2026年10月14日（水）辛坊治郎ズームそこまで言うか！

Malaysia Entry Card Fixed by Browser Switch

On the previous day's broadcast, Shinbo Jiro had reported spending two hours trying to submit Malaysia's electronic entry card application on his smartphone, only to give up because the submit button was unresponsive. During the live broadcast a listener wrote in suggesting he try rotating his phone to landscape mode, and that hint prompted a lateral leap: what if he tried a different browser altogether? Switching to a different browser app on his phone did the trick — the submit button worked normally, and the screen even flagged an input error he had overlooked. He corrected it, submitted, and a confirmation email arrived within tens of seconds. Because his itinerary calls for two entries into Malaysia, and he may need to reapply via smartphone while traveling, confirming this workaround was a genuine relief.

Takada Mizue to Make First Radio Appearance in 41 Years

Nikkan Sports reported that Takada Mizue will appear on Tokumitsu-san's program on Saturday, October 24 — her first radio appearance in 41 years. Shinbo praised her as one of the rare idols of her era who was also a genuinely exceptional singer, placing her alongside Iwasaki Hiromi (岩崎宏美) and Mori Masako (森昌子). Takada Mizue abruptly retired when she married wrestler Wakashimazu and has rarely been seen in public since, making her one of the defining examples of an entertainer who stepped away upon marriage and never came back. Wakashimazu passed away last year in his late 60s, a fact that gave Shinbo pause: he was younger than Shinbo is now. The conversation broadened to other entertainers of the era — Yamaguchi Momoe (山口百恵) and Minami Saori (南沙織) among them — who also retired upon marriage and stayed away, contrasted with Candies members Ran-chan and Su-chan, who did return. The upcoming program is expected to focus on conversation with Takada Mizue; whether any singing will be heard remains unconfirmed.

Listener Mail: Feng Shui, Seattle Marijuana, Bali Fuel Shortage

A listener based in Shizuoka Prefecture who works as an engineer in the Philippines shared a story about being reprimanded by a Chinese boss over the feng shui arrangement of the office. Shinbo added that Chinese buyers of bayside condominiums in Japan tend to favor units with a water view, because water is considered auspicious in feng shui. A listener in Seattle reported that walking through part of the entertainment district means wading through heavy marijuana odors, with Americans pausing to sniff the air much as Japanese people linger outside yakitori or unagi restaurants. A listener in Bali reported that a serious fuel shortage is causing widespread disruption on the island; Shinbo connected this to conditions in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that countries with limited reserves are likely in considerable difficulty.

Zoom Flash: Northern Territories, Reporter Detained, Anthropic Data Center

Japan's Foreign Minister strongly condemned a visit by China's National Defense Ministry delegation to Iturup Island (択捉島), which is under Russian effective control, calling it "absolutely unacceptable" and lodging protests with both Russia and China. Russia's Federal Security Service detained and arrested a reporter from the Hokkaido Shimbun (北海道新聞) in Sakhalin Oblast and transferred him to Moscow. The Japanese government requested information, humanitarian consideration, and fair treatment, but the Chief Cabinet Secretary acknowledged at a press conference that contact with the detained reporter had not yet been established. Separately, the government confirmed it is moving toward dropping a planned support package that the restaurant industry had sought to offset the impact of the 10% consumption tax on dining. A data center to serve AI startup Anthropic is under consideration for construction in Osaka Prefecture at an estimated cost of approximately 1 trillion yen, which would make it one of the largest facilities of its kind in Japan.

Central Park Carriage Ban, Matsutake Bumper Crop, Japan GDP Ranking

New York City's mayor agreed to a bill banning tourist horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 2026. The immediate trigger was an accident in June 2026 in which a horse bolted while its handler was momentarily away, causing an Indian tourist to fall and die from a head injury. Shinbo noted that calls to abolish the carriages on animal-cruelty grounds already existed before the accident. Mounted police will continue operating, as they remain effective for crowd control. Domestic matsutake mushrooms had a bumper harvest this year, sending prices sharply lower: Tokyo's central wholesale market late-September prices stood at approximately ¥24,587 per kilogram for Iwate Prefecture mushrooms and ¥18,688 per kilogram for Nagano Prefecture mushrooms — both roughly 80% cheaper year-on-year, a swing amplified by last year's heat wave and rain shortage that had slashed supply and inflated prices. The IMF's latest World Economic Outlook projects that Japan's nominal GDP will be overtaken by both India and the United Kingdom in 2027, dropping Japan to 6th globally. As recently as April of this year the IMF had forecast the UK would not surpass Japan until 2029; the new projection moves that timeline two years forward.