500,000 per unit including air conditioning, for three units total.
    26AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:19
    If the reward were an illustrated thank-you letter, a bunch of manga artists each doing this could probably rake in a serious amount.
    27AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:20
    Me, I'd like a proper standalone house, pweeease! (playful, childish speech quirk in the original)
    28AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:20
    Meanwhile there's a manga artist who had ¥4.6 billion embezzled from him lol
    29AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:20
    'Captain' really is a classic.
    95AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:17
    Re: #29
    Re-read it after becoming a middle-aged guy and it was still great. Funny how your feelings toward something usually change with age, but not this time.
    31AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:22
    It's a wonderful thing, but I feel like it's not quite right for celebrities to keep footing the bill for something the government should really be doing. I'd rather see all the celebrities band together and ask, "Why are you abandoning the people?"
    35AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:24
    Re: #31
    Construction of proper temporary housing is already underway, and people started moving in this month. What's the point of building one measly ¥1 million unit? lol
    32AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:22
    Guess he's from the old generation, so he's not exactly loaded. The original story for Ashita no Joe was by Kajiwara too, so the royalties were probably split 50/50 anyway. And even the pachinko machine version didn't hit big.
    87AnonymousSep 9, 2026 18:10
    Re: #32
    The Kyoraku (pachinko maker) version was fun, but it got boring after it passed to Sammy.
    33AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:23
    Building temporary housing in the disaster zone but only a handful of units — isn't that more of an unwanted favor than real help?
    34AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:23
    Oda does donate. His manga might suck, but he actually puts money back into his hometown.
    38AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:27
    Eh, I'm not gonna pay up just so some manga artist I've never met can feel good about himself. I already donate to causes I actually care about, so this one's on the manga artist's own dime, thanks.
    40AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:28
    Wouldn't a charity autograph session be faster? Go on a livestream, answer questions, take donations that way. Personally, if he answered my idea for a sequel to 'Ore wa Teppei' involving kendo and treasure hunting, I'd gladly throw some money his way.
    46AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:30
    My mental image of who actually donates to stuff like this: good-hearted broke people, basically.
    61AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:39
    A digital file as the thank-you gift? That's kind of insulting. If you're a real fan you'd want something to frame and keep.
    65AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:42
    Re: #61
    Can't really pull that off for ¥2,000, can you.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Crowdfunding isn’t always used simply because money is lacking. Campaigns run by celebrities are often meant to gather small donations from a wide pool of people, making a circle of support visible and keeping public attention on the disaster area — which is a separate issue from how wealthy Chiba personally is. Many commenters on the thread pushed back with “he should just pay out of his own pocket,” but that reaction stems partly from a misunderstanding of how fundraising campaigns actually work. Also, alongside government-led temporary housing programs, NPOs and crowdfunding campaigns often provide simple housing support in parallel — the small scale isn’t a case of “a drop in the bucket,” but more often fills gaps that public assistance doesn’t reach. The thread also brought up comparisons to Eiichiro Oda’s large past donations, but the form a donation takes varies from person to person and isn’t something that can be ranked as better or worse.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “Manga artist Tetsuya Chiba and others seek crowdfunding support — ¥1.5 million goal for simple housing in Kumamoto, deadline the 15th.”

  • Nagoya Hit by Heaviest Rainfall on Record — 5ch Reacts: ‘Traffic Cones Went Bobbing Down the River’

    On September 8, 2026, a linear rainband formed over the Tokai region, bringing torrential rain from Aichi to Gifu Prefecture. Nagoya City recorded 104.5mm of rain in the hour leading up to 4:53 PM, surpassing the 2000 Tokai Flood’s 97.0mm to set a new record for heaviest hourly rainfall since observations began. The highest-level evacuation alert, “Emergency Safety Measures,” was issued for the entirety of Nakamura Ward and parts of Nakagawa and Minato Wards, covering roughly 1 million households and 1.98 million people. Trains suspended service for hours, causing severe congestion at Kanayama Station, and hotel rates in the area spiked sharply that night. On 5ch, opinions were divided over whether the Linear Chuo Shinkansen’s drainage systems could handle the flooding, and over which areas would be submerged if the Shonai River were to overflow.

    Weathernews@wni_jp

    <Nagoya Sets New Record for Hourly Rainfall>

    This afternoon (Tue, the 8th), rain clouds developed over the Tokai region, with a linear rainband analyzed over Aichi and Gifu Prefectures bringing torrential rain.

    Source: weathernews.jp / Original article here

    96AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:10
    The Linear line's gonna flood too, you know.
    That's exactly why I've been against it this whole time — Japan really is a country of idiots.
    118AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:16
    Re: #96
    Don't worry, the Linear line will never actually get finished.
    263AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:52
    Re: #96
    The Linear line has drainage systems in place, so it won't flood.
    149AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:24
    I've heard of the Shonai River, but is it a big one?
    What happens if it floods?
    158AnonymousSep 8, 2026 19:26
    Re: #149
    A million people go underwater.
    294AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:00
    Re: #158
    Even if the Shonai River overflows, only part of Nagoya city actually gets affected.
    ・It's designed to flood outward first.
    ・There are sections where the levee is intentionally built lower, so overflow gets diverted into the Shinkawa River, which runs parallel to the Shonai.
    ・The areas that would still be in trouble are well known, so anyone sensible avoids living there.
    301AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:03
    Re: #294
    Owari's been ruthless about this since way back — when flooding looks imminent, they break the levee on the Mino side.
    302AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:03
    Re: #294
    Ah, the Shinkawa Araizeki floodgate.
    That's a system dating back to the Edo period, built to protect Nagoya Castle from flooding.
    West Nagoya really is a sketchy area lol
    295AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:01
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2097232334961741824/vid/avc1/720×1280/l1mHkVoz7ciYVkvh.mp4

    Whenever there's an earthquake or a landslide you all go on and on about how it's the residents' own fault for living somewhere like that, but when it's a flood, suddenly nobody says a word. Double standards much?
    300AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:03
    Re: #295
    It's on the people living in low-lying areas.
    365AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:19
    Re: #295
    That's the Ueda River, which connects to the Tempaku River.
    Looks like it's overflowed pretty badly.
    297AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:02
    @
    In Nagoya, the traffic cones are just bobbing on down the river.
    https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2097225286823940097/vid/avc1/1280×720/Mc1dY4IvLt8ZLA35.mp4
    304AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:04
    Re: #297
    That's surreal.
    306AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:05
    Re: #297
    Looks like early evening.
    The water's probably already receded.
    327AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:11
    Re: #297
    Kind of peaceful, honestly.
    432AnonymousSep 8, 2026 20:40
    Chiba Flood
    Top 3 for 3-hour rainfall
    189.5mm — Sakura City
    188.5mm — Chiba City, Chuo Ward
    183.0mm — Tateyama City

    Nagoya
    3-hour rainfall topping 200mm practically everywhere
    Level 5 flood warnings blanketing a massive area


    514AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:04
    Trains are still stopped, Kanayama Station is total chaos
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRsWRN1bIAA8uxo.jpg?name=orig
    517AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:05
    Re: #514
    JR, Meitetsu, the subway, buses — none of them are running. What's even supposed to happen from here?
    523AnonymousSep 8, 2026 21:06
    Re: #514
    Guess there's a real chance this happens again during the fall tour season.
    831AnonymousSep 9, 2026 00:02
    Nagoya Rice Shop X@norice_nolife88
    【Bad News】
    Shop's flooded ＼(^o^)／


    Ugh…
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRrmCD1bkAAWWV-.jpg:orig#.jpg
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRrmCD_bUAAJT_N.jpg:orig#.jpg
    836AnonymousSep 9, 2026 00:14
    Re: #831
    The stuff up on the duckboards is fine, but I don't get why they didn't move the stuff sitting directly on the floor before it got soaked.
    861AnonymousSep 9, 2026 01:36
    I wonder if the business hotels and internet cafes are all packed.
    If it were me, I'd just give up and book a room.
    866AnonymousSep 9, 2026 01:42
    Re: #861
    @
    Nagoya hotels
    A room that's normally 20,000-30,000 yen is going for 130,000 yen tonight only.
    What is this??
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRsallfbgAADwOj.jpg?name=orig
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRsamcKbsAAAVh_.jpg?name=orig
    867AnonymousSep 9, 2026 01:47
    Re: #866
    So this is dynamic pricing…
    879AnonymousSep 9, 2026 02:09
    Re: #866
    Hotels that pull stunts like this should get dragged through the mud on the internet and social media until they're forced out of business.
    875AnonymousSep 9, 2026 02:05
    @
    Couldn't get home so I was walking from Nagoya, but my body hit its limit… grabbed a GO Taxi back to the misogi venue (fan slang for the concert hall) ✨
    Thank god for the shelter 🥹
    877AnonymousSep 9, 2026 02:07
    Re: #875
    Gives the same sense of security as being home.
    880AnonymousSep 9, 2026 02:09
    Re: #875
    What a wonderful shelter.
    890AnonymousSep 9, 2026 02:19
    https://www.kotsu.city.nagoya.jp/datas/linksfile/0000007936.png
    907AnonymousSep 9, 2026 03:03
    Nagoya sees 104mm of rain in one hour, surpassing the Tokai Flood
    https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260908/k00/00m/040/220000c

    Nagoya City recorded intense rainfall of 104.5mm in the hour up to 4:53 PM.
    This surpassed the record set during the devastating Tokai Flood of September 2000 (97.0mm), making it the heaviest hourly rainfall since records began.

    Citing rising river levels and an increased flood risk, Nagoya City issued "Emergency Safety Measures" — the highest-level evacuation alert — for the entirety of Nakamura Ward and parts of Nakagawa, Minato, and other wards.
    By 6:10 PM, evacuation orders and related alerts had been issued to roughly 1 million households, totaling 1.98 million people.
    909AnonymousSep 9, 2026 03:06
    Re: #907
    Back during the previous Tokai Flood

    919AnonymousSep 9, 2026 04:55
    Look at the news article in Re: #907 — the damage was actually kept fairly minor.
    921AnonymousSep 9, 2026 05:43
    Re: #907
    They need flood countermeasures that can withstand 1.5 times the Tokai Flood, or this isn't going to cut it.
    913AnonymousSep 9, 2026 03:49
    Thanks to serious investment in the drainage system, everything was back to normal in no time.
    Good work, everyone.

    4:30 PM





    6:00 PM



    918AnonymousSep 9, 2026 04:37
    Re: #913
    If they'd actually taken it seriously, wouldn't it never have flooded like this in the first place?

    Background and Talking Points

    Nagoya’s previous record for heaviest rainfall was set during the Tokai Flood of September 2000 (97.0mm in one hour), a benchmark still referenced today in disaster-preparedness planning. This latest downpour beat that mark by 7.5mm. “Emergency Safety Measures” is the highest-level evacuation alert, newly created under the 2021 revision of the Basic Act on Disaster Management; it calls on residents of the designated area to secure their safety immediately. It ranks above an evacuation order, but doesn’t necessarily mean “life-threatening danger is imminent right this moment” — since it’s issued broadly across entire administrative wards, the designated area tends to be much larger than the actual flood zone. Opinions on the thread were split over whether the Linear Chuo Shinkansen’s Nagoya station section would flood; JR Central has announced drainage infrastructure for the site, but its effectiveness during heavy rainfall like this remains untested. The flood-risk zones along the Shonai River trace back to the Edo-period Shinkawa Araizeki flood-control system, a historical legacy still reflected in today’s hazard maps.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Nagoya’s Underwaaaaater lolololololololololololololololol” (the garbled title is a common Shift-JIS mojibake glitch on 5ch).

  • Wealthy folks in Saga deliberately drive kei cars to ‘look poor’ — 5ch dubs it ‘stealth performance’

    An article claiming that wealthy residents of places like Karatsu City in Saga Prefecture deliberately drive old kei cars (Japan’s compact 660cc-class vehicles) and kei trucks, and carry Velcro-strap wallets, to make themselves “look poor,” has gone viral. Kei cars and Velcro wallets were once mocked online as symbols of being broke or unfashionable, but the article argues they actually work in the wealthy’s favor as crime deterrents. On 5ch, reactions ranged from skepticism that Saga even has any rich people, to the coined phrase “automotive stealth performance” for avoiding luxury cars, to a full-blown debate over car models.

    I currently live in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, and the successful people in this town never flaunt their wealth. For one thing, they don’t drive luxury cars. People rich enough to easily afford a Mercedes S-Class instead drive a 1500cc Japanese domestic car from the 1990s. Another wealthy person I know drives a kei car, kei truck, or kei van.

    Kei cars used to be objects of mockery and scorn online — people would write things like “My boyfriend’s car turned out to be a kei car. It was such an embarrassing, miserable date I wanted to die.” There was even AA (ASCII art — illustrations made by combining text symbols) depicting women lamenting things like “My boyfriend’s wallet had a Velcro strap.” Kei cars and Velcro wallets became symbolic markers of being “uncool” or “poor.”

    But for today’s wealthy, owning these two items might actually make life safer. After all, being perceived as rich is nothing but a liability. A man in his 50s who runs a restaurant business put it this way:

    Source: news.livedoor.com / Original article here

    8AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:18
    Does this even matter??

    In Saga, of all places
    32AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:24
    Re: #8
    Saga doesn't even have a prefectural police headquarters
    69AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:28
    Re: #32
    What is this guy even talking about
    11AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:20
    Rich people are always targets. Well, they've got the money, so it's the least they can put up with.
    104AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:32
    Re: #11
    If you're dead, none of it matters anyway
    15AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:22
    You can find rich people anywhere if you just go to a fancy neighborhood.
    What's the difference here?
    218AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:43
    Re: #15
    You really think Saga has fancy neighborhoods?
    18AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:22
    Flaunting wealth only attracts idiots.
    Seriously, what's the 'benefit' supposed to be?
    42AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:25
    Re: #18
    You get to show off, satisfy your vanity, feel superior to others

    or at least convince yourself you do
    Like being 'wealthy' in Japan even means anything lol
    68AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:28
    Re: #18
    This isn't an era where keeping up appearances and pride matter anymore
    24AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:23
    What do you even do in Saga to become successful?
    80AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:29
    Re: #24
    I recall someone who made it big as a YouTuber
    88AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:29
    Re: #24
    Make Uma Musume a hit at Cygames
    237AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:45
    Re: #24
    Salonpas, maybe?
    39AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:25
    Saga resident: "I finally got the legendary Ice Sword!"
    63AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:28
    Re: #39
    → Gets murdered for it anyway
    40AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:25
    A kei car might protect your money, but it won't protect your life.
    So could you actually build an ultra-reinforced kei car?
    One that looks completely normal on the outside so nobody knows it's armored, since the whole point is defeated if it looks expensive.
    120AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:34
    Re: #40
    The Jimny
    Apparently someone survived a crash in one with nothing worse than a broken jaw
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HEXus8taIAAwfLX.jpg
    45AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:26
    There's no way rich people exist in the boonies like Saga
    58AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:27
    Re: #45
    Maybe it doesn't pile up if there's nowhere to spend it
    70AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:28
    There are wealthy people who don't even own a car, so having your own car at all is already a luxury
    93AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:30
    Re: #70
    When will people learn that in the countryside you basically need one car per person just to survive
    85AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:29
    So does that mean they live in a run-down 30-year-old apartment? No, right?
    If you live in a run-down apartment, you won't get targeted even if you drive a fancy import — people will just assume you're broke and overreaching
    95AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:30
    Re: #85
    That'd be easy in Saga
    100AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:31
    A rich guy I know
    owns an expensive car but never drives it day-to-day
    What he actually drives around town is a plain white kei van
    Since nobody can tell who's driving it, he can go anywhere without worry
    I call that 'automotive stealth performance' lol
    121AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:34
    Just target any house with an LDP campaign poster and you're guaranteed to find money
    133AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:35
    Re: #121
    The rich guy in my neighborhood has Japanese Communist Party posters plastered all over the walls of his mansion lol
    139AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:36
    Kind of pointless if your house is ridiculously huge though
    152AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:37
    Re: #139
    Why do rich people always want to live in giant houses anyway?
    Seems like it'd be inconvenient
    169AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:38
    An ultra-reinforced body option that's completely invisible from the outside would probably sell like crazy
    182AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:39
    Re: #169
    There are race-spec versions and the like already
    192AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:40
    Re: #169
    If you reinforce it, the body gets heavier — a 660cc engine won't be able to move it
    188AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:40
    Not every rich person wants to drive some super-luxury car like an Alphard anyway
    195AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:41
    Re: #188
    'Super-luxury car' means something like a Rolls-Royce
    197AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:41
    Re: #188
    The Lexus LM, more like
    203AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:41
    Re: #188
    Isn't it more like an Aston Martin or something
    329AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:52
    Are luxury cars actually good, though? Not talking about appearances.
    335AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:53
    Re: #329
    Oh, the ride quality is on a completely different level
    360AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:56
    Re: #329
    There's the whole 'I worked hard to afford this' value too, but beyond that, they really do run quiet
    Even at speed, it just glides smoothly. BMWs, though, are hopeless — no matter what you do, that thing is loud

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Kei cars and Velcro-strap wallets have long served as running jokes on Japanese message boards since the 2000s, symbolizing being “poor” or “uncool,” and what made this article notable is how it flips that association into a deliberate disguise for crime prevention. The thread split over two questions: skepticism about whether wealthy people actually exist in a rural place like Saga in the first place, and whether dressing down is genuinely effective as a safety measure — on the latter point, some users embraced the phrase “stealth performance,” while others coolly pointed out that it won’t save your life. Worth noting: the original article is based on the testimony of a single business owner in Karatsu City, and doesn’t statistically confirm this as a trend across all of Saga Prefecture or any particular industry.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “Wealthy people in Saga Prefecture deliberately driving kei cars and the like to ‘look poor’ — a recent trend?“

  • Manga artist Takatoshi Yamada hospitalized for tests after mysterious drastic weight loss — 5ch: “Losing 40kg in a year is beyond abnormal”

    Manga artist Takatoshi Yamada, known for “Dr. Coto’s Clinic,” has revealed on his Instagram that he’s lost a dramatic amount of weight. He says his weight dropped from 90kg a year ago to just 51kg, even though he wasn’t consciously dieting — he’d simply been eating only one meal a day. Citing the unexplained, rapid weight loss, he also disclosed that he is currently hospitalized undergoing detailed medical tests. Reactions on 5ch were split: some suspected cancer, while others pointed out that “if an illness caused that much weight loss, other symptoms should be showing up too.”

    September 9, 2026, 9:01 AM

    Manga artist Takatoshi Yamada, known for the hit series “Dr. Coto’s Clinic” and other works, updated his Instagram as of the 9th.

    Back in August this year, Yamada had already reported that “my weight loss won’t stop.” According to Yamada, his weight plummeted from 90kg a year earlier to just 51kg in only six months. “I haven’t been dieting or trying to lose weight during this time — I just have no appetite at all, and I’ve been living on one meal a day,” he wrote.

    Source: news.livedoor.com / Original article here

    7AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:39
    This just shows dieting isn't even necessary
    You never see fat old geezers, right? People naturally get thin as they age
    24AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:42
    Re: #7

    There aren't any fat old guys because they die off before they get old

    You won't find fat or tall people in nursing homes
    Tall people don't tend to live that long either
    37AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:47
    Re: #7
    There are actually
    Studies show slightly chubby people are more likely to live past 100 in good health
    It's been properly researched
    8AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:39
    The girls starving themselves skinny on Mounjaro must be jealous (Mounjaro: a weight-loss/diabetes drug)
    9AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:39
    Looks normal to me
    Just how fat was he before?
    10AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:39
    >So he can draw manga again?
    Is he working on a Dr. Coto sequel?
    11AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:39
    He's probably sleepwalking and running for eight hours straight every night
    12AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:39
    I always enjoy watching a writer's true colors get peeled back
    Wonder what this guy's deal is
    13AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:40
    This has gotta be a serious illness (´・ω・｀) just saying
    Go get looked at by Dr. Coto himself
    15AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:40
    His eyes…
    Guess it's hard to tell just from a photo in cases like this?
    20AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:41
    90 to 50 in half a year is…
    74AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:07
    Re: #20
    It was a year, not half a year
    Still way too much weight loss though
    21AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:42
    If it's Mounjaro that might be normal, but if it's not, that's probably really bad
    22AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:42
    I lost 30kg in the first year of COVID and everyone kept asking me "Is it cancer?"
    25AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:42
    Was he even getting checked regularly?
    Losing more than half your body weight has to mean a serious illness
    27AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:44
    10kg next year, then he goes negative the year after?
    He'll practically ascend to heaven at that rate
    35AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:46
    Kind of jealous, but 40kg is way too much
    He's turning into that flying-cloth yokai, Ittan-momen
    38AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:47
    I'd heard he'd been on hiatus for ages because of his eyesight
    Is the story up to around where his assistant has breast cancer, and the guy who gave up on becoming a doctor comes back to the island?
    40AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:47
    I'm more surprised he used to be 90kg
    That's way too fat
    44AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:49
    His right arm looks incredibly thin
    My relative who had anorexia looked just like this
    45AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:49
    Losing weight this fast and drastically, you can't help but suspect cancer
    48AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:52
    Takatoshi Yamada
    Guy really had it rough
    He kept drawing hardcore villain characters and just never sold
    He worked and worked and worked and worked, and finally made it big with Dr. Coto
    49AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:52
    If it were cancer, something would hurt somewhere and he'd know
    Maybe he just stopped eating, the fat came off, and now he's actually at a normal weight
    50AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:53
    Losing weight this fast actually makes me think it's NOT cancer
    If a cancer were causing this much weight loss, some other symptom should have shown up by now
    54AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:55
    Re: #50
    Yeah, I thought the same thing
    53AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:54
    Photo from April 2025
    https://ogre.natalie.mu/media/news/comic/2025/0404/yamadatakatoshi_2.jpg

    He doesn't look that fat here, so maybe he's just tall
    79AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:10
    Re: #53
    I don't think he was 90kg at this point
    He was probably already lighter than that by then
    55AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:55
    Re: #1
    Can't taste anything… could it be a brain disorder?
    56AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:55
    Because of guys like Shigeru Mizuki and Takashi Yanase, some people think manga artists live long lives
    Actually they tend to die about as young as sumo wrestlers
    83AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:16
    Re: #56
    Ikki Kajiwara (51)
    Momoko Sakura (53)
    Kentaro Miura (54)
    Shotaro Ishinomori (60)
    Osamu Tezuka (61)
    Hiroo Terada (61)
    Fujiko F Fujio (63)
    Akira Toriyama (68)
    Mitsuteru Yokoyama (69)
    Fujio Akatsuka (72)
    Takao Yaguchi (81)
    Takao Saito (84)
    Leiji Matsumoto (85)
    Isao Kojima (87)
    Fujiko Fujio A (88)
    Kazuo Umezz (88)
    Yoshiharu Tsuge (88)
    Sanpei Shirato (89)
    Shigeru Mizuki (93)
    Takashi Yanase (94)
    58AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:59
    What's the mystery? If you don't eat, you lose weight
    59AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:59
    Dr. Coto was a hit, but he hasn't drawn anything in like 15 years — can he even still make a living?
    71AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:06
    Re: #59
    The comics have sold over 12 million copies total
    At a 10% royalty rate that works out to roughly 600-700 million yen
    Should be fine unless he's living some insanely extravagant lifestyle
    60AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:01
    Losing 40kg in a year is beyond abnormal
    He should've gone to the hospital sooner

    Background and key points of this discussion

    “Dr. Coto’s Clinic,” set around medicine on a remote island, is Yamada’s signature work and was also adapted into a TV drama. Reports on this weight loss have been inconsistent about the timeframe — both in his own posts and in news coverage — so the thread saw a mix of reactions, from people saying “he lost 40kg in six months” to others correcting that it was actually over a year. When someone loses a large amount of weight in a short period, doctors would typically consider things like digestive-system disease or thyroid dysfunction as possibilities, but as of September, Yamada himself has not disclosed a diagnosis, and the results of his hospital tests haven’t been made public. The thread shows both the view that it could be cancer and the counter-view that “if it were cancer, more symptoms would probably have shown up by now” — worth keeping in mind that the cause remains unconfirmed at this point.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread ““Dr. Coto” manga artist Takatoshi Yamada reports mysterious drastic weight loss of “-40kg in a year,” hospitalized for tests, says “I’m trying hard to eat”“.

  • Report on Tomomi Itano’s ‘After-Hours Filming’: Lawyer Kito Says It Also Exposed the Ritz-Carlton’s Own Lack of Common Sense

    A family trip video posted by former AKB48 member Tomomi Itano has drawn criticism on social media as an “invasion of privacy” and “akin to voyeuristic filming,” over a scene showing her drying her eldest daughter’s hair in the changing room of the large communal bath at the Ritz-Carlton Nikko in Tochigi. On the 9th, lawyer Masaki Kito addressed the matter on his blog, pointing out the possibility that while the hotel had permitted use of the facility outside business hours, it may not have given permission for filming. On 5channel, the discussion split between those questioning Itano’s lack of consideration and those criticizing the hotel for allowing after-hours use while leaving the question of filming permission ambiguous.

    Tue, Sep 9, 15:55

    Lawyer Masaki Kito posted an update on the 9th, addressing the online backlash over a video uploaded by former AKB48 member Tomomi Itano.

    Itano posted a family trip video to YouTube showing her stay at the luxury Ritz-Carlton Nikko hotel (Tochigi Prefecture), but a scene in which she used a hair dryer on her eldest daughter’s hair in the communal bath’s changing room sparked a wave of criticism on social media over alleged privacy violations and voyeuristic-style filming.

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

    3AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:07
    Guy just can't resist butting into every hot topic (Kansai slang: icchokami, someone who jumps into any discussion)
    This 'sensei' included
    Who knows why
    4AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:07
    Raised your fist and now don't know what to do with it, huh?
    5AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:07
    Well, this is just a case of two kinds of bad manners colliding lol
    Along with the Matsumoto thing, guess it just shows regular folks are booking the wrong hotels lol
    6AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:07
    So did the Ritz actually give permission to use it outside business hours or not?
    7AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:08
    Big communal baths usually open around 5am
    If they asked "we'll be filming around 4" and got the OK
    then claiming they never gave permission doesn't add up
    8AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:08
    So the Ritz-Carlton's position is that they saw her as a special guest and let her use it after hours?
    They let her use it, but didn't sign off on filming?
    9AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:08
    As a press shoot
    filming the communal bath outside business hours is pretty common, no?
    25AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:16
    Re: #9
    In a case like that you'd still need a "PR" (sponsored content) label
    10AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:09
    Guess you could film adult videos (AV) outside business hours too, huh
    18AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:13
    Re: #10
    This

    It raises all sorts of problems — why is it fine for that guest but other guests can't use the changing room after hours?

    Same with filming inside the hotel — fine for her, but why not other guests? That's a recipe for trouble.

    At this rate, guests' privacy isn't being protected at all
    11AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:10
    They probably coordinated their story with the lawyer and decided to spin it this way
    What a dumb hotel
    12AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:10
    Nobody wants this to blow up further more than the hotel does, so it feels like they've settled on this as the bare-minimum landing point lol
    14AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:10
    Re: #12
    Right
    Still, it's clearly a mistake on their part
    15AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:11
    Sounds like they're just rewriting the story to dodge the hassle
    16AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:11
    If the after-hours thing were true, Itano would've said so herself right away
    Read between the lines
    17AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:11
    Is Itano really such a big deal that the hotel would cook up excuses like this after the fact?
    19AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:13
    Wasn't there some netizen claiming they actually saw the filming happen lol
    Was that a lie?
    20AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:13
    In the end, the hotel did allow filming inside, and the changing room was after hours, so this is a win for Itano
    Now it makes sense why she's been so confident — no apology, video still up
    44AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:30
    Re: #20
    Even ordinary people get flamed for honestly posting on social media about a shop quietly bending the rules for them
    and she didn't even think of that, made a video out of it, and actually caused trouble…
    21AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:14
    They allowed after-hours use, let her use it freely with no staff present, and still didn't allow filming — what kind of situation is that supposed to be?
    22AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:15
    Huh, wait
    wasn't there someone who said they were actually there during the filming?
    23AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:15
    The Itano family are guests, sure, but whether it's true or not, the person who says they ran into this scene is also a guest…
    So now that guest gets branded a liar lol
    33AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:23
    Re: #23
    Well, if that turned out to be a lie the hotel would be finished, so I doubt there's any falsehood there
    Though flatly denying it at first and then suddenly flipping to defend her — that was a really clumsy way to handle it
    41AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:28
    Re: #23
    That lawyer better file a disclosure request against that guest
    24AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:15
    A "PR" label should've been required in the first place, shouldn't it?
    Was there any compensation involved?
    Did she even pay for the stay?
    Was Ritz PR staff present?
    And who was actually doing the filming anyway?
    26AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:18
    Why didn't they just say this from the start?
    27AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:19
    Is posting the same thing over and over here just standard practice?
    28AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:20
    Re: #1
    Ahh…
    Figures she'd be hanging around with this crowd
    29AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:20
    What do you expect from hotel staff on rock-bottom pay?
    Their salaries are shockingly low, and they only get like 100 days off a year
    30AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:21
    Is this really a topic that gets people this fired up lol
    47AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:32
    Re: #30
    People just love the smell of a lie
    Same as with the "short sleeper" claims, or the alleged reuse of the same 700 meals
    45AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:31
    From now on, if a guest asks to film outside business hours,
    this hotel won't really be able to refuse anymore…

    Well, an ordinary guest demanding to film after hours is unreasonable too, and so is the hotel's handling of this
    51AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:35
    Re: #45
    That won't happen
    Maybe for the press, celebrities, or famous YouTubers, but not for anyone else
    59AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:41
    Re: #45
    They could just say "Since that incident, after-hours use is no longer available" and call it a day
    49AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:35
    If an influencer asks to have the place all to themselves after hours, wouldn't you just assume they're planning to film?
    60AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:42
    Re: #49
    The hotel was just being considerate so she, as a celebrity, wouldn't be seen naked by other guests — and she went and turned it into a video, flexing about the special treatment. That's the issue, right?
    61AnonymousSep 9, 2026 16:43
    Re: #49
    In that case, if the hotel is giving special treatment by letting someone have exclusive use, they'd naturally ask what it's for
    "Just figure out it's for filming" doesn't fly simply because someone books it out during off-hours
    If that logic worked, it'd mean the hotel hands any big-spending guest a free pass for exclusive facility use without ever asking the purpose
    71AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:00
    Either way
    a hotel that allows voyeuristic-style filming and streaming in a place like this, of all places, is too risky to ever use
    75AnonymousSep 9, 2026 17:07
    Re: #71
    You were never going to go there in your whole life anyway

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of Japan’s stealth-marketing regulations under the Act against Unjustified Premiums and Misleading Representations, which took effect in October 2023. When an influencer makes a video after receiving some benefit from a hotel or similar business, a “PR” (sponsored content) label is increasingly required regardless of whether money changed hands — several posts in the thread pointed this out. The debate largely split into two camps. One questioned Itano’s own conduct, raising concerns about using a communal bath — a space with a strong public character — as a filming location even if it was after hours, and about the lack of fairness toward other guests. The other camp criticized the hotel’s response, pointing out a contradiction in lawyer Kito’s explanation that the hotel permitted after-hours use but not filming. There were also posts online claiming a third party “witnessed the filming take place,” but this has not been verified and is treated here as unconfirmed information. A post (No. 73) containing baseless accusations against Itano and associates, including claims linking her to a special fraud group, has been excluded as unverifiable defamation.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Lawyer Kito: Report on Tomomi Itano’s ‘After-Hours Filming’ Also Reveals the Ritz-Carlton’s Own Lack of Common Sense“.