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  • 5ch Reacts to Sugihara Akisa, Nagano Momoha, Nishimura Otsuki & Soma Yume’s ‘Haro-Tsuu GAMES’ Livestream

    On Wednesday, October 14 at 9:00 PM, Hello! Project’s official YouTube channel streamed “Haro-Tsuu GAMES” featuring Sugihara Akisa, Nagano Momoha, Nishimura Otsuki, and Soma Yume, themed around “Rhythm Heaven: Miracle Stars.” It turned out to actually be pre-recorded footage released at the scheduled time rather than a true live broadcast, and since the start was delayed by several minutes, 5ch lit up with questions like “Wait, this was recorded?” and “Isn’t this a finished, ready-to-air product? What exactly were they still preparing?” — along with complaints about the broadcast’s quality, from low audio volume to glitchy green-screen compositing.

    Wed 10/14, 9:00 PM~

    [Hello! Project] Sugihara Akisa, Nagano Momoha, Nishimura Otsuki & Soma Yume’s “Haro-Tsuu GAMES” [Rhythm Heaven: Miracle Stars]

    YouTube:

    Source: m.youtube.com / Original article here

    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:34
    It's kind of a waste that this was pre-recorded, since Mochiking is the type who picks up chat comments live
    I feel like it could've been as fun as Nia-chan's Momotetsu (the Momotaro Dentetsu board-game) stream
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:45
    If they were fine recording with just these 4 anyway, I wish they'd done Momotetsu instead
    King's in there too
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:34
    Wish they'd swapped Soma out for a different young member
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 18:38
    Was going to keep watching after Setokan's stream, then realized Setokan's was yesterday. Oof.
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 18:41
    Hayashi has a tie to every one of them:
    Nagano Momoha — presented her Solo Fes MVP award
    Nishimura Otsuki — MC'd her first bar event
    Soma Yume — handed her the youngest-member baton
    Sugihara Akisa — fellow trainee back in the day
    23AnonymousOct 14, 2026 18:42
    Doesn't look like it's actually live, but it seems fun, so maybe I'll watch it in real time anyway
    24AnonymousOct 14, 2026 18:54
    Wanted to watch CS (satellite TV), but this is on at 9 instead
    25AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:13

    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:45
    Just please, not the one where you pluck the hairs off an onion
    Sick of it already (written as "Akita" — a pun on miakita, "tired of seeing it")
    30AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:57
    @famitsugamelive
    Because recording ran right up to the wire, we're still hard at work putting the footage together. The stream is expected to start about 5–10 minutes late. Our apologies to everyone!
    33AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:00
    With this lineup, there's no way they're going past 9 PM
    37AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:02
    Maybe they're waiting for the Hanshin game at Koshien Stadium to wrap up?
    38AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:03
    Guess the "mantis kid" went wild and ate into the schedule
    Not that I'd know
    39AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:04
    Wait, it's pre-recorded?
    Couldn't they have just done an actual live stream starting at 6?
    41AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:06
    Re: #39
    They're all minors, so maybe there's a risk of one of them saying something unbroadcastable
    43AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:06
    They must've shown something they weren't supposed to
    45AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:09
    Only 1,100 viewers showed up
    Niconico's got 93
    47AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:09
    Isn't this already a finished product (kanpake, i.e. fully edited and ready to air)? What exactly are they still preparing?
    48AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:09
    Figured 9 PM would be fine since it's just a stream…
    then my parents got on my case about it
    49AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:09
    A company that can't even start on time
    53AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:10
    Re: #49
    It's not that being late is unusual — being on time is the unusual part
    Way too loose with scheduling
    60AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:11
    Soma-ntis's (Soma's "mantis" nickname) headband went invisible
    62AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:11
    Streams running late is basically par for the course at this point
    63AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:12
    The green screen and Soma-ntis have basically merged into one
    65AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:12
    Who's the cute one, second from the right?
    66AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:12
    Re: #65
    That's Soma Yume-chan!
    67AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:12
    Watching this while also keeping an eye on Nippon TV is rough
    77AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    Okay, the audio is seriously too quiet
    Can't hear a thing even with the volume cranked all the way up
    86AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    Re: #77
    Careful, you'll blow your ears out
    152AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:33
    Thank you for watching Haro-Tsuu GAMES •͈ᴗ⁃͈⊹ — Sugihara Akisa
    https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume16ki/entry-12981586412.html
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20261014/21/morningmusume16ki/a3/6d/j/o1080081015831716207.jpg
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20261014/21/morningmusume16ki/af/ea/j/o1080081015831723401.jpg
    https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20261014/21/morningmusume16ki/23/8b/j/o1080108015831723403.jpg
    159AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:36
    Re: #152
    Already made her exit, huh
    258AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:51
    Is this even rhythm?
    268AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:52
    Re: #258
    Well, if you think of it as keeping an extremely slow rhythm…
    261AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:51



    305AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:54






    Background and Key Points

    “Haro-Tsuu GAMES” is a gaming segment produced for Hello! Project’s official YouTube channel, and this episode centered on “Rhythm Heaven: Miracle Stars.” Right from the start, thread posters were asking “Wait, was this recorded?” and “Wasn’t this supposed to be live?” — suggesting viewers quickly caught on that this was pre-recorded footage released at the scheduled time rather than a genuine live broadcast. As for the few minutes of delay at the start, a quoted announcement from the show’s account attributed it to recording and editing running up to the wire, which set off a round of half-joking speculation on 5ch about the real cause. Posters also zeroed in on technical shortcomings in the broadcast itself — audio set too quiet, and glitches in the green-screen compositing — so the thread ended up focused more on the staff’s apparent lack of preparation than on the actual content of the episode.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “■ Sugihara Akisa / Nagano Momoha / Nishimura Otsuki / Soma Yume ■ YouTube “[Hello! Project] Haro-Tsuu GAMES [Rhythm Heaven: Miracle Stars]” ■ 9:00 PM Start ■1.”

  • Kannagi Maro Coaches Rosy Chronicle’s Uemura Hazumi — 5ch: “Vocally, At Least, She’s Got the Goods”

    In a Hello! Project-related thread, a video of Kannagi Maro coaching Rosy Chronicle’s Uemura Hazumi became a hot topic. The spark was an announcement for next week’s “IDOL BATTLE ALIVE 2026” stream, featuring nine groups including SKE48, NBM48, and Maneki Kecha, with OCHA NORMA making a special guest appearance. In the thread, comments split between those praising Maro’s skill — noting her vocals outclass even current Hello! Project members — and those puzzled by an outsider from a different scene getting involved in coaching.

    1AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:08
    IDOL BATTLE ALIVE 2026
    ps://youtu.be/wD_HXHGEXlM?si=kp85ED_yk78ViIgk
    Streaming next week, by the way
    3AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:10
    This is gonna set the comments section on fire
    4AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:12
    Bet some Rosy Chronicle girl cried from Kanyon's no-nonsense coaching ("Kanyon" — nickname for Kannagi Maro)
    5AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:13
    Wait, are they seriously gonna have Hassy sing the key solo part?
    7AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:13
    If anyone's getting handed the key solo, it's gotta be Soma
    8AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:14
    Contamination, nyon~ (mimicking Maro's trademark "nyon" speech tic)
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:14
    Maybe this is exactly why she ended up on the idols' side?
    10AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:16
    Maro's useful if it's just about vocals.
    Just vocals, though.
    11AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:16
    Hazumi-chan! ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ
    12AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:17
    The instructor's the cutest one in the room
    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:17
    Only one of them isn't holding a mic, so is she dance-only?
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:18
    The following 9 groups are competing:
    SKE48
    NBM48
    Oishii Aimai (lit. "Delicious Ambiguity")
    Pixel Ribbon
    Maneki Kecha
    #MoooVE!
    RE-GE
    Ringwanderung
    Rosy Chronicle

    Special guest appearance [2025 Champion Act]: OCHA NORMA
    15AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:19
    Still raw, half-baked, runny dancing, nyon~
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:19
    Maro: "A milk gimmick character? You should drop that."
    Maro: "I mean, I used to be 'Cinderella reincarnated' myself, y'know"
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:20
    Getting notes from a former S/mileage member has gotta feel amazing
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:25
    Being coached by a legend — what an honor
    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:29
    Wonder if even current ANGERME members have ever actually met Maro
    28AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:30
    Feels like she's about to get stuck with a tattoo that looks like a kid's doodle lol
    30AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:32
    She's about to get the Hello! Pro Kenshuusei chronicle etched straight into her
    35AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:38
    A bit where 🥛 dumps 🥛 all over Maro would work too (🥛 = nickname for the group's "milk"-themed members)
    36AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:39
    Knowing Maro's personality, she doesn't seem like the type to rank people
    38AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:40
    Rosy Chronicle's members were literal babies back when Maro was active
    39AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:42
    If the Rosy Chronicle milk girl 🥛 goes full dark-side, I'm watching
    40AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:44
    Maro, Lady Producer: "Did you actually practice?"
    44AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:50
    Re: #40
    Probably tacked on an opener like "wow, you really can't do this at all, huh" first
    42AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:46
    If Rosy Chronicle inherited S/mileage's songs, they'd probably actually sell
    Sounds like ANGERME doesn't even want to sing them anyway
    45AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:51
    On vocals, nobody in Rosy Chronicle beats Maro, so just coach the whole group already
    46AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:52
    Isn't the key part supposed to go to each group's ace?
    Is Uemura really the right call?
    47AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:56
    Uemura's been learning by watching names even bigger than Fukuda live on Dance Gakuen
    51AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:00
    Did Rosy Chronicle even have a vocal specialist…?
    58AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:21
    Re: #51
    Don't forget Somayume (fan nickname pairing Soma and Yume)
    52AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:07
    Dance aside, you could count on one hand the current Hello! Project members who beat Maro at singing
    54AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:10
    I don't think Maro's the type to ever call out Hello! Project
    55AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:13
    59AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:22
    Be honest, is Hassy's dancing actually even that good?

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    Kannagi Maro is a former member of S/mileage (now ANGERME), known for her strong vocals. The topic kicked off with the announcement of next week’s “IDOL BATTLE ALIVE 2026” stream — a big event featuring nine groups including SKE48, Maneki Kecha, and Pixel Ribbon, with OCHA NORMA appearing as a special guest — when footage surfaced of Rosy Chronicle’s Uemura Hazumi being coached by Maro as part of the lineup. What split opinion in the thread wasn’t Maro’s own skill, but her position: a Hello! Project alum now on the outside, stepping in to coach a member of a different group. While many welcomed the vocal and dance coaching itself, others worried about its effect on each group’s distinct character — making this thread notable for not being a uniform “how nice that a great senior is teaching her” reaction.

    *This article is an excerpt and summary from the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Kannagi Maro Coaches Rosy Chronicle’s Uemura Hazumi.”

  • Hanshin Falls 0-2 to DeNA in Game 1 of Central League Climax Series as BayStars Pitching Staff Combines on Shutout

    In Game 1 of the Central League Climax Series on October 14, the Hanshin Tigers fell 0-2 to the DeNA BayStars. A go-ahead hit from Miyazaki and a solo home run from Sano gave DeNA the lead, and the BayStars’ pitching staff closed it out with a shutout relay. Hanshin squandered their chances, stranding 11 runners and grounding into two double plays, and suffered a scare in the 9th when Teruaki Sato fouled a pitch off his own right foot and had to leave the game on defense. Under the Climax Series advantage system, the head-to-head record effectively reverts to 1-1, and the thread lit up with debate over manager Fushimi’s bunt calls and just how much weight that advantage win should really carry.

    DeNA 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 | 2

    Hanshin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0

    [Battery]

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    3AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:13
    Wait til August, then go all-in and sneak into 3rd place in the pennant race.
    Peak the team for the Climax Series and pull off a giant-killer upset.

    That's literally all the BayStars ever do, it's not fair!
    10AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    Re: #3
    Then just copy them lol
    7AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:13
    Oh look, same sorry Tigers energy carrying straight over from the regular season.
    8AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:13
    The second Kinami stepped up to the plate, this game was already lost lmaoooooooooooo
    15AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    Re: #8
    He actually got a hit, which is rare for him.
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:13
    And people still have the nerve to talk about taking down SoftBank after this.
    Though SoftBank probably dreads facing the BayStars more than anyone else too.
    11AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    On Radiko it's just getting to the good part though
    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    HEEEEEERE WE GOOOOO
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    DeNA pulling the 3rd-place-to-Japan-champions route again?
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    Does this mean it's a real dogfight from here on out?
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    If they can win after a start like this, the BayStars are basically through already.
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    Why'd Sato-Teru get subbed out?
    36AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    Re: #19
    [Hanshin] Ouch, Teru! Teruaki Sato hurt — fouled a ball off his own right foot, subbed out on defense in the 9th
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6dc679ea27e2604996b99e3c76205dc5020f1c7f
    55AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:16
    Re: #19
    Self-inflicted foul ball.
    Well, it's not the kind of spot where you'd expect a fracture, so he'll probably be out there again tomorrow.
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    Fushimi's bunt call was a managing mistake, honestly.

    That was exactly the kind of spot where grinding out a walk would've hurt them more.
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:14
    Yokohama had 3 hits, Hanshin had 7 —
    and Hanshin still lost. Give me a break lol
    43AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    Re: #22
    And that's with the umps (fans call it the 'Hanshin-friendly ump') bailing them out over and over too.
    28AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    Classic 'calm the other team down with a bunt' style of managing.
    30AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    This makes things interesting now, but
    is Sato-Teru gonna be okay?
    31AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    They just can't hit at all.
    If only they had a 2-win advantage like SoftBank does.
    32AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    A shutout loss for the Tigers? lol
    Are they gonna be alright?
    35AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    Feels like someone's about to start whining that the advantage win wasn't enough.
    37AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    Yokohama really treats the pennant race as something to just survive and saves everything for the Climax Series, huh.
    42AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    Well, Takahashi and Saiki are starting the next two days, so they'll probably win.
    Murakami taking the loss was expected anyway.
    44AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:15
    At this point, why not just say the pennant-race winner clinches the Japan Series the second they win one game?
    45AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:16
    Hanshin's got a 3-win advantage this year, right?
    46AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:16
    Classic BayStars, always the giant-killers.
    Never disappoints.
    48AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:16
    It was supposed to be Yokohama's bottom-of-the-order that was done for, and yet here we are lol
    58AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:16
    Why didn't they go all out to pad their advantage lead further?
    Instead they partied like idiots into the middle of the night.
    102AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:20
    Re: #58
    I bet even Kyuji and the rest of the coaching staff don't realize the advantage lead can grow.
    That game they deliberately sent Ishii out for and lost was against Yokohama too.
    67AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:17
    So does this mean the series is tied up now?
    78AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:18
    Re: #67
    Hanshin started with 1 win and Yokohama started with 1 loss already baked in, so yeah, that's how the math works out.
    98AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:19
    Re: #78
    Thanks, that's rough for Hanshin — now it feels like Yokohama's a lock for the Japan Series.
    93AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:19
    Out of the roughly 15 players handed over as free-agent compensation picks, Kentaro Taira is the only one Giants fans actually regret losing.
    119AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:21
    Re: #93
    The pitcher they got as compensation for Yamaguchi has been starting for them for 10 years since then.
    He gets hurt a lot, but he's been a real lifesaver.
    96AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:19
    The Tigers released Iwata and put Hamaji up in the active player draft lol
    104AnonymousOct 14, 2026 21:20
    Re: #96
    Don't forget about Baba.
    He's still on the bench, you know.

    Background and Key Talking Points

    The Central League’s Climax Series (CS) gives the regular-season first-place team a built-in one-win advantage before the series even starts. Since Hanshin’s 0-2 loss here came on top of that advantage win, the real head-to-head record effectively reverts to 1-1. The thread was split over how this advantage system should be weighted, with some fans questioning whether the coaching staff is even managing with the advantage rule in mind. There was also a scare when Teruaki Sato fouled a ball off his own right foot in the 9th inning and had to leave on defense, though the extent of the injury wasn’t clear as of this writing.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Baseball] CL Climax Series Game 1: Tigers 0-2 BayStars [10/14] — DeNA ties it 1-1, Miyazaki’s go-ahead hit, Sano homers, bullpen combines on shutout, Hanshin strands 11 and grounds into 2 double plays.”

  • South Korea to Relocate 44 Agencies, Including Foreign Ministry, to Sejong City — 5ch: ‘Japan Should Move Its Capital Too’

    On the 13th, the South Korean government announced it will gradually relocate 44 central government agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense, from the capital Seoul to the central city of Sejong. The move is set to take place between 2027 and 2031, affecting roughly 10,000 civil servants. The Minister of the Interior and Safety explained the goal is to correct the excessive concentration of population and institutions in the greater Seoul area. On 5ch, users debated just how extreme Seoul’s over-concentration is, whether Sejong’s location makes sense given military tensions with North Korea, and whether Japan itself should finally do something about Tokyo’s own over-concentration.

    South Korea to Relocate 44 Agencies, Including Foreign and Defense Ministries, to Sejong City — Easing Seoul’s Over-Concentration: Nikkei

    Source: nikkei.com / Read the original article here

    3AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:48
    [Seoul — Erika Kobayashi] The South Korean government announced on the 13th that, as part of its plan to relocate central government agencies from the capital Seoul to the central city of Sejong, 44 agencies — including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense — will be covered. The move will happen in stages between 2027 and 2031, affecting an estimated 10,000 civil servants.

    Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-joong told a press conference, "This will overcome the over-concentration in the greater Seoul area and allow for balanced use of the country's land. It's a growth strategy that will lead to a new leap forward."
    5AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:49
    Japan should relocate its capital too, as a way to fix Tokyo's over-concentration
    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:50
    Re: #5
    That's not happening — Japanese people are too stubborn and set in their ways for that
    53AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:02
    Re: #5
    Real talk
    So many problems would be solved by this alone
    63AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:06
    Re: #5
    Say that and you get idiot local leaders swarming in shouting 'Osaka!' 'Fukuoka!' chasing their own vested interests
    7AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:49
    Meanwhile Japan's just fudging it with the 'secondary capital' idea
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:49
    Indonesia isn't pulling it off either
    10AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:50
    They're finally doing it, using Japan as a cautionary tale
    11AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:50
    Well, obviously — it's insane to keep your capital within field-artillery range of the border with an enemy state you're technically still at war with, armistice or not
    54AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:02
    Re: #11
    Seriously, how long is this armistice gonna last? Now that the North's gone nuclear, there's no way the war's restarting, so they should just officially end it and reconcile already
    12AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:50
    Well, Seoul is close to North Korea, so I guess that's why they're moving away…
    lol, and yet it's getting closer
    17AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:51
    What would that be the equivalent of in Japan?
    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:55
    Re: #17
    About like the distance from Tokyo to Hamamatsu
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:53
    The capital can stay Tokyo, but I do think some degree of decentralization would be good
    31AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:56
    Re: #20
    The Nankai Trough earthquake is basically guaranteed within 30 years — what's the case for sticking with Tokyo??
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:54
    Neither Nusantara nor Naypyidaw is working out.
    Don't hear much about Astana — wonder how that's going.
    And who knows what'll happen with Karakorum.
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:54
    Still, South Korea's really going for it — Seoul's become such a megacity that the rest of the country is even more depopulated than rural Japan
    23AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:54
    The moment I see the source is Nikkei, I get a little skeptical
    55AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:02
    Re: #23
    True
    Nikkei's a great paper on everything except economics
    28AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:55
    Everywhere outside Seoul in South Korea is turning into a ghost town of shuttered shops — are they really gonna be okay doing this?
    34AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:56
    Re: #28
    Isn't that exactly why?
    If the officials who can pull strings move there, companies will follow too. No idea what that does to the country's overall strength though
    29AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:55
    They've wanted to relocate for ages, but I'm pretty sure it's never gonna happen
    32AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:56
    Building a whole new political center basically from scratch must be tough
    I think backing things up to Osaka and Fukuoka is the approach that actually fits Japan's current scale
    33AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:56
    Honestly, about half the government agencies have already moved to Sejong
    43AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:59
    Japan should relocate its capital too
    Osaka would do just fine
    47AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:00
    Re: #43
    Is Osaka even part of Japan?
    46AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:59
    Wouldn't it honestly be more cost-effective to just build underground???
    Set up a few thousand entrances and exits
    And a few hundred thousand air vents???
    They already know the missiles are coming anyway
    The only one who'd even get mad about it is the US
    75AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:12
    Re: #46
    Heavy rain flooding, geothermal heat, and residents' vitamin D deficiency are the real obstacles to an underground city — and especially now that the internet's advanced enough that you could build a society where people never need to leave underground, that sounds like it'd cause brutal health problems
    60AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:04
    Feels pretty dead center 🤔
    64AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:07
    Re: #60
    I sense a strong will of 'anywhere but Jeolla Province, even if it kills us' (Jeolla being a region of South Korea)
    82AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:16
    South Korea's concentration in Seoul is on a totally different level than Tokyo — no comparison
    86AnonymousOct 14, 2026 20:18
    Re: #82
    In Japan terms, that'd be like 60 million people crammed into Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama combined

    Background and Key Points of the Debate

    Sejong City has been undergoing phased functional relocation since 2012 as South Korea’s “administrative-centered multifunctional city,” and this latest move is an extension of that policy, with 44 agencies — including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense — and roughly 10,000 civil servants set to relocate between 2027 and 2031. While the thread title calls it a “capital relocation,” the presidential office and National Assembly will remain in Seoul, so strictly speaking this is a further decentralization of administrative functions rather than the capital itself moving wholesale. In the thread, opinions were divided: some argued that South Korea’s concentration in Seoul is more severe than Japan’s concentration in Tokyo, and that Japan should likewise disperse its functions given disaster risks such as the Nankai Trough earthquake, while others pushed back, pointing out that Japan already has a “secondary capital” plan underway for Osaka and Fukuoka, and that building an administrative city from scratch is inherently difficult.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Good News] South Korea Relocates Its Capital wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”

  • Can’t Watch YouTube or Niconico on Switch 2 — 5ch: “You Can on Xbox”

    Reports that video apps like Niconico Douga, YouTube, and ABEMA can’t be watched on the Nintendo Switch 2 have become a hot topic on 5ch’s Hardware/Industry (Geha) board. Users have pointed out that services which worked fine on the original Switch and Wii U are unsupported on the successor console, and the thread buzzed with theories ranging from how ads are handled, to differences in payment systems, to security restrictions. At the same time, there’s a persistent camp arguing “do you even need to watch videos on a game console in the first place?” The actual cause remains officially unconfirmed.

    1AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:11
    You could watch them on the Switch 1 and Wii U though
    2AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:12
    Because it's a game console
    5AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:20
    Re: #2
    You can watch them on Switch 1, though — wasn't that a game console too?
    4AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:12
    Maybe it's a screen-size issue?
    6AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:21
    |/-O-O-ヽ| 「…ever since the 3DS…」 *mutters*
    41AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:22
    Re: #6
    That's basically turned into the "PS Ojisan" ASCII art at this point (a famous 5ch meme of a grumbling old PlayStation fan)
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:29
    You've got a smartphone, so do you even need it on the console?
    11AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:30
    Re: #9
    I want to watch it on the TV though
    65AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:29
    Re: #11
    All three TVs in my house can pull up YouTube with a button on the remote.
    Why would you watch YouTube on a game console?
    You can obviously watch it on your phone too.
    I own both a Switch and a PS5, and I've never once watched YouTube on either.
    Am I the weird one here?
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:35
    Maybe become a shareholder and grill them about it at the general meeting
    90AnonymousOct 14, 2026 18:46
    Re: #16
    Someone with a silver tongue, become a shareholder and file a direct appeal
    17AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:38
    Probably just can't agree on whether to show ads or not
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:39
    Everything's a lot more commercialized than it used to be.
    Probably a standoff between video sites wanting to push paid subscriptions and Nintendo's policy of not allowing in-app purchases.
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:41
    Actually, why does everyone keep pinning stuff that's really the video platforms' fault on Nintendo?
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:44
    This is genuinely inconvenient, I wish they'd get it working soon
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:47
    Apparently the Switch 1 version of Niconico Douga is ending its service
    24AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:49
    Re: #21
    The content's too trashy anyway — I bet Nintendo doesn't want to be held responsible for it
    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:53
    Did Switch 2 get downgraded or something?
    33AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:07
    Re: #27
    That's 100% on the content providers, so it's got nothing to do with Switch 2
    89AnonymousOct 14, 2026 18:43
    Re: #27
    Seriously though.
    At least let us watch YouTube already
    28AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:56
    It should just be flexing its versatility as an all-purpose device, but instead it ends up trampling directly on the high-quality gaming experience and the spirit of gaming fans that dedicated consoles offer.
    They want video-streaming apps on consoles too — a gateway to decline.
    Since it only undermines gaming as entertainment, there's no need to support it.
    29AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:00
    Watching videos on the Switch was easier to control and skipped the ads, so it was actually more convenient than watching on my phone — I do sort of want that on Switch 2 too
    30AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:03
    Because video-watching eats into time that should go to gaming
    36AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:17
    Re: #30
    It wasn't a problem on the original Switch, which sold like crazy, so this "time gets stolen" idea sounds like paranoia to begin with.
    And honestly, something as minor as Niconico isn't going to "steal" anything from anyone
    32AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:06
    Xbox: "You can watch it through Edge (the browser)"
    35AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:12
    Just slap some AI on it and get it sorted already.
    And cough up the money while you're at it
    37AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:18
    Plenty of people watched YouTube on it, but if it's gone, watching it elsewhere isn't a problem either
    39AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:19
    Re: #1
    So are you watching it on Switch every day, then? Show me your My Nintendo (play activity) screen.
    If you're not watching it, that just means you don't need it, right?
    51AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:38
    Probably the ads are the problem.
    A lot of ads these days are sketchy enough you can't show them to kids
    59AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:00
    Re: #51
    More like it's a security issue around tracking
    67AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:35
    Re: #65
    Some TVs support YouTube, some don't.
    Some people watch videos on game consoles, some don't.
    Don't assume your own common sense is everyone else's common sense
    74AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:53
    Re: #67
    I see — 3 TVs, 2 PC monitors, 1 desktop PC, 2 laptops, 2 tablets, 4 smartphones.
    Is owning that many YouTube-capable devices some kind of class gap?
    I'm just an ordinary guy…
    Well, today I learned…

    What’s Behind the Discussion

    The Niconico Douga and YouTube apps aren’t built-in system features — they’re developed and provided individually by each service. As noted in the thread, the Niconico app for the original Switch has already been announced to end service. The absence of major video apps on Switch 2 is likely less a hardware limitation than a business-side standoff between Nintendo and these companies over how ads and payment systems are handled. It’s worth stressing that the thread’s theories — “ad restrictions,” “security/tracking countermeasures” — are speculation, not information confirmed by any official announcement. The discussion also turns on a broader difference in values over whether a game console even needs video-playback functionality in the first place, so this isn’t simply a technical glitch that can be waved away.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch Hardware/Industry (Geha) board thread “Niconico, YouTube, ABEMA, etc. “Not available on Switch 2” — why?“.

  • Nippon-Ham’s Defense Falls Apart in CS Final — Fans Question Shinjo’s Managing

    A thread went up on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (live sports-chat board) about the Climax Series Final Stage game between the Nippon-Ham Fighters and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. A string of throwing errors and other defensive miscues during the game set off harsh reactions in the thread, with posters firing off lines like “this is sandlot ball.” Comments split between frustration with manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo’s fielding assignments and sympathy for players stuck playing out of position, while the thread also got lively arguing over how the Climax Series’ “advantage” win-count rule actually works.

    1AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:35
    Can't be helped, I guess
    4AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:36
    What was that garbage throw?
    This is exactly why they're weak.
    6AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:36
    Yeah yeah, another self-destruct into a come-from-behind loss today.
    How many times are they gonna repeat this?
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:36
    Giving up a run in that spot, fine, I get it — but not getting the out is the real problem.
    10AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:36
    That throw was pure despair.
    Looks like sandlot ball out there.
    11AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:36
    This is exactly why throwing guys into unfamiliar positions on short notice is so scary.
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:38
    Re: #11
    Shinjo said "leave defense to me" back in his first year, but ever since they brought in reinforcements he's been way too careless about fielding.
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:37
    Could that last hit have turned into a double play if they'd played it right?
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:38
    Re: #14
    That was batter Yanagimachi, right?
    Probably a tough play either way.
    15AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:37
    Did he really need to wind up and sling it that hard, given the timing?
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:38
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    Beat the Hawks, Fighters!
    51AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:41
    Re: #19
    Serves you right — Fooo!
    Serves you right — Fooo!
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:38
    Just forfeit the game already, head back to Kamagaya (Nippon-Ham's farm-team facility), and practice until next season.
    At this rate they'll never beat the "Toilet Bowls" (5ch's crude old nickname for SoftBank) no matter how many games they play.
    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:39
    Even if he's a two-way player, putting a pitcher at first base is just asking for a mistake.
    Honestly can't blame him for that one.
    35AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:40
    Re: #27
    That's exactly why 99% of online opinion is ripping into Shinjo.
    50AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:41
    Do we even need to keep playing this?
    It's pointless — just let SoftBank go straight to the Japan Series.
    61AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:42
    Re: #50
    Toilet Bowl: "What about our ticket revenue?"
    73AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:43
    Re: #61
    Masayoshi Son: "I've got more money than I know what to do with."
    76AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:43
    Re: #61
    If they try too hard it'll all be over in just 3 games.
    52AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:41
    There's no way he's throwing that runner out lol
    55AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:42
    Wait, not to be rude, but how did this team even finish 3rd?
    62AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:42
    Re: #55
    Because Orix, Lotte, and Rakuten were all weak.
    63AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:42
    Re: #55
    Farming weaklings.
    Straight-up farming weaklings.
    56AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:42
    Why didn't Seibu make it through instead?
    65AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:42
    Re: #52
    Hint: runner on third, Yamakawa.
    70AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:43
    Wait, Gunji plays left field too now?
    77AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:43
    Re: #70
    Kind of feel bad for him getting shuffled all over the field.
    Nomura's even playing center today.
    83AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:44
    Now that I think about it, Gunji's natural position is catcher too, right?
    What is going on with this team's fielding assignments?
    Even Power Pro (the baseball video game) wouldn't let you get away with this.
    93AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:45
    Re: #83
    Classic first-year Eikan Nine moves (the high-school team-building mode in Power Pro).
    89AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:44
    How's the earned run from this inning going to get scored against Fukuya Yamazaki?
    90AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:45
    Re: #89
    According to Sports Navi it's 1.
    94AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:45
    Is the advantage 2 wins, or what?
    So if Nippon-Ham loses today, that means they'd need 4 straight wins just to survive?
    98AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:46
    Re: #94
    Both teams need 5 wins total.
    The Toilet Bowls already start with 2 in the bank.
    103AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:47
    Re: #94
    With a 2-win advantage, it switches to a first-to-5 format.
    95AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:45
    Kondo, just hit a 3-run homer already.
    Embarrass them so bad Shinjo wants to quit on his own.
    100AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:46
    Re: #95
    Does that guy even have a sense of shame?
    He seems like he's got sky-high pride though.

    Background and Key Points of This Topic

    This thread centers on a game from the Pro Baseball Climax Series (CS) Final Stage, a format in which the higher-ranked team from the regular season is awarded a head-start “advantage” win (or wins) before the series even begins. Posters in the thread toss around figures like “2-win advantage” and “first-to-5,” but the exact win conditions can vary season to season, so none of this should be taken as definitive based on the thread’s comments alone. Opinion split over whether to chalk the sloppy defense up to individual players’ errors or to manager Shinjo’s fielding decisions — such as playing a pitcher at first base and shuffling players into unfamiliar positions — with critics of his managing on one side and those arguing “it couldn’t be helped in that spot” on the other. Note that “Toilet Bowl” (便器) is a long-standing, crude 5ch nickname for SoftBank used on baseball threads, not a term coined for this particular game.

    ※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (“Nandemo Jikkyo G”) thread “[Bad News] Nippon-Ham Suddenly Can’t Stop Making Errors“.

  • Hime Mori Luna Announces Stream — “Teaching My Sister to Drive” — Reactions in the Live-Commentary Thread

    A live-commentary thread for Hololive VTuber Hime Mori Luna (nickname “Non-tan”; catchphrase “nanora”) sprang up on 5ch’s “Nandemo Jikkyo G” (general live-commentary) board. Partway through, someone posted her own announcement image for a 7 PM stream titled “Teaching My Sister to Drive,” and posters reacted to it. Running alongside that were posts about the pro-baseball Climax Series and claims of “sockpuppeting” (self-replying under fake names to inflate support) circulating in the fan community — the thread never settled on one single topic, true to form for this kind of freewheeling chat thread.

    12AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:00
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:02
    48AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:06
    53AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:07
    66AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:09
    oh, it's here
    67AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:09
    The Climax Series [NPB's postseason playoffs] is on — you're not watching it?
    71AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:09
    Re: #67
    Minister Yana matters more
    72AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:10
    Re: #67
    I'm the real climax here, honestly
    73AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:10
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HTs50PeasAAHJXy.jpg
    77AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:10
    Re: #73
    What Pokémon is that?
    74AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:10
    82AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:11
    90AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:13
    93AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:14
    Re: #90
    Mind if I take a guess?
    95AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:14
    https://www.movic.jp/shop/r/r405038/




    101AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:16





    106AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:16
    Re: #101
    Is that the kind of character she is?
    107AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:17
    Mondo-eye-chan 😍 [nickname seen in the thread; exact meaning/origin unclear]
    125AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:19
    Re: #107
    Wait, does she have BO? [wakiga = underarm body odor; crude joke]
    110AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:17
    🍬Live stream today starting at 7 PM🍬

    ＼＼ Teaching My Sister to Drive ／／

    Gold-license [Japan's top-tier safe-driver license, earned after 5+ violation-free years] Non-tan is gonna show you what driving's all about, nanora🚗(・o・🍬)Vroom
    #NanoraLive #HimeMoriLuna

    ◆Streaming at◆
    https://youtube.com/live/zJ7OdhVhM-A
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HUg3V7ibMAAqc_-?format=jpg&name=large
    117AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:18
    Re: #110
    funa-funa-no-funa 🍬 [nonsense meme phrase]
    124AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:19
    Re: #110
    Guess I'll go with this one tonight
    112AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:17
    Re: #106
    116AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:18
    Re: #112
    What are you even trying to say
    118AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:18
    Apparently the 'Lunights' [her fanbase's nickname, Luna + Knight] in this thread are just one guy samefagging [posting under multiple names to fake a crowd]
    121AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:19
    Re: #118
    The concurrent-viewer count proves it
    123AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:19
    Re: #118
    (・o・🍬) *hyah!*
    128AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:20
    The AI-image spam for Flare [fellow Hololive VTuber Shishiro Flare] is probably one guy too, right?
    130AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:21
    Re: #128
    That's proven by the concurrent viewers too
    131AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:21
    139AnonymousOct 14, 2026 19:22
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FRFfaunUYAAYMQP.jpg

    Background and Key Points

    The thread title’s “Nth-Generation Shogun” is a 5ch naming convention marking how many times this same recurring live-commentary thread has been re-created — it has no direct bearing on this particular thread’s content. Hime Mori Luna is a VTuber belonging to Hololive’s 5th generation, and her nickname “Non-tan” and catchphrase “nanora” are forms of address that have become standard among fans. The “sockpuppeting” suspicion raised in the thread rests solely on the stream’s high concurrent-viewer count and amounts to speculation rather than a substantiated claim, so it’s worth treating with caution. Rather than one unified controversy, the thread overall is better read as a typical slice of chatter from a regular live-commentary thread — a stream announcement, pro-baseball talk, and fan banter all running in parallel without converging on a single topic.

    *This article excerpts and summarizes the 5ch (“Nandemo Jikkyo G” / General Live-Commentary board) thread “Nth-Generation Shogun: Hime Mori Luna Nanora (・o・🍬)🏰.”

  • Vietnamese driving test questions leaked — Chiba police “suspending it for now” — 5ch: “A test idiots can pass”

    Chiba Prefectural Police announced on October 13 that they are suspending, for the time being, the driving license written test that had been offered in Vietnamese. The trigger was the discovery of images on a smartphone — identical to the actual exam questions — belonging to a 29-year-old Vietnamese woman who was taking the test at the Chiba Driver’s License Center. The exam won’t be used again until it’s remade starting on the 16th. On 5ch, opinions split between those questioning the very idea of offering driving tests in foreign languages, and those pointing out that the real problem is structural: unlike the Japanese-language version, which has multiple randomized question sets, the foreign-language version has only one fixed set — meaning it can be passed through pure memorization alone.

    Chiba Prefectural Police Headquarters

    After it came to light that questions from the Vietnamese-language driving license written test had leaked outside the organization, the Chiba Prefectural Police Driver Education Division announced on the 13th that it is temporarily suspending the Vietnamese-language written test. The suspension will remain in effect until the questions are remade, starting on the 16th.

    According to the Driver Education Division, around 10:50 a.m. on the 13th, during a Vietnamese-language written test for a standard motorcycle license at the Chiba Driver’s License Center (Mihama Ward, Chiba City), an image of the exam questions was found in the photo folder of the smartphone belonging to a 29-year-old Vietnamese woman who was taking the test.

    Source: sankei.com / Original article here

    4AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:45
    Make the driving test as hard as the Tokyo University entrance exam
    80AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:14
    Re: #4
    Then you'd never get a license in your whole life lol
    6AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:46
    Why not just search belongings and confiscate phones before the test?
    8AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:47
    Just ban foreign-language testing entirely
    If anything, English only should be enough
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:50
    Don't let foreigners who can't even understand Japanese drive
    17AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:50
    >The written test for a standard motorcycle license, in Vietnamese
    Japanese should be fine for that
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:50
    >The driving license written test, written in Vietnamese

    Give me a break, you idiots
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:51
    Re: #19
    Yeah, exactly
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:51
    Leaked exam questions have been sold outside driving test centers for ages
    59AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:06
    Re: #21
    You mean those shady cram-school-looking places, right?
    Where you stay overnight the day before and cram
    Is there a foreigner version of that kind of thing?
    29AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:54
    No wonder hackers look down on us
    Leaks this easily
    36AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:55
    Why does Japan even need to let people take the driving test in a foreign language in the first place?
    43AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:57
    Re: #36
    I've never once seen the newspapers raise that question. Is the media turning a blind eye too??
    92AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:25
    Re: #36
    Exactly
    All the road signs and electronic traffic boards in this country are written in Japanese, so if you can't read them you shouldn't be allowed to drive, period
    53AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:02
    Stop making it possible to take the test in foreign languages
    56AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:04
    Re: #53
    Take it up with the LDP.
    106AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:33
    Honestly, in my own case
    I failed the written test once,
    bought a test-prep workbook sold near the test center,
    and passed a few days later — so I can't really talk down to anyone.
    Seriously, the written test is full of confusing garbage questions.
    The driving school's own written lessons were easy,
    but the test center's exam was full of trick questions designed to make you slip up.
    118AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:45
    Re: #106
    That's exactly why it matters — to stop people who can't even grasp basic traffic rules like this from driving.
    You only failed because you didn't understand what the question was really asking.
    125AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:51
    The cognitive test for drivers 75 and older
    You memorize four picture cards, each showing four images — 16 total.
    But it's already leaked all over the internet and in books too.
    130AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:55
    Re: #125
    If someone actually has dementia they can't remember it anyway, so no problem lol
    154AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:13
    The reason for the suspension: for each language (Vietnamese in this case), there's only a single version of the test sheet,
    so even if you can't read the questions, anyone can pass just by memorizing where to mark the circles.
    (Japanese has multiple versions, assigned randomly)

    This has apparently been known among foreigners for a while, who mocked it as "a test idiots can pass."
    179AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:44
    Re: #154
    In middle school PE class, we weren't allowed to actually play soccer until we passed a written test on the rules.
    But word got around that the answers were just the 48 kana of the iroha poem, so everyone just memorized those — this reminds me of that.
    178AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:44
    It's basically just recycled past exam questions, right?
    185AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:51
    Re: #178
    Because the Public Safety Commission just reuses past questions

    Background and points of debate

    Japan’s driving license written test offers exams in several foreign languages — English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and others — to accommodate the growing number of foreign workers and their families. This particular case was limited to the Vietnamese-language test in Chiba Prefecture; it didn’t halt testing in other languages or other prefectures. Within the thread, two camps clashed: one arguing foreign-language testing should be scrapped outright, and another pointing out that the real flaw lies in the exam’s design — while the Japanese version randomly draws from multiple question patterns, the minor-language versions have only a single fixed pattern, meaning test-takers can pass just by memorizing where the correct answers fall. That second point is about a design flaw in how the exam is administered, a separate issue from whether foreign-language testing itself should exist — a distinction that’s easy to miss. It’s also worth noting that suspicion currently falls on a single test-taker; concluding that foreign applicants as a whole are cheating based on this one case would be premature.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Driving test questions possibly obtained in advance — image found on Vietnamese woman’s phone, test suspended for now — Chiba.”

  • 5ch Users Get Hooked on Mobile Game ‘Angry Birds 2’ — Thread Spirals Into Dragon Quest VII Nostalgia at Suruga-ya

    A thread popped up on the News VIP board where a poster using the emoticon AA “(っ´ω`c)” reported being deep into the mobile game Angry Birds 2. Repliers chimed in with nostalgia-fueled tangents — the price of a Nintendo 3DS copy of Dragon Quest VII bought at Suruga-ya, the going rates for Switch titles, and the latest on new Fire Emblem releases. The thread never settled on one topic, drifting all the way to updates on colds and doctor visits — a classic case of a game thread sliding into general chit-chat.

    1AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:05
    (っ´ω`c) You guys playing it too? Angry—
    6AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:13
    Suruga-ya had all sorts of stuff, old games included.
    I bought myself another copy of the 3DS version of Dragon Quest VII — box and manual included — for a steal at 760 yen.
    I actually prefer the 3DS version anyway since it's closer to the original VII than the Reimagined remake, so it worked out perfectly.
    8AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:15
    Re: #6
    (っ´ω`c) Anything else good there?
    7AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:13
    (´･ω･`) I played the original Angry Birds.
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:15
    Re: #7
    (っ´ω`c) Play 2 as well and rack up some Google Play points.
    12AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:19
    Re: #8
    No Switch Fire Emblem there.
    They did have Awakening but I passed on it.
    Switch games overall were pricier than on Amazon, so I couldn't justify it.
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:20
    Re: #12
    (っ´ω`c) Passed on Awakening, huh… it's a fun one though.
    15AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:22
    (´･ω･`) Pomii-kun, I'm done for.
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:23
    Re: #15
    (っ´ω`c) Huh?
    17AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:25
    Re: #14
    Honestly, I kind of want Three Houses to be my debut [Fire Emblem].
    But that game just never drops in price.
    18AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:28
    Re: #17
    (っ´ω`c) Well, it's a popular title, so it's probably a 'never gonna buy it' case for life (lit. "Pantene pattern," VIP slang swapping パターン/"pattern" for the shampoo brand).
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:30
    (´･ω･`) I ate a Lunch Pack (a popular packaged sandwich snack).
    23AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:34
    Re: #19
    (っ´ω`c) What flavor was it, anyway?
    Re: #20
    (っ´ω`c) Fates (if), huh — might as well play Heroes too.
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:30
    Same deal as Xenoblade 2 — it's always the games I actually want that are expensive.
    Also I like Camilla, so Fates has my attention too.
    21AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:31
    (´･ω･`) Oh, so the Angry Birds event started on the 13th!
    24AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:35
    Re: #21
    (っ´ω`c) Yeah… how many points do you have left until Platinum rank?
    22AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:31
    Ugh, another mobile game thread?
    What'd you have to eat?
    25AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:35
    Re: #22
    (っ´ω`c) Lunch was rice topped with tenkasu (tempura scraps).
    27AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:36
    (´･ω･`) 2,450 points to go.
    30AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:38
    Re: #27
    (っ´ω`c) Jump in now, it's not too late — Angry [Birds]!
    29AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:37
    Are you playing the billiards one too?
    32AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:39
    Re: #29
    (っ´ω`c) I quit that one — each match takes way too long. It's a PvP game too, so it gets stressful, and skill really matters there.
    Angry Birds is easier in that regard, since even beginners can just breeze through stages however they like.
    36AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:41
    Re: #32
    Even just the bottom-tier reward is worth it, so maybe I'll try both.
    34AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:40
    (´･ω･`) I'll go ahead and install it.
    37AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:41
    Re: #34
    (っ´ω`c) Make sure to hit the 'Join League' button on the Google Play side.
    38AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:42
    The Angry Birds movie was fun.
    40AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:44
    Re: #35
    (っ´ω`c) Got it.
    Re: #36
    (っ´ω`c) Seriously? Good luck with the billiards game.
    Re: #38
    (っ´ω`c) Oh right, there's a movie too — guess you're not into the game itself, huh?
    39AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:43
    (´・ω・｀) Hungry NEET? (pun on "Angry" vs. "Hungry")
    41AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:44
    Re: #39
    (っ´ω`c) Hungry Angry.
    42AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:50
    I caught a cold.
    Don't you go catching one too, Pomii-kun.
    43AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:52
    Re: #42
    (っ´ω`c) Take care of yourself — try not to get too much cool air on you.
    44AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:56
    Went to the psychiatrist and had a good talk with the doctor about myself!
    It really does help to have somewhere you can talk about your worries and symptoms!
    45AnonymousOct 14, 2026 14:58
    Re: #44
    (っ´ω`c) Glad to hear it — having someone listen really does make things easier. I wonder what's been on your mind.
    47AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:03
    Billiards is tough.
    I mean, I've never even played it in real life, so I'm already at a disadvantage.
    49AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:06
    Re: #47
    (っ´ω`c) Yeah, that one's rough if you don't know the rules.
    50AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:07
    Re: #48
    (っ´ω`c) To strengthen your bones, gain weight! NHK said so!!!!!
    51AnonymousOct 14, 2026 15:10
    Re: #50
    WHOOOOAAAAAA
    NHK is the strongest!!!

    Background and Talking Points

    The “Google Play points” and “Platinum rank” mentioned in the thread refer to Google Play’s loyalty program, where points accumulate with purchases and raise your rank. Angry Birds 2 runs an event tied into this system, which is why posters are comparing ranks and leftover points. Suruga-ya, for context, is a secondhand retailer (both online and in physical stores) known for selling older titles — like the 3DS version of Dragon Quest VII — cheaply, a fact well known among gaming fans. The thread itself follows the “named-poster chat” format common on the VIP board, built around a recurring poster identified by a fixed emoticon rather than any particular news event, with the conversation driven more by casual life updates than headlines. True to that format, the topic never stays fixed, wandering from game talk all the way to health updates and doctor visits.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5ch (News VIP) thread “(っ´ω`c) Pomii here, I’ve been playing the heck out of a mobile game called Angry Birds 2.”

  • Shiseido Disbands Track & Field Team After 47 Years — 5ch Reacts: ‘The Ex-Consultant Wrecked Everything’

    Shiseido announced on the 14th that it will disband its track and field team, the “Shiseido Running Club,” at the end of March 2027. Founded in 1979, the storied team is closing the book on a 47-year run after winning the All Japan Industrial Women’s Ekiden (Queens Ekiden) twice and producing athletes who competed at the Olympics and World Athletics Championships. The announcement comes against the backdrop of Shiseido’s weak performance, with both operating income and net income falling into the red for the fiscal year ended December 2025. On 5ch’s Geisoku (entertainment/sports) board, users debated the reasons behind the company’s decision to cut its track team, pointing to the slowdown in the Chinese market, the rise of Korean cosmetics, and past management decisions.

    Nikkan Sports [October 14, 2026, 2:15 PM]

    Shiseido announced on the 14th that it has decided to suspend the activities of its corporate track and field team, the Shiseido Running Club, and disband it as of March 31, 2027.

    The team was founded in 1979, the year of the first Tokyo International Women’s Marathon. Over its 47-year history, under the slogan “Strong, Fast, Beautiful,” it won the All Japan Industrial Women’s Ekiden Relay Championship (Queens Ekiden) twice and produced athletes who went on to represent Japan at the Olympics and World Championships.

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    2AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:39
    Shiseido's seriously in trouble, huh (´・ω・`)
    90AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:22
    Re: #2
    The ex-consultant wrecked everything
    3AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:40
    Guess Japanese companies really are in bad shape
    79AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:13
    Re: #3
    This is what happens when you get in too deep with China — when the CEO's incompetent, the company goes under
    6AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:41
    I guess the brand name alone just doesn't sell anymore
    8AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:42
    Is makeup made by YouTubers what's actually selling these days?
    9AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:42
    Ironic — a makeup company, and their runners competed without any makeup on
    11AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:44
    Guess they decided it wasn't doing anything for PR or prestige anymore
    12AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:44
    Back when they had Proudia and stuff it was good, but it's gone downhill since — Korean cosmetics probably outsell them now
    26AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:46
    Re: #12
    Korean cosmetics are really selling that well? Must be all that K-pop running on Japanese TV. Japan's being an idiot.
    13AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:44
    I remember their peak being back when they had TSUBAKI and the commercials with Ebi-chan (model Yuri Ebihara)
    14AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:44
    How much longer is Nissan gonna keep holding onto Marinos anyway (the Yokohama F. Marinos soccer club)
    16AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:44
    They sold off TSUBAKI and uno and pivoted to a premium strategy, and it still didn't work?
    17AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:45
    This is what you get for sucking up to China
    75AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:12
    Re: #17
    Probably spent too much money on Shohei Ohtani — meanwhile Asics, who cut ties with Ohtani, is doing great
    19AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:45
    Back around 2010, Shiseido was the top pick for 'companies that'll still be around in 100 years' — guess seeing the future really is hard
    20AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:45
    Can't figure out why Uotani stuck around as senior advisor for a while — he's worse than Nissan, and Nissan was already a mess to begin with.
    30AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:48
    I wonder if our beloved Nikoniko-do is doing okay (a nostalgic nod to an unrelated, long-struggling Japanese electronics chain — just a tangent)
    32AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:48
    They've produced plenty of athletes who made Olympic teams or did well at the World Championships, but none of them ever medaled — the best finish was 8th place at Worlds (Harumi Hiroyama). No wonder, honestly.
    62AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:02
    Re: #32 That's wrong.
    Hiroyama actually placed in the top 8 three times: 8th in the 5000m at the 1997 Worlds, 4th in the 10000m at the 1999 Worlds, and 8th in the marathon at the 2005 Worlds.
    Also, before she moved to Shiseido — back in her Wacoal days — Mao Ichiyama (wife of former Japan record holder Kengo Suzuki) finished 8th in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics.
    33AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:48
    Corporate sports teams only work when the company's got money to spare
    34AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:49
    It's the kind of thing only old folks are into these days, so this is probably the natural time for the tide to go out
    55AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:58
    I thought Shiseido was selling like crazy overseas with their premium lineup
    59AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:00
    Re: #55
    The crazy sales were all in China, but now that market's dried up — same goes for Kosé and the others
    57AnonymousOct 14, 2026 16:59
    Korean cosmetics stole the market, that's why
    80AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:13
    Re: #57
    It's baffling that they're picking such polarizing ambassadors from the K-pop world, like Lisa and Iroha
    64AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:03
    'TSUBAKI' sees accelerating growth at home and abroad — Southeast Asia sales nearly double in 3 years
    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b6d391b3792db8b04dd346fac69f113672635590

    lol
    71AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:10
    Re: #64
    For people outside the cosmetics world, Shiseido basically means TSUBAKI, but TSUBAKI isn't even a Shiseido brand anymore…
    68AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:08
    Is Shiseido really struggling because of Korean cosmetics taking off?
    76AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:12
    Re: #68
    Quality aside, a lot of it's cheap enough that even high school girls can afford it with their allowance, and they market it skillfully on social media — the younger crowd's been completely won over
    81AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:14
    Re: #68
    Latest results (full fiscal year ended December 2025):
    • Revenue: ¥969.9 billion (down 2.1% year-on-year)
    • Operating profit: -¥28.7 billion (vs. a ¥7.5 billion profit the year before)
    • Net income: -¥40.6 billion (vs. a ¥10.8 billion loss the year before)
    Seriously bad. The losses just keep getting bigger.
    97AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:31
    Mao Ichiyama, who ran at the Olympics, left at the start of this year, so they probably held off disbanding until the remaining athletes and staff had somewhere else lined up to go
    100AnonymousOct 14, 2026 17:36
    Re: #97
    But there are athletes who just joined fresh out of school this year though

    Background and Key Points

    As one of Japan’s leading domestic cosmetics makers, Shiseido has long invested in corporate sports, but in recent years it has struggled amid a sharp slowdown in the Chinese market and the rise of Korean cosmetics brands. It’s worth noting that the figures cited in the thread showing the company sliding into the red for the fiscal year ended December 2025 (with both operating and net income negative) were posted by a single commenter and are not an official announcement. The thread also debated the merits of Shiseido’s past decision to sell off former mainstay brands like TSUBAKI and uno and pivot to a premium strategy, with opinions divided. The suspension of corporate athletic teams has become increasingly common in recent years at companies facing tough profit environments, not just Shiseido, and this decision, too, lines up with the official reasoning of “improving growth and profitability.” Opinions in the thread were split over what it takes to sustain a corporate sports team and where management responsibility lies, so it’s worth being cautious about reducing the story to any single cause.

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisoku/Sports News+) thread “[Track and Field] Shiseido Announces Suspension and Disbanding of Its Corporate Team, Citing ‘Careful Deliberation on Growth and Profitability’ — Storied Team Founded in ’79.”