# 2026年9月30日（水）辛坊治郎ズームそこまで言うか！

- Show: 辛坊治郎 ズーム そこまで言うか！【最新回のみ】
- Published: 2026-09-30
- Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/1513369812_88fdabe9c178.html
- Audio: https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/67122501-9b17-4d77-84bd-a93d00dc791e/faed9f7a-6434-4e82-b4b3-abac000c1fa2/fe57af32-7f6f-4003-9c63-b4d5008e1786/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=63f34096-5ddb-4815-850a-b2a3004703ce
- Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary.

The September 30 broadcast of Shinbo Jiro Zoom Sokomade Iuka! warmed up with listener mail ahead of Radio Park in Hibiya this Sunday (October 5), then shifted to Shinbo Jiro's (辛坊治郎) three-to-four-year battle to master Chopin's Heroic Polonaise. The Zoom Flash news segment covered a wide range of stories, from 3,153 food-price hikes taking effect in October to the world's first successful surgery using the iPS-cell cardiac regenerative medicine product 'ReHeart,' and Toys 'R' Us Japan handing all 150 stores to Don Quijote operator Pan Pacific International Holdings.

## What this episode answers

### How long has Shinbo been practicing piano, and what struggles has he faced?

Shinbo started piano in his late 60s and has been at it for roughly three to four years, currently working on Chopin's Heroic Polonaise; he can now play through it in about 30 minutes — down from an hour — while his teacher repeatedly scolds him to 'keep hitting keys even if you make a mistake, never stop.'

### How many listeners plan to attend Radio Park, and who is coming?

At least 20 listeners announced during the broadcast that they would attend, including couples from Suginami Ward, a listener flying down from Aomori, and a father-to-be stopping by from Saitama after a family grave visit in Okinawa; Shinbo expressed relief that 'the audience outnumbering the performers crisis has been averted.'

### How many food items are getting more expensive in October, and how have private-sector wages changed?

3,153 food and beverage items will rise in price in October — the second consecutive month above 3,000 items — while the National Tax Agency reports that the average private-sector salary rose 1.9% year-on-year to ¥4,866,000, the highest level since records began in 1949.

### What will happen to Toys 'R' Us stores after it exits Japan?

Pan Pacific International Holdings, operator of Don Quijote (ドン・キホーテ), will take over all 150 Toys 'R' Us Japan stores in a deal valued at roughly ¥10 billion.

### What was the world's first surgery using the iPS-cell regenerative medicine product 'ReHeart'?

Osaka Police Hospital successfully performed what is believed to be the world's first operation using 'ReHeart,' an iPS-cell-derived cardiac regenerative medicine product approved for insurance coverage in Japan in September 2026, with the first patient being a woman in her 50s from Kanagawa Prefecture.

## Article

## Listeners Rally for Hibiya Radio Park

With Radio Park at Hibiya scheduled for this Sunday (October 5), listener participation mail flooded in during the broadcast. A listener from Suginami Ward had to drop out because of a hometown autumn festival in Iwate clashing with the date, but confirmed attendees quickly multiplied: a couple from Chigasaki, Kanagawa, planning a radio date; a listener flying in from Aomori; and a father stopping by from Saitama after a family grave visit in Okinawa during the Silver Week holiday. By the end of the segment, more than 20 listeners had announced they were coming.

Shinbo noted that the venue will also host a live 'Zoom Flash' news segment and urged listeners planning to attend to send their mail early, clearly marked 'For Radio Park.' The forecast calls for cloudy skies and comfortable temperatures, though he recommended bringing sunscreen just in case.

## Shinbo's Piano Battle: Chopin's Heroic Polonaise

Shinbo began playing piano in his late 60s — about three to four years ago — and is currently locked in combat with Chopin's Heroic Polonaise. A professional can perform the piece in roughly six minutes; Shinbo used to need a full hour to struggle through it, but has achieved what he called 'lightning-speed progress,' now managing to get through it in about 30 minutes. 'If I play it twice in a row, that's basically a concert,' he joked.

His teacher, apparently less amused, repeatedly tells him: 'Even if you make a mistake, hit something — just don't stop.' Shinbo marveled at children who become extraordinarily skilled after barely ten years of practice, adding with a rueful laugh that ten years of his own effort would never close that gap.

## Chichibu Night Festival, Hebes Citrus, and Apples

Listener mail also sparked a food-and-travel tangent. A listener from Chichibu mentioned that the Chichibu Yomatsuri (秩父夜祭) on December 2–3 will feature roughly 5,000 fireworks including large shakudama shells, prompting Shinbo to reminisce about hiking around Mt. Buko (武甲山) during high school. He noted how extensive limestone quarrying has visibly altered the mountain's silhouette and recalled memories of small abandoned roads in the area.

A listener from Hyuga City, Miyazaki, introduced the panel to 'hebes,' a citrus fruit that looks almost identical to kabosu. According to the broadcast, biting into a slice is surprisingly mild and pleasant. Co-host Mayoyama Sayaka (真世山さやか) took one home, and Shinbo recommended squeezing it into sparkling water. He added that hebes sometimes appear cheap as clearance items in supermarkets.

On the subject of apples, Shinbo mentioned that dedicated apple-storage bags dramatically extend shelf life, and that keeping apples in a regular refrigerator without such bags causes the flavor to deteriorate day by day.

## Zoom Flash: Prices, Wages, Surgery, AI, and Nuclear Waste

The news segment covered a dense lineup of stories.

**Food prices:** 3,153 food and beverage items will go up in price in October, marking the second straight month with more than 3,000 items rising. Total confirmed price hikes for 2026 stand at 20,187 items, putting the year on track to exceed 20,000 items for the second consecutive year.

**Wages:** The National Tax Agency's latest survey shows the average private-sector salary rose 1.9% year-on-year to ¥4,866,000, rising for five straight years to its highest level since the survey began in 1949. By category: men averaged ¥5,967,000; women ¥3,418,000; full-time employees ¥5,593,000; non-regular workers ¥2,905,000. Shinbo observed that working-age people can absorb price increases through higher pay, but pensions are structurally designed to lag behind inflation — making this a tough era for older generations.

**Toys 'R' Us Japan:** The company will exit store operations in Japan before the end of the year, with Pan Pacific International Holdings taking over all 150 domestic locations in a deal estimated at around ¥10 billion. 'It's been about 35 years since they arrived in Japan,' Shinbo said. 'At the time, having that many toys under one roof was revolutionary, but the rise of online shopping is reshaping all of retail.' He also praised Don Quijote's remarkable ability to draw crowds, noting it is always packed to the point of barely being able to move.

**ReHeart surgery:** Osaka Police Hospital successfully completed what is considered the world's first surgery using 'ReHeart,' an iPS-cell-derived regenerative medicine product for cardiac disease that received insurance coverage in Japan in September 2026. The first patient is a woman in her 50s from Kanagawa Prefecture, and the procedure concluded without complications.

**OpenAI:** At its annual developer event, OpenAI announced new autonomous AI features capable of reading user intent and acting independently. However, the company chose to delay the release of its most advanced model, which did not yet meet internal safety standards.

**Nuclear waste:** Suzuki, the mayor of Hitachiomiya City, Ibaraki Prefecture, was scheduled to hold a 4 p.m. press conference on whether to accept a literature survey for a high-level nuclear waste final disposal site. Shinbo noted that the result would be reported after the broadcast, in the 5 o'clock segment.

## Takeaways

- Shinbo Jiro has been wrestling with Chopin's Heroic Polonaise for three to four years and can now play through it in 30 minutes — five times a professional's pace — all while being scolded by his teacher never to stop, however many mistakes he makes.
- October brings 3,153 food-price hikes (the second consecutive month above 3,000 items) against a backdrop of record-high private-sector wages of ¥4,866,000, though Shinbo warned the elderly are structurally unable to keep pace with inflation.
- Major news included the world's first successful surgery using iPS-cell cardiac product ReHeart, Toys 'R' Us Japan handing all 150 stores to Don Quijote's parent company for roughly ¥10 billion, and OpenAI unveiling autonomous AI features while delaying its top model over safety concerns.