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  • Hanshin shut out again in CS Game 2, fall to 1-2 — Morishita exits mid-game

    Climax Series Central League Final Stage Game 2 was played on October 15, with DeNA defeating Hanshin 1-0 to improve to 2 wins and 1 loss. Maki’s solo home run proved to be the game-winner, and Hanshin’s lineup stayed cold right to the end. During the game, Morishita appeared to hurt his leg while running to first base and was replaced, raising concerns about whether he’ll be able to keep playing. On the thread, reactions ranged from questioning a Climax Series format that lets the pennant-race leader Hanshin get overtaken, to pointing out the team’s lack of offseason reinforcements, to worrying about Morishita’s injury.

    DeNA　　0 0 0　0 0 0　0 1 0 | 1

    Hanshin　0 0 0　0 0 0　0 0 0 | 0

    [Batteries]

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    Morishita's probably done for the year now (forum slang for a serious, season-ending injury), so Hanshin's cooked.
    But then again, is it really fair for the Baystars — who phoned in the pennant race — to snipe the title away from a Hanshin team that fought tooth and nail to win it?
    135AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:01
    Re: #2
    This is what happens when you botch your offseason reinforcements and then have to scramble mid-season to bring in Ogata and Reynolds just to keep up.
    215AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:06
    Re: #2
    They coasted through the first half of the pennant race with a comfortable lead,
    and then got run down hard by the Baystars in the second half.
    6AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    Video
    https://x.com/tomoyapisuke/status/2110683011188752511

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HUqrC5pbkAABqwz?format=jpg
    Morishita grounds out to second (basically a shortstop grounder) — and it's meet, goodbye!
    8AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    Serves them right!! 🤣😂🤣😂
    10AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    Did the Baystars really need to stay up late doing a championship TV special the night before their last game and take their foot off the gas?
    That celebration special could've waited until the advantage situation was actually settled.
    No, honestly — it absolutely should have waited.
    15AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    Sorry about that —
    we went and won this one off a single solo homer.
    16AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    With two strikes left at the end there, they should've gone for the squeeze.
    22AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    Yesss!!!
    The Kansai local broadcasts are way too obnoxious, so keep it going just like this.
    23AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    Hanshin shut out again today lmaooo
    25AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:58
    This might really be curtains for them
    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    231AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:07
    Re: #25
    If they get shut out again tomorrow they should just rename themselves the Hanshin Takoyaki-ers.
    26AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:58
    Let's just go scoreless and drop 4 straight to end this.
    At least then they could finally clean house on the useless coaching staff.
    28AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:58
    All because of the Tigers' (derisive fan slang: "chin-kasu") bad karma…
    Feel so bad for Morishita and Satoteru (Sato Teruaki)…
    34AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:58
    At this point Hanshin (derisive slang: "Chin") would be overachieving just to win one more game.
    36AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:58
    It's hopeless.
    With Sato Teruaki and Morishita both out, this Hanshin team can't even be trusted to finish in the top 3 anymore.
    41AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:58
    The Baystars have nothing to lose here — a loss costs them nothing and a win is pure bonus.
    43AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:58
    We won! ヽ(*＾ω＾*)ﾉ
    That had me on edge.
    66AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:59
    Wait, they actually lost?
    Wasn't today's starter Murakami — no, Takahashi?
    How do you even lose with that lol
    116AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:00
    Re: #66
    Well, that's 18 innings without scoring now.
    They've only given up 3 runs, but they haven't scored a single one either.
    85AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:59
    Like I said before, the real plan all along was for Yokohama (DeNA) to win the Japan Series with a sub-.500 record.
    That was supposed to stir up a whole new controversy.
    125AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:01
    Re: #85
    In MLB, the Astros won their division at an exact .500 winning percentage.
    It's just as messed up over there.
    86AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:59
    Morishita, you too?!
    How do you hurt your leg just running to first base?!
    92AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:00
    Still, the Baystars' pitching staff is impressive.
    Were they just playing possum all season?
    146AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:02
    Re: #92
    More like they had injuries piling up in the first half and couldn't field a real team.
    98AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:00
    [Hanshin] Regulars held out of the batter's box for 5 straight days to prioritize conditioning — will the core lineup regain its timing after the rest? (Nikkan Sports)
    #YahooNews https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/7fdab8f686ada79ef2fc05743e5e64b7f8282980

    This right here is the reason for the anemic offense.
    129AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:01
    Re: #98
    The team's current advisor: "it's the lost game sense—" (echoing a familiar old excuse)
    106AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:00
    Come on, Baystars, seriously.
    We genuinely don't need the Climax Series.
    I'm not even a Hanshin fan, but that's how I feel.
    121AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:01
    Re: #106
    Alright then, name 14 Hanshin players you don't like.
    152AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:02
    So whoever gets 2 more wins first makes the Japan Series?
    175AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:04
    Re: #152
    Hanshin needs 3 more wins to get there.
    Which means the Baystars are actually the ones sitting in the better position right now lol
    171AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:04
    If they lose, are the old boys gonna come crawling out like they did with the Giants
    and demand a 2-win advantage or whatever lol
    Don't embarrass yourselves, don't even say it.
    MLB teams don't go around demanding advantages like that, right?
    214AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:06
    Re: #171
    In the Pacific League's playoff format that never actually happened, a 1-game lead meant a 1-win advantage.
    The playoff was only supposed to trigger if 1st and 2nd place finished within 5 games of each other, but every single year the gap ended up being 5+ games, so it was never held.
    196AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:05
    Why'd Morishita get subbed out?
    216AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:06
    Re: #196
    Sounds like he tweaked his hamstring while running the bases.
    232AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:07
    Baseball still pulls in these ridiculous ratings even these days.
    Can't quit it, lol

    Background and key points of this story

    Under the Climax Series format, the pennant-race winner — Hanshin — enters the Final Stage with a built-in one-win advantage; counting that advantage, the current series stands at 1 win, 2 losses for Hanshin. Because of this asymmetric setup, Hanshin needs 3 more wins to advance while DeNA needs only 2 more to reach the Japan Series, which is why the thread raised questions about the format’s fairness. As for the lineup’s slump, some pointed to an article quoted in the thread noting that key position players had been kept out of game action right before the Climax Series, though that was a front-office decision and no direct cause-and-effect can be confirmed. As for Morishita’s injury, the post-game diagnosis hasn’t been made public yet, so for now it remains speculation.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Baseball] Central League CS Game 2: T 0-1 DB [10/15] DeNA wins again, now 2-1 — Maki’s go-ahead homer, Hanshin loses again… Morishita hurt too?“

  • Pacific League CS Game 2: Hawks 6x-2 Fighters [10/15] — Kurihara’s Walk-Off Grand Slam Puts Hawks One Win From the Finals at 4-0, Fighters Fall Again

    On October 15, Game 2 of the Pacific League Climax Series was played at PayPay Dome, where the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks rallied to beat the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 6-2 in walk-off fashion. Ryoya Kurihara sealed it with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 9th, pushing the Hawks to a second straight win and the brink of advancing, while the Fighters suffered their second straight loss. In the thread, posters lined up to praise Kurihara’s blast, fans of both teams traded barbs, and opinions split over just how confusing the CS advantage system and required win counts really are.

    Nippon-Ham　　　２ ０ ０　 ０ ０ ０　 ０ ０ ０　｜２

    SoftBank .　０ ０ ２　 ０ ０ ０　 ０ ０ ４X｜６

    [Batteries]

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:06
    Buy up players with cash from inside your own league, get stronger yourself while everyone else gets weaker, and boom — instant dynasty.

    The other five Pacific League teams all have total payrolls somewhere between 3.8 and 4.2 billion yen, but this one team alone is over 8 billion yen.

    And yet the diehard fanboys are all 'Hawks are soooo strong!!'
    'Team X is trash, way too weak lol'

    What's even fun about this?

    Only people from Fukuoka could possibly cheer for a team like this.
    20AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:07
    Re: #2
    Ham-kasu (a common slur for Fighters fans, from 'Ham' + trash) got absolutely owned lmaooo
    Walk-off loss, dying laughing
    70AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:11
    Re: #2
    Hey Ham-kasu, you just served up a walk-off grand slam — give us a poem about how you're feeling right now!
    76AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:12
    Re: #2
    Ryoya Kurihara:
    'THIS is what a two-crown batting champion's walk-off grand slam looks like!!!'
    5AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:06
    And so begins another day of Ham-kasu's losing-poem hour
    11AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:07
    Ham-kasu
    Flip-flopper
    Pon-ko (an old slur)
    Treasure
    96 wins
    Big Baka
    Copycat
    Hokkaido local
    Dentsu
    Old man
    Scrub
    One-year deal
    lol
    Non-tender
    Dodgers

    — a troll's go-to catchphrases
    40AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:08
    Re: #11
    Now unveiling: the words walk-off loser Ham-kasu never wants to hear lmaooo
    25AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:08
    Ham-kasu wailing in agony — makes the rice taste extra good today lol
    32AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:08
    Fought hard but lost anyway — this is Shinjo's ceiling
    144AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:18
    Re: #32
    Doesn't really have anything to do with the manager, does it?
    34AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:08
    If it's 4 wins to 0 losses, isn't it already over?
    114AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:15
    Re: #34
    If you win the regular season by too wide a margin,
    you get a 2-win advantage —
    but you still need 5 wins total. Some mystery rule.
    What even is that lol
    132AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:17
    Re: #114
    Why are there more games than the actual Japan Series, 'Perfect League'? lol
    150AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:19
    Re: #114
    The rules just keep getting more nonsensical. They should've just called it today — what's even the point of playing tomorrow?
    43AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:09
    No matter how hard they struggle, a Fighters team managed by Shinjo just can't hang with SoftBank
    149AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:19
    Re: #43
    So you're saying it'd be different with another manager?
    46AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:09
    Seibu probably would've had a better shot than this
    107AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:14
    Re: #46
    Of course.
    This year's Fighters have been demolished at the Fukuoka dome over and over, so this outcome was easy to call.

    Seibu would've been somewhat better.
    80AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:12
    Thinking about it, intentionally walking Kondo just to pitch to this year's two-crown batting champion instead is insane lol
    Well-deserved payback
    96AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:13
    Re: #80
    Was that the computer calling the shots?
    What a piece of junk lol
    200AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:25
    Re: #80
    Facing Kondo, the league's #1 in on-base percentage, was a lost cause anyway —
    it was already over the moment Shuto got his hit.
    82AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:12
    Win again tomorrow and storm into Koshien!
    99AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:13
    Re: #82
    Pretty sure it's not Koshien lol
    120AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:16
    SoftBank just blows everyone out every time — they don't get what it means to put on a show
    130AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:16
    Re: #120
    Well, they've got money to burn —
    they're paying absurd salaries to mediocre players and everything.
    199AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:25
    Re: #120
    It's not even really a blowout though
    131AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:16
    Just pitch to Kondo like normal,
    or swap pitchers.
    Loading the bases on purpose and then giving up a homer? That's straight-up incompetence.
    140AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:18
    Re: #131
    Against Kondo you're at least guaranteed a fight, but against Kurihara a double play is well within reach —
    anyone would've made that same call.
    151AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:19
    Re: #131
    With Kondo there was also the chance he just pokes a soft single somewhere right from the start.
    223AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:28
    If they still need 3 wins, the advantage doesn't mean anything lol
    229AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:30
    Re: #223
    Yeah, that's exactly what I thought too
    231AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:30
    Re: #223
    And the other team needs 5 wins anyway

    Background and Talking Points

    Pro baseball’s Climax Series (CS) gives regular-season-leading teams a numerical head start, with win-loss rules that differ from the Japan Series. In the thread, several posters flagged how confusing this system is, and posts even disagreed with each other over how to count the required number of wins. The CS rules have been revised repeatedly over the years, which is part of why questions like these resurface every single postseason. Meanwhile, praise for Kurihara’s blast was unanimous regardless of which team people supported, and the decision to intentionally walk Kondo in a tight spot to instead face Kurihara also became a point of debate. Note that trading derogatory nicknames between rival fanbases is a recurring fixture of every CS thread; posts amounting to personal harassment have been excluded from this article.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “[Baseball] Pacific League CS Game 2: H 6x-2 F [10/15] — Hawks’ Kurihara Hits Walk-Off Grand Slam, Takes 4-0 Series Lead; Fighters Fall Again.”

  • ‘Suiyobi no Downtown’: Saraba’s Morita Draws Mixed Reactions for His Remark to a Tearful Shibuya Nagisa After the Butterfly’s Twist Ending

    The October 14 broadcast of “Suiyobi no Downtown” (Wednesday Downtown) aired a segment testing the theory that “adults going all-out can chase a cabbage white butterfly no matter how far it goes.” The butterfly they had been protecting met an unexpected end when it was ultimately attacked by ants, and the remark comedian Morita Tetsuya of Saraba Seishun no Hikari made to a tearful Shibuya Nagisa was reported online as sparking a “minor controversy.” On the 5ch Geinou/Sports News+ thread, discussion focused less on Morita’s remark itself and more on whether Shibuya’s reaction was over the top, the structure of the segment, and the biology of cabbage white butterflies.

    [“Suiyobi no Downtown”] Saraba’s Morita causes minor stir — remark to tearful Shibuya Nagisa over cabbage white butterfly’s unexpected ending called “the worst (crying)”

    The October 14 broadcast of TBS’s “Suiyobi no Downtown” aired the “adults going all-out can chase a butterfly however far it goes” theory.

    The attitude of Saraba Seishun no Hikari’s Morita Tetsuya toward a tearful Shibuya Nagisa, moved by the emotional ending, has caused a minor stir.

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

    13AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:46
    Gotta say, Higashiguchi's the more likable one
    95AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:15
    Re: #13
    Higashi-Bukuro (from comedy duo Jungle Pocket) really is likable, isn't he
    14AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:46
    Turning the whole studio into some soggy tearjerker on a show like that, what are they doing
    18AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:47
    Re: #14
    It happens once in a while,
    so I think it's fine
    15AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:47
    One of those segments Suiyo Doyo occasionally does that makes zero sense
    43AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:55
    Re: #15
    That's the whole point
    "even we don't really get it, but it looks fun so let's just try it"
    is the most entertaining part of this show

    The chicken race where Saraba's members got handed 10,000 yen every 10 seconds was great too
    no normal show would pull that off
    and the hidden rules baked into it made it even better
    19AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:47
    There are basically infinite cabbage white butterflies out there
    26AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:49
    Re: #19
    There are tons of them in Nerima Ward, which has a lot of cabbage fields
    it's not daikon radish — cabbage is the main crop there
    that part matters
    20AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:48
    He's the same type as Ebisu-san (comedian Yutaka Ebisu, known for brutally blunt remarks)
    56AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:59
    Re: #20
    He once got invited onto a memorial program for the racehorse Tempoint
    and couldn't stop laughing, going "lol a horse died lol and there's a memorial show for it lol that's ridiculous lol"
    Host Sanma was stunned
    after that Ebisu became a regular on Sanma's shows
    69AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:02
    Re: #56
    Casually shooting something down completely
    is just classic Ebisu-san
    There was also the time, while promoting a movie he was in,
    he said "this movie's boring"
    and "the director has no talent"
    21AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:48
    23AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:48
    I'm not good with bugs so the close-ups of the butterfly grossed me out
    59AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:59
    Re: #23
    I figured it'd end up like that so I didn't watch
    didn't expect it to get attacked by ants though
    glad I skipped it
    29AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:50
    I watched it, but honestly
    what bugged me more was Shibuya-san shouting things like "no! stop, stop!" at the top of her voice

    She's free to be moved by it,
    but that reaction felt way too shallow
    33AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:52
    Re: #29
    The background jeering (gaya) was loud, yeah
    80AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:09
    Re: #29
    Didn't watch it, but so that's how it was
    no wonder Morita laughed
    30AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:51
    It's just a bug
    adults shouldn't be getting all choked up
    37AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:54
    Re: #30
    Adults from that older generation, around the era of manga writer Tetsu Kariya ("Oishinbo"),
    used to say "it's happier and freer out in nature!"
    and would take pets away from kids to release them into the wild
    so it's actually good to learn this is what really happens to them
    38AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:54
    It wasn't so much moving as it was shocking
    knowing it'll die within two days makes it worse, especially since it bounced back once already
    45AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:56
    Re: #38
    As for the one they nicknamed "Roland," that downpour probably did it in
    its wings were already tattered
    51AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:58
    Shibuya Nagisa screeching away in the reaction cutaway (wipe shot) got on my nerves
    even if it's an act, that's way too much reaction for just a bug
    60AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:59
    Re: #51
    You guys are seriously rotten to the core
    just let her have it, "yeah yeah, sure"
    64AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:00
    By the way
    "we'll mark it with a permanent marker"

    and nobody questioned that part?
    I was like, wait, what?!
    since a cabbage white's wings are covered in scales that repel water
    86AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:11
    Re: #64
    It had expert supervision, so it's probably fine
    71AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:04
    The ants have their own lives riding on this too, you know.
    Well, Shibuya was just playing the role the producers wanted.
    Same goes for Morita.
    79AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:08
    Re: #71
    If I were Morita, I'd say "let's do a mantis next time"
    once it starts cannibalizing, nobody will react like this anymore
    is probably what I'd say
    basically all you need is a splash of cold water on the mood
    87AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:11
    Watching the whole thing, I kept wondering — why didn't they save the butterfly?
    Is it because they're sticking to the idea that you can't fight the laws of nature?
    Letting the footage of it being attacked by ants just keep rolling — this show is as messed up as ever
    89AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:13
    Re: #87
    So you're saying wreck the ants' meal.
    92AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:14
    Re: #87
    They did brush them off at points, actually
    103AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:18
    Re: #87
    If anything, they were brushing the ants off with their hands
    If you're going to say "don't fight nature," then taking the eggs home in the first place was already wrong, and releasing it into the wild is weird too
    but ending its whole life stuck in a bug cage is sad as well
    104AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:18
    Do butterflies even sleep?
    119AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:27
    Re: #104
    About the only insect that doesn't sleep is maybe the antlion lacewing
    and across all living things, it's really just jellyfish
    and even they actually drop into a sleep-like state
    113AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:25
    Ants treat any slow-moving creature as food and attack right away
    I once saw a big caterpillar writhing around in my garden, and on closer look it had a swarm of ants attacking it — once it stopped moving it had vanished before I knew it
    they probably hauled it all the way back to the nest
    117AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:27
    Re: #113
    It was right after a torrential downpour, so it probably couldn't fly properly and got taken down because of that
    115AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:25
    I don't want to see this kind of thing on Suiyo Doyo
    what I want from this show is to watch young comedians get put through brutal stuff while Hamada cracks up watching it
    116AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:27
    Re: #115
    Yeah, it's not the same unless Hama-chan's cackling with delight
    122AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:29
    Re: #116
    Makes me nostalgic for Hama-chan losing it with joy during those "somebody's actually there" prank segments
    124AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:30
    Re: #122
    It was so funny watching Takano and Minamikawa get hit with that "somebody's actually there" prank five or six times in a row lol

    Background and Key Points of Debate

    “Suiyobi no Downtown” built its reputation on segments that deliberately poke fun at heartfelt, emotional setups, and this segment follows that same pattern. The exact wording of Morita Tetsuya’s “remark” wasn’t specified even in the original article, so the thread’s reactions were based on fragmentary information. The debate split along two lines: whether Shibuya Nagisa’s tearful reaction was over-the-top performance or genuine emotion, and whether Morita’s comment should be read as the show’s usual brand of humor or as a lack of consideration. On top of that, there was plenty of trivia-driven pushback about the biology of cabbage white butterflies — their water-repellent scales, whether marking them with a permanent marker was really appropriate, whether they sleep, and so on — showing just how much interest there was in the scientific side of the segment.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[‘Suiyobi no Downtown’] Saraba’s Morita causes minor stir — remark to tearful Shibuya Nagisa over cabbage white butterfly’s unexpected ending called “the worst (crying)”.”

  • Panasonic Recalls 640,000 Washer-Dryers — 5ch: ‘It’s Amazing That Drying Finishes Too’

    On October 15, Panasonic announced it is recalling around 640,000 drum-type washer-dryers sold in Japan and Taiwan over a risk of smoke and fire, offering free part replacements. Beyond the sheer size of the recall, discussion centered on the failure path described: leaks from the detergent tank in the auto-dispensing feature degrade the wiring, eventually leading to fire. On 5ch, user comments praising the convenience of “drying finishing automatically” mixed with skeptical voices saying “it’s expensive and still breaks.” Threads also compared Panasonic to other makers like Hitachi and Toshiba, and debated the scale of the repair costs.

    Oct 15 (Thu), 16:13 JST

    Jiji Press

    Panasonic announced on the 15th that it is recalling roughly 640,000 drum-type washer-dryers sold in the Japanese and Taiwanese markets due to a risk of smoke and fire.

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

    2AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:45
    Guess I'll check mine when I get home
    Bought mine in '21
    55AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:22
    Re: #2
    Mine's an even pricier model and it's fine lol
    7AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:48
    Feels like hackers could steal your info

    Appropriately enough, this story is 'blowing up' (炎上/enjou means both 'catching fire' and 'going viral/getting flamed online')
    135AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:50
    Re: #7
    It catches fire ('hakka'), not a hacker ('hakkā') lol (the two words sound almost the same in Japanese)
    9AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:48
    Now that drop-in detergent pods exist, you don't need auto-dispensing detergent anymore.
    Plus the detergent tank is unsanitary.
    29AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:59
    Re: #9
    Yeah, and you can't fine-tune the amount, so it's overpriced for what it does
    12AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:49
    Recalling a huge appliance like this seems like a hassle, no?
    You guys doing okay?
    16AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:51
    Re: #12
    More worrying: some 'tokuryu' crew (loosely organized crime groups that recruit members anonymously via social media) could steal your repair appointment info and show up at your house
    14AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:51
    Even at just ¥10,000 per unit, 640,000 units comes out to ¥6.4 billion
    And I doubt you can actually fix this for only ¥10,000 anyway
    17AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:51
    Re: #14
    This is literally just swapping out a plastic detergent container
    34AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:06
    Re: #14
    Stuff like that probably has like a 60% margin, so they'll be fine
    39AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:11
    Isn't this the one that clogs up fast and needs repairs?
    They must know it clogs easily, yet they made it needlessly hard to take apart
    61AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:28
    Re: #39
    Detergent leaks,
    which degrades the wiring,
    which short-circuits and sparks,
    which causes a fire — quite the butterfly-effect chain of causation (riffing on the Japanese proverb 'when the wind blows, the bucket maker profits')
    49AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:18
    There are still cheap options out there — paying 300,000 yen for a washing machine is a bit much, get real
    51AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:20
    Re: #49
    Compare that to a 500,000 yen folding iPhone lol
    300,000 yen for a washing machine is cute by comparison lol
    62AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:28
    Panasonic once had a recall because their AC remote clocks kept drifting out of sync
    For anything with rotating parts, Hitachi's the reliable pick I guess
    86AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:06
    Re: #62
    I only trust them for dead-simple appliances like hot plates, honestly
    63AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:30
    Didn't Panasonic put out some garbage TV called the 'World's Kameyama Model' or whatever?
    My grandpa bought one on the electronics store clerk's recommendation, and it was genuinely awful
    136AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:51
    Re: #63
    What is this guy even talking about
    156AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:11
    Re: #63
    Must be from a parallel universe
    68AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:34
    That's a huge number though
    If you're buying Japanese-made, it's basically Panasonic or Hitachi, no other choice
    110AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:30
    Re: #68
    Back then Panasonic sold the smallest units
    Best option if you were cramming one into a place for living alone
    100AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:20
    This drum washer-dryer is seriously convenient
    Even on rainy days, everything's dry by the time I get home
    The time I spend on laundry has dropped massively

    Cleaning out the lint only takes a minute too
    It's become a daily essential for me

    Though I still dry Heattech and other delicate stuff in the bathroom dryer
    105AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:23
    Re: #100 — is this a stealth ad?
    These washers are expensive, but cheap stuff like Heattech counts as 'important clothing'?
    Is this contradictory post written by a Panasonic employee?
    112AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:30
    Re: #100
    We're a dual-income household too, so it's essential for us
    Coming home to find the drying already done is just godly
    Can't say the same with a separate dryer
    189AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:26
    Re: #100
    My wife was impressed by hers too
    The real issue is durability though. It's pricey
    106AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:24
    So drum washer-dryers are stupidly expensive AND defective?
    122AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:42
    Re: #106
    If you buy a drum washer, buy spare gaskets too
    ↑
    That's just common sense
    162AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:20
    Re: #106
    Drum washers wash by slamming clothes around with very little water, which can damage heating elements and risk fire
    That's why electric blanket and heated-vest manuals say not to wash them in drum-type washers
    119AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:38
    I'm done with Panasonic, switching to Hitachi
    137AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:51
    Re: #119
    Hitachi's drum washer stinks like crazy when you first start using it…
    146AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:03
    Re: #119
    I gave up on Hitachi
    I use Toshiba now and it's more user-friendly than Hitachi
    Though it's a bit noisier than Hitachi was
    144AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:01
    The auto-dispenser has been a frequent failure point for over 10 years
    There's also dust getting inside from worn-out drying filter gaskets
    There are tons of repair reports on Kakaku.com (a major Japanese price-comparison/review site) and personal blogs — they really should listen to consumers more
    145AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:02
    Re: #144
    Did auto-dispensing even exist 10 years ago?
    147AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:03
    Re: #144
    Well, I do wish the heat pump fins were easier to clean lol
    Also, not a washing machine thing, but AC fan units too lol

    Background and Key Points of This Story

    This recall stems from a flagged failure path: leaks from the detergent tank used by the auto-dispensing feature degrade the wiring, which can lead to fire. Some in the thread joked about the “detergent tank leaks → wiring degrades → fire” chain, but underneath that is a real structural issue — the convenient auto-dispensing mechanism doubles as a point of risk. The recall covers multiple models sold in Japan and Taiwan at a large scale of around 640,000 units, with free part replacement offered, but the thread never got into which specific model numbers are affected or how to apply — an easy detail to overlook, meaning anyone who might be affected needs to check their model number themselves. The discussion was also split between those who find drum washer-dryers a convenient time-saver and those who see them as expensive yet fragile; both views are partly based on real experience, but it’s worth noting these are individual impressions from a small sample.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “[Recall] Panasonic Recalls 640,000 Drum Washer-Dryers Over Fire Risk, Offers Free Part Replacement.”

  • Ruriko Kojima to Launch Tea Business in January: “I Want to Raise the Value of Japanese Tea and Earn Foreign Currency”

    Talent Ruriko Kojima (32), who announced earlier this year that she would enter the tea business starting this January, shared her goal on her YouTube channel update on the 15th, saying she wants to “raise the value of Japanese tea and try earning foreign currency.” The news set off a flurry of reactions on 5channel’s Geinou/Sports News+ board — some pointed out that matcha and Uji tea prices have already been climbing due to rising overseas demand, others voiced hope and praise for a new venture built on her fame, while still others were skeptical about her funding sources and the venture’s real substance.

    What does Ruriko Kojima want to do with her tea business? “I want to raise the value of Japanese tea and try earning foreign currency!”

    Talent Ruriko Kojima (32) updated her YouTube channel on the 15th, revealing her goals for the tea business in part of the video.

    Kojima drew attention back in January this year when she announced her move into the tea business.

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

    3AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:25
    The value of Japanese tea, matcha especially, has probably already peaked.
    All you joining in will accomplish is flooding the market with low-quality stuff — "I want foreign currency" comes first — and dragging the value right back down.
    7AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:29
    Just a bandwagon-jumper hopping on after prices already maxed out.
    8AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:30
    She was dominating everything as "Kojiruri" (her old nickname at peak popularity) — how did she fall this far?
    24AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:49
    Re: #8
    She never had that kind of caliber to begin with.
    27AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:53
    Re: #8

    Well, it's gotta be Kingdom (the manga/anime), right?
    51AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:19
    Re: #8
    She'd already fallen off way before this.
    Back in the salaryman-style pay days at big agency Horipro, she was just being super heavily pushed because it made money for the agency.
    9AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:32
    Ruriko's Tea House.
    Well, she's got a kid to feed, so she's gotta earn somehow.
    10AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:32
    Her mental toughness alone is seriously something.
    Respect.
    11AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:32
    Tea prices are already shooting through the roof — what's she trying to do about it at this point?
    12AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:34
    Does she even have any income right now?
    Between rent and beauty upkeep alone, she's probably needing at least 1.5 million yen a month, no?
    13AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:36
    Caught a glimpse of her face for the first time in ages on Suidou (the variety show Suiyoubi no Downtown) the other day.
    18AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:42
    Guess Japanese people won't be able to drink green tea anymore lol
    20AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:47
    What does tea have to do with Paris Fashion Week?
    21AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:47
    So does that mean she's got some patron lining this stuff up for her?
    26AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:52
    "It tastes more valuable out of a wine glass" or something — feels like she'd actually say that.
    28AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:53
    Matcha's already way overpriced.
    China's been slapping "Uji matcha" on products without any right to,
    and it's becoming a real problem —
    speaking as an actual Uji resident here.

    The main reason Meiji discontinued its "Essel Super Cup Matcha" is believed to be that soaring global demand for matcha ingredients pushed costs up to where it just wasn't profitable anymore.
    29AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:55
    For hojicha it's always KAHO's, isn't it.
    Though having to go to Mitsukoshi every time to buy it is a pain.
    30AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:55
    Comes down to business sense.
    Her education — Chiba University or whatever — doesn't matter.
    What matters is whether she's got a nose for business or not.
    There are cases like the Otsuka Furniture daughter too (a cautionary tale of an heiress whose business bid went badly).
    31AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:56
    Might actually sell if she collabs with Kingdom.
    I doubt even Hara-sensei (the manga's creator) would say no to that.
    34AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:58
    She's blood type O, right? O-type women have insane drive — they act on things the second they think of them.
    But they're not exactly detail-oriented.
    39AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:00
    The value of Japanese tea is already plenty well known — is she not just getting conned by some shady character?
    40AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:00
    Japanese tea's still got plenty of room to grow.
    Whether this particular person succeeds at it is a different question though.
    43AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:09
    Looks like playing house, but if she's genuinely willing to dedicate her life to it, it's an interesting venture to attempt.
    Whatever you think of her personality, she's not stupid.
    44AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:14
    Might as well go all in and release an "Ouki Tea" or "Kanki Tea" (named after generals from the manga Kingdom).
    45AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:14
    A-alright, let's do this, legend! (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)
    46AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:15
    It's always people like this who have no clue what good Japanese tea even tastes like.
    48AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:17
    If she wants to earn foreign currency there are way better ways to do it…
    Isn't she just getting fed convenient lines by some entrepreneur behind the scenes trying to cash in on her name recognition?
    49AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:18
    Stop it.
    If tea prices double, we won't be able to casually drink it anymore.
    50AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:18
    I earn foreign currency too — working from home.
    52AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:20
    Still, I think it takes real guts to make money without using her body, which is supposedly a woman's go-to weapon.
    That part deserves a lot of credit.
    69AnonymousOct 16, 2026 03:12
    So Japanese people are going to start losing out to foreign buyers over Japanese tea too, huh.
    Feels like it'll end up like rice — prices just went up domestically in Japan and nothing was really gained from it.
    77AnonymousOct 16, 2026 03:44
    Re: #69
    Honestly with both rice and Japanese tea, it's partly self-inflicted — Japanese people themselves undervalued them.
    Even back when prices were cheap, domestic consumption of both had already dropped off a cliff.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Japanese tea, and matcha in particular, has seen its raw material costs climb in recent years amid surging overseas demand, to the point where some domestic manufacturers have had to rethink production of staple matcha products. Against a backdrop that also includes the unauthorized use of the “Uji matcha” name in China becoming a real issue, Kojima’s stated goal of “raising the value of Japanese tea” is rooted in genuine market conditions. What split opinion in the thread was less the market backdrop itself than how to judge her entering the business on the strength of her name recognition, plus distrust over her funding sources and the venture’s real substance. Supportive voices praised her for “earning through business rather than relying on her looks,” while skeptical ones leaned on her past career and personal life to question her business acumen. That said, no concrete evidence about the venture’s backers or revenue structure actually surfaced in the thread — it remains speculation.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Ruriko Kojima to enter the tea business starting in January, aiming to “raise the value of Japanese tea and earn foreign currency!”.”

  • “We’ll Stand Firm” on US Potato Imports: New Farm Minister Takebe Also Talks Rice Policy at Inaugural Press Conference

    New Farm Minister Takebe said at his inaugural press conference that Japan would “take a firm stance” in negotiations over lifting the ban on fresh US potato imports. Speaking as a lawmaker elected from Hokkaido, which accounts for 80% of domestic potato production, he made the remark as discussions on concrete pest-control quarantine measures got underway this September. He also indicated plans to buy back government rice reserves to restore them to an appropriate level. On 5ch, opinions split over whether this “firm stance” signals the ban will soon be lifted or that Japan will keep refusing, with the discussion spreading to cover sourcing for processed potatoes used by chains like McDonald’s and Calbee, and price issues with rice and dairy.

    New Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Takebe held his inaugural press conference at the ministry on the 15th, stating on rice policy that he would “ensure production matches diverse demand for rice.” As a lawmaker elected from Hokkaido, which accounts for 80% of Japan’s domestic potato production, he also stressed that regarding discussions on lifting the ban on fresh imports from the US, he wants to “take a firm (kizen) stance.”

    Regarding the fresh US potatoes for which an import-ban lift has been requested, this September marked the start of a stage considering concrete quarantine measures against pests and disease. Takebe said “serious disruption to domestic production must not occur,” arguing that effective management measures are necessary.

    On government rice reserves, he explained that “it’s necessary to buy back stock up to an appropriate reserve level while watching the harvest and inventory,” indicating he believes additional buybacks should be carried out.

    Source: jiji.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:50
    Oh, so they've given up on lifting the fresh potato ban?
    14AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:54
    Re: #4
    Sounds more like "we'll enforce effective pest-control measures and then lift the ban!" to me
    7AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:51
    If another war breaks out, what are people even supposed to eat?
    12AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:54
    Re: #7
    Rip up the asphalt roads and plant potatoes there
    9AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:52
    McDonald's fries are already par-fried in oil before they're imported
    82AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:21
    Re: #9
    "It's fine because it's under the limit!? [NO!]
    Safety standards were gutted under the SPS Agreement — the limit for potatoes' chlorpropham (an herbicide) was relaxed 1,000-fold
    https://www.nouminren.ne.jp/old/shinbun/200107/2001070203.htm

    Potatoes

    The pesticide whose limit got relaxed the worst is chlorpropham (an herbicide) used on potatoes. Analysis by the National Farmers' Union's Food Analysis Center found levels of 1.05 ppm.
    Under the original standard of 0.05 ppm, these couldn't be imported. To avoid an import ban, the limit was relaxed a thousandfold to 50 ppm. Every other potato and vegetable product stays at 0.05 ppm — only processed potato products got this uniquely massive thousandfold relaxation, because Japan caved to demands from major exporter America.

    Kids love the french fries sold at places like McDonald's. Most of these are imported frozen from America.

    In the US, chlorpropham is used to stop potatoes from sprouting, so it's always present as residue. I really don't want kids eating potatoes with pesticide residue on them.

    On sourcing:
    https://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/cservice/list.productionarea/
    26AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:59
    Can we take "a firm stance" to mean he's actually against lifting the ban?
    36AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:01
    Re: #26
    In politician/bureaucrat-speak, even "we regret this" counts as a "firm stance" lol
    52AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:08
    Re: #26
    It means "given my position, I'll push it through"
    56AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:09
    Re: #26
    It means: if there's no problem, they'll import it
    48AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:06
    Rice prices have already come back down
    https://image-tm.s2mr.jp/i/original/1792076802925.jpeg
    55AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:09
    It's fine, because our politicians and bureaucrats — smarter than any AI — will use their god-tier scheming to read everything perfectly, from abnormal weather to the tiny sliver of demand from foreign tourists, keeping supply and demand in perfect balance forever.

    By the way, there's a YouTube video that asked every major AI model to rate Trump's intelligence, and apparently it came out somewhere between 85-95.
    64AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:11
    Re: #55
    No way — even if they could read it all perfectly, the AI would just run toward "maximizing profit" too, so an "appropriate price" just means there's room to jack it up
    57AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:09
    Since he's from Hokkaido, there's no reason for him to go overboard pandering to rice farmers — that's reassuring
    69AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:13
    Calbee's potato chip packaging has started listing ingredients as "domestic or US-grown"
    73AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:16
    Re: #69
    Foreign-grown potatoes are cheaper to begin with, and most processed foods already use foreign ones
    China has been the dominant supplier all along
    America's just now throwing its hat in the ring
    You never cared before, so kicking up a fuss about it only now is way more annoying
    89AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:25
    Re: #73
    Do you know how far potato breeding has come lately?
    Sure, the seed potatoes originally came from abroad, but
    varieties like Hokkai Kogane and Iki Kogane
    are improved cultivars of Inca no Mezame
    102AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:30
    Re: #73
    Don't you realize this is about fresh-potato imports, not processing-grade raw materials?
    72AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:15
    Butter
    Cheese
    Just liberalize the imports already
    It's riddled with vested interests and actually hurting ordinary people
    75AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:17
    Re: #72
    Yeah, exactly this
    Hokkaido goods in general are way overpriced
    78AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:19
    Re: #72
    There was that news about raw milk being dumped by the truckload even while butter vanished from supermarket shelves
    167AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:41
    Re: #72
    True
    Cheese and butter matter more than fresh potatoes
    93AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:26
    Our farmers are working their asses off domestically, so why are we being forced to eat sloppy American potatoes?
    100AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:30
    Re: #93
    They're not working hard
    You just assumed they were
    Same deal as with rice
    98AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:29
    Re: #89
    So what?
    If it doesn't get cheaper, the whole point is moot
    What part of that did you think rebutted my post?
    104AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:31
    Re: #100
    Brand-name potatoes are pricey but tasty
    Besides,
    Japanese people don't actually eat that many potatoes to begin with
    110AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:33
    Re: #104
    Yeah, you're right
    That's why everyone genuinely believes "I only ever eat domestic potatoes"
    106AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:31
    Re: #99
    What are you even talking about?
    Nobody's "forcing" it on you — it's because you all hate price hikes that they've had no choice but to keep using Chinese-grown stuff
    If you paid 3 times what you pay now for food, they'd use domestic
    111AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:33
    Re: #106

    Fresh (raw) potato imports from China to Japan are, in principle, banned under the Plant Protection Act
    112AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:33
    Rice is back down to ¥1,680 for 5kg, but
    nobody was buying it
    I've completely kicked the rice habit — thanks, LDP
    122AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:37
    Re: #112
    Re: #113
    New-harvest rice? Single-varietal rice?
    If so, I'm jealous
    113AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:33
    Rice near me has come down to around ¥1,780 too, but that doesn't make me want to buy it
    Once you lose trust by jacking up prices, it's hard to win it back
    118AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:36
    Takebe's son has really made it big, huh
    188AnonymousOct 16, 2026 02:35
    Re: #118
    You mean Horiemon (entrepreneur Takafumi Horie)?
    135AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:50
    Bread and noodles are both expensive

    Turns out rice is the cheapest option after all
    143AnonymousOct 16, 2026 00:56
    Re: #135
    Packed rice runs about ¥130 for 180g
    Udon is about ¥19 for 200g
    Chinese-style noodles are about ¥24 for 130g

    Is that expensive?
    200AnonymousOct 16, 2026 03:15
    So he's Takebe Tsutomu's son
    He inherited the farm-and-fisheries seat from his father


    "Why not rename it the 'Ministry of Food and Environment'? Agriculture is what protects the nation's land"
    July 6, 2022
    Takebe Tsutomu, former LDP Secretary-General
    https://mainichi.jp/premier/politics/articles/20220705/pol/00m/010/004000c

    Background and key points of this discussion

    Imports of fresh US potatoes are, in principle, banned under the Plant Protection Act to keep pests from entering the country, and this “firm stance” refers to the ongoing negotiation over whether that restriction can be maintained. Meanwhile, potatoes used for processing — potato chips, frozen fries, and the like — already circulate widely from sources such as China, and the thread shows posters conflating the fresh-import issue with the processing-import issue. The buyback of rice reserves, meanwhile, is an existing system for adjusting supply to stabilize prices, and connects directly to the rice-price swings discussed in the thread. Whether to lift the import ban pits protecting Hokkaido producers against easing the price burden on consumers — it isn’t a case where either side is simply “right.”

    ※This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “Rice: “Ensure production matches demand” — Firm stance on US potato imports, says Farm Minister Takebe at inaugural press conference.”

  • SoftBank’s Kurihara Blasts Walk-Off Grand Slam to Knock the Fighters Out of the Climax Series

    A live-commentary thread went up on 5ch’s “Anything Goes Live” board after SoftBank’s Ryoya Kurihara hit a walk-off grand slam in the Climax Series. The blast eliminated the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and the thread erupted with joy. As the discussion went on, it became more than just a victory celebration — posters debated whether Kosuke Kondo or Kurihara is the favorite for this season’s Pacific League MVP, and some questioned the fairness of the CS format itself, which is widely seen as favoring the higher-seeded team.

    1AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:04
    Good game, everyone
    2AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:04
    LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL (the string of "w"s is Japanese internet shorthand for laughter)
    8AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:05
    THAT'S AWESOOOOME!!!! awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome! AWESOOOOOOOOME!!!!
    Oh, sheeesh🤌🤌🤌

    Kurihara, he actually did it!!!!!☝
    87AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:19
    Re: #8
    Cut the Zakoshishou act (a comedian famous for his over-the-top catchphrases)
    9AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:06
    This is insane
    That's gonna leave a trauma scar
    14AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:06
    Re: #9
    They were the 2-seed, so it's not that bad
    But if the 1-seed got hit with this, that'd be unbearable
    18AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:07
    One run would've done it, why'd you have to score 4?
    106AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:29
    Re: #18
    That's the one where Uehara lost it lol
    22AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:08
    Called it
    If they'd won yesterday there was still maybe a 20% shot of advancing, but that loss sealed it
    61AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:12
    Re: #22
    Wasn't the pre-series math like a 0.000001% chance of advancing anyway?
    32AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:09
    Pacific League MVP's gotta be Kondo or Kurihara at this point, but who's the favorite?
    40AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:10
    Re: #32
    By the numbers it's overwhelmingly Kondo
    But for raw impact, it's Kurihara
    43AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:10
    Re: #32
    He's got the looks too, so probably Kurihara
    59AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:12
    Re: #32
    Shinjo, honestly
    In a way
    35AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:09
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    44AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:10
    Re: #35
    Thank you, thank you, Lions
    Thank you, thank you, Lions
    Thank you, thank you, Lions
    71AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:14
    Re: #35
    Serves you right — FOUR of 'em!
    Serves you right — FOUR of 'em!
    46AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:10
    The moment they let Kondo walk, it was clear they weren't serious about winning
    They're just SoftBank's lapdogs, hoping to fluke their way to a title instead of actually trying to win it
    64AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:13
    Re: #46
    'Let him walk' my ass, free agency is the player's right…
    73AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:14
    Re: #46
    They've picked up a free agent every single year for the past several years, you know
    49AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:11
    Looks like the Fighters spent the whole season going all-out just to hype up the Hawks right to the end
    58AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:12
    Re: #49
    Getting swept 3 straight doesn't really scream 'hype' though
    74AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:14
    Maybe it's the Fighters' road uniforms that are the problem
    Something about them just makes the team look weaker
    79AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:16
    Re: #74
    Nothing to do with it
    It's just a talent gap
    90AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:19
    Re: #74
    Don't talk like Yano-sensei (a running joke about blaming uniforms for losses)
    Uniform design doesn't decide wins and losses
    122AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:37
    Re: #74
    The Dragons' road uniforms are hideous too — no matter how generous you are, it screams 'scrub mob character'
    80AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:16
    That last pitch was way too hittable
    What a blunder
    86AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:19
    Re: #80
    Credit to Kurihara for actually capitalizing on it in that spot
    118AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:35
    Re: #80
    It was a bases-loaded strategy, so even a walk was off the table — ended on a garbage first pitch
    81AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:16
    The Pacific League really doesn't need the Climax Series, huh
    88AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:19
    Re: #81
    Once the top seed banked that 2-win advantage, there was no chance anyway — so the best move for the 2-seed was to just lose after 3 games, and for the 3-seed after 2
    Advancing to the Final Stage just means getting dragged along for their public circle-jerk
    89AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:19
    Re: #81
    Honestly you could argue they don't even need the regular season either
    92AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:20
    Re: #81
    The Lions won the league two years running but still couldn't make the Japan Series
    97AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:23
    Credit to Yamamoto and Yoshida, sure, but still — how did the Buffaloes manage three straight pennants in a league with such an evil franchise in it?
    102AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:25
    Re: #97
    Buffaloes fans keep saying that
    Nobody's interested in Orix, so you might wanna drop it
    103AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:25
    Re: #97
    When you realize you need position players and pitchers on that level just to be competitive, the bar is way too high
    That, and the gap in managers
    105AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:27
    Re: #97
    Yamamoto and Yoshida were part of it, sure
    But the biggest factor was the curse that was Manager Fujimoto

    Losing 12 straight as SoftBank's manager — nobody but Fujimoto could pull that off
    110AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:32
    What idiot intentionally walks a batter in front of Kurihara
    119AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:35
    Re: #110
    It was Kondo up, so putting him on and going after Kurihara wasn't the wrong call itself
    Though honestly, even pitching to Kondo probably just ends in a routine RBI hit or a fly out anyway

    Context and Key Talking Points

    Japan’s professional baseball Climax Series (CS) format gives the regular-season first-place team a built-in advantage in both game count and a head-start win, so the thread’s sarcastic line that “the best move for the 2-seed is to lose after 3 games, and for the 3-seed after 2” echoes a long-running criticism that the format tilts too heavily in favor of the top-seeded club. The debate over Kosuke Kondo versus Ryoya Kurihara for Pacific League MVP similarly reflects a recurring split in how fans weigh the award — full-season statistics versus the sheer impact of a clutch moment. That said, the back-and-forth over managerial decisions and uniform designs stayed mostly in the realm of fan impressions and rival-team banter rather than anything backed by actual performance data.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (“Anything Goes Live” board) thread “SB Kurihara’s Walk-Off Grand Slam LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.”

  • Switch 2 sells 22,420 units in weekly charts — 5ch: “Third-party games don’t sell on Switch 2”

    In the weekly hardware sales chart for 10/15, Switch 2 sold 22,420 units, PS5 sold 11,911, the original Switch sold 5,806, and Xbox Series sold 0. The thread wasn’t just comparing console unit counts — it also zeroed in on sales of two third-party titles released that same week, “Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III]” and “Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen,” with reports showing the Switch 2 versions far outselling their PS5 counterparts in both cases. Reactions were split on how to read this data against the long-held view that “third-party games don’t sell on Switch 2.”

    4AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:01
    PS5 owners who already have Dragon's Dogma 2 are all just buying the ¥2,990 "Dark Arisen Expansion" DLC.
    Switch 2 never got a release of the original Dragon's Dogma 2, so the only option there is the ¥5,990 version bundled with the full game.
    So of course the Switch 2 version wins the weekly sales race —
    because every PS5 owner except brand-new buyers is just buying DLC, which doesn't count toward weekly sales numbers.
    11AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:02
    Yeah, Kingdom Hearts lost after all lol
    Dogma 2 lost too lol
    60AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:06
    Re: #11,13,14
    Kingdom Hearts first-week / cumulative sales
    131,940　242,079　PS3　HD 1.5 ReMIX
    *85,354　171,513　PS3　HD 2.5 ReMIX
    133,442　224,738　PS4　HD 2.8 Final
    *65,214　293,248　PS4　HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX
    640,406　861,226　PS4　3
    PS Store digital bundle: HD 1.5-3 set (November 2022)
    34AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:04
    Look closer and Xbox sold 0 units
    40AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:04
    Re: #34
    Eh, who cares
    37AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:04
    Switch 2 Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III]: 23,411 units
    PS5 Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III]: 6,261 units

    Switch 2 Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen: 7,314 units
    PS5 Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen: 5,099 units

    Huh (´･ω･｀)
    45AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:05
    Re: #37
    Guess third-party games just don't sell on Switch 2.
    80AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:09
    Re: #37
    Is PlayStation really this weak? Losing even with a "this is the only version available" demand buff (i.e. built-in sales from people who have no other choice but to buy it)?
    104AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:11
    Re: #37
    Switch 2's only in year one, after all
    The barrier is that third-party games just don't sell enough on it
    That's why even Touhou gets snubbed
    39AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:04
    Ace Combat is holding at 22% of last week's sales, which is actually on the high side
    When a game has a loyal fanbase and good buzz, it holds up decently in week two as well
    89AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:09
    Re: #39
    Still hasn't broken 100k though
    43AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:04
    List of PS5 physical releases this week

    PS5 Star Wars: Galactic Racer
    PS5 Dave the Diver COMPLETE EDITION
    PS5 KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I-III]
    PS5 Kemono Heroes
    PS5 Gear.Club Unlimited 3
    PS5 Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen
    165AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:21
    Re: #43
    Star Wars seems to be getting good buzz,
    but sales-wise it looks like Steam > PS5
    62AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:06
    Is Switch 2 going to be okay? No, seriously
    64AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:07
    Re: #62
    Yeah, it's not looking good
    No joke
    68AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:07
    Re: #1
    Unbelievable sales for something supposedly in year two lolololol 🤣🤣🤣
    180AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:22
    Re: #68
    You know what PS5's year-two sales looked like? That's the real joke lol
    71AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:07
    Yoshi: "Guess the console war's over for this generation"
    79AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:08
    Re: #71
    Only 3 PS5 games have outsold Yoshi…
    and every one of them is also playable on Switch 2
    73AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:08
    Re: #45
    So which third-party game actually sold on PS5 this week?
    122AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:13
    Re: #73
    Ace Combat 8 is selling even though it's mostly digital-driven —
    PS5 moves physical copies too
    84AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:09
    I know I'll get hate for even questioning this, but
    can Switch 2 really keep going at this rate?
    Well, Nintendo itself has been pivoting to businesses beyond just games anyway
    95AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:10
    Re: #84
    Wouldn't they normally time it to November when there's a lineup worth choosing from?
    109AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:11
    Re: #84
    Say that again after the year-end sales season wraps up
    110AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:11
    Re: #84
    They're putting out a slightly discounted bundle with a choice of game in November
    Nintendo never used to do year-end/New Year discounts like this in the Japanese market — the fact that they're doing it now shows even Nintendo is feeling the pressure
    125AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:14
    Low 20,000s is starting to look like it's drifting toward 10,000 territory, that's a little worrying
    136AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:15
    Re: #125
    It's not going to drop that far
    Low-20k to 28k is the normal pace
    It breaks 30k whenever a first-party title releases
    That's roughly the pattern
    149AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:17
    Re: #125
    PlayStation's big sales season is over, but Switch 2's sales season is the year-end period
    146AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:17
    Honestly I figured Kingdom Hearts would come out ahead on PS, but a 3x gap?
    DD2 lost on PS too — PS really is the king of tanking third-party sales
    159AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:19
    Re: #146
    Even six years ago with the spin-off rhythm game (Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory), the Switch version outsold the competition in that multi-platform release — and that was before the main series, related titles, or even a cloud version existed on Switch. So this was a foregone conclusion.
    160AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:20
    Re: #146
    PS doesn't have a new-player base, so it was obvious the Switch 2 version of KH would win
    Longtime KH fans already own everything, so only new buyers are driving sales
    150AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:17
    List updated


    Spring/Summer '26

    Background and key points of this discussion

    5ch’s Hardware/Industry board (commonly nicknamed “Geha”) is where users compare unit sales across platforms using Media Create’s weekly sales data, and the assumptions behind those numbers — like differing release timing between a base game and its DLC — are a frequent point of contention. In this thread, comment 4 noted that many PS5 owners already own the older versions of Kingdom Hearts or Dragon’s Dogma 2 and are simply buying add-on DLC, which isn’t counted in weekly sales figures — making a direct comparison with the Switch 2 version, which requires a full new purchase, misleading. At the same time, the view that “third-party games don’t sell on Switch 2” had become something of a conventional wisdom on the board, and this thread stands out for how the new data — which actually shows Switch 2 ahead — sparked a re-examination of that assumption. As for Xbox Series showing 0 units in the weekly chart, its sales volume in Japan is small enough that a reported zero in any given week isn’t unusual.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Geha]) thread “[10/15] switch2 22,420 PS5 11,911 switch 5,806 xboxseries 0.”

  • PS6 Ditching Liquid Metal Cooling for Water Cooling? 5ch: ‘Water Cooling Only Lasts 3 Years, Right?’

    A thread on the Hardware/Industry (Geha) board lit up over fresh patent information about the PS6. The PS6’s cooling had been said to rely on liquid metal, but the patent suggests the design may have shifted instead to a vapor chamber or heat pipes sealed with pure water. In the thread, the phrase “water cooling” took on a life of its own, stirring up talk about maintenance difficulty and durability on console hardware alongside the old “Sony Timer” joke (a dig at past Sony products conveniently failing right after the warranty expires) — while a separate technical debate broke out over the structural differences between vapor chambers and heat pipes.

    Is the PS6 ditching liquid metal? Patent reveals a new cooling system using pure water

    One Sony Timer trigger and it’s drenched through — total write-off, no warranty coverage, lol

    Source: sumahodigest.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:12
    PS6 should just be　　　discontinued

    Wouldn't that alone be enough? Waste of characters
    3AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:12
    Console users can't do water-cooling maintenance
    What are they gonna do about this
    5AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:12
    Water cooling only lasts like 3 years, right?
    12AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:20
    Re: #5
    Eh, it's fine, isn't it
    36AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:44
    Re: #5
    Perfect timing for the Sony Timer, right?
    6AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:14
    No way lol, though if it's real it'd be fun to watch how that turns out lol
    7AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:14
    Don't call a plain vapor-chamber cooling setup 'water cooling'
    8AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:15
    A textbook Sony Timer, clear as day
    9AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:18
    Water cooling doesn't leave a great impression on me
    Especially when it's made by our lord and savior Sony
    14AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:22
    With actual water cooling, unless there's a massive radiator bolted on up front it's no different from air cooling, and vapor chambers need careful orientation
    Either way, it's not something Sony can handle
    98AnonymousOct 16, 2026 01:03
    Re: #14
    Well, it's pretty obvious it'll turn to hot water and break down in no time
    19AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:27
    Isn't Sony just really bad at cooling design?
    Feels like their stuff is always thermal-throttling
    29AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:36
    Re: #19
    They probably lock in the (exterior) design first and engineer the cooling around it afterward
    32AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:39
    Re: #19
    At an overseas fighting-game tournament, switching from the 'wall' (forum nickname for the PS5, after its tall white side panels) to 'the box' (Xbox Series X) made the thermal throttling disappear
    The input lag unique to the 'wall' went away too, so both the organizers and the players were thrilled
    21AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:30
    If it breaks, just make people buy a new one
    It's a business that profits off hardware anyway
    24AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:33
    Re: #21
    This time, let's just publish the master key from the start
    28AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:34
    A vapor chamber, huh — copying Switch 2 again (lol)
    30AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:36
    Re: #28
    Switch 2 doesn't even have a vapor chamber in it
    35AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:44
    Re: #30
    They explained it at the 'Himitsu' (Secret) exhibition event, so if it's not actually in there that'd be false advertising lol
    40AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:48
    Re: #30
    Switch 2 does have a vapor chamber too, you know — it's just flat
    People get confused because of 'the box' (Xbox)

    Round = heat pipe
    Flattened = vapor chamber
    Vapor chambers come in a lot of different internal structures too, so Switch 2's is a vapor chamber built with the same internal structure as a heat pipe
    37AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:44
    Water cooling? That's more hardcore than most PCs lol lol
    46AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:54
    Re: #37
    A vapor chamber isn't water cooling
    Sounds like you don't actually know what you're talking about if you think 'water cooling = amazing'
    47AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:54
    Re: #40
    Nope. A heat pipe moves heat in one direction, a vapor chamber spreads it out
    Heat pipes transport heat, vapor chambers diffuse heat
    On that basis, Switch 2's part is clearly built for transport, so it's a heat pipe
    49AnonymousOct 15, 2026 19:56
    Re: #47
    They're the same thing, I'm telling you
    'Vapor chamber' is just the name given to a flattened-out heat pipe
    I already said vapor chambers come in various internal structures
    52AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:00
    Re: #49
    In principle, sure, they're the same
    But a vapor chamber's purpose is to diffuse heat


    ↑However you look at it, this is clearly built to move heat around
    So calling it a heat pipe is more accurate than calling it a vapor chamber
    55AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:03
    Re: #52
    That's exactly what I already wrote, read the words

    A vapor chamber is just a heat pipe flattened out
    【Vapor chambers have all kinds of internal structures】

    Vapor chambers get used where a heat pipe is hard to bend, and also to deal with thickness limits
    Heat sinks come in all sorts of structures and you still call them heat sinks, right? Same deal — a flattened heat pipe is a vapor chamber.

    That's literally all there is to it
    57AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:06
    So when they say 'water cooling,' it's really more like a combination of a heat pump and a vapor chamber?
    58AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:06
    Re: #57
    There's no water-cooling element anywhere in that lol
    71AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:38
    Put the effort into making software instead of hardware
    79AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:50
    Re: #71
    If anything, since the hardware patents are only at this level
    Even calling it 'Project Amethyst,' co-developed with AMD, makes it look like they're just slapping together whatever AMD handed them
    80AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:52
    Re: #79
    PlayStation was never Sony's own technology anyway
    It's all AMD technology
    Sony's just selling games on the strength of the brand
    85AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:08
    Re: #79-80
    They're probably just getting the chip and base tech wholesaled from AMD and dumping the rest on subcontractors
    Even PSSR, which they tout as 'developed by Sony,' is basically a downgraded version of part of FSR
    81AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:53
    Water cooling that puts 'maintenance is your own responsibility' on the user
    is a no-go for consoles
    People already cry 'design flaw'
    just because air cooling needs the dust cleaned out once in a while
    82AnonymousOct 15, 2026 20:57
    Re: #81
    The only one calling it 'water cooling' is OP

    >>The design shown uses a vapor chamber or heat pipes sealed with pure water.
    86AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:16
    My PC runs an all-in-one liquid cooler and I think it's held up for 5 years
    Should be fine, probably — dunno though
    89AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:46
    Re: #86
    Don't go underestimating Sony products

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    What sparked this discussion is, strictly speaking, just patent information — whether it will actually be adopted for the PS6, and if so when it might reach an actual product, remains unknown. In the thread, the phrase “water cooling” took on a life of its own, but what the source material actually describes is a vapor chamber or heat pipes sealed with pure water — a different thing entirely from the user-serviceable coolant systems found in PC all-in-one liquid coolers. Technical replies pointing out this distinction ran alongside comments worried about breakdowns and short lifespans simply because of how “water cooling” sounds, making for a discussion whose two sides ended up talking a bit past each other. On top of that, there was a fairly technical back-and-forth over the structural differences between vapor chambers and heat pipes, with posters converging on the idea that while the underlying principle of moving heat is the same, the terminology splits depending on whether the goal is diffusing heat or transporting it. Two points worth flagging for readers: a patent is not the same as a confirmed product decision, and the maintenance hassle that the words “water cooling” evoke doesn’t actually apply to this kind of sealed, phase-change cooling.

    *This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [Geha]) thread “PS6: Ditch the Drippy Metal, Go Water-Cooled!“

  • “Pension Alone Isn’t Enough to Live On”: Elderly Hoped for a Leisurely Retirement, But Keep Working Instead

    Fukushima Chuo TV’s report on elderly people who keep working despite saying “pension alone isn’t enough to live on” drew reactions on 5ch. Since the pension system was originally designed to be combined with severance pay or personal savings, opinions were divided over disparities in elderly savings and the burden passed between generations.

    “Pension Alone Isn’t Enough to Live On”: Elderly Hope for a Leisurely “Retirement” but Keep Working Anyway #MyNormal

    10/15 (Thu) 16:00 JST

    Fukushima Chuo TV

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

    4AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:38
    That's why old folks should just spend the money they've been hoarding. Why does everyone assume they'll live on pension alone without ever touching their savings?
    9AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:40
    Re: #4
    Totally agree. Just figure out what to do once the savings run out, when it actually happens.
    80AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:15
    Re: #4
    There are all kinds of elderly people, but among those from generations whose money lost value over time, there are probably plenty who have no choice but to rely on their pension.
    112AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:28
    Re: #4
    There aren't nearly as many old people sitting on piles of savings as you think.
    5AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:39
    Crank patient medical co-pays up to 200% and pension payouts will just keep climbing eventually.
    20AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:43
    Re: #5
    One trip to the hospital and you're paying tens of thousands of yen.
    6AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:40
    Looking at poor elderly people today… they lived through the postwar economic miracle and the bubble economy — basically life on easy mode — and still ended up broke. I want to sit them down for an hour and ask what exactly they were doing all this time.
    16AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:42
    Re: #6
    The ones who actually built up wealth from that are the people in their 80s now. I'm over 60, and the 'economic miracle' was already ancient history by the time I was in high school.
    14AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:42
    A country with this many elderly people still working is just abnormal.
    97AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:22
    Re: #14
    But you don't want immigrants either, do you?
    144AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:45
    Re: #14
    Isn't it the long lifespans that are abnormal, not the working?
    164AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:54
    Re: #14
    It's because they're healthy enough to work.
    18AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:43
    I want to grill them on whether they saved anything besides their pension. And honestly, it feels like I'm looking at a preview of you guys in the future.
    25AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:44
    Re: #18
    Today's elderly are loaded with savings. Of the 1,000 trillion yen in cash and bank deposits in Japan, people aged 70 and up alone account for 90% of it.

    So yeah — spend your savings already.
    37AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:51
    It's been a world where you can't live on pension alone for a long time now. Actually, that's been true since the pension system was first created — it was always designed around severance pay plus pension, or savings plus pension. If all you've got is the pension, of course you have to keep working.
    41AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:55
    Re: #37
    No, that's wrong. Not every elderly person is able to keep working. Their bodies start falling apart in all sorts of places, and they just can't handle a normal job anymore.
    48AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:57
    "Pension alone," lol. I've got my pension plus a private pension, so retirement's a breeze for me. I own my home too, so no rent to worry about.
    50AnonymousOct 15, 2026 21:58
    Re: #48
    *Public pension plus private pension, I mean.
    96AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:22
    Worked 25 years at a Japan National Railways affiliate company, and my pension is only 100,000 yen a month?? Is that even a thing??
    138AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:43
    Re: #96
    With only 25 years, that sounds about right. If it were 40 years, fair enough, but… (￣∀￣) (a smug/snickering emoticon)
    162AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:53
    Re: #96
    Employees' pension (kosei nenkin) payouts are set based on your salary and bonuses during your working years plus your contribution period, so even under kosei nenkin, a low monthly salary means a smaller payout. In other words, it pays off to have higher salary and bonuses from your 40s onward until retirement. This person only worked 25 years, so their salary probably wasn't that high to begin with (and back in their era, bonuses weren't even factored into the calculation).
    157AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:50
    This system was built during the era from the high-growth years through the bubble economy, when everyone worked past midnight every single day. In exchange for having no real personal time during their working years, they were granted a leisurely retirement.

    But today's 60-somethings and today's working generation barely do any overtime — they clock out on time with cushy, relaxed jobs — and they still expect a leisurely retirement? That's awfully presumptuous.
    160AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:51
    It's the road we're all headed down eventually. Shouldn't we be protesting about this together?
    169AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:56
    Re: #157
    I think Re: #160 has a point. Everyone becomes elderly eventually, and by the time it's our turn, the world will probably be an even harsher, harder place to live in.
    182AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:03
    Re: #157
    > "Today's 60-somethings and the working generation barely do any overtime — they clock out on time with cushy jobs — and they still expect a leisurely retirement? That's awfully presumptuous."

    That's the generation that got asked 'Can you work 24 hours a day?' (a famous 1980s energy-drink ad slogan).
    163AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:53
    But seriously, grocery prices just keep climbing and climbing, and once they go up they never come back down. They're bound to keep rising further, while pensions move the opposite way and keep shrinking. Japan has become a country where it's simply impossible to live on pension alone anymore.
    173AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:56
    Re: #163
    If you wanted a leisurely retirement, the only way was to have lots of kids so the next generation could support you. But everyone made excuses, had fewer kids anyway, and now wants a cushy retirement regardless? That's just not happening.
    174AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:56
    Re: #163
    They probably should have invested to keep up with inflation. But back when today's elderly were working, a lot of people saw stocks as basically gambling — something no respectable person would touch.
    178AnonymousOct 15, 2026 22:58
    Re: #169
    There's no way any working-age person today is naive enough to think they'll live on pension alone. Fifty-year mortgages are even a thing now — everyone's already planning to work until illness makes it impossible to keep going.
    183AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:04
    Re: #178
    Those 50-year home loans are exactly a trap riding on that assumption, but when you're that young, there's no way you'd see it coming…
    187AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:07
    Re: #173-174
    The world situation and the economy just keep changing, so there's no way to predict what things will look like by the time we're old ourselves — I bet we'll end up with a lot of regrets once we actually get there.

    Re: #178
    It really is reckless. Even though life expectancy has gone up, healthy life expectancy is still only around 70. In the old days, healthy life expectancy and lifespan were basically the same thing — now we've just tacked on extra years where your body and brain are falling apart, and you work through illness until you die.
    190AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:17
    It's exactly because old people cling on like that that turnover never happens, and new people can't get in.
    193AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:21
    Re: #190
    That's not it. Workplaces that have no choice but to rely on old people are almost all terrible ("black") companies that young people won't go near in the first place.
    194AnonymousOct 15, 2026 23:22
    Re: #190
    Seriously, though.

    Big corporations have turned into full-on nursing homes — nothing new ever gets done, young employees get treated like caregivers, and payroll costs quietly eat the budget so raises are impossible. A perfect triple whammy.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    From the outset, Japan’s public pension system was designed on the assumption that retirees would combine pension income with severance pay or personal savings — it was never meant to cover living expenses on its own. The real value of pensions has also kept eroding due to mechanisms like “macroeconomic indexing,” which curbs benefit growth relative to inflation. In the thread, opinions clashed between those arguing elderly people generally hold large savings and those countering that individual circumstances vary too much to generalize. Note that the figures cited in the thread about one generation’s share of savings come from a poster’s comment and aren’t backed by a cited source, so some caution is warranted. Healthy life expectancy is said to be around 70, and the reality that many elderly people spend the gap between that and average life expectancy still working underlies the “work while you’re still able” argument. Some also pointed out that elderly people staying in the workforce narrows job opportunities for younger generations, so the debate over fairness between generations looks set to continue.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread ““Pension Alone Isn’t Enough to Live On”: Elderly Hope for a Leisurely “Retirement” but Keep Working Anyway.”