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  • Osaka Natives Vanish from Dotonbori — 5ch: “Nobody Thinks of It as a Theater District Anymore”

    Following a Toyo Keizai article (8/31) reporting that Osaka’s Dotonbori has seen fewer local customers and turned into a street dominated by foreign tourists, reactions poured in on 5ch’s News Speed+ board. The article portrayed it as the end of Dotonbori’s days as a “theater district,” but the thread pushed back hard, with comments like “practically nobody thinks of Dotonbori as a theater district” and “theater culture moved to Yoshimoto’s comedy halls — or people’s living room TVs — long ago.” At the same time, some posters pointed to real changes, like local customers disappearing from Kuromon Market, and noted that redevelopment plans for the former Shochikuza site would preserve theater functions — suggesting the situation isn’t simply a story of “decline.”

    Toyo Keizai, 8/31, 07:00

    “Dotonbori has transformed”

    Dotonbori, one of Osaka’s premier entertainment districts. But in recent years, locals have increasingly pointed out changes in the area. So what exactly is happening there now?

    Source: toyokeizai.net / Read the original article here

    6AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:14
    Kuromon Market isn't Osaka's kitchen anymore either
    22AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:22
    Re: #6
    Probably Kizu Market — that's been where actual Osaka locals go for a while now
    30AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:26
    Re: #22
    Does Kizu Market even do retail???
    193AnonymousSep 1, 2026 10:12
    Re: #22
    Nah, it's Super Tamate
    Though if we're being 100% honest, it's really just Life or AEON (supermarket chains)
    8AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:16
    Why do Osaka people call trains and even the Shinkansen 'kisha' (steam locomotive)?
    66AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:42
    Re: #8
    We don't, though?
    Calling trains 'kisha' has nothing to do with region — it's just something people say if they live somewhere the railway isn't electrified, anywhere in Japan
    11AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:18
    Walked past NGK (Namba Grand Kagetsu theater) at night and there were so many people sitting on the ground smoking and drinking that the place was covered in trash
    12AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:18
    An all-you-can-eat place stuck on like the 5th floor of some building
    Very on-brand for Osaka business
    Always gotta cut corners
    14AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:19
    Scary city lol
    Well, Osaka's full of criminals anyway
    100AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:53
    Re: #14
    Still better than Nagatacho (Tokyo's political district)
    17AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:20
    Isn't it just that the culture moved over to Yoshimoto's theaters?
    21AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:22
    Re: #17
    Theaters as infrastructure are done for.
    Now you've got a theater you can watch anytime on a big screen at home.
    Which is actually an opportunity for Osaka, in a way —
    since Tokyo terrestrial TV is becoming obsolete too.
    25AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:23
    Same with Kamigata rakugo (Osaka-style comic storytelling) — Yoshimoto is what killed Osaka's culture.
    198AnonymousSep 1, 2026 10:19
    Re: #25
    They started putting more effort into manzai and Yasugi-bushi (the loach-scooping dance) than rakugo
    Once the Kagetsu group (Yoshimoto) absorbed the Sanyu group and took over Osaka's performing arts scene,
    Kamigata rakugo went into decline
    29AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:25
    These days Osaka's a pilgrimage site for Chinese and Korean tourists
    32AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:27
    Re: #29
    A "pilgrimage site" — for a city Toyotomi Hideyoshi built
    Would've been unthinkable back in the day
    41AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:32
    Re: #29
    Thanks to the TV influence that helped drag Osaka down, shops opened by Korean female entrepreneurs around Tsuruhashi are actually popular with Japanese customers now. Feels like people are coming in from out of town for it too (lol)

    The areas evolving into the "new Amerikamura" right now are Nakazakicho, Minami-Horie, and around Utsubo Park.
    97AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:52
    Umeda's ruined food court

    98AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:53
    Osaka City: 6,523
    Number of certified special-zone minpaku (private lodging/Airbnb-style) facilities
    140AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:22
    Where should you go to enjoy real Osaka atmosphere?
    143AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:23
    Re: #140
    I'd still say around Dotonbori
    147AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:26
    Re: #140
    The Ajigawa Tunnel
    174AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:47
    Re: #140
    Serious answer: the Senrigawa riverbank at night (famous for planes landing right overhead)
    152AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:29
    Nobody thinks of Osaka as a "theater district" anymore
    At best it's "Yoshimoto's here, so it's a comedy town"
    161AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:37
    Re: #152
    If anything it's more like the National Bunraku Theatre for puppet joruri
    Popular theater (taishu engeki) isn't really in Minami — there's a lot of it out in places like Ikuno or Yao instead
    191AnonymousSep 1, 2026 10:12
    Re: #152
    Back in the day there were the "Dotonbori Five Theaters" (Dotonbori Goza)
    https://osaka-chushin.jp/nigiwaipanel/dotonbori-jp/a0d03-jp/
    http://www.dotonbori.or.jp/sp/ja/about/index.html
    160AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:37
    This is the end-stage result of going all-in on Abenomics' weak yen and foreign money

    The people actually living there are mostly foreigners now
    That's Osaka today
    163AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:38
    Re: #160
    Blame the post-bubble aversion to investment that created deflation so deep even monetary easing couldn't cause inflation
    169AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:45
    Re: #1
    The Dotonbori pool, brings back memories 🤣

    https://gzo.ai/i/rzaHIkB.jpg
    173AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:47
    This was way too long so I had an AI summarize it in 3 lines
    ・Theater culture has disappeared
    ・The area has transformed into foreign-capital shops and tourist-oriented restaurants/drugstores
    ・Local customers (Osaka natives) have left, creating the risk that everything collapses if conditions change and inbound tourism dries up
    179AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:51
    Re: #173
    That's an incredibly clear summary, nice
    183AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:55
    Re: #173
    Though a theater is actually planned for the complex building going up on the old Shochikuza site
    There's no way Re: #1 didn't know that

    "Osaka Shochikuza: talks underway to preserve it, leaning toward keeping the theater function"
    https://news.at-s.com/article/1941312

    Background and points of debate

    Dotonbori was once home to the “Dotonbori Five Theaters” (Dotonbori Goza) — the Nakaza, Kadoza, Asahiza, Bentenza, and Naniwaza — and the article’s phrase “theater district” traces back to them. But all five had disappeared by the early Heisei era, so it’s understandable that many thread commenters reacted with “being told it’s a theater district now doesn’t ring true,” given that historical break. Where opinions diverged was over the root cause of locals drifting away: whether to pin it mainly on inbound tourism, or on the broader decline in demand for live theater and performance as TV and streaming took over. Also worth noting, though not mentioned in the article or the lower-ranked replies, is that Shochikuza — long a symbol of Dotonbori — is in talks to keep its theater function even after being rebuilt, so it may be premature to call this “the complete disappearance of theater culture.”

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “‘Osaka Natives Have Vanished From Dotonbori’ — Behind the Inbound Tourism Boom, the End of the ‘Theater District’… What’s Happening Now in One of Osaka’s Premier Entertainment Districts.”

  • Ritsu Doan’s Saudi Move to Al-Ittihad Collapses at the Last Minute — He’s Staying at Frankfurt

    Eintracht Frankfurt’s Japan international midfielder Ritsu Doan (28) has called off a last-minute transfer to Saudi Arabian top-flight club Al-Ittihad and will remain with his current club. German outlet Kicker broke the news late on August 31 (September 1 in Japan time). Had the move gone through, it reportedly would have come with a lucrative deal worth an estimated ¥1.6 billion a year in salary. Reactions on 5ch split between those lamenting “what a waste” and those welcoming the decision to stay — pointing to reports that Frankfurt’s manager had opposed the move — with comments like “he protected his honor” and “if he’d gone, he’d have ended up like Nakajima all over again.” Debate also centered on whether it was Doan himself or the club driving the decision to scrap the transfer.

    Nikkan Sports

    [September 1, 2026, 7:19 AM]

    German outlet Kicker (online edition) reported late on August 31 (September 1 in Japan) that the transfer of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Japan international midfielder Ritsu Doan (28) to Saudi Arabian top-flight club Al-Ittihad has fallen through.

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    7AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:58
    Won't this hurt how the club treats him going forward?
    13AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:59
    Re: #7
    It was the manager's own wish, so it won't hurt him
    9AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:59
    Man, what a waste
    He'll never make that kind of money — ¥1.6 billion — any other way
    147AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:34
    Re: #9
    And there's no guarantee a Middle Eastern club actually pays up properly either
    17AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:01
    He took the heat for nothing
    People were even telling him to give up the number 10 shirt
    32AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:05
    Re: #17
    If he's not transferring, he can just keep wearing number 10 then
    23AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:03
    They're saying he lost out on €17 million
    Way to make it sound like it's Doan's fault
    63AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:11
    Re: #23
    Well, it kind of is his fault
    24AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:03
    What a fickle media
    Though I guess that's not just Doan's issue — comes with the season, this time of year
    35AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:05
    Re: #24
    The fickle one here is Doan
    34AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:05
    Re: #13
    Doan's the one who turned it down, no?
    57AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:10
    Re: #34
    The manager was fighting hard against it even before Doan turned it down
    143AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:33
    Re: #57
    If it was just the front office wanting the money and pushing to sell, sounds like he'll be fine then
    38AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:06
    Such a shame… chances to earn that kind of money don't come around often
    Could've been his first and last shot
    41AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:07
    Re: #38
    Why are YOU disappointed lol
    Has literally nothing to do with you
    39AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:06
    Doan's got a fierce competitive streak, so maybe he got jealous watching Yuito's hat-trick
    If he'd gone to Saudi it would've felt like total defeat
    72AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:13
    Re: #39
    Freiburg's really good at flipping players for profit
    43AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:08
    Guess in football, if the player himself doesn't want it, the deal can just fall through
    66AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:12
    Re: #43
    A verbal agreement in football isn't legally binding
    75AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:13
    Re: #43
    Well, a club-to-club agreement basically means "once you've negotiated and struck a deal with the player himself, feel free to tear up your contract with us"
    77AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:14
    Re: #43
    If the club has already lined up a replacement on the assumption the transfer goes through, the player is guaranteed to get frozen out — in that case players sometimes move against their own wishes out of necessity
    This time there was no replacement lined up, so that risk never applied
    47AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:08
    Doan himself probably agonized over "is this really the right call"
    But as football fans, I think this turned out to be a good result for us
    78AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:14
    Re: #47
    I support Japanese football, but for Doan specifically I don't think the Middle East would've been a big deal
    He hasn't been doing much for the national team lately either, and at his age there's not much upside left to protect
    80AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:14
    There are cases like Spain's Laporte, who cashed in in Saudi and still won the World Cup
    So I don't think people need to look down on it so much
    139AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:31
    Re: #80
    In Doan's case, it's also about his past comments and behavior
    113AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:26
    If he'd actually gone to Saudi he really would've ended up like Nakajima
    No point going now if it means ending his career for it
    126AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:30
    Re: #113
    He's already been to two World Cups and this could've set him up for life — not going is the dumb move
    116AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:28
    Football reporting really isn't reliable, huh?
    They were saying it was a done deal
    Just like soccer fanboys, the football media has a habit of lying too
    124AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:30
    Re: #116
    To begin with, Doan's total income including side earnings is already something like over a billion yen a year
    So a ¥1.6 billion salary wasn't that strong an incentive to go to the Middle East
    If it were more like ¥3 billion, that'd be a different story
    118AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:29
    He lost the money, but he kept his honor
    146AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:33
    Re: #118
    Honor is the one thing worth protecting above all else
    If he'd gone to the Middle East just for the money, his reputation would've tanked — at least here in Japan
    120AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:29
    Does Frankfurt actually want to sell him?
    142AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:32
    Re: #120
    The club had no intention of selling and the manager tried to stop it too
    But Doan was fully set on going, so they gave in
    123AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:30
    He's already pulling in close to ¥1 billion in Germany, so going to ¥1.6 billion in Saudi might not even be that big a jump for him?
    152AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:35
    Re: #123
    In Germany about half gets taken in taxes, so his take-home is more like ¥500 million
    In Saudi he would've gotten the full ¥1.6 billion
    125AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:30
    Went to Saudi, made a fortune
    Married a model wife
    Played in the World Cup for Japan
    And now he's back playing in Europe
    Got it all — that's the handsome Shogo Taniguchi for you
    138AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:31
    Re: #125
    Taniguchi went to Qatar, not Saudi
    140AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:32
    There are already several players ranked above Doan in the Saudi league — both this guy and you lot are way overestimating things
    149AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:34
    Re: #140
    Well, but European-based players tend to lose their edge once they go to Saudi
    Doan at least seems like the type to keep showing effort
    So I think the performance gap would actually narrow

    Background and key points of this story

    Ritsu Doan came up through Cerezo Osaka before moving to the Netherlands with Groningen and then PSV, and has been at Frankfurt since 2023 as a key midfielder. In recent years, a steady stream of Europe-based Japanese players have moved to the Saudi Pro League, though concerns are often raised about reduced playing time and the difficulty of returning to Europe afterward. In the thread, comments lamenting the reported €17 million transfer fee and salary clashed with others welcoming his staying, following reports that Frankfurt’s manager pushed to keep him. Accounts also differed on whether the decision to scrap the move came from Doan himself or from the manager and front office, with opinions in the thread split on this point. It’s worth noting this report comes from the German outlet Kicker rather than an official statement from Doan or the club, and that the reported salary figure of around ¥1.6 billion is only an estimate circulating within the thread.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5ch (Entertainment & Sports News+) thread “[Soccer] Doan’s move to Saudi top-flight club Al-Ittihad collapses at the last minute, German media reports — he remains with the club for now.”

  • Jump’s Circulation Drops Below 1 Million for the First Time: The Grim Reality for Small Publishers in Both Print and Digital

    It’s been reported that Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation has fallen below 1 million copies for the first time. Jump first broke the 1-million mark in 1971, and in 1973 it overtook Magazine to become the industry’s top-selling manga weekly. This article covers the plight of small and mid-sized publishers, who face declining print sales while also struggling to monetize digital editions. On 5ch, the thread sparked a wide-ranging debate — from generational disagreements over when Jump’s “golden age” really was, to the homogenization of art styles, the shift to digital comics, and the limits of overseas expansion.

    President Online, 9/1, 8:00 AM

    ■ Jump Held the Line at “1 Million Copies” for Over Half a Century

    Shonen Jump launched in July 1968 as a biweekly magazine (published twice a month), then switched to a weekly format in October of the following year to become Weekly Shonen Jump. Despite being a late entrant among boys’ manga magazines, it focused heavily on discovering and nurturing new and up-and-coming artists, surpassing 1 million copies in circulation in 1971 and overtaking rival Weekly Shonen Magazine to take the top spot in 1973.

    Source: president.jp / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:45
    You just don't see people reading manga or magazines anymore
    111AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:19
    Re: #2
    Even people who read manga are doing it digitally on their phones now, so you'd never notice from the outside.
    And apparently even digital comics aren't selling that well either, according to the article.
    115AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:19
    Re: #2
    Magazines were basically a fleeting product of the pre-internet era.
    A business built on charging money for information you can now get for free online.
    6AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:47
    Unlike the golden age, the content these days is just boring
    72AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:08
    Re: #6
    Same here.
    I kept up a 45-year family tradition of reading it, passed down from my parents, but I stopped buying it six months ago.
    143AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:35
    Re: #72
    Around when ≡ ended?
    7AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:47
    Why is Magazine still selling 280,000 copies? Must have some hit series running.
    32AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:55
    Re: #7
    Nothing special going on — digital included, I'm just buying it out of habit at this point.
    9AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:49
    Only flipped through it, but every artist's style in Jump these days looks the same. And the art isn't even that good. None of the individuality mangaka had back in the 1980s-90s.
    139AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:33
    Re: #9
    Is Jump's golden age the Fist of the North Star / Captain Tsubasa / Kinnikuman / Mecha Kimengumi / Dragon Ball era? Or does it go back further to the Dr. Slump days?
    12AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:49
    My personal golden age is when Fist of the North Star, Captain Tsubasa, Kinnikuman, and Black Angels were all running. Not budging on this.
    The so-called golden age around Slam Dunk isn't interesting at all.
    20AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:52
    Re: #12
    Well, that's fine for you. Of course it's going to vary by generation.
    27AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:53
    Re: #12
    Think whatever you want, but circulation dropped sharply once Slam Dunk ended. That was the real turning point.
    17AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:51
    Like other magazines, it'll probably end up relying more on ad revenue than subscriptions, and lean further into being source material to feed the anime business.
    45AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:59
    Re: #17
    Now that you mention it, manga magazines really don't run many ads. Meanwhile fashion magazines, car and bike magazines are packed with them.
    19AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:51
    Small publishers just need to produce something on the level of Demon Slayer. Even Thermae Romae came out of a small publisher.
    120AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:22
    Re: #19
    Thermae Romae's a long-lived property — even the browser game is still going after more than 10 years. Though I don't actually know how well it sells.
    34AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:55
    Wait, general weekly magazines outsell manga magazines? Manga's really not that popular after all.
    43AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:58
    Re: #34
    Even so, Jump is still the best-selling magazine in Japan.
    54AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:02
    Re: #34
    Well, of course. Anime gets hyped as hugely popular too, but its ratings are way below TV dramas.
    35AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:55
    Jump's bad, but Magazine's circulation dropping to 6% of its peak is brutal lol
    46AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:59
    Re: #35
    Magazine's been pushing its digital edition hard. You can read it free in the app once it's a bit behind schedule, and buying the digital magazine through the app lets you reread it later without even buying the collected volumes. At that point, who's buying the print version?
    42AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:58
    With the falling birthrate, a business aimed at Japanese consumers just isn't sustainable anymore. They need to sell to people overseas.
    53AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:01
    Re: #42
    They already do sell overseas, though?
    57AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:03
    Re: #42
    Selling overseas only moves the needle a tiny bit. Even where anime is popular abroad, it only really catches on with a niche otaku crowd.
    49AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:59
    Sunday's circulation being lower than Comic Ran is rough (Comic Ran is an old-school historical/period-drama manga magazine)
    55AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:02
    Re: #49
    Wait, Comic Ran actually sold that well? I used to at least browse it in stores back when Fuunji-tachi was running.
    56AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:02
    Bunshun's gotten really thin without me even noticing
    66AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:06
    Re: #56
    My parents' house had old issues of Bunshun from back when Nancy Seki had her column — the print was so small I couldn't even read it, lol. These days the text's bigger but the magazine's thinner, right? I bet declining magazine sales come down to the falling birthrate, plus older readers' eyesight going with age.
    73AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:08
    Re: #27
    I heard the circulation drop was tied to Dragon Ball (ending).
    78AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:09
    Re: #73
    Overall, it was probably the end of the three pillar series back then.
    131AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:28
    Re: #73
    Slam Dunk kept running for about another year after Dragon Ball ended, and most readers stuck around at least that long. That's really where Jump's golden age ended.
    77AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:09
    Togashi, Toriyama, and Araki at their peak really were the Big 3. Their work still holds up today.
    108AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:18
    Re: #77
    Araki doesn't belong in the Big 3. It should be Inoue. JoJo's only popular with a niche crowd.
    107AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:17
    There's Young Jump and Young Magazine, but no Young Sunday?
    109AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:18
    Re: #107
    I think it went out of print a few years back.
    113AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:19
    Re: #107
    There used to be one, but it got discontinued.
    122AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:22
    Re: #107
    Yamada Reiji's Young Sunday (referring to manga artist Reiji Yamada, associated with the magazine)
    116AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:20
    More than 20 years ago, come Monday evening you'd see guys selling Jump and Young Magazine for 100 yen on the street around Shinjuku's west exit.
    123AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:22
    Re: #116
    Those street sellers probably had their own turf, right? But they've all been swept away now. Wonder what happened to those homeless guys.
    128AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:27
    Re: #116
    I saw the same thing around 20 years ago in Jimbocho and Kinshicho too — some homeless-looking guy was selling them.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Weekly Shonen Jump once reached circulation in the range of 6 million copies, and its long decline has tracked the broader shrinkage of the magazine market as a whole. The thread split over how to define the “golden age” — readers who grew up on Fist of the North Star and Captain Tsubasa versus those who mark the end of Slam Dunk as the dividing line, showing how much the answer depends on a reader’s age. Another point of debate was that it’s not just print struggling — digital editions are having a hard time too, with free delayed-release reading and the limited size of overseas markets cited as evidence against the simple assumption that “going digital solves everything.” A common misconception is that falling circulation directly reflects declining interest in manga itself; in reality, it largely reflects the shift to reading digital comics on smartphones and the diminishing role of the magazine format itself. For small and mid-sized publishers, the core takeaway of the article is a structural bind: without a flagship hit series, both print and digital revenue keep shrinking.

    *This article is compiled as excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (Geisports Bulletin+) thread “Weekly Shonen Jump’s First Drop Below 1 Million Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg — Print Won’t Sell, Digital Won’t Pay: The Fate of Small and Mid-Size Publishers.”

  • Masahiro Matsuoka Opens Up About His Admiration for Hikaru Genji’s Atsuhiro Sato — 5ch: ‘I Still Remember the Thrill of Being Called by Name’

    Masahiro Matsuoka, formerly of TOKIO, spoke on his NACK5 radio show about his admiration for former Hikaru Genji member Atsuhiro Sato, who was celebrating his birthday that day. His comments — “Watching Hikaru Genji is what got me into this industry” and “I still remember the thrill of having him call my name” — sparked a wider discussion about Hikaru Genji on 5ch. Users exchanged views on how the group’s popularity stalled just a few years after their explosive debut, comparisons with SMAP (who were active around the same time), and the way the Johnny’s talent agency operated back then.

    Masahiro Matsuoka: “I still remember the thrill of having that person call my name” — reveals the senior idol he admired

    Masahiro Matsuoka (49), formerly of TOKIO, appeared on NACK5’s “Masahiro Matsuoka’s Colorful Saitama Frontier” (airing Sundays at 7:00 AM), broadcast on the 30th, where he spoke about a senior idol he looked up to.

    The conversation turned to former Hikaru Genji member Atsuhiro Sato, who was celebrating his birthday that day.

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

    3AnonymousAug 30, 2026 08:57
    Re: #3
    Hikaru Genji were massively popular but then just vanished after a few years.
    Did they fall out of favor with Johnny [Kitagawa, the agency head] or something?
    26AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:29
    Re: #3

    1988.10: Hikaru Genji "Tsurugi no Mai" [Sales: 610,000 copies]
    1988.12: Koji Kita, "To Hikaru Genji"
    1989.02: Koji Kita, "To Hikaru Genji – Again"
    1989.03: Hikaru Genji "Chikyuu wo Sagashite" [Sales: 470,000 copies]
    1989.04: Koji Kita, "To Hikaru Genji 3"
    1989.06: Koji Kita, "To Hikaru Genji – Final Warning"
    1989.07: Hikaru Genji "Taiyou ga Ippai" [Sales: 690,000 copies (kept up appearances by releasing 7 different jacket covers to encourage multiple purchases)]
    1989.09: Koji Kita, "Farewell!! To Hikaru Genji"
    1990.02: Hikaru Genji "Kouya no Megalopolis" [Sales: 260,000 copies]
    1990.05: Hikaru Genji "Little Birthday" [Sales: 240,000 copies (peaked at #2, breaking their run of consecutive #1s since debut)]

    Hikaru Genji's decline came down to the impact of Koji Kita's tell-all books
    37AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:46
    Re: #3
    Re: #26
    It was the end of Best Ten and other music countdown shows.
    54AnonymousAug 30, 2026 10:33
    Re: #3
    That's just how '80s idols were.
    SMAP, who quietly built up variety shows, dramas, and solo work in the shadow of Hikaru Genji's popularity, ended up ruling the industry — that comes down to their manager's talent.
    10AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:04
    This guy [Matsuoka] plays it smart.
    Clever move.
    12AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:05
    SMAP's Nakai: "It wasn't supposed to be us"
    32AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:37
    Re: #12
    That's because he joined as a backup dancer for the newly formed SMAP.
    He wasn't exposed enough to become someone you'd admire.
    47AnonymousAug 30, 2026 10:09
    Re: #12
    They're probably just about the same generation.
    73AnonymousAug 30, 2026 11:35
    Re: #12
    Kokubun used to be in SMAP, right?
    16AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:13
    Up through Hikaru Genji, debuting was the end goal for Johnny's idols.
    SMAP branched out into variety shows and started selling each member's individual personality,
    carving out a path to stay active even into their 40s — that really was a great achievement.
    And it was Iijima [their manager] and the SMAP members themselves who built that, not Johnny or Mary [Kitagawa].
    Mary never accepted it and ended up breaking SMAP up.
    36AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:44
    Re: #16
    Variety shows have always been essential to Johnny's.
    Even back in the original "Johnnys" era they did variety, with shows like "Johnnys Seven Show."
    69AnonymousAug 30, 2026 11:14
    Re: #16
    Tanokin's "Zenryoku Toukyuu" was a thing,
    and Shibugakitai's "Let's Go Idol" was a variety show too
    that even did comedy skits.
    Both Tanokin and Shibugakitai had multiple movies as well.
    27AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:30
    Sato-akkun (Atsuhiro) debuted in middle school — I wonder how long he was able to stay active with Hikaru Genji.
    He's had a long life after Hikaru Genji, and from what I can tell he's kept steadily doing stage work without any weird scandals — that must be tough.
    77AnonymousAug 30, 2026 11:39
    Re: #27
    I think he was around the age you'd graduate college.
    Kind of like retiring right around the age his regular classmates were entering the workforce.
    28AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:31
    "100% Yuuki" is a classic song.
    34AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:38
    Re: #28
    It's aimed at kids, but it's a great song full of dreams.
    78AnonymousAug 30, 2026 11:39
    Re: #28
    It was an NHK theme song.
    29AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:31
    Johnny's idols up through the Hikaru Genji era used to retire from being idols once they hit their mid-20s, right?
    57AnonymousAug 30, 2026 10:48
    Re: #29
    That's because there were so many kids [in the talent pool].
    Younger ones kept coming up one after another, so turnover was intense.
    33AnonymousAug 30, 2026 09:38
    Born in Showa 57 [1982].
    The only song I really remember is "Taiyou ga Ippai."
    My older sister used to act all grown-up and say she liked Osawa, but I remember her admitting she actually liked Kaa-kun [Sato Atsuhiro's nickname].
    Of course I know the Nintama Rantarou theme song too.
    41AnonymousAug 30, 2026 10:05
    Moroboshi said he was envious, like "If I'd been born a bit later, I'd have been in SMAP."
    50AnonymousAug 30, 2026 10:14
    Re: #41
    Yeah, guess that's how it'd go.
    52AnonymousAug 30, 2026 10:17
    Re: #41
    If Moroboshi had been in SMAP, then character-wise, Nakai might not have made the cut.
    75AnonymousAug 30, 2026 11:38
    Re: #41
    There's a chance Nakai and Moroboshi could've been swapped.
    Nakai in Hikaru Genji, Moroboshi in SMAP.
    48AnonymousAug 30, 2026 10:10
    The idea that SMAP survived through variety shows is wrong — Johnny's has been doing variety since ancient times.
    SMAP's generation had a bigger population, and then the birthrate dropped fast afterward, so idols from that generation started sticking around longer. Even gravure idols now keep going into their 30s and 40s.
    Back in the day the lineup churned dizzyingly fast within a single year, and even the Dragon Quest games came out at an insane pace.
    As the youth population shrank, culture stopped being youth-centered — nowadays businesses mainly target people in their late 30s to 50s.
    60AnonymousAug 30, 2026 11:00
    Re: #48
    It was an era when TV reigned supreme and Johnny's reigned supreme, so there was no real competition.
    Even within the agency there were few groups, so there were no rivals.
    Nakai has talked about this himself.
    58AnonymousAug 30, 2026 10:52
    Maybe if Hikaru Genji had just hung on for another 2 or 3 years, things would've worked out somehow.
    Though nobody was thinking that way back then.
    64AnonymousAug 30, 2026 11:08
    I always thought of Hikaru Genji as an ancient group, but it turns out they're only 3 years apart from Matsuoka in age.
    83AnonymousAug 30, 2026 11:46
    Re: #64
    And that's with the youngest of the group.
    Osawa is quite a bit older.
    110AnonymousAug 30, 2026 13:07
    Re: #64
    The leader is the same age as Moroboshi, lol

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    Hikaru Genji debuted in 1987 and scored hits like “Taiyou ga Ippai,” but their sales plummeted sharply around 1990. Thread posters point to the end of music countdown shows and the impact of former member Koji Kita’s tell-all books as contributing factors, but it’s worth noting these are just some of the theories that have circulated since that era, not an officially confirmed cause. Meanwhile, SMAP, formed around the same time, is often held up as a contrast — they expanded into variety shows and remained front-line stars even into their 40s. That said, moving into variety TV wasn’t unique to SMAP; Johnny’s had already been using that approach since the days of the “Tanokin Trio.” Some view the real backdrop as broader shifts in the media landscape at the time — the end of the golden age of music countdown shows and structural changes in the entertainment industry driven by the declining birthrate — rather than a strategy specific to SMAP. Matsuoka’s personal reflections on Atsuhiro Sato and the broader 5ch discussion about Hikaru Genji’s decline and comparisons with SMAP are, strictly speaking, separate topics, and keeping that distinction in mind makes the thread easier to follow.

    ※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Masahiro Matsuoka: “Watching Hikaru Genji is what got me into this industry, I admired them” / “I still remember the thrill of having him call my name”.”

  • NPB Also Weighing ABS ‘Robot Umpire’ System, Eyeing 2028 LA Olympics — 5ch: ‘Umpiring Quality Will Improve’

    It has been revealed that Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is moving forward with preparations to introduce ABS (Automated Ball-Strike System, or “robot umpire”), which automates ball and strike calls on pitches. The move has one eye on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and MLB has already adopted the system this season. While many replies on the thread welcomed the prospect of more consistent calls, plenty of others pointed out challenges the rollout would face — including which stadiums are equipped to support it, the possibility that pitchers like Kodai Senga, whose forkball could be disadvantaged by the shift in calling standards, and resistance from umpires themselves.

    Sports Nippon [Sept 1, 2026, 02:00]

    The automated pitch-calling system in use in Major League Baseball

    Photo by Sports Nippon

    Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here

    3AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:06
    Totally agree — that'll seriously raise the umpires' level.
    4AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:07
    They should at least allow optional adoption at whichever stadiums are ready in time for '27.
    11AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:13
    I wonder how this'll play out in Power Pros (the baseball video game). Sometimes a pitch is clearly in the zone but gets called a ball — I want that reviewed and overturned.
    22AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:24
    Re: #11 Does Power Pros even have a challenge system?
    13AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:16
    Financially, probably only MLB can afford this 💦 Poorer countries where baseball's a total minor sport are just gonna get left behind 🤣
    16AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:19
    Re: #13 Korea's had robot umpires since the year before last 😁
    27AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:28
    Re: #16 And that "Dominican Republic" (I mean Cuba) has turned into a soccer country now too 💦
    23AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:24
    The zone's different depending on the umpire, different depending on the day, and once it hits 3-0 the calls get sloppy as hell. What I'm getting at is, the umpire theatrics during Mino-san's at-bats (a nickname for a specific NPB figure) are way too much.
    28AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:28
    Re: #23 I bet that's actually sanctioned — shown off in umpire training or something, like 'this is how we do it,' with approval already given. Makes you wonder what the actual standard is.
    26AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:27
    They should just go full machine measurement like Korea does.
    29AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:29
    Re: #26 Exactly. The call comes through the umpire's earpiece instantly, and all they have to do is announce it. MLB and Japan probably don't want to do that because of umpire pride. They screw up constantly yet still act cocky.
    33AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:33
    In MLB, arguments over balls and strikes have basically disappeared. It's funny how the mood has shifted to 'well, it's our own fault for wasting a challenge on something pointless' even when you're out of challenges.
    36AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:39
    Re: #33 In exchange for less arguing over that, MLB's now dealing with garbage umpires who keep pulling stuff like 'retaliatory bad calls after a challenge,' 'ignoring challenge requests,' and 'gleefully ejecting anyone who complains.' So the push for a fully AI home-plate umpire is accelerating. People are saying it's funny — they set this up specifically so umpires wouldn't lose their jobs, and now it looks like they're going to lose them anyway.
    41AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:42
    Getting the calls right is great, but having umpires humiliated in front of the crowd is gonna wreck their mental health. Feels like it'd be more peaceful to just hand it all over to AI.
    43AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:43
    Re: #41 If the umpire's right, then it's the player who ends up embarrassed instead — fair's fair.
    46AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:48
    Sounds like with ABS, soft-breaking pitches have a harder time getting called strikes, so finesse pitchers are at a disadvantage. Apparently part of why Senga stopped winning is that his monster forkball isn't getting called strikes anymore.
    53AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:51
    Re: #46 Wasn't it just that it only looked like a strike, and it was actually a ball all along?
    57AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:59
    Re: #46 If there's a problem with the current ABS, it's that it treats the zone as a flat plane through the middle of the plate. The strike zone is technically supposed to be a three-dimensional space above the plate.
    50AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:49
    Re: #22 That's the thing, lol
    77AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:27
    Re: #50 At this point Power Pros has surpassed real NPB baseball.
    55AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:56
    So cute —
    62AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:03
    Guess the "Tokyo Umps" (パイア, slang short for "umpire," used here as a nickname for certain notorious umpires) are going away. Once ABS came in, the "New York Umps" disappeared too lol
    67AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:05
    Re: #62 These days there's more of the "weird umps" (珍パイア, a pun on "bizarre" + umpire) around anyway.
    68AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:07
    Does NPB even have that kind of money?
    82AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:40
    Re: #68 NPB could just produce all the streaming feeds centrally and sell them to each platform — the "Pa-Tele" model (a nod to Pacific League's centralized streaming setup) already has a track record of success, so it'd be easy to implement. The only problem is a certain red-uniformed team.
    74AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:21
    Guess this'll make it harder to hold games at regional stadiums.
    78AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:27
    Re: #74 They're surely not going to run it at regional stadiums. These days almost every pro stadium has at least Hawk-Eye installed, but if a park doesn't have it, the game can still go on without it.
    83AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:40
    >Going forward, introducing ABS will require buy-in from the umpires' labor union.
    That's probably the real sticking point, more than cost — very "Galapagos Japan" of them (i.e., isolated and out of step with global trends).
    87AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:43
    Re: #83 Calling a dead-center pitch a ball happens all the time, so they just don't want to be embarrassed.
    85AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:42
    NPB umpires are so bad that even with ABS, two challenges per game won't be nearly enough to fix anything — you'd need at least five.
    89AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:44
    Re: #85 Wait, don't challenges not get used up if the umpire was actually wrong? If so, that has nothing to do with how bad the umpires are.
    90AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:45
    The account that used to call out NPB's terrible umpires got pressured into shutting down, after all.
    94AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:47
    Ball-strike call data is already published for nearly every game on NPB+. What's left to do now is fold that into the actual games — the bad umpires are already exposed to fans, believe it or not.
    95AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:49
    Re: #94 Yeah, but you need a paid subscription to see that. Since it's not exposed live during the broadcast like in MLB, even outrageous umpires only get called out by a small crowd.
    114AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:05
    The system's already in place and could launch right away, so why wait until the year after next — is it the bad umpires pushing back?
    119AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:10
    Re: #114 Probably because some regional stadiums still aren't equipped for it. If it's just a trial run and not actually used for real calls, not having it there is fine, I guess.

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    MLB’s version of ABS doesn’t automatically call every pitch — the key detail is that it uses a “challenge system,” where the system only makes the final call when a catcher or batter contests a close pitch. This differs from the “fully automated” system used in Korea that came up in the thread, and it’s still unclear which approach NPB will adopt. There was also a lot of interest in the calling standards themselves — technical questions like whether the strike zone should be treated as a flat plane over the plate or a three-dimensional space, and how the system affects pitch types like the forkball, where the way a pitch looks and how the zone actually calls it can diverge. At the same time, commenters pointed to hurdles beyond cost, such as reaching an agreement with the umpires’ labor union and the limited number of stadiums currently equipped for it — suggesting the actual rollout timeline is still up in the air.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “NPB Preparing to Introduce ABS ‘Robot Umpire’ System, With an Eye on the 2028 LA Olympics — MLB Already Using It This Season.”

  • Why Did Tunnels’ ‘Destroy Your Stuff’ Comedy Bit Actually Work? 5ch: ‘Watching Something Precious Get Wrecked Is Funny’

    The ‘destruction comedy’ bit that Tunnels and Beat Takeshi used to regularly pull off on TV — smashing a co-star’s personal belongings — became a topic on the Nandemo Jikkyō G board, where posters debated whether it’s still funny watching it today. On 5ch, some described generational and comedian-specific differences in how it lands, with comments like “It was funny when I was young, but it just irritates me now that I’m older” and “When Takeshi smashed up that car, he was trying to get laughs with his own physical comedy too.” Others pushed back with negative takes like “It all comes down to how the person whose stuff got broken reacts” and “The idea of treating things carelessly doesn’t sit right with today’s values,” making for a debate where opinions split on what’s actually funny about it.

    1AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:36
    Did people back then actually find that funny?
    2AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:37
    Young people laugh at it.
    Apparently you get more pissed off about it as you age.
    5AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:39
    Takeshi smashing up that car was hilarious though
    6AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:40
    Feels pretty good watching someone you hate get put through hell
    11AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:42
    I'm an old guy who lived through Tunnels' peak years, and even back then it wasn't funny.
    Just irritating.
    30AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:58
    Re: #11
    Sounds like you got bullied in school
    82AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:43
    Re: #11
    You're probably some old geezer
    16AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:46
    When he knocked over that TV camera, the split-second "oh crap" face he made was peak lame though
    17AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:49
    Re: #16
    Ishibashi's the one who broke it, so that's fine
    21AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:55
    It's less that the destruction itself is funny and more that you're enjoying the reaction of the person whose stuff got broken — depending on how they react, it can stop being funny at all
    24AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:56
    Re: #21
    Between the two, Takeshi's version feels like he's also trying to get laughs through his own physical comedy
    33AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:04
    It's less a Tunnels thing and more a Fuji TV thing in general — mocking someone who's genuinely trying their best does nothing but harm
    61AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:24
    Re: #33
    No way that's true. I guess more people these days just can't tell the line between TV and reality
    38AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:06
    Tunnels were good up through the era when they were still doing actual comedy sketches on the show
    40AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:07
    Re: #38
    You liked the Homo Oda Homoo character? (a now-controversial gay-stereotype comedy character from their show)
    42AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:09
    There was also that bit where the two of them would barge into the middle of a show and rough up the cast —
    that's long past its expiration date too
    43AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:13
    Re: #42
    No idea
    Was there really a segment like that?
    49AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:19
    If they did it to someone the audience already hates, like Hiromi or Kazuyoshi Ichimatsu, it'd probably land
    84AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:44
    Re: #49
    If it were Ichimatsu, that'd be hilarious
    Even funnier if he actually lost his temper over it
    63AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:25
    It's all staged anyway, so whether it counts as bullying doesn't really bother me.
    What actually gets under my skin is treating things carelessly.
    I guess it's funny to Showa-era people raised on mass production and mass consumption, but in the Reiwa era, taking care of your stuff and reusing it is just the norm.
    65AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:26
    Re: #63
    That's exactly why breaking it is funny — the humor is in watching something precious get lost
    66AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:27
    Re: #63
    That's basically the end state of a declining nation right there
    71AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:30
    Doing it to fellow comedians or people in their own inner circle would be one thing, but doing it to people who don't get that style of comedy at all is a completely different story
    75AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:33
    Re: #71
    You'd normally expect them to fire back with a comeback, right? What's with all this "holding it in" or "about to snap" stuff
    74AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:32
    I remember enjoying how unhinged Koji Kato's giant swing was
    But society these days has louder victim voices
    and I guess back then there were a lot of repressed people who had no outlet to vent, unlike now with social media
    Still, people haven't stopped enjoying watching someone like "Mii-chan" suffer misfortune though
    80AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:41
    Re: #74
    Sorry, that came out as a weird ramble
    Good morning
    96AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:57
    Re: #82
    I know, same to you
    108AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:03
    Re: #96
    Nah, you can tell by the generation
    98AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:57
    If anything, I think the real scumbags are the people who do similar stuff indiscriminately to amateurs too.
    That goes for every one of those people acting all high-and-mighty doing "comedy" on social media or radio
    116AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:13
    Re: #98
    That's on both the ones doing it and the amateurs copying it
    The moment a comedian makes an amateur think "I want to try that too," that's the comedian's fault
    99AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:58
    There was always that segment where they'd bring on actors and guess their food likes and dislikes
    Everyone watched it, but what was actually funny about it?
    I only watched because everyone else was watching
    102AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:00
    Re: #99
    That one's more like a game the audience at home can play along with too
    Plus every once in a while you'd get an outrageous episode like the Katsumata one that was genuinely funny
    105AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:01
    The bit itself isn't funny, but the reason it draws more backlash than it used to is probably that Japanese people have gotten poorer both materially and mentally, so there are more people with no slack left in their hearts.
    They probably can't stand watching what looks like rich people just horsing around with each other anymore
    110AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:04
    Re: #105
    It's not comedians so much as the TV industry as a whole that's stuck with low morals
    An industry where casting-couch deals and sexual abuse scandals still keep coming up is the real abnormality
    109AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:04
    Re: #102
    I watched it just so I'd have something to talk about with people, but it was boring and honestly rough to sit through
    112AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:06
    Re: #109
    Shows like Mecha-Ike were the kind you'd talk about with friends on Monday, but with Kuwazugirai it was more like guessing along in the moment with whoever you were watching with

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The “destruction comedy” bits performed by Tunnels and Beat Takeshi were a staple of extreme, body-on-the-line humor in 1980s-90s variety shows, and at the time, the sight of a co-star genuinely being put in a bind was itself accepted as the whole spectacle. In the thread, many pointed out that the core of the humor wasn’t the performer doing the breaking but “the reaction of the person whose stuff got broken,” and there was broad agreement that the impression it left depended heavily on that reaction. The main point of contention was generational: a gap emerged between today’s sensibility — more conscious of taking care of belongings, and one where social media makes it easier for less powerful voices to be heard — and the era’s sensibility, when these bits were simply consumed as “something happening on TV.” Worth noting: the specific segment names and incidents cited here come from posters’ memories, and the accuracy of the details hasn’t been verified.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyō G) thread “What’s actually funny about Tunnels’ go-to bit of destroying people’s personal belongings?“

  • PS5’s New ‘Live TV’ Feature Launches in the US — Free with Ads or Paid? Opinions Split

    PlayStation’s official X (formerly Twitter) account announced that its “Live TV” feature — offering 100+ live channels of movies, anime, sports, news, and more — has launched on PS5 in the US. On 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (“Geha”) board, confusion initially spread that the service was paid, but this was later corrected: it’s actually free to watch, supported by ads. While some welcomed the tie-in with Sony-owned anime streaming giant Crunchyroll, skeptical voices also emerged — “Is there even a point using a PS5 just to watch video these days?” and “If the ad model gets out of hand, won’t it destabilize the video industry itself?” — sparking a broader debate.

    Looking for something great to watch?

    Live TV on PS5 launches today. Enjoy 100+ live channels, with movies, TV, anime, sports, news, and more being added all the time:

    https://

    Source: x.com / original post here

    5AnonymousSep 1, 2026 06:32
    Thought it'd be free but it's actually paid, lmao
    Fire TV Stick will do just fine
    11AnonymousSep 1, 2026 06:43
    Re: #5
    Don't spread fake news that gets debunked in two seconds, you moron

    >Live TV on PS5 launches today, giving US PS5 players access to free, ad-supported TV.
    https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/31/live-tv-on-ps5-launches-today-bringing-free-ad-supported-tv-to-ps5-players-in-the-u-s/
    23AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:17
    Re: #5
    It's free, dude, do your research
    It's a service that lets you stream subscription-style video content for free through an ad-supported model
    25AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:23
    Re: #24
    Honestly this is a pretty solid service
    If it comes to Japan too, that'd be a big deal
    26AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:26
    Re: #25
    Getting Crunchyroll — the Sony-run, world's biggest anime subscription service with 15 million members — for free just by owning a PS5 is huge
    Sony's really committing to cross-group synergy now
    30AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:37
    It's not free
    It's just an ad-supported model, that's all

    They'll probably start charging a monthly fee down the line too
    34AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:40
    Re: #30
    It literally says "completely free"
    32AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:39
    What's even the point of watching video on a PS5?
    Don't you dare pull the "times have changed" card on this one

    Compared to the PS4/Xbox One era, TVs and Fire Sticks already handle video playback just fine
    35AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:41
    Re: #32
    You can watch it on a gaming monitor though
    36AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:41
    Re: #32
    Not really needed, it's just there as an option
    With Prime Video and YouTube apps already on it, there's no downside to having it
    43AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:46
    Re: #32
    If you want to watch Netflix in 5.1/7.1 surround with just a single HDMI cable, it's actually pretty convenient
    37AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:41
    Ugh — since games alone aren't cutting it anymore
    they're resorting to reeling people in with video
    Making it free with ads and everything… doesn't that risk tanking the video industry itself?
    41AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:44
    Re: #37
    Lol, you clearly don't understand how the money flows in an ad-based model
    40AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:44
    SIE's become heavily dependent on third parties lately, and their in-house game output has been rough, so they've got no choice but to lean on other entertainment businesses
    44AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:46
    Re: #40
    It's less "dependent" and more that third parties choose the platform
    Unlike Nintendo, it has a much bigger active user base
    46AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:49
    Re: #36
    Then why was everyone bashing the "TV TV" thing back when the Xbox One did it?
    Re: #35
    These days gaming monitors hook up to smartphones easily over USB too…
    48AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:51
    Re: #46
    It's useless for watching video though
    It's all choppy and laggy
    47AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:51
    Re: #41
    Then go ahead and explain what you mean
    It's basically earning money through ads, right?
    If the headaches just keep piling up, this business is bound to get as unstable as YouTube's ad crackdowns
    51AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:54
    Re: #47
    It's only possible because the ad revenue flows back into the industry
    For the industry, this is simply a new revenue stream that lets them reach Sony's 125 million monthly active users
    Why would that tank the industry?
    50AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:54
    Overseas fans aside, domestic fanboys just aren't particular about or knowledgeable when it comes to monitors…
    53AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:55
    UFC is strictly pay-per-view, so there's no way this service alone can be free just for watching an ad
    54AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:56
    Re: #53
    Crunchyroll is a Sony subsidiary, so they can do whatever they want with it
    56AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:57
    Re: #51
    If more services like this keep popping up, it'll just turn into a scramble for ad space
    Ad revenue isn't exactly stable to begin with
    and just like YouTube, the terms keep shifting under everyone's feet
    so the people actually making the content won't get a steady income anymore
    60AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:00
    Re: #56
    Quit being so negative all the time
    You're just scared Nintendo's going to get crushed by Sony
    57AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:58
    Once a company starts flailing around with side-service stuff like this, gaming or not, it's proof they've run out of moves
    PlayStation looks like it's headed for the end pretty soon
    72AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:13
    Re: #57
    This
    PlayStation, or at least the gaming side of it, is probably done for
    65AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:05
    It's literally just one piece of content on the PS5
    and people are way overreacting
    This isn't some toddler's console that can't even play YouTube, lol
    https://www.famitsu.com/images/000/260/200/y_626aa4586a615.jpg
    68AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:08
    PS users are probably going to start demanding an ad-blocker because they can't stand the ads
    Narrowing by genre or searching with a controller sounds like a pain
    96AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:35
    Re: #68
    The controller has a built-in mic
    so you can use voice input, and if you plug a keyboard in directly you can use keyboard and mouse too
    73AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:14
    It'd be the worst if it eventually got to the point where you needed a PlayStation just to watch certain anime or movies
    Knowing Sony, they honestly might go that far
    82AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:19
    Re: #73
    Can't remember the title, but I feel like there was PS Store-exclusive anime before
    89AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:26
    Re: #82
    Wait, they're already doing that?
    They've waded into territory they really shouldn't have
    Video content itself is going to collapse because of this

    You can see it with YouTube — the ads start out short,
    but once everyone's running ads, ad value just keeps sinking,
    so the ads get longer and longer while paid subscriptions keep getting pricier,
    and it turns into a mess where you can watch a video on one platform but not another
    98AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:36
    Re: #82
    Xam'd: Lost Memories on Animax PLUS, now that brings back memories
    74AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:14
    Re: #24
    Can you watch this while playing a game?
    Or can you not play games while this is on, lol?
    76AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:16
    Re: #74
    They specifically built in ad revenue for this, no way they'd hide it from you
    87AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:25
    Is there really any need to go through a PS5 just to watch video these days?
    95AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:35
    Re: #87
    Nope
    No matter how you look at it, it's cemented its spot as a watered-down PC slash oversized smartphone
    90AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:27
    If you can't watch it while gaming at the same time, it'll just end up competing with games for people's time
    And nobody's out here buying a PS just to watch videos
    99AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:37
    Re: #90
    By making it capable of everything, it's meant to eventually become the de facto entertainment platform for cars

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    According to Sony’s official announcement, PS5’s “Live TV” is a free, ad-supported service rather than a paid monthly subscription — and that distinction was the focus of the misunderstanding that spread through the thread. Sony owns major anime streaming service Crunchyroll and operates as a diversified entertainment conglomerate spanning film, music, and games, so this feature is widely seen as part of that cross-group synergy. At the same time, there’s a precedent for this kind of “TV feature”: the Xbox One drew criticism at launch for shifting a console’s core identity away from gaming, and that same wariness — “does a game console really need a video-watching feature?” — still runs strong here. On the ad-revenue model, some worry about competition for ad space across the wider streaming market and a possible future shift toward paid tiers or region-locked content, so the thread was split between welcoming the free perk and worrying about its ripple effects on the industry.

    *This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [“Geha”]) thread “[Good News] PS5’s “Live TV” Launches! Supports 100+ Live Channels, Fans Hyped!“.

  • YouTuber Streams 10 Times a Month with 50K Subscribers — 5ch: ‘500 Viewers at Once? That’s Already Top-Tier’

    On 5ch’s game-commentary board, a thread about how one YouTube streamer earns a living got people talking. He streams live about 10 times a month, pulls in around 500 concurrent viewers, and has roughly 50,000 subscribers — with neither channel memberships nor Super Chats standing out as major income sources. Opinions split over whether this scale represents “a pretty sweet deal” or “a rarefied tier that’s genuinely hard to reach,” and the discussion grew into a broader debate comparing specific monthly income figures against the effort and pay of a typical salaryman job.

    1AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:19
    Streams live about 10 times a month, roughly 500 viewers watching at once.
    Subscribers: around 50,000.
    No memberships, and Super Chats aren't really flying in either.
    5AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:21
    Getting 50,000 people to subscribe in the first place is the hard part.
    7AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:22
    There's a guy who does Dragon Quest V speedruns (RTA) every single day — does that even pay?
    133AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:06
    Re: #7
    What's his concurrent viewer count like?
    One of those "Null" types?
    10AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:23
    With income like that, you'd be better off just getting a normal job.
    17AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:25
    What's this based on? Personal experience?
    18AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:27
    Re: #17
    I heard it firsthand.
    21AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:27
    Re: #16
    When I work a normal job I make about 80,000 yen a day, so streaming seems like the tougher gig to me.
    23AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:27
    This guy's probably never streamed in his life, and he'd never even hit double-digit viewers.
    Half of people who try it can't even escape "1 concurrent viewer" (which is just themselves watching on a phone or alt account to check their own comments).
    26AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:29
    Pulling in 500 concurrent viewers puts you in the pretty popular category already.
    That alone makes you part of the cream of the crop.
    Of course he's making money.
    33AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:32
    Re: #26
    That's about the level of the less popular Nijisanji members (a major VTuber agency).
    35AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:33
    Re: #26
    No, that's actually the bottom tier.
    Thinking 500 viewers is impressive is just an average person's perspective.
    Like I keep saying, on YouTube, average people don't even factor in from the start — they're basically a rounding error, not even worth counting.
    Success on YouTube was only ever possible for people above average to begin with.
    Seen from inside that above-average group, 500 viewers is the bare minimum line for "success."
    32AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:31
    No point talking about the top tier here.
    42AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:34
    Re: #32
    It's not the top tier — 500 viewers is the bottom of the group that actually "counts" as successful on YouTube.
    Anyone with the natural talent to succeed automatically ends up around 500 viewers.
    People streaming to like 30 viewers aren't even really doing YouTube — they never had what it takes and don't even register as a "1" to begin with.
    55AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:39
    Re: #42
    That "VTuber worthiness line" in your head isn't some universal standard, you know.
    Nobody else here is using your criteria, so acting like it's just common sense is kind of a problem…
    37AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:33
    Re: #34
    Uh, I've already hit several hundred concurrent viewers myself, though?
    51AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:38
    Re: #37
    And yet you're just going off something you heard from someone else? That's rich.
    If you want to back it up, post at least one screenshot proving you're actually earning from streaming.
    46AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:35
    Re: #40
    Yeah, exactly.
    Which is why success is basically guaranteed 🤭
    49AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:36
    Re: #46
    In Re: #25 you're talking in terms of general/average standards, but now you're the one saying not to bring up the top few percent.
    62AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:41
    LOL, a regular job pays more.
    Anyone who's jealous of OP should realize they're seriously at the bottom of the barrel.
    65AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:43
    Re: #62
    Can you actually make 350,000 yen working just 10 days a month?
    71AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:45
    Re: #65
    I make about 800,000 yen working 20 days a month, so I wouldn't know about that.
    76AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:47
    Re: #71
    Okay, that's enough — you're just making yourself look pathetic at this point.
    80AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:48
    Re: #65
    Wait, are you counting "days a video got uploaded" as the same as "days worked"?
    So planning, filming, and editing don't count as work?
    For a normal content creator, all of that counts too, you know? It's not like being a salaryman where you just do the job that's handed to you.
    84AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:49
    Re: #80
    I'm a salaryman and I monetize my channel too — I do it all by myself, no problem.
    I even throw together the thumbnails on the side, casually.
    85AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:49
    Why am I getting bashed for something this ordinary?
    This is normal these days, and people around me make even more.
    94AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:53
    Re: #85
    Come on, you just want people to say "wow, impressive even though it's just a hobby," right? Don't sweat it.
    155AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:18
    Depends on the track you use, but heads up — "utattemita" (cover song) videos generally can't be monetized.
    157AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:19
    Re: #155
    It'll never even get close to monetization anyway, so I think it's fine lol
    161AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:20
    Re: #155
    Nah, it's a cappella.
    Actually, I'm such a good singer that even a cappella, I can nail the exact feel of the original track sung live — so if anything, I was planning to lean into a cappella.

    Background and Key Points of Debate

    The actual figures for YouTube ad revenue and Super Chats aren’t public information, so any monthly income numbers thrown around in the thread are ultimately just self-reported claims. The debate split largely into two camps. One was over what tier “500 concurrent viewers, 50,000 subscribers” actually represents for a streamer — some argued it’s the bare minimum for success, while others insisted it’s a number only the upper tier ever reaches. The other was over how to value streaming as work itself, with opinions divided on whether streaming 10 times a month counts as “an easy job” or as labor that includes all the planning, filming, and editing involved. What readers should be careful not to misread is that this kind of “500 viewers = X yen in income” conversion varies wildly by genre, CPM, and region — the figures in the thread should be read simply as one person’s personal anecdote.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] YouTube game commentator makes an insane amount of money“.

  • 24-Hour TV Marathon Segment Scores High 16.4% Rating — 5ch: ‘Higher Than the World Cup’

    Nippon TV’s “Volunteer 24 Hour Television 49” charity marathon segment aired August 29–30, drawing an average household rating of 16.4% and peaking at 20.6%. Actress Mari Hoshino (45) ran the full 80 kilometers from Nissan Stadium in Yokohama to Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, finishing to be greeted by her 11-year-old daughter, who lives with congenital myopathy and uses an electric wheelchair and ventilator. Reactions on 5ch to the high rating were split — sarcastic remarks like “nothing beats inspiration porn as content,” comments pointing out the show’s declining overall ranking, and comparisons with World Cup broadcast numbers.

    It was revealed on the 31st that Nippon TV’s “Volunteer 24 Hour Television 49,” aired the 29th–30th, saw its broadcast segment covering the charity marathon’s finish and finale — “Volunteer 24 Hour Television 49: The Story of My Family, Who Do You Think Of? Part 10” (aired the 30th, from 7:00 p.m.) — record an average household rating of 16.4% and an average individual rating of 11.1% (per Video Research, Kanto region).

    Actress Mari Hoshino (45) took on the charity marathon challenge. She started from Nissan Stadium in Yokohama at 8:53 p.m. on the 29th and crossed the finish line at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo at 8:42 p.m. on the 30th, completing the full 80 kilometers. Waiting for her at the finish was her 11-year-old daughter, a fifth-grader who lives with congenital myopathy — a government-designated intractable disease — and uses an electric wheelchair and ventilator in daily life.

    According to Nippon TV, the peak household rating of 20.6% came right after the finish, at 8:48 p.m. on the 30th. The total reach of “Volunteer 24 Hour Television 49” overall — viewers aged 4 and up who watched for at least one minute between 6:30 p.m. on the 29th and 8:54 p.m. on the 30th — came to roughly 63.559 million (per Video Research, nationwide).

    Source: sanspo.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:22
    Who's even watching this….
    6AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:24
    Wait, did you guys lose again?
    25AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:31
    Re: #6
    Re: #16
    From a scammer's point of view this is a goldmine, huh
    This trick still works
    9AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:24
    It's probably just old folks watching anyway
    10AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:25
    Only 80km in 24 hours? That's a walk in the park, reeks of fakery.
    Bet the gullible ones are all saying she 'tried so hard'
    11AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:25
    At the end of the day, nothing beats 'inspiration porn' (kandou poruno — media that exploits illness/disability for emotional impact) as content
    14AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:26
    Takashi Sorimachi's 'GTO' individual rating has finally dropped into the 1% range…
    https://hayabusa9.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/mnewsplus/1788157445/
    15AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:27
    Well, of course nothing's gonna stop them.
    Pulling in 16% in this day and age is bizarre.
    Production costs probably aren't even that high either, right?
    16AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:27
    You guys lost again, huh
    17AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:28
    Way too many people just watch without actually donating.
    Lord Nippon TV desires even more of your donations
    19AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:28
    Ratings have been solid ever since they added the marathon
    21AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:29
    You guys get crushed at this time every year, huh
    22AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:30
    Tons of sponsors lined up, everyone's raking it in
    23AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:31
    It's basically just walking — who on earth is watching this pointless charade?
    27AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:33
    LOL it beat the Japan vs. Brazil match from the other day (15.9%)
    31AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:34
    Re: #27
    Combined with BS it's 30%, you know
    40AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:45
    Re: #27
    About on par with the Koshien finals
    Baseball's popularity is insane
    33AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:36
    Nippon TV → sponsors sign on, cha-ching
    Sponsors → corporate image goes up, cha-ching
    Cast → huge paychecks, cha-ching

    Well-oiled machine of a show
    36AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:40
    Didn't the ratings used to be higher?
    46AnonymousAug 31, 2026 15:51
    Re: #36
    Apparently it ranked 41st out of 49 installments

    > Ratings for Nippon TV's 'Volunteer 24 Hour Television 49,' broadcast from 6:30 p.m. on August 29 to 8:54 p.m. on the 30th, were announced on the 31st. The show's average individual rating was 6.4%, ranking 28th out of 30 installments since 1997, while its household rating of 10.5% tied for 41st all-time out of all 49 installments (per Video Research, Kanto region).
    57AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:03
    The hell is the network doing making bank off charity as content, lol
    Only in Japan would this fly
    68AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:20
    Higher than the World Cup
    73AnonymousAug 31, 2026 16:27
    Re: #68
    People care about this more than the World Cup
    88AnonymousAug 31, 2026 17:11
    Mari Hoshino barely has any star power…
    Surprising she pulled numbers like this for an actress
    89AnonymousAug 31, 2026 17:13
    Re: #88
    That level of plainness might actually be the appeal
    92AnonymousAug 31, 2026 17:15
    Re: #88
    Having a pretty face really counts for a lot, I think.
    At least it's enough to get you TV appearances as a pass.
    98AnonymousAug 31, 2026 17:30
    I genuinely have no clue who's watching this
    100AnonymousAug 31, 2026 17:35
    Re: #98
    My mom was watching it in tears
    101AnonymousAug 31, 2026 17:37
    Not many people cheering along the route this time
    102AnonymousAug 31, 2026 17:38
    Re: #101
    Someone ran onto the course though, didn't they?

    Background and Talking Points

    Every year, the 24-Hour Television marathon segment alone keeps a high rating, even as the show overall has struggled in the long run. According to quotes cited in the thread, this year’s overall individual rating was 6.4%, ranking 28th out of 30 installments since 1997, while the household rating tied for 41st all-time out of 49 installments. Because of the gap between the marathon segment’s number (16.4%) and the show’s overall figures, reports of a “high rating” and the perception that the show is “past its prime” coexist — one reason for the mixed reactions in the thread. The show also faces its now-annual “inspiration porn” criticism, and debate over how it portrays serious illness and disability is a recurring talking point as long as the program continues. Suspicion over how donations are used is also a standard yearly reaction, but no concrete wrongdoing has been confirmed, so unsubstantiated claims have been left out of this article.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Nippon TV’s “24-Hour Television” Charity Marathon Segment Scores High 16.4% Rating, Peaks at 20.6% — Mari Hoshino Runs.”

  • No Scientific Basis for ‘10,000 Steps a Day’ — Health Ministry Lowers Guideline to 8,000

    The idea that “10,000 steps a day” is essential for health took hold after the name of a pedometer sold in Japan in the 1960s — the “manpo-kei” (literally “10,000-step meter”) — caught on, and it was never backed by solid scientific evidence. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare promoted the 10,000-step target in its 2000 “Health Japan 21” initiative, but the third phase of the plan, launched in 2024, lowered the guideline to 8,000 steps for adults and 6,000 for the elderly. On the forum, some argued that “walking too much just wrecks your knees” and that “other exercises like squats are more efficient,” while others countered that “for elderly people, walking is about maintaining physical function, not losing weight.”

    “You have to walk 10,000 steps a day for your health.” “My blood sugar is high, so it’s important to aim for that many steps.” Doesn’t everyone assume this? In fact, this nice round number has no scientific basis. It became widely known thanks to the “manpo-kei” pedometer sold in Japan in the 1960s.

    The product name was so clever and memorable that it’s said to have spread on its own. That said, the government also pushed the “10,000 steps a day” campaign, promoting it as part of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s 2000 national health initiative, “Health Japan 21.”

    Source: news.livedoor.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:39
    It'll just wear down your joints, don't bother.
    42AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:47
    If it comes to that, I'll just enlist with Captain Billy (from the "Billy's Boot Camp" workout videos).
    46AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:47
    I walk around 23,000 steps a day for work.
    181AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:33
    Re: #46
    Something to do with building maintenance work (biru-men)?
    6AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:39
    Muscles never betray you
    Joints always do
    Fat is forever by your side
    93AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:02
    Re: #6
    You mean the idiots who wreck their joints doing strength training?
    104AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:06
    Re: #6
    My immune system betrayed me too.
    199AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:38
    Re: #6
    Muscle rubbing against bone and joint is what triggers the nerve pain.

    It's the muscle-joint combo that leaves you too sore to walk.
    11AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:40
    Thinking of making this sticker and slapping it on my car — what do you guys think🥺?


    s://i.imgur.com/DQoxfAY.png
    16AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:42
    Re: #11
    Maybe drop that and go with something fact-based instead?
    22AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:43
    Re: #11
    You have to put it on, no question
    Get one about 30cm wide
    15AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:41
    Same thing happened with the low-salt boom

    Required sodium intake varies depending on lifestyle and type of work,
    but everyone just went with "salt is bad, period."

    Plenty of people got fooled and died of heatstroke or water intoxication (electrolyte imbalance) because of it.

    Same deal here — might be fine while you're young,
    but old folks doing it will wreck their knees too.

    Also, the typical people who wreck their knees
    tend to be overweight or tall.
    94AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:03
    Re: #15
    With longer legs, leverage puts more force on the joint (like a lever).
    165AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:24
    Re: #15
    So tall, overweight people hurt their knees, huh
    Come to think of it, even Ohtani's getting a belly now
    17AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:42
    If you've got the energy to walk 10,000 steps, use it for something else, I say.
    182AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:34
    Re: #17
    Picking up trash or pulling weeds would be more productive, right?
    18AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:42
    Proof that staying a shut-in was the right call all along.
    19AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:42
    Re: #18
    What about the future, though?!
    31AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:44
    Re: #18
    Overuse it and it breaks, don't use it and it rusts.
    28AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:44
    Even 8,000 steps is rough.
    40AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:47
    Re: #28
    It feels rough because you're chasing 8,000 steps with no real goal in mind.
    Just doing your shopping at a decently big supermarket nearby
    racks up 1,000 or 2,000 steps easily.
    176AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:32
    Re: #28
    Walking to a park or library that's 30 minutes away one-way would probably do it
    and if you can relax at a café on the way back, it's even easier to keep up.
    43AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:47
    Pool walking is actually great
    the food after tastes amazing

    Which ironically makes you fat
    83AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:57
    Re: #43
    The basic rule is to exercise right after eating
    You need to start within 5 minutes
    Wait 30 minutes and the effect is weak
    89AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:00
    Re: #83
    Don't you get sleepy after eating though?
    105AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:06
    Re: #83
    Walking to go eat is the real answer
    You don't have to worry about parking even at lunchtime, and solo diners can usually get a seat
    Plus after eating you're forced to start walking again anyway
    82AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:57
    People in Tokyo definitely have stronger legs, huh
    84AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:58
    Re: #82
    You get trained just from transferring subway lines
    Thanks, Tokyo Metro
    85AnonymousSep 1, 2026 07:59
    Re: #82
    In a car-dependent area, walking pretty much only happens grocery shopping and dog walks
    128AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:14
    Cutting back on mindless snacking matters more than exercise
    135AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:16
    Re: #128
    No, exercise comes first
    It's well established that not exercising leads to cognitive decline
    148AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:19
    Re: #128
    Elderly people walk to maintain physical function, not to lose weight lol
    136AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:16
    Exercise spikes your heart rate all at once, and that's definitely hastening death
    149AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:19
    Re: #136
    That thing about how every animal gets about 500 million breaths and 2 billion heartbeats in a lifetime?
    166AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:25
    For your health,
    doing 2 minutes of squats twice a day (morning and afternoon) is the ultimate move
    No need to walk long distances at all
    171AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:28
    Re: #166
    Yeah, squats alone might really be enough
    Once squats build a bit of muscle and your leg joints loosen up properly, maybe add light jogging
    174AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:31
    Re: #166
    There's data showing aerobic exercise significantly lowers cancer risk, so you should still do something low-impact on the knees, like a cross-trainer
    186AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:35
    Re: #166
    That'll still make you fat if your diet isn't in check too
    180AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:33
    It just wears your knees down
    Cycling puts a lot less strain on your joints and lower back, so it's better
    188AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:35
    Re: #180
    Poor Shohei Hino… (the TV personality famous for cycling around Japan on his show)
    190AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:36
    Re: #180
    Cycling seems good, but
    it raises your odds of dying in an accident

    Background and Key Points of This Discussion

    The “10,000 steps a day” guideline is said to have simply spread from the brand name of the “manpo-kei” pedometer released in 1965, and it was never backed by medical evidence from the start. The health ministry’s “Health Japan 21” campaign, a national health initiative launched in 2000, revised its step guideline in the third phase starting 2024 to 8,000 steps for adults and 6,000 for the elderly. This reflects research findings that “going beyond 10,000 steps adds little additional health benefit while only increasing strain on the joints” — though the actual strain on the knees varies a lot by body weight, posture, and walking form, so exceeding 8,000 steps isn’t uniformly dangerous. On the forum too, many comments emphasized exercise intensity, diet management, and maintaining muscle strength over the step count itself, reflecting skepticism toward a simple numerical step target.

    ※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Health Ministry: Why Do We Assume We “Have to Walk 10,000 Steps a Day for Our Health”? It Actually Just Wrecks Your Knees.”