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  • Trying to Generate Anime Girls with AI — 5ch: “Just Asking for a ‘Pretty Face’ Is Basically Asian Discrimination”

    On 5ch’s News VIP board, a thread popped up where one poster running a personal AI image-generation server started churning out illustrations on request. This time they tried a new, more photorealistic model — and found that simply specifying a “pretty face” tended to produce Western-looking features, meaning you needed negative prompts or additional LoRA training to reliably get Asian faces. Characters with little existing training data, like Blue Archive’s newer additions, proved especially tricky, leading posters to start trading prompt tips with each other.

    1AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:30
    Can't think of a good template for the thread title…
    9AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:41
    Here's the kind of illustration it generates




    33AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:03
    Re: #9
    Oh, a foreigner…
    I just wanted a normal Asian bishoujo (pretty girl)
    15AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:46
    Are you the guy who's been starting the AI server threads lately?
    16AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:47
    Re: #15
    Yeah, that's me… sorry… it's annoying, isn't it
    21AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:50
    Just have the AI make the thread template too
    23AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:51
    Re: #21
    At least on 5ch you might as well talk like a real person
    22AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:51
    I'm the one who posted yesterday about typing a name and getting a different character out
    Fell asleep before I could reply, sorry about that
    Far from annoying, I've used this a bunch of times, so I'm grateful

    By the way, the punchline was that typing "Rena" from Blue Archive got me "Asuna" instead
    24AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:53
    Re: #22
    Rena…?
    Never heard the name, so I looked it up — she's a recent character
    Since she's not in the training data, you'd need a LoRA for that
    25AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:55
    Re: #24
    Yeah, she's a character who just debuted at the end of last year
    I see, thanks
    26AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:56
    Re: #25
    Haven't played Blue Archive in a while… does Mizu-oji (a character nickname, lit. "Water Uncle") still have "human rights" (gamer slang for being meta-viable)?
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:56
    Re: #26
    Easily still top-tier
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:57
    Re: #27
    Alriiight
    guess I'll go check out at least the main story
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:59
    Re: #28
    Take your time and enjoy it!!
    34AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:06
    Re: #33
    Sorry about that…
    but the people using it now are skilled with prompts
    they're managing to get Asian faces out of this same model… something I couldn't do…!
    37AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:09
    Re: #34
    Oh, it can be done?
    It'll be the middle of the night, but maybe I'll give it a shot after I get home from work
    35AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:07
    Got all excited thinking I could make stuff like this again with a 3D model, opened it up, and… this ain't it, degeso (a squid-girl speech tic)
    https://gzo.ai/i/W25vSG3.jpg
    39AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:12
    Re: #35
    That's basically a straight-up photo
    My guess at the prompt:
    japanese woman, upper body, White blouse shirt, He tilted his head, black hair, long hair, light smile, closed mouth
    something like that?
    36AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:09
    My waifu, made back when Grok was free
    https://gzo.ai/i/SAsIg8U.jpg
    40AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:14
    Re: #36
    Nice, that soft fluffy cute style is great 👍

    For outfit prompts, the prompt selector has a ton of "outfit: ___" options ready to go, so definitely make use of those
    43AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:25
    Re: #37
    Have a good day at work~
    Gimme a salary for covering your bedtime duty, pwease (baby-talk spelling of "please")
    54AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:40
    Is today the day I get to show off the waifu I made back when Grok was free!?

    57AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:51

    Cleared out my failed attempts, tried all sorts of things, and finally got something postable
    Illustration mode is like 10x harder, and I can't shake this "hmm, not quite" feeling
    60AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:56
    Re: #57
    3D models aren't worth the trial-and-error cost, so I'm not a fan, ZE (playful speech tic)…
    well, guess overcoming what you're bad at is necessary too…
    100AnonymousSep 5, 2026 11:52
    Still testing, but
    yeah, the image quality does lean more Japanese now

    But…
    this is the "wholesome" version that hasn't been trained on NSFW content
    is that really okay?
    101AnonymousSep 5, 2026 11:54
    Re: #100
    For real?
    Hold on, let me look into it
    112AnonymousSep 5, 2026 12:31
    Actually, I think the base prompt itself is the problem
    Just specify a "pretty face" and… boom, Asian discrimination…

    Mind picking out a fix for that on your end?
    114AnonymousSep 5, 2026 12:32
    Re: #112
    I'll give it a try
    115AnonymousSep 5, 2026 12:33
    Re: #112
    What the hell happened lmaooo
    135AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:59
    Anyway, here's the uncompressed image
    go ahead and throw it into PNG Info (to check the embedded metadata)

    Prompt handling is key here
    you need Japanese features in the positive prompt
    and Western features in the negative prompt, or it won't work
    138AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:10
    Anyway, managed to get something like this out of it
    The model? It's the original one!
    144AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:30
    This is something I made a while back on a different site
    https://imgur.com/xePzQP1.png
    145AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:31
    The face shape is totally different from that one, right?
    https://imgur.com/eE4Ue7q.png
    146AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:32
    If a model can't churn out something at least this good without a fight, it's no good
    https://imgur.com/V7MZOAK.png

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    It’s well known that image-generation AI, due to biases in its training data, tends to output Western-looking faces unless given special instructions. The joking remark in the thread about “Asian discrimination” is just pointing at this structural quirk in the model, not making a discriminatory comment about any particular ethnicity. LoRA is a technique that trains a small amount of additional data onto an existing model to reproduce a specific character or art style — the more recently a character debuted, the less source data exists, making it harder to nail down the intended face. It’s also worth noting as background that “wholesome” and “NSFW-capable” models are often distributed and trained as separate lineages, chosen depending on the user’s purpose. On top of that, some posters in the thread noted that photorealistic, 3D-leaning models tend to show more visible flaws than 2D illustrations, making the trial-and-error process more costly.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News VIP) thread “[AI Illustration] Running a Server with a 3D Model… In Progress [Server].”

  • Welfare Recipients Now Need a Referral to See Any Other Hospital — 5ch: “Stopping Them From Cashing In on Meds?”

    It has emerged that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is considering new standards for outpatient visits by welfare recipients. Under the proposal, seeing any clinic other than the ones designated in advance by the local welfare office would, in principle, require a referral letter, with the aim of curbing excessive visits and reining in medical costs. On 5ch, some pointed to elderly recipients who resell their medication or treat hospitals as a “place to hang out,” while others worried about emergencies and the burden on rural residents whose designated hospital is far away, leaving opinions split. Some also noted that the existing medical voucher system has become a mere formality.

    Welfare Recipients to Need Referrals for Non-Designated Hospitals in Principle, Health Ministry Considers

    Economy

    The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is working to clarify the standards for outpatient visits by welfare recipients. It is considering a proposal under which local welfare offices would designate in advance the medical institutions recipients regularly use, and visits to any other institution would, in principle, require a referral. The goal is to reduce excessive visits and help curb medical costs.

    Source: nikkei.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:42
    So this is to stop people using their meds as a side hustle?
    59AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:52
    Re: #4
    Because it's full of people like the "Toyoko kids" (young runaways who hang around Kabukicho's Toyoko area, often linked to drug misuse).
    192AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:05
    Re: #4
    That, and stopping doctors from running up unlimited medical costs on welfare recipients.
    198AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:06
    Re: #4
    If it's a Pharmaceutical Affairs Act violation, that should mean an instant cutoff of benefits though.
    13AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:44
    Is this going to be rough on the Communist Party-affiliated hospitals?
    21AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:46
    Re: #13
    They'll probably fight this just as hard as they fought the My Number health insurance card.
    79AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:53
    Re: #13
    Medical care's free for them, so it's a free-for-all.
    15AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:44
    So that means they're going way more often than they should, huh.
    32AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:48
    Re: #15
    I saw an article recently about people selling off their meds, that's probably part of it.
    And for elderly recipients, some just treat the hospital as a place to relax or get some attention.
    166AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:03
    Re: #15
    Normally there's a cap on how much you can be prescribed, so they hop between multiple hospitals to rack up a big stash of meds and sell it off.
    19AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:46
    Here comes the gutting of the welfare system.
    By the time the Ice Age Generation (Japan's "lost generation" who job-hunted during the 1990s–2000s recession) reaches old age, the whole system might not even exist anymore.
    44AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:49
    Re: #19
    There are 8 million people with nothing but the basic national pension, so most of them will end up on welfare eventually anyway.
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:48
    Re: #1
    Don't you need to tell your caseworker beforehand and get a medical voucher issued before going to the hospital? Just don't issue the voucher, problem solved.
    43AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:49
    Re: #29
    That rule's become a total dead letter though.
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:50
    Re: #29
    Since that rule exists, excessive visits shouldn't even be possible in theory.
    51AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:50
    Re: #29
    If you tried enforcing that, the doctors would come at you with threats, you know?
    56AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:51
    What happens if you need emergency care somewhere else?
    This is a mess, Japan.
    65AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:52
    Re: #56
    Since the goal is cutting down excessive visits, I'd guess there'll be some kind of exception for that.
    77AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:53
    Re: #56
    The government won't lift a finger — hospitals can't refuse treatment, so basically "eat the loss yourselves."
    61AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:52
    In practice they're just trying to make it harder to go to the hospital at all, right?
    A single underlying condition can cause symptoms in multiple different places,
    so I think this is asking for something pretty unreasonable.
    101AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:56
    Re: #61
    Just go to the primary doctor who can issue you the medical vou—
    113AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:57
    Re: #61
    You go to the primary doctor who issues your medical voucher, and if you need another institution, you get referred there with a referral letter (a medical information document).
    No problem at all.
    75AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:53
    I honestly think this could straight-up violate the Constitution.
    91AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:54
    Re: #75
    They'll just amend the Constitution then — the public's in favor of that anyway.
    109AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:56
    Re: #91
    So you're admitting it's unconstitutional under the current Constitution? lol

    Re: #101
    In rural areas, that designated hospital could end up being incredibly far away too.
    125AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:58
    Re: #113
    Meant Re: #109. My bad, my bad.
    133AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:59
    Re: #109
    If it's officially recognized that you need to get there by taxi or the like, transport costs get covered.
    78AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:53
    This is a human rights violation.
    What happens if you fall ill while on a hot spring trip?
    81AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:54
    Re: #78
    Can people on welfare ("namapo") even afford to travel?
    If you can afford a trip, you can support yourself — meaning you wouldn't need welfare in the first place.
    86AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:54
    Hospitals being packed is honestly because of welfare recipients.
    Every time I go it's a multi-hour wait and I'm sick of it.
    I want to stay away from hospitals till the day I die.
    92AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:55
    Re: #86
    Nah, no way — they're only about 2% of the population.
    123AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:58
    Aren't medical fees just too high??
    Doctors' salaries could be cut way more —
    you don't need tens of millions of yen just to live.
    It's wasteful.
    156AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:01
    Re: #123
    To keep universal health insurance afloat (which favors the elderly), medical fees have already been slashed to the bone — 70% of hospitals are running in the red. Hospitals are shutting down one after another. Great job, huh lol
    168AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:03
    Re: #123
    Seriously, this.
    Being a doctor is a sacred calling, so they shouldn't be making money off it — unpaid service is fine.
    Just pay them living expenses on par with welfare and they can still have a "healthy and cultured" life.
    138AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:00
    Re: #133
    Oh really? First I'm hearing of that.
    Though the requirements sound pretty strict lol
    151AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:01
    Re: #138
    For elderly people or those with physical disabilities, transport costs get approved in a lot of cases.
    159AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:02
    Re: #151
    I wonder if it'll actually hold up in an emergency though.
    It just feels like the paperwork's so complicated there's no way it could handle anything urgent lol

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Medical assistance under Japan’s welfare system is, in principle, provided as an in-kind benefit with no out-of-pocket cost, and this has long been pointed to as something that encourages “excessive visits.” A system already exists for regular health insurance holders whereby visiting a large hospital without a referral incurs an extra fee, but because welfare recipients pay nothing out of pocket, that deterrent has no effect on them — hence this separate proposal to restrict where they can be seen. The thread split over two things: how common medication reselling or “hanging out at the hospital” visits actually are in practice, and whether the plan adequately accounts for emergencies and rural residents. A medical voucher system already exists, though some say it has become a dead letter, and it’s easy to miss from the article alone that this proposal is still only under consideration and would apply solely to routine outpatient visits. Beyond simple criticism of recipients, the thread also raises practical issues like pushback from medical institutions and how transport costs would be handled.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News Plus) thread “Welfare: To Reduce Excessive Visits, Referral Required to Go Anywhere Other Than a Designated Hospital.”

  • PS5 Pro Resale Price Hits ¥180,600 — Tops MSRP as Shortage Drags On

    A thread reported that the buyback price for the PS5 Pro at used-goods chain Rudeya has climbed to ¥180,600 — far above its original retail price. On 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (Geha) board, users debated what’s really behind the shortage and whether scalping is involved. The thread also cited Famitsu’s weekly sales data showing the PS5 Pro sold a mere 277 units in the most recent week, sparking discussion about the gap between such low official sales figures and the sky-high buyback price. Opinions split between those who think Sony is deliberately limiting production and those who suspect speculative buying is driving the frenzy, with the debate extending into just how many people are actually playing games on their PS5 Pro at all.

    3AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:09
    Wish they'd go back to lottery draws or member-card-only sales…
    Guess I'll just scalp it then
    4AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:10
    Meanwhile, the Switch 2 is going for a ¥35,000 buyback at GEO (a used-game retail chain)…
    5AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:10
    Come to think of it, didn't they raise the price last time it got scarce too?
    10AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:13
    Hyping up a console that sold a grand total of 277 units last week…
    That's just sad.

    PS5 / 105 units (5,919,815 total)
    PS5 Digital Edition / 6,969 units (1,415,265 total)
    PS5 Pro / 277 units (368,932 total)
    https://www.famitsu.com/article/202609/86517
    21AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:22
    Re: #10
    You making fun of the 'Three-Digit Box' (a 5ch nickname mocking the Xbox for its perpetually three-digit weekly sales in Japan)?
    Huh?
    14AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:15
    Just the 2TB SSD alone runs over ¥50,000, you know
    30AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:31
    Re: #14
    I'm a hoarder, so I've got 7 brand-new 2TB SSDs stocked up
    Back then they were only ¥10,000-something
    16AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:17
    Re: #255
    For reference
    An unpopular console just sitting unsold at Edion (an electronics retail chain)

    23 Anonymous (working hard, as always — the board's default handle) sage (posted without bumping the thread) 2026/09/04 (Fri) 18:37:25.89 ID:QnlzAaWV0
    1 Anonymous (working hard, as always) [] 2026/09/04 (Fri) 18:29:03.05 ID:Agrp5+zp0

    https://www.edion.com/item_list.html?c_cd=001010019001

    Only sold 2 units in about the past week
    615 left in stock
    20AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:22
    Re: #16 is a console even scalpers won't touch
    24AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:26
    Here comes the 'barrier' scheme

    Sony's happy — hardware sells
    The buyback shop's happy — they skim a cut
    The scalpers are happy — they profit

    Win-win-win for everybody
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:28
    Re: #24
    Sony's actually the side that doesn't want the hardware to sell
    Their own president basically said they don't need to sell it
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:29
    Re: #24
    Software publisher: 'Even when they show us the PS5 numbers, we can't help but wonder if it's really selling that much…'
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:30
    Why is the buyback price higher than the retail price to begin with?
    31AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:31
    Re: #29
    Have you actually seen a Pro for sale anywhere lately?
    47AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:56
    PS5 Pro barely gets made right now, so of course it's not on shelves
    And that's despite the GTA 6 demand
    Can't be helped — even at the hiked price of ¥140,000 they're selling it at a huge loss
    Realistically they'd need to charge something like ¥300,000 to not lose money on this thing
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:57
    Re: #47
    It's got a built-in 2TB SSD after all
    No wonder it's turning into a premium item
    Meanwhile, that 256GB piece of junk…
    52AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:05
    Theory: I might be the only person on this board who actually bought one on launch day
    53AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:06
    Re: #52
    I got mine a month later through Amazon's lottery draw
    54AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:07
    Re: #53
    Nice
    Even just owning one is super rare these days — let's both take good care of ours
    60AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:11
    Re: #53
    Only about 5% of people worldwide even own a Pro, so owning one AND being on this board might make you rare among the rare
    55AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:08
    I bought mine straight from Sony for ¥100,000
    Sorry about that, I guess
    57AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:10
    Re: #55
    Looking back, that was incredibly lucky
    Which means everyone who said 'that's insanely expensive, no way that's a real console price' back then
    was the one who ended up looking dumb
    62AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:14
    Can't you just bypass the region lock on the Japanese model?
    63AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:17
    Re: #62
    If that became possible, Rudeya's (a used-goods buyback chain) buyback price would just skyrocket even further
    So just keep an eye on Rudeya, lol
    65AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:20
    I've got one still unopened that I bought before the price hike
    Not selling it though
    81AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:34
    Selling at a loss means Sony bleeds money on every unit
    They'll keep holding back shipments, which only deepens the shortage
    Units get snapped up by Chinese buyers and never actually get used domestically
    On top of that
    Re: #65
    Re: #66
    with that kind of speculative mindset, the real-world usage rate keeps dropping even further
    Software publishers grow more suspicious of the gap between units sold and revenue, and more of them keep abandoning the platform

    Even while they're gloating over gacha spending and scalper prices,
    somehow all the supposedly 'dead' single-purchase Japanese games keep landing on the Switch 2 instead

    Cue the PS diehards ('Shou-chan,' a mocking 5ch nickname for PlayStation fanboys) having an absolute meltdown
    66AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:20
    If you just hang onto it, the price will probably keep climbing anyway
    67AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:23
    ID:NM4GvQPH0
    It's exactly this 'I won't buy it, but I'll gloat about the resale price' mindset that's killing PlayStation

    In a healthy market, the buyback price would never exceed the MSRP in the first place
    69AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:24
    Wait, is there actually anyone out there playing games on a PS5 Pro?
    71AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:25
    Re: #69
    I am
    Just picked up 'B-Kane' (an abbreviated fan nickname for a game title) recently and dropped it almost immediately, lol
    73AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:26
    Re: #71
    Aren't you basically an endangered species at this point?
    77AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:28
    Re: #73
    I don't think so
    It's not like the price is so steep that people on this board, of all places, wouldn't buy one
    I bet there are a fair few of us here
    78AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:31
    Re: #77
    Nah, there's gotta be like only 1 or 2 people, right?
    Is it embarrassing to admit you own one or something?
    79AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:33
    Not sure what would be embarrassing about that
    Isn't that more the case for that piece of junk down to a ¥35,000 buyback just one year after launch?
    84AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:35
    Re: #79
    It's just that I never see anyone actually say they own one
    87AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:41
    They should have learned the hard way, right from the start of this whole roadmap, what it means for a product to turn into a speculative commodity that drags in the general public
    But since this is a crowd that gloats over comments like Re: #79, I guess Sony can't help but keep doing it
    93AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:59
    A ¥10,000 gap is too much hassle to bother with, but once the price difference gets this big,
    the profit completely outweighs the effort of scalping it
    It's basically like Sony's handing out New Year's cash, lol
    94AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:03
    Re: #93
    It's a golden reselling setup — you just forward the thing you received and pocket tens of thousands of yen
    Even people with zero interest in games are buying PS5s

    Back when it was getting scalped before, even housewives who clearly don't play games were buying up PS5s like crazy

    Background and Key Points of the Discussion

    Since its 2024 launch, the PS5 Pro has had its price raised to ¥140,000, and posters in the thread suggest Sony is likely selling it at a loss (below cost). The ¥180,600 buyback price that sparked this discussion sits well above that retail price, apparently driven by shortages at physical stores and tightly limited production. Official data such as Famitsu’s weekly sales figures (277 PS5 Pro units sold, 368,932 cumulative) were cited alongside skepticism about how many units are actually in active use. The thread split between viewing this as “a genuine shortage driven by strong demand” versus “speculative price inflation involving scalpers and buyback shops,” with those in the latter camp questioning just how many people are actually playing games on the console. Worth noting: a buyback price exceeding the retail price is itself an unusual situation rarely seen in the ordinary consumer electronics market.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Geha]) thread “[Good News] Rudeya’s PS5 Pro Buyback Price Hits ¥180,600 — Sources Included“.

  • Controversy over university-mocking segment: wakatte.tv’s ‘Aka’ posts apology video

    ‘Aka,’ a cast member of the YouTube channel ‘wakatte.tv’ — known for its university-student interview segments — has posted an apology video, sparking discussion on 5ch’s Nandemo Jikkyo G board. The video was uploaded with monetization turned off. The thread was split: some said an apology was simply the obvious, bare-minimum thing to do, or that if it means the end of segments mocking universities, that’s a relief for exam-takers; others pushed back, arguing it’s overblown to apologize for something that wasn’t even a crime, and that regular viewers already know it’s just entertainment.

    4AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:41
    The type of people who get a kick out of watching ordinary folks apologize
    79AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:59
    Re: #4
    The type who get a kick out of hurling abuse at ordinary folks?
    13AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:44
    So doing this basically means the show's whole 'mock the university' bit is done for, right?
    18AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:45
    Re: #13
    Yeah, guess so.
    But even without that gag, campus visits and student interviews are still in demand among exam-takers, so I think views will only dip a little.
    19AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:45
    An apology is just the bare minimum.
    It's like saying a delinquent deserves praise just for straightening up.
    23AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:46
    Re: #19
    Honestly, that IS praiseworthy though.
    24AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:46
    Re: #19
    Like Hezuma (a notorious Japanese YouTuber infamous for past stunts, now trying to reform his image) — he's putting in the effort.
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:47
    Re: #19
    So get caught once for a minor offense and your life's over?
    25AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:46
    Apologize and rake in the views — what a sweet deal, lol
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:47
    Re: #25
    This video has monetization turned off.
    32AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:48
    Re: #25
    Apology videos don't earn ad revenue.
    30AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:47
    Re: #24
    That guy's the type who shouldn't get credit no matter what he does.
    36AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:48
    Re: #30
    He's got way too many supporters, so there's nothing to be done about it.
    37AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:49
    Pretty much all his other videos defame specific universities too — surprising he hasn't been sued by now…
    40AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:49
    Re: #37
    It's not as bad as the Fukushima incident, at least.
    44AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:50
    Re: #37
    Honestly it sounds like people feel that particular segment wasn't wanted by exam-takers anyway, so they're glad to see it go.
    43AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:50
    Way too many people are genuinely furious over what's just entertainment — kind of off-putting.
    107AnonymousSep 5, 2026 20:09
    Re: #43
    Is this entertainment too?
    45AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:50
    Re: #28
    Lining up things with totally different levels of influence and going 'that's fine there, so it's fine here too!' is kid logic.
    Even working adults can get fired over minor offenses depending on the case — this guy should just shut down his channel and quit streaming too.
    51AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:52
    Re: #45
    What this guy did wasn't a crime,
    he just lacked morals.
    His views are going to drop from here on anyway, so he's already paying enough of a price.
    52AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:52
    Re: #45
    And right away you break out the kid logic yourself, lol.
    50AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:51
    Put on a suit already — the classic YouTuber-apology-video uniform.
    58AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:53
    Re: #50
    Knew someone would say that.
    53AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:52
    Nagoshi and Tanukana lost their jobs even though what they did wasn't even a crime.
    62AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:54
    Re: #53
    Losing sponsors must really sting for a streamer.
    56AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:53
    Re: #43
    If you actually watch regularly, you'd know it's just entertainment though…
    63AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:54
    Re: #56
    It's exactly because it's entertainment that it's poisonous.
    That's precisely how you control people's mindsets.
    61AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:54
    "It's not a crime so it's not a problem" is seriously kid logic, lol
    116AnonymousSep 5, 2026 20:12
    Re: #61
    Sounds more like juvenile-detention-center logic, maybe.
    94AnonymousSep 5, 2026 20:05
    I don't think it's right for the government to discriminate between universities by hensachi (Japan's standardized academic deviation score) either.
    119AnonymousSep 5, 2026 20:13
    Looks like Geidai (Tokyo University of the Arts) is looking down on them too.
    https://imgur.com/Q86zJyv.jpeg
    https://imgur.com/yDZg0Pn.jpeg
    122AnonymousSep 5, 2026 20:14
    Re: #119
    Geidai is harder to get into than Kyoto University anyway.

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    wakatte.tv is known for segments where university students rank and evaluate each other’s schools, and the channel has repeatedly drawn criticism for staging that looks down on certain universities. The sticking point in the thread was how to judge the act of apologizing itself. One camp argued that apologizing doesn’t make someone praiseworthy — it’s merely the bare minimum response — while another argued that, compared to streamers like Hezuma Ryu who have had to reform their behavior, simply being capable of apologizing already counts for something; the two sides never reached a consensus. There was also back-and-forth between those defending him with “it wasn’t a crime, so this much backlash is excessive” and those countering that “‘it’s fine as long as it’s not a crime’ is a childish argument.” One point readers might easily get wrong: the apology video itself has monetization disabled, meaning he isn’t using the controversy to farm views. How the university-ranking segment will be handled going forward remains pure speculation within the thread — there has been no official announcement, so that should be treated with caution.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Breaking] wakatte.tv’s Aka finally drops an apology video wwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Not-For-Sale Kura Sushi x Chiikawa Collab Banner Turns Up for Sale on a Flea Market App

    A Kura Sushi collaboration campaign with the popular character Chiikawa distributed non-for-sale decorations to stores — and now even the campaign’s promotional banner (a “nobori,” the tall fabric flag-banner used outside Japanese shops) has turned up for sale on a flea market app, sparking discussion on 5ch. According to information shared in the thread, Kura Sushi’s head office demanded the return of the items, but some stores couldn’t comply, narrowing the field of “suspects” down to whichever stores failed to return theirs. Commenters took issue with the idea that this isn’t outside resellers hoarding stock, but rather stores themselves leaking non-for-sale goods — and the discussion turned to lax serial-number tracking and similar past incidents involving other companies’ campaign and lottery (kuji) merchandise.

    3AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:06
    Scalpers ruined the whole campaign.
    112AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:44
    Re: #3
    It's not even scalping though…
    7AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:08
    Seriously shameless. And this from a major corporation?
    9AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:09
    Apparently this is how it's playing out:
    Kura Sushi x Chiikawa in-store decorations show up for sale
    ↓
    Kura Sushi HQ: "Whoever did this, come forward." The manager at the store who clearly knows something: "…"
    ↓
    HQ: "Collab's cancelled. Return the decorations."
    ↓
    Whichever stores couldn't return theirs become the suspects
    114AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:47
    Re: #9
    If they're going to do this, Kura Sushi HQ should bid on and win the non-for-sale item first. If it hasn't sold yet, it's probably still sitting with the seller — better to win the auction and get them to actually ship it. Even if the account gets deleted afterward, the transaction history stays on record.
    115AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:48
    Re: #9
    The fact that someone could pull this off means their tracking — serial numbers included — must have been sloppy as hell.
    118AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:50
    Re: #9
    The culprit was told to come forward, didn't, and now everyone else on the "island" gets dragged into it too — that's literally the plot of the Chiikawa movie (where an unconfessed wrongdoer brings suffering on the whole village). Kura Sushi really went all out recreating the movie's storyline for this collab, huh.
    11AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:10
    If they recall the promo items this time, wouldn't whoever fails to return theirs basically be confirmed guilty?
    13AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:12
    Don't hear many people say their favorite Chiikawa character is actually Chiikawa itself.
    14AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:12
    Feels like Japan's public morals have finally hit rock bottom.
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:20
    Time to amend the Premiums and Representations Act, or start regulating flea market apps.
    33AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:26
    Re: #27
    Just regulate flea market apps. Go back to how it used to be — only licensed secondhand dealers with an antique business permit should be allowed to buy and sell.
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:23
    Once they say "return the banner" and a store can't, it basically outs which store did it.
    36AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:27
    Re: #29
    They could just claim it was stolen, right?
    54AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:42
    Can they really get away with "it was stolen" when it comes to the recall?
    57AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:45
    Re: #54
    If they say "stolen," they'd obviously have to file a police report, so that won't fly. They'd get traced through Mercari and be done for.
    60AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:49
    Re: #54
    If it was genuinely stolen, they'd file a police report, so it'd come down to how good the police investigation is.
    67AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:59
    Why couldn't they just wait until the campaign was over?
    70AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:01
    Re: #67
    Probably just the mindset that listing it early would fetch a higher price?
    111AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:43
    Re: #67
    Scalping is all about speed. Sitting on stock waiting for the price to climb is nothing but risk.
    69AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:01
    If HQ collects these just because the campaign ended, it'll instantly out which store was trying to make a little extra cash.
    71AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:02
    Re: #69
    Maybe this kind of accountability just never existed before.
    72AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:02
    Stuff like this is usually serial-number tracked, so you'd think the store would get busted instantly…
    77AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:06
    Re: #72
    I don't think that tracking even existed. If it did and things still ended up like this, they're a bunch of idiots.
    74AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:04
    There it is! Another dark Chiikawa story! Ahh, Nagano's madness never gets old lol (Nagano is the manga's creator, known for hiding surprisingly dark themes in the cute art style)
    75AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:05
    Re: #74
    Forget that, the actual Kura Sushi employees were naturally unhinged and way darker than any of this — what are you gonna do about that?
    88AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:21
    Small merch I get, but what does anyone even do with something like this after buying it?
    91AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:23
    Re: #88
    Apparently they display it in their room.
    93AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:29
    So stuff like Yoshinoya's Dragon Quest collab, Kirby, McDonald's Pokémon, or Ichiban Kuji lottery merch in general — they can probably get away with the same thing.
    97AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:35
    Re: #93
    Ichiban Kuji has already caused problems like this at both convenience stores and official outlets.
    102AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:40
    People have long said convenience store staff skim the good prizes from lottery draws, but now it's finally surfacing all over the place 🥺
    106AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:41
    Re: #102
    You can't just pull one prize out directly, but you can pull the whole box once it's thinned out to a good ratio. (referring to staff swapping out an Ichiban Kuji lottery box once the odds of a good prize look favorable)

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    What’s drawing attention here is a non-for-sale promotional item distributed only to Kura Sushi stores — a different situation from ordinary “scalping,” where a consumer resells something they legitimately bought. It’s worth noting that claims in the thread, such as “the store can be identified from the serial number” or “Kura Sushi HQ is demanding the item’s return,” are based on posters’ speculation and hearsay, not on any confirmed statement from the company. There have been past cases involving Ichiban Kuji lottery prizes and convenience-store campaign merchandise where staff were suspected of skimming items, and many in the thread see this as an extension of that pattern. One point readers might misread is treating this as ordinary “scalper-bashing” — the thread’s real focus is on the company’s prize-management practices and the ethics of store staff handling non-for-sale goods.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyou G) thread “[Images] Chiikawa merch — even the store banner shows up for sale.”

  • Actor Gamon Kawai Gets Candid About His Social Media Posts: ‘Every Day I’m Selling Off Pieces of My Private Life’

    On September 5, actor Gamon Kawai (51) sparked a reaction after posting on X (formerly Twitter) that “Every day I’m selling off pieces of my private life” and “I want more followers.” In a self-deprecating admission, he revealed that a senior actor once told him it’s better not to sell off your private life as an actor — and confessed that his recent posts do exactly that. On 5channel threads, users reminisced about his signature role in “Ten Made Todoke” (Reach for the Sky) and noted how few actors survive into their 50s, while opinions were divided over how to handle social media and how to survive in the entertainment industry.

    51-year-old actor bares his true feelings: “Every day I’m selling off pieces of my private life,” “I want more followers”

    Actor Gamon Kawai (51) updated his X account on the 5th, writing candidly about his own posts.

    Kawai began, “A senior actor once told me that as an actor, it’s better not to sell off your private life. I truly believe that too. But lately my posts have been nothing but selling off my private life — and mostly lowbrow stuff at that. I know.”

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

    4AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:11
    Wasn't he running a ramen shop?
    39AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:28
    Re: #4
    That's David Ito you're thinking of
    6AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:12
    So that's why there's always a certain number of 'controversy bait' types out there…
    Truly a case of 'infamy beats obscurity.'
    7AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:13
    He needs to write something more interesting than that…
    8AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:14
    How did it come to this…
    He was popular back in his younger days
    Surviving in showbiz is brutal
    10AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:14
    You see him a ton in reruns of BS suspense dramas (2-hour mystery specials), but he's completely absent from terrestrial TV lately
    12AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:16
    Yeah, I definitely remember someone quitting show business to open a ramen shop
    Maybe I'm thinking of someone else
    14AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:17
    New actors keep popping up one after another
    If you're not lead-role caliber, you don't survive
    23AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:20
    When I think of Gamon Kawai, it's 'Ten Made Todoke'
    It's so sad that his co-stars from that show, Kumiko Okae and Katsuhiko Watabiki, are both gone now
    Miwa Kawagoe passed away too
    If they don't do something with the 'Ten Made Todoke' cast members who are still alive, it's not going to make news
    25AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:21
    "I won't forget, I won't forget — even if I forget sometimes, I'll never truly forget"
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:23
    He used to be on TV all the time, then before you knew it he'd vanished — guess there was an actual reason for it
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:23
    Even a handsome young actor eventually ages out of the 'heartthrob' category
    What are you supposed to do before that happens?
    Then again, some people land their breakout hit later in life instead
    30AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:24
    Him in his prime
    34AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:25
    Re: #30
    Nagiko Tono's gone too…
    and to think Shosuke Tanihara, who quit acting, is the one getting the most work now
    31AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:24
    Ten Made Todoke
    Eldest daughter: Shiho Wakabayashi
    Second son: Gamon Kawai
    32AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:25
    Back when 2-hour TV dramas were still being made, there was demand for all sorts of roles — bumbling detectives, criminals, you name it
    33AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:25
    That's probably true
    These days the people casting talent are likely in their 30s
    They barely know any celebrity over 40, so the work just dries up
    35AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:26
    So he's not even going to show up at the real estate fair at the end of the month?
    37AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:27
    There are almost no actors left surviving in their 50s. It must be even harsher for actresses
    53AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:36
    Re: #37
    Hirotaro Honda's career has lasted forever lol. That kind of character-actor position is the best
    41AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:30
    Being the guy people go 'huh, haven't seen that actor lately' about is actually the good outcome
    There are tons of people in showbiz who just quietly vanish without even that
    47AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:34
    Re: #41
    Are there people whose existence you've completely forgotten?
    I'd totally forgotten the singer hitomi even existed lol
    Same with Orange Range and Def Tech
    Def Tech is apparently still active, you know
    55AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:37
    Re: #47
    Def Tech got arrested on drug charges right before a Budokan show
    That's when it made the news and I found out they were still active
    61AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:42
    Re: #47
    The other day in a Kumiko Goto thread there was a guy mixing her up with Kumiko Endo, which reminded me Kumiko Endo even exists
    42AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:31
    The one-hit wonder from Ten Made Todoke
    65AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:45
    Re: #42
    What about Kazuki Enari?
    46AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:34
    A few years back he was the lead in one of those driver's-license-renewal course videos
    72AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:48
    Re: #46
    These days it's Jun Idota in the license renewal videos
    66AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:46
    Come to think of it, I can't name his signature role. Was he a teacher in something? Or was it 'Minikui Ahiru' (Ugly Duckling)? lol
    70AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:46
    Re: #66
    Probably back when he was a minor
    88AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:55
    There was a time he was in demand for 2-hour suspense dramas
    I liked that fire-investigator series he did with Eiichiro Funakoshi

    Background and Talking Points

    The conflict Gamon Kawai describes — over “selling off” his private life — is a struggle common to celebrities in the social media era. With follower counts and post engagement said to directly affect job offers, it’s not unusual for talent agencies or ad agencies to pressure celebrities into posting more frequently. What stood out in the thread was that the conversation moved beyond Kawai’s own confession into broader career discussions about the entertainment industry, such as “almost no actors survive into their 50s” and “you shouldn’t leave a major agency.” Some comments referenced his co-stars from his signature role in “Ten Made Todoke,” but these were tributes to actors who have since passed away, not criticism of Kawai himself. Meanwhile, a few posts touched on his educational background and family circumstances — it’s worth noting that this information isn’t based on any official statement from Kawai and remains unverified rumor.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Actor Gamon Kawai bares his true feelings: ‘Every day I’m selling off pieces of my private life,’ ‘I want more followers,’ ‘The ad agency people…’“.

  • wakatte.tv Apologizes Over Fukushima University Remarks — Even Japan’s Education Minister Weighs In

    Popular YouTube channel “wakatte.tv” has posted an apology video over inappropriate remarks made in a video featuring Fukushima University. According to a report by Oricon, the controversy spread widely, with Fukushima University issuing a statement and Education Minister Matsumoto even commenting on the matter. On 5channel threads, users voiced discomfort that the presenter apologized while still wearing his red tracksuit, along with suspicions that he was only apologizing because of the backlash rather than out of genuine remorse. Meanwhile, others raised concerns about the channel’s regular practice of joking about guests’ academic backgrounds in the first place, expanding the debate beyond the apology video itself to the very format of the show.

    wakatte.tv posts apology video over inappropriate remarks in Fukushima University video: “I deeply regret that it was truly awful thing to say” — Fukushima University issues statement, Education Minister Matsumoto comments

    Published 9/5 (Sat) 19:24

    Oricon

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

    2AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:11
    Because watching Showa-era retro exploration videos on YouTube is way more fun than watching that Peace-kun mascot at Omiya Park.
    7AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    So no more of those mocking remarks now, huh?

    Is this a policy change, or is the whole show getting cancelled?
    8AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    Apologizing while still wearing the red tracksuit lol
    66AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:56
    Re: #8
    Even Komeo wore a suit for his.
    9AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    Nuisance YouTubers only make money by going viral for controversy — that's the whole business model.
    10AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    The two guys in red and blue calling the shots behind the scenes are acting all defiant with zero sign of remorse — wonder how they're gonna handle this.
    11AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:16
    He's only apologizing because it blew up, right?
    Then he might as well not have bothered.
    14AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:17
    Somebody give me the 'apology study-guide route' — small steps, please. (riffing on the exam-prep term for a recommended textbook study plan)
    19AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:21
    I doubt he's actually sorry deep down.
    20AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:22
    So you're saying it's our fault for misunderstanding what he said?
    21AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:23
    Only the guy in the red jersey gets torched while the sunglasses guy behind him walks away untouched, acting all relaxed — same setup as a scam 'pickup man' taking the fall for a Tokuryu boss (Tokuryu = the loosely organized, anonymously recruited crime rings behind many recent Japanese scams).
    22AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:25
    We're moving into an era where academic pedigree won't mean much anymore,
    and yet here they are running a whole channel built on making fun of people's academic background.
    24AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:27
    These days, people who studied hard for entrance exams and happened to end up at a high-deviation-score (i.e. prestigious) university might get branded 'people who can't read the changing times' and lose out for the rest of their lives.
    Going forward, an elite education will be nothing but a dark chapter in your past.
    71AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:01
    Re: #24
    Lol, that's just wishful thinking from someone with an academic-background complex.
    25AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:27
    It blew up because it touched on nuclear power, but fundamentally it's the same thing as the academic-background teasing they always do.
    Can they actually quit that?
    If not, they're on the public's radar now and this'll blow up again.
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:29
    Nah, this guy's sticking his tongue out on the inside.
    They should just get the channel banned.
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:29
    Isn't this just the guy panicking because the backlash got way bigger than expected, and posting an apology video on his own without telling anyone else around him?
    29AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:30
    Even if the whole act is built on going overboard for laughs, there's still a line you shouldn't cross.
    35AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:33
    They came to my university too (Kyoto Sangyo University) and made fun of it — I want an apology for that as well.
    36AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:34
    I figured he'd never apologize
    Guess he really did reflect on it — respect.
    40AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:37
    Re: #36
    Well, they were always going to either put out a token apology video or double down and stir things up even more
    Either way, it's basically guaranteed views.
    37AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:34
    It even reached the Education Minister at this point
    No more sponsorship deals are coming their way
    Better lay low for years.
    38AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:35
    Getting called out by NHK (Japan's national public broadcaster) is on another level
    Even hardcore controversy-bait channels rarely get that.
    39AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:36
    On TV he was treated as an outright villain, so there's no coming back from this.

    Background and key points of discussion

    wakatte.tv is known for a street-interview format built around discussing guests’ alma maters and academic backgrounds, and this time it was remarks about Fukushima University made in that segment that drew criticism. It’s unusual for the Education Minister to comment on an individual YouTube video, and combined with the university’s statement, it shows just how far the controversy spread. On the thread, opinions split between those who saw the apology as merely a reaction to the backlash, and those predicting that with the fallout reaching TV and government-ministry level, continuing the channel will be difficult. At the same time, there was strong criticism of the show’s routine practice of using academic background as a running gag in the first place, though the exact details of the remarks that prompted the apology were never made clear in the thread. Note that some replies contained insults directed at other posters over academic background or age, and those have been excluded from this article.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[wakatte.tv] Posts apology video over inappropriate remarks in video about Fukushima University: “I deeply regret that it was truly awful thing to say”.”

  • Take-Home Pay Gap Sparks ‘NISA Poor’ Debate on 5ch: ‘Well, That’s Just How It Is’

    A thread heated up over how much people are contributing to Japan’s new NISA tax-free investment program. Someone taking home over ¥1 million a month complained that putting ¥300,000 into NISA every month was straining their finances, while others taking home only around ¥200,000 a month called even small monthly contributions “NISA poor” — prompting the observation that the same phrase carries a totally different weight depending on income. The discussion gradually drifted into practical territory: how to split contributions between the “growth” and “tsumitate” (regular installment) allowances, and whether brokerages let you front-load your annual contribution in one lump sum at the start of the year. One SBI Securities user reported that this “doesn’t seem possible” with their broker.

    1AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:41
    So lame lmaooooooooo
    10AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:48
    Guess you end up old with money but a body that won't move anymore.
    12AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:48
    Re: #10
    Then again, if your body can't move, that's exactly when money can solve problems.
    14AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:49
    Re: #10
    Exactly BECAUSE your body can't move is why you need money, duh.
    16AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:51
    The worst case has to be just suddenly dropping dead partway through life. If you get diagnosed with cancer instead, at least you can take your fortune and travel the world for whatever time you've got left.
    21AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:09
    Re: #16
    It's not tragic once you're dead though
    you're already dead at that point.
    24AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:11
    Take-home ¥1M: "Putting ¥300k/month into NISA and life's rough lol"
    Take-home ¥200k: "NISA poor lmaooo"

    Well, that's just how it is.
    27AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:13
    Re: #24
    Putting ¥300k/month into NISA — does that mean ¥100k in the tsumitate (installment) allowance and ¥200k in individual stocks under the growth allowance?
    30AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:14
    Re: #27
    Pretty sure it's just splitting ¥300k total between the tsumitate allowance and the growth allowance.
    32AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    Ever think of using that money to study English instead and land a high-paying job in America?
    34AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:16
    Re: #32
    Ever think you could do that AND keep investing at the same time?
    35AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:16
    Re: #32
    You can study English without spending money, you know.
    39AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:18
    Re: #38
    So you're going abroad?
    42AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:19
    Re: #30
    Isn't the tsumitate allowance capped at ¥100k a month?
    43AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:20
    Re: #39
    Nah? Japan's easier to live in.

    Re: #42
    Just put the rest into the growth allowance.
    46AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:21
    Re: #42
    The ¥200k portion doesn't have to be individual stocks either — an all-country index fund like eMAXIS Slim All Country works fine too.
    44AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:21
    Re: #43
    The income's different though.
    49AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:23
    Re: #44
    Rent's different too, so your standard of living ends up about the same either way. If you're gonna do something about it, working for a foreign company would be better.
    53AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:25
    Re: #49
    If both income and spending double, your savings double too.
    47AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:21
    Re: #46
    For the growth allowance, why not just buy the full ¥2.4M in one shot?
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:23
    Re: #47
    That depends on your assets and investment strategy.
    51AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:24
    Re: #48
    Instead of the hassle of doing ¥300k every single month, I think it'd be way less of a pain to just do ¥2.4M in the growth allowance and ¥100k/month in the tsumitate allowance.
    57AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:29
    Re: #51
    People who do that already have the money sitting in a taxable account. If your income drops to zero or you're done putting more into investments, moving it all from the taxable account into NISA in one lump sum at the start of the year makes sense. But otherwise you'd just end up contributing to the taxable account anyway, so it's pointless or barely makes a difference.

    Also, technically, you don't have to contribute to the tsumitate allowance every month either — depending on your settings, you can front-load it all at the start of the year too.
    60AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:31
    Re: #57
    I was told ¥100k/month was the cap — is that wrong?
    62AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:31
    Re: #57
    Wait, seriously? You can front-load the whole tsumitate allowance at the start of the year?
    Then I want to do a lump sum right now.
    The Nikkei's cheap right now, and it'll probably break 100,000 before long.
    52AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:25
    Why do NISA people always talk so big?
    The lifetime cap is ¥18 million, right?
    Past that you're just relying on regular investment returns like anyone else — NISA doesn't even factor in anymore.
    55AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:26
    Re: #52
    What are you even talking about?
    58AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:30
    Re: #52
    Makes zero sense.
    61AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:31
    Wait, is there actually someone here who doesn't get how NISA works?
    Having around ¥18 million invested is pretty normal
    I don't get why everyone's making such a fuss
    I mean, it's called NISA because you're counting on the tax-free treatment in the first place.
    65AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:33
    Re: #61
    Honestly, I still can't tell what point you're trying to make.
    63AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:32
    If you can't even max out your NISA as fast as possible, I think it's a bit much to be splurging and having fun.
    67AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:35
    Re: #63
    Well, maybe it's fine to have fun once you've filled up your ¥18M NISA cap.
    68AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:35
    Re: #60
    Re: #62
    Depends on the broker, but if you set a "bonus contribution" of something like ¥2.6M in January, you can basically do it as a lump sum.
    Technically the rules leave ¥100 worth remaining each month, but it's effectively a one-time lump sum.
    70AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:37
    Re: #68
    Looked into it, but seems like it's not possible with SBI, which is what I use.
    74AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:38
    Looked into it again and turns out something close to that is possible with SBI too.
    Might just go for a lump-sum contribution. Though I'm torn on whether to wait for a crash first.
    81AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:41
    Re: #74
    Historically speaking, the earlier you get your money into the market the better, so lump-sum is considered the statistically "correct" answer. But for peace of mind, I personally think it's better to lump-sum the growth allowance and dollar-cost average the tsumitate allowance.
    95AnonymousSep 6, 2026 00:01
    Re: #74
    Put it this way — if your 100 becomes 500 and then drops to 300, are you gonna go "crash incoming!" and buy the dip?
    79AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:40
    Me too, me too, started recently

    86AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:44
    Re: #79
    Cute 😄 ("kawachii" — a cutesy, deliberately mispronounced spelling of kawaii)

    Background and Key Points

    Japan’s new NISA program, launched in 2024, is structured around a “tsumitate” (regular installment) investment allowance of ¥1.2 million a year, a “growth” investment allowance of ¥2.4 million a year, and a combined lifetime tax-free holding limit of ¥18 million. What split the thread was the difference in financial “stamina” needed to fill that allowance. Contributing ¥300,000 a month feels completely different to someone taking home over ¥1 million a month than a small monthly contribution does to someone taking home around ¥200,000 a month — yet both situations got lumped together under the same phrase, “NISA poor.” On the practical side, there’s a persistent misconception that the tsumitate allowance is capped at ¥100,000 a month, but depending on the brokerage, features like a “bonus contribution” setting can let you front-load the full ¥1.2 million at the start of the year — though one SBI Securities user reported that doing so isn’t straightforward through the usual method. Overall, the thread showed just how much investors’ understanding of the system varies from person to person.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch “Nandemo Jikkyō G” (Live Galileo) board thread “NISA Poor lmaoooooooooooooooo.”

  • Giants’ Starting Lineup Draws Cries of ‘Smells Like the Farm Team’ — But Praise for Ohshiro, Who Turned Down Free Agency to Stay

    With the Giants playing under an acting-manager setup, the team entered the final game of its series against Hiroshima, and when the starting lineup was announced on September 5, harsh comments like “this reeks of the farm team” poured in. On the other hand, some praised the decision to keep using Takumi Ohshiro, who chose to stay with the team instead of testing free agency, saying it was “good to see him get rewarded.” Opinions were split. News that Orix’s Kohei Higashi underwent right elbow surgery for the third year in a row also became a talking point, and the thread that day was dominated by discussion of team management and roster decisions.

    1AnonymousSep 4, 2026 22:54
    Previous thread
    Giants Acting Manager Thread 124 (fixed)
    8AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:07
    Good to see Ohshiro get rewarded for not going through with free agency
    17AnonymousSep 4, 2026 23:16
    Re: #8
    Still, they really need to develop their own catchers
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:11
    Well, Matsui bailed, so it's on those two now anyway
    78AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:46
    Re: #28
    Matsui didn't bail — he wants to be a coach/manager for an MLB team
    That's the "rest of the dream" Matsui talked about
    32AnonymousSep 5, 2026 00:50
    Didn't we already conclude that managers who only went to high school aren't good?
    79AnonymousSep 5, 2026 09:57
    Re: #32
    It's not just about education level — it's whether they were team captain in high school, college, or during their playing days as a pro, whether they've had coaching or farm-team manager experience, or whether they jumped straight to manager with no steps in between.

    Take Kazuhiko Ushijima, for example: he consistently insisted that if he became a pitching coach, he'd need full authority over pitcher usage and pull timing — with not even the manager allowed to interfere — and he never budged on that condition with anyone. As a result, coaching offers kept falling through one after another. In the end, the only job he ever actually got was manager of the BayStars.
    81AnonymousSep 5, 2026 10:15
    Re: #32
    Manager Fujikawa's stock has been rising thanks to Kudo and Kinoshita breaking out and Motoyama bouncing back…
    42AnonymousSep 5, 2026 06:16
    So the young guys have to clean up after Ma-kun (Masahiro Tanaka) again?
    53AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:04
    Re: #42
    Last time it was because 'Lord Hashi' (a player mockingly deified for issuing an intentional walk) gave an intentional walk — it'll be fine this time
    54AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:15
    ▽ Games scheduled for Sat 9/5
    Tigers–BayStars (Koshien) 18:00
    Carp–Giants (Mazda Stadium) 18:00
    ▽ Announced starters for Sat 9/5
    (Tigers–BayStars) Shoki Murakami (R) vs. Takato Ogata (R)
    (Carp–Giants) Shogo Tamamura (L) vs. Masahiro Tanaka (R)
    60AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:58
    Re: #54
    Since Tamamura's a lefty, they'll probably shamelessly pull the Ishizuka-to-Sakamoto swap again
    59AnonymousSep 5, 2026 08:47


    83AnonymousSep 5, 2026 11:19
    85AnonymousSep 5, 2026 11:29
    [Orix] Kohei Higashi goes under the knife on his right elbow for the third year running — announces Tommy John surgery using an artificial ligament
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/06f5ace5f6a781828dbc42a7fd5f4158e4142d87

    Orix announced that pitcher Kohei Higashi (26) underwent ligament repair surgery with an internal brace for a torn ligament in his right elbow on the 4th at a hospital in Saga Prefecture. He's expected to be hospitalized for about a week before starting rehab.
    88AnonymousSep 5, 2026 12:01
    Re: #85
    Oh right, Higashi's still around — totally forgot about him
    89AnonymousSep 5, 2026 12:03
    Praying the Giants (referred to here with the mocking kanji swap '虚塵,' literally "hollow dust") lose today 🙏
    90AnonymousSep 5, 2026 12:12
    Re: #89
    Starting to get scared of how many games are left against Hiroshima…
    91AnonymousSep 5, 2026 12:13
    Shohei Ohtani (32): "My knee hurts, but so does my neck"
    https://kizuna.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/morningcoffee/1788563666/
    92AnonymousSep 5, 2026 12:19
    Re: #91
    Sato-Teru will be carrying the load starting next year, so rest easy
    98AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:31
    107AnonymousSep 5, 2026 13:59
    18 years ago it was:
    Suzuki
    Kimutaku
    Gattsu
    Rami
    Seung-yeop
    Tani
    Abe
    Sakamoto

    With PND coming off the bench
    Of course a lineup like that was gonna win lol
    Out of today's starters, only Urata and Ohshiro would even make the bench back then lol
    109AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:10
    Re: #107
    The pinch hitter was actually Daido
    110AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:18
    Replay review requested over whether he touched the base
    112AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:34
    Re: #110
    Koseki: "I touched it"
    123AnonymousSep 5, 2026 14:59
    Gifu-chan / Gifu Broadcasting Radio
    Saturday, September 5, 13:55–17:00
    Live broadcast of the 97th Intercity Baseball Tournament
    Semifinal: Seino Transportation (Ogaki City) vs. Aejec (Oyama City)
    — from Tokyo Dome
    Commentary: Shigeru Komori (Managing Director, JABA Gifu Prefecture Baseball Federation)
    Play-by-play: Tomohiro Ueno
    *Broadcast will run past the scheduled end time until the game finishes
    124AnonymousSep 5, 2026 15:04
    Re: #123
    Thx — oh, it's the semifinal, huh
    135AnonymousSep 5, 2026 16:09
    ◆ Infield/outfield practice positions

    1B: Tima, Riku Masuda
    2B: Urata
    3B: Sakamoto, Ishizuka
    SS: Izumiguchi, Yuasa
    LF: Maru, Matsumoto, Hagio
    CF: Dai Suzuki
    RF: Sasaki, Nakayama

    Apparently Darbeck was out for warmups, but then talked with the trainer afterward, and the coaching staff got kind of flustered… or so I hear
    Since Tamamura's a lefty, it'll probably be Sakamoto at 3B again with Tima or Riku at 1B
    Come on, don't tell me both guys who drove in runs yesterday are sitting this one out
    136AnonymousSep 5, 2026 16:12
    Even with Ishii out and the bullpen a weak spot, they're still in first place
    How come Kinoshita and Kudo just show up and the weakness disappears just like that? Our team is riddled with weaknesses and we're struggling
    151AnonymousSep 5, 2026 16:46
    Re: #136
    Maybe our team needs to rethink its draft strategy…
    154AnonymousSep 5, 2026 16:55
    Re: #136
    If anything it's turned into a strength for them, so to beat them you need to at least be tied heading into the late innings
    Score at full throttle from the first inning, and ride the starter as far as he can go
    A game like the one against the Swallows the other day is the worst-case scenario
    171AnonymousSep 5, 2026 17:18
    Mazda Stadium
    Starting Lineups
    [Giants] [Carp]
    4 Urata 8 Sho Nakamura
    6 Izumiguchi 3 Kei Sato
    3 Riku Masuda 7 Fabian
    2 Ohshiro 5 Sakakura
    5 Ishizuka 4 Kikuchi
    7 Matsumoto 9 Sasaki
    8 Dai Suzuki 2 Mochizumi
    9 Sasaki 6 Katsuta
    1 Masahiro Tanaka 1 Tamamura
    *Darbeck out of the lineup due to not feeling well
    188AnonymousSep 5, 2026 17:28
    Re: #171
    Lol this one reeks of the farm team too
    And Hochi Shimbun's out here saying it's just like 18 years ago — lmao
    207AnonymousSep 5, 2026 17:37
    213AnonymousSep 5, 2026 17:40
    837AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:51
    OPS by opposing team

    Maki
    vs. Giants: OPS .693
    vs. Tigers: OPS 1.176

    Encarnacion
    vs. Giants: OPS .581
    vs. Tigers: OPS 1.014

    Miyazaki
    vs. Giants: OPS .500
    vs. Tigers: OPS 1.002
    840AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:52
    Re: #837
    Our team's Kanagawa branch is doing pretty well
    842AnonymousSep 5, 2026 19:52
    Re: #837
    Doing good, aren't they

    Background and Key Points

    Takumi Ohshiro appears to have chosen to stay with the team even though he was eligible for free agency, and whether the club can develop a long-term starting catcher has repeatedly come up as an ongoing issue for the organization. Kohei Higashi’s right elbow surgery, which became a talking point that day, is his third in as many years, once again highlighting how difficult it is to manage and develop pitchers who keep getting injured. In the thread, harsh assessments of the lineup and in-game management appeared alongside comments pointing out individual players’ strong records against certain opponents — a reminder that the lineup card alone doesn’t tell you whether the strategy behind it is sound. Note that some posts touching on managerial personnel decisions and club alumni could not be verified, so they have not been included in this article.

    *This article is an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project board) thread “Giants Acting Manager Thread 125.”

  • Kura Sushi Accused of Handing Out Chiikawa Teacups Without Authorization — Store’s Response Splits Opinion Online

    A post on 5channel’s “Live News” board (Nanidemo Jikkyo G) went viral after images suggested a Kura Sushi location was giving away “Chiikawa” collaboration teacups for free, outside the official distribution rules. The cups were reportedly meant to be limited-quantity prizes from the Bikkura-pon capsule toy lottery machine, and the thread quickly filled with questions about how the store could have squared away the resulting inventory discrepancy. Opinions split over whether this was an independent decision by staff to please customers, or outright embezzlement after skimming stock, with some commenters framing it as a matter that could hurt resale prices and undermine trust in the whole campaign.

    2AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:53
    8AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:56
    Employees fed up with customers


    16AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:58
    Re: #8
    Because of one employee, now every employee's getting dragged into it
    Look who's talking (おまいう — internet slang short for "you're one to talk")
    20AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:00
    Re: #8
    What do you mean "did it for the customers"?
    They're just working to make a living
    69AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:17
    Re: #8
    Taking it out on customers isn't right though
    11AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:56
    Did they give it away for free and just fudge the inventory numbers?
    Wonder if the punishment differs between a manager going rogue to serve customers versus straight-up embezzlement
    14AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:57
    Re: #11
    Doing something way beyond the rules on your own — that's got to be about covering up messed-up inventory, nothing else
    15AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:58
    This could go down as a historic incident in Kura Sushi history (くらず史 is a pun blending "Kura" with 史上, "in history")
    72AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:18
    Re: #15
    As a consumer I really hope this blows up into a big deal
    Everyone's fixated on scalpers, but fraud in a campaign like this is the same as mislabeling a product's origin — it's a rotten crime that undermines the whole foundation of trust that commerce is built on
    19AnonymousSep 5, 2026 22:59
    I feel like I only ate that sushi for the Chiikawa prize 😡
    28AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:05
    Re: #19
    Now that you mention it, I ate sushi the other day too 😠 it was delicious 😤
    23AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:02
    So does this mean the scalpers currently listing them on Mercari (Japan's biggest flea-market app) are about to strike gold with a premium price?
    30AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:05
    Re: #23
    The teacups were only actually given out for less than a day, so yeah, they'll probably go for a premium
    25AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:04
    Kind of scary to eat raw fish at a restaurant whose operations can't even manage handing out campaign prizes properly
    40AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:10
    Re: #25
    That's how far their standards have fallen
    Makes you wonder if the sushi handling is really okay
    48AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:11
    Customers who couldn't care less will show up with receipts demanding refunds, that's gonna be hundreds of millions of yen in losses
    Well, they're profitable, guess it's fine to refund
    50AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:12
    Re: #48
    The second Meat Hope incident (reference to Meat Hope, Japan's notorious 2007 meat-mislabeling scandal)
    55AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    Re: #48
    There are also suspicions of skimming from the Bikkura-pon prizes, so there are probably quite a few customers looking for refunds
    52AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:13
    Either he gets grilled for the blunder of giving them away without permission,
    or
    he gets tried for full-blown embezzlement

    Bet the manager's brain is racing right now
    57AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    Re: #52
    He's just going to get caught for the full-blown embezzlement and lose any chance at leniency, though…
    59AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    Re: #52
    He's a bad guy, but you gotta admit he's competent
    56AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:15
    Re: #39
    There's a world of difference between a criminal who embezzled and a fool who gave stuff away without permission just to avoid complaints
    The former gets arrested, plain and simple
    62AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:16
    Re: #56
    The latter is embezzlement too — he probably just skimmed the stock, the numbers didn't add up, and he handed them out to cover it
    63AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:16
    Re: #57
    The reason the stock came up short can still be covered up
    65AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:17
    Re: #63
    Good luck making that fly with the police…
    67AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:17
    Went to Kura Sushi today — me, my spouse, and our 4-year-old, and the bill came to over 6,000 yen. That shocked me. Prices have really gone up
    78AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:19
    Re: #67
    Kura Sushi was never all that cheap to begin with
    Sushiro raised prices too
    Kappa Sushi barely has any locations left
    This industry's done for
    74AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:18
    Feels like they've been skimming from the start

    79AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:19
    Reminds me of something similar in a mobile gacha game
    Wasn't it the Dokkan rate table thing? (reference to the Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle drop-rate manipulation controversy)
    83AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:21
    Re: #79
    It's a totally different story since it's not like store staff were the ones skimming there
    84AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:21
    Competent part-timer logic: "Let's hand out teacups to the customers we kept waiting to head off complaints!"





    This is exactly it
    86AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:22
    Re: #84
    That reminded me of this too, but surely a part-timer isn't the one who decided to hand out free teacups
    87AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:22
    Re: #84
    "Could you not just do whatever you want?"
    88AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:23
    Re: #84
    What is wrong with this guy
    Obviously fireable
    93AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:25
    Someone was still paying to play Bikkura-pon even after all the headline prizes had already been skimmed lol

    97AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:26
    Re: #93
    Wait, a place is running something like a gacha game?
    A plain sushi restaurant?
    Japanese people are wild, man
    95AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:25
    109AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:30
    Re: #95
    Wait, are you saying customers were still waiting even though it closes at midnight?
    That's got to be an exaggeration…
    Though maybe they just misjudged how long customers would stay
    98AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:26
    Re: #90
    Calling it embezzlement over a tiny slip-up is way too harsh, I can't work like this! Anyone can make a mistake! 😫
    103AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:27
    Re: #98
    Giving it away for free isn't a "tiny slip-up," though
    107AnonymousSep 5, 2026 23:29
    Re: #98
    That was 100% intentional

    Background and key points of this story

    At major conveyor-belt sushi chains like Kura Sushi, character-collaboration prizes (such as those from the Bikkura-pon capsule lottery machine) typically have their quantities and distribution conditions tightly managed by head office, and individual stores generally have no authority to hand them out for free on their own. That’s why an incident like this, once it surfaces, tends to point beyond ordinary customer service and straight toward suspicions of inventory mismanagement or improper acquisition. The thread split over whether to view the store’s actions as “an independent call to avoid complaints” or as “embezzlement after skimming stock” — both readings remain speculation based on circumstantial evidence, and no official explanation or investigation result has been issued by the company. What readers should not mistake is that this is not a case of “Kura Sushi officially admitting to wrongdoing” — it remains, for now, speculation based on images and testimony posted on 5channel.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Nanidemo Jikkyo G) thread “Turns out a Kura Sushi store was handing out free Chiikawa teacups like crazy yesterday lol.”