#chiba division

[snowmantita]

Professions of my divisions (Tokyo, Nagano and Koto) and those of my moots @/trivializetriven (Takasaki, Suzuka and Akihabara) and @/nozomi-tokyod w/ me (Chiba and Kobe)

Dobers - Tokyo Division

Hideki Tsutsujimori - Philosophy Professor

Hana Izanami - Actress

Nozomi Aimono - Computer and technology student.

HellKillers- Nagano Division

Jomei Takahashi - Chef

Takeo Kirishima - Tattoo artist

Ayato Fudo - Race car driver.

Mad Lynx - Chiba Division

Chise Amaguni - Composer

Yuudai Ito - Confectioner

Hikari Sasaki - Radio Announcer

Funky Junkie - Kobe Division

Kai Ichinose - Baseball player

Sayuri Mori - Croupier

Mitsuki Yamashita - Idol

Bloody Dawn - Koto Division

Dai Araki - Actor

Usagi Tsukuyomi - Office worker

Yuki Suzuki - Visual Kei

Extint Era - Takasaki Division

Amei Mortis - Model

Mallaceine Laidir - Video Editor

Melphiene Laidir - Military

Outlaw Riders - Suzuka Division

Iris Konstantine - Mechanic

Shiela Ennes - Detective

Asher Verwin - Zookeeper

Rush Tricks - Akihabara Division

Amelia Ventrique - Magician

Kiyoshi Seiya - Librarian

Min-woo Dong - Train station worker

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Boys Prelims - Propaganda Division - Group 9

Propaganda:

Shinpei -

"Has a tendency to ignore his emotions in high stress situations in favor of looking at everything logically, even when it is detrimental for him to take that approach. Keeps meticulous track of everything that happens around him."

Sunny -

"Sunny has been told that his face is not expressive. He doesn't talk a lot and he often gets lost into his imagination. He is a great listener and recalls a lot of information being told he has a great memory (he is able to remember a whole speech about flower symbolism that his friend told him) He is compared to a cat."

Yuki -

"He has difficulty communicating with other people and suffers from extreme social anxiety, feeling like he's drowning when placed in uncomfortable social situations or scenarios where she doesn't know how to respond. This also causes him to go red in the face and clench his jaw, which other characters wrongfully interpret as him becoming angry. Through meeting Haru (and getting pulled into his plan to save the world), he becomes friends with him and Natsuki and develops his own strong interest in fishing."

Meursault -

"not only is he based on the character from camus' l'étranger who has actual scholarly debate on him being autistic, meursault is just… so autism. hes this stoic, terse guy with resting bitch face who doesnt really seem to fully process that he isnt showing any emotions and that that offputs people, and hes very blunt and literal with things. once another character asked if he had metal for brains as an insult and he responded by telling him the exact chemical composition of his brain to show that it is not metal. once the other characters made food so bad that when he tasted it he went on a minute straight long monologue about how much it sucked. he then proceeded to cook his own food which the giant evil chicken monster man that was judging the food tasted and said was so intensely done to the letter of the recipe that it was too boring. hes like if autism was a guy and that guy was french."

Zack -

"does things based almost solely on whether or not he wants to, at one point in the series, he doesn't tell the rest of the cast that he can fly a spaceship because he doesn't feel like it. he also take everything everyone else tells him seriously, such as when another character he knew as a kid said they were going to get married one day, he took it very seriously and was confused when said character tried to confess her feelings again and he said he thought their promise from when they were kids was still on."

Joujirou -

"This boy is autism incarnate. No social skills, no normal pain perception, complete weirdo. He even has a special interest which becomes a mild issue when he joins the main cast lol."

Alus the Star Runner -

"He’s a three-armed wyvern gunslinger with cool goggles and a lightsaber. Need I say more? …Okay then. Alus was born as a mutant cripple and rejected by his kind but managed to overcome this and rise up to become Flying Reptile Indiana Jones. He’s famed as the greatest adventurer in the land, but also struggles to keep up a conversation and prefers to remain on his own (which is especially unusual for wyverns, who usually gather in giant flocks). He has exactly one (1) friend, whom he completely fails to understand as a person but still values and respects immensely. Despite his difficulties with social interaction, he’s repeatedly shown to be incredibly resourceful and intelligent, with a single-minded drive and persistence unmatched by anyone else in the series. (Also canonically asexual, because who needs a family when you can fight dragons perfectly well on your own?)"

Mamoru -

"the ORIGINAL autistic magical boy."

Shizuka -

"he's the most emotionally intelligent & mentally stable member of the cast & he's in love with the least emotionally intelligent & most emotionally volatile character ever. he's constantly got the vibe of looking into the camera like he's in the office while he's dealing with everyone else's bullshit. he's so steadfast & loyal that it makes me want to cry. he's so bad at expressing himself in a way that other people understand that for the longest time the boy he's in love with thinks that Doumeki doesn't even like him."

Idia -

"He’s a shut-in weirdo with long messy hair, a sleep deprived look in his eyes, and one of the few students to have a hoodie as part of his school uniform. He’s a prodigal tech genius with the vibes of burn out and depression. He’s usually quite meek around people, but when he clicks with a conversation topic, he gets all energetic and fired up and sometimes a bit haughty too. To avoid going out of his room and interacting with people face to face, he invented a mobile tablet with text to speech. He stays up all night playing video games and while he has trouble with IRL relationships, he’s made a genuine friend out of one of his gaming buddies (who he doesn’t realize is actually one of his classmates). He stans an idol group and once got into a hacking war against some dorm mates over it. He rebuilt his dead brother as a robot who has become somewhat of a therapist to him. The only reason he went out on a holiday vacation with school acquaintances is due to the location being featured in an anime, then bonded with the one guy’s grandma when he realized his favorite girl was based on her. For the Halloween celebration, he convinced his dorm to theme themselves after his favorite B horror movie, constantly infodumping to people about it and going all out in recreating the special effects. In Book 5, he has a minor background arc of being forced to do public speaking. In another Halloween event, he was forced to be a back-up singer and managed to pull through despite the social anxiety. He’s the most autistic student in all of Night Raven College and possibly in all of Twisted Wonderland too."

[thirstyformoreheizuha]

I've been thinking for a while that Kazuha might actually be a really damn good cop if she ever decides to join the police forces. But I kept it off since most of the reasoning in my head was a result of overthinking and overanalyzing her personality and such (lol), and there wasn't much in canon that might push her into it.

BUT AFTER KNOWING HER MOM USED TO BE A DAMN GOOD COP AS WELL, BABY I'M NO LONGER HOLDING BACK.

My headcannon is that initially, she would work in the same police department as Heiji, I don't know what that unit is called, but its the one that deals with murders, violence, kidnapping, bla bla bla. Basically the same department that officers Sato, Takagi, Shiratori, Chiba, Otaki, and literally all the police officers we always meet work in.

However, after a while, a new sub-unit was established under that division : the Special Victims Unit (SVU). The SVU is a unit that deals with specifically, sexual crimes.

*yes this is a result of binge-watching Law & Order: SVU

* I tried to do a brief research on the Japanese actual police force, but I couldn't find a specific department that deals exclusively with sexual crimes

*yes this is fiction. I'm not even sure if the US police force has a specific unit for it.

The SVU is usually called to handle a case when they suspect that a case might have elements of a sexual crime. It ranges from abuse, non-consensual intercourse, pedophiles, harassment, online or offline blackmail. (Literally, just any horrible crime involving sex that you can imagine, regardless of age and gender)

When the SVU was newly established, those who were interested couldn't submit an application. Instead, the 5-8 members were carefully hand-selected.

And my headcannon, is that Kazuha would be a perfect member of this unit. These are a few reasons why:

1. Kazuha is good with kids. She's soft and patient with them. Which is necessary because kids unfortunately do become victims of sexual crimes. These kids wouldn't want to be approached by a rough scary police asking them questions, rather, a soft, soothing and patient officer who makes them feel safe.

2. Similar to above, she makes even adult victims feel safe. Especially female victims who are traumatized and could barely remain coherent as they try to recount everything to help police investigation.

3. Despite being soft with the victims, she is the total opposite with the suspects. Her tomboy-ish personality really fires up when she interrogates them, being especially brutal to neglectful and irresponsible parents who let their kids be harmed until that extent. (kay tbh in the early days, she was a tomboy. But I don't see her as one in the newer episodes at all, but we'll go with it) She's headstrong and doesn't back away from being rough to those who deserve it.

4. She's damn smart. She might not be as sharp as Heiji, but in cases involving sexual crimes, it's never as simple as finding evidence from observing the crime scenes and making the murderer admits it out of some pure old revenge (DC's cases are actually so PG when you think about it). These criminals are naturally sick in the head, and it's never direct with them. It might even take days before they could form a proper case against the suspects.

5. Her quick thinking with dealing with these sorts of criminals (eg. the sock+rocks in Movie 7) is often what saves the victims (and even herself sometimes) from further harm. Especially when dealing with sex traffickers, or serial rap*st.

6. Her patience is especially important during court hearings. Especially when it's a r*pe case, it's a game of who vs who is telling the truth. Her patience stops herself from lashing out at the suspect for blatantly twisting his words in court to make the victim look at fault. Oftentimes, her presence does become a source of strength for the victims who are fighting a legal battle against their perpetrators. She holds their hands when they look like they needed it, and always gives comforting words when it seems like they were about to lose the case.

7. We know from her karuta card training that Kazuha has good mental fortitude. Which is precisely, definitely, important when dealing with SVU cases. Seeing little children subject to sexual abuse, their innocence and hope in the world gone after being tormented. Women being taken advantage off by someone they trusted. Or being targeted simply for their genders. She does feel emotionally exhausted at one point after seeing such violence back to back, but nevertheless, she is able to pick herself back up and on to the next case.

So yeah, definitely more to come with this idea. We'll see.

[stevebattle]

Kenaf rescue robot (2007), Future Robotics Technology Center (fuRo), Chiba Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Tohoku University, the University of Tsukuba, Okayama University, AIST and NICT, Japan. Kenaf was winner of the mobile performance division at the 2007 RoboCup Rescue world championships.

"The Kenaf rescue robot was developed for the purpose of conducting rescue operations at actual disaster sites. The distinctive features of Kenaf are the crawler enclosing its entire body and the four sub-crawler arms that are each controlled independently. These mechanisms and its low center of gravity enable Kenaf to exhibit outstanding travel performance over rubble." – Future Robotics Technology Center (fuRo).

[demonslayedher]

Since Daki and Tecchikawahara have both stated it was, as the swordsmith, Haganezuka's fault that Tanjiro's sword got so chipped in battle, I've been asked if Haganezuka is indeed a bad swordsmith. At the time I said that Haganezuka is a fine swordsmith, albeit a perfectionist surrounded by perfectionists.

However, I came across an interesting comment from real life master swordsmith Asano Taro in this video:

"Katana is a perfect instrument. It is perfect in its creation and the way it looks. The theory behind its creation is also perfect. It doesn't have any faults. And if you use it perfectly well, it will cut anything with perfect precision. But if your spirit and movements are not at peace, the katana will bend or break instantly."

He goes on to say that the samurai is the one at risk for damaging the katana if he isn't mindful of himself, and Haganezuka would be quick to join him in blaming the user for damage, but what with Haganezuka being prone to fits of passion, I'd like to reconsider the question of Haganezuka's skills and final product.

It bears restating that while the smith gets a lot of credit for forming the iron into the blade, there are many other entirely separate and necessary specialists who contribute to the completion of a sword--the engraver, the artisan who makes a sheath, etc. While we see some evidence of crossover in the production of swords in KnY, we don’t know if there is any division of labor in the swordsmith village, or how much. We're going to come back to this point, but for our purposes in this post, we'll focus on sword polishing as a separate discipline.

In historical context, sword polishing was respected as a unique art as far back as the Heian era, and even though the sword production industry took a hard hit when swords were banned in the Meiji Period, they nonetheless were popular as works of art. This means that sword polishers were still in demand, more for bringing out a sword's beauty than for sharpening its usefulness. One famous sword polisher of the Taisho Period, Hirai Chiba, was said to be the sort of genius that only comes around once in every two hundred years, and he could make even the oldest, most decrepit swords glisten, but his methods were so genius that if others tried to further polish his work, they had a tendency to ruin it. The techniques are as unique as brushstrokes; we saw Haganezuka hard at work at a series of rough and primary whetting against large whetstones, but Muichiro didn't let him even finish the first part of initial whetting. That's to say nothing of getting to the series of small tools, many of which are so minute that they can only be worked with a craftsman's thumb.

We see some of the attitudes of the Taisho Period in the light novel chapter in which Tecchikawahara tries find a wife for Haganezuka, but she doesn't appreciate Haganezuka's career because swords aren't necessary in modern society. (It still baffles me that Tecchin thought a woman with these sentiments should be married into the swordsmith village, but he did choose her purely for having a cute photo.) She tries to convince him to switch to making kitchen knives or tools instead of barbaric weapons, but Haganezuka affirms that it's an honor that his swords are used by someone who puts his life on the line to protect others' lives.

So, is he a good swordsmith or not?

Our protagonist assures us he is. However, I've heard it said that you should strive to be the person you dog thinks you are, but perhaps it is higher standard to try to be the person Kamado Tanjiro thinks you are, so we'll set this aside.

What's more revealing, perhaps, is that Urokodaki already knows Haganezuka pretty well. Since Haganezuka is 37 and Urokodaki was in his prime at least 47 years ago when he trapped what would become the Hand Demon, it's unlikely that Haganezuka has ever produced any swords specifically for Urokodaki. Possibly Haganezuka's father did, in which case Urokodaki might had been familiar with little Haganezuka's upbringing. But, if Urokodaki is familiar with adult Haganezuka's work and personality, perhaps he's seen Haganezuka deliver swords to Final Selection graduates before... which might mean Haganezuka is Giyuu's swordsmith, too. If that's the case, I'm willing to bet Giyuu's never earned any special ire.

However, let us not forget that Haganezuka likes Tanjiro because Tanjiro keeps requesting swords from him. Other swordsmen haven't been able to deal with Haganezuka's personality and requested swords from other smiths. Giyuu could very well be among those swordsmen who quit this artisan, and a series of people being unable to look past his personality and appreciate his work doesn't reflect well on Haganezuka as a craftsman.

Back to Urokodaki, though, he's always the one who blamed the swordsman for wear and tear to the sword. If he ever felt Tanjiro got a bad sword, he'd likely have told him so and put in a complaint, making a more valid reason to request a different swordsmith.

To recap the post where I first considered this question, I think a big issue with Haganezuka's fervor is that he was raised by, and presumably taught the most incredible swordsmith in the village. Tecchikawahara may have been hard on little Hotaru because he was talented, and therefore he was dismissive of anything less than genius.

So then where was does genius come into play? Oh yes, with the beautiful Sengoku era sword, and Haganezuka's polishing of it.

Let's take a step back to appreciate this element of the process in context, and assume Haganezuka is familiar with every stage of the process, and more skilled in them that you or I can ever hope to me. First, Haganezuka makes sure to make sure Tanjiro knows about the special iron his sword is made of--and since Haganezuka and Gotouge thought that was important, I thought it was important as a KnY nerdery blog to make sure all of you appreciated this too. However, due to the labor intensity of the process of making iron sand into lumps of ore, I suspect Haganezuke may not usually be involved in this part of the process, even if he may have some experience with it. When it comes to other elements besides the smithing, he perhaps wasn't a preferred artisan for things like making hand guards as the Rengoku clan likes them, or someone who had the right to engrave 悪鬼滅殺 ("eliminate all evil demons") on the Pillars' swords; perhaps there were village specialists, or other swordsmiths who improved their engraving skills because they were responsible for Pillars. Since Tanjiro didn't need a particularly crafty sheath, I'm inclined to think it was either average craftsmanship if Haganezuka made it, or it may have been outsourced to someone else in the village.

However, let's pause here on sheaths. Shinobu's Breath technique works due to the specialized sheath, so her sword and sheath must both be extremely high caliber. Tecchikawahara is credited with them, meaning the greatest swordsmith is adept in multiple disciplines. Tecchikawahara's son is as well, for he developed a special sheath for Iguro to draw his curvy blade.

I bring this up because Tecchikawahara has a son, presumably, the heir to his techniques. Although adopting a son to become an heir to a craft was common even in the aforementioned Taisho craftsman Hirai Chiba's circle, we can infer that Tecchikawahara did not consider Haganezuka Hotaru an heir, even though he raised him since the age of two.

But?? What is this in Chapter 105?

The Nichirin Blade Polishing Technique Passed Down Through the Haganezuka Clan??

Okay, but... Hotaru-kun, your dad didn't raise you, how did you learn these techniques??????

Whatever they are, Haganezuka has full confidence in them, which comes in contrast to how he was feeling about his smith abilities at the time. He was so upset about how his faulty blade might had put his favorite (only?) client in danger that he was off in the forest putting himself through training, the likes of which we can only imagine. If, as swordsmith Asano said, imperfections in the self may risk damage to the blade, does this mean his hot and volatile personality was being reflected in the metal; even if he was totally absorbed in the process, what there still some tension in his muscles revealing his excitement, shaking the delicate blade as it formed? Maybe, Haganezuka always saw something in his own work that he knew was lacking, and maybe Tecchikawahara has always seen it, too.

After all, Haganezuka knows very well how to appreciate good work; he was so absorbed in admiring a rusty sword that he could ignore an Upper Moon wanting to eat him. He could tell right away that it was likely good Sengoku era iron (historical note: we don't actually have good enough records to know why Sengoku era swords had higher quality iron, but it's possibly due to imported iron). Despite having no idea who the swordsmith was, Haganezuka could probably feel the strokes of his hands, like how a skilled calligrapher can see the pace at which someone moved with the brush, or how a master pianist can imagine the movements of the hands at someone else's keyboard. Haganezuka credited that mystery swordsman with choosing and making the engraving himself, and imagined him at work at a whetstone, thereby implying he'd have also done the polishing himself. Like how the tradition of engraving Pillars' swords came later, this may also be the origins of Nichirin blade swordsmiths taking more ownership of more parts of the process than their regular swordsmiths counterparts.

That said, like they have their unique styles and pride, they also have those things passed down in the family, and that might make certain artisans more specialized in some areas than others. If the former master of the Haganezuka techniques had no heir other than Hotaru, Tecchikawahara might have tried to amend the relationship between child and parent and encouraged Hotaru to apprentice under his own father.

So then what of the former Mr. Haganezuka now? Well... in Chapter 105, Tanjiro goes on to orate to Genya that the special sword polishing process takes three full days and nights (funny, so does making the tamahagane, but that's also requires a teams to constantly feed the fire). This polishing method is extremely taxing on the person doing it, and as Tanjiro was told, some people have even died doing this. So, you know, maybe that's some good angsty fanfic material if this has happened in recent swordsmith village history.

In other words, Haganezuka was already putting his life on line before Gyokko attacked.

However, whether it was a result of his recent solitary training in the forest or in his conviction in the Haganezuka Family Polishing Techniques and his own execution of them, he betrays no worry about whether or not he'll be able to finish, and insists that this task be entrusted to no one other than him.

Which is to say, Haganezuka may be an alright-to-very-highly-skilled swordsmith, but his true strengths may lie in what's usually an entirely separate discipline.

From a narrative and character arc perspective, this means that Haganezuka has been somewhat freed from the pressures to live up to Tecchikawahara's standards in overall sword production, especially since he can't manage to keep many clients, or perhaps hasn't managed to keep anyone but Tanjiro. With Tanjiro as his perhaps only client, that means he serves a different purpose for Tanjiro now, as Tanjiro is the owner of such a fine sword---like how no one could work with genius Hirai Chiba's techniques, likely Haganezuka is the only one who can be trusted with the care and upkeep of such a valuable sword.

He's found his true calling, one might say.

Not that this makes me think he'd give up making swords--not at all, he loves them too much! But maybe in feeling assured that he's serving Tanjiro's needs, it can allow him to relax more, and enjoy the process, and relax knowing that Tanjiro's not going to chip his new and possibly more creative works.

For Tecchikawahara, who presumably already has the heir to his own techniques, seeing Haganezuka reach his full potential in the Haganezuka tradition may be what pleases him more than any unfathomably unbreakable sword.

[pix4japan]

Awamata Falls: Enjoy Meditation and Forest Bathing・粟又の滝：森林浴が楽しめるパワースポット

Location: Otaki Town, Chiba Prefecture, Japan Timestamp: 12:37・2024/07/10

Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP + 10-stop ND filter 45 mm ISO 200 for 2.0 sec. at ƒ/8

The Awamata Saterfall is considered the most famous in the Yoro Valley of Chiba’s Boso area, as noted by the local municipality. It flows gracefully down a 100-meter rock face, resembling a natural waterslide and creating a picturesque scene perfect for landscape photography.

At the base of the falls lies a shallow pond, extending into a stream that is popular during summer. Young families flock here, seeking a safe environment for children to play and interact with nature.

Promotional materials from the Chiba Prefectural Government, the Chiba Prefectural Tourism & Local Products Association, and Otaki Town encourage visits in autumn. As temperatures drop to a more comfortable level, the valley transforms into a vibrant tapestry of reds, oranges, and yellows, typically peaking from November to early December. Otaki Town proudly touts this foliage spectacle as one of Chiba Prefecture's finest.

The Tourism Division of Otaki Town reminds visitors to pack out their trash and note that barbecues are prohibited in Yoro Valley and surrounding areas. Please follow the "Leave No Trace" principles and be mindful of your surroundings.

Access details and sources for further reading available in my full write-up, (1-minute read): https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20240710-falls

[saitama-division]

Generations of Divisions (Redux)

Basically this is just the original post I made a year ago but updated with all the new divisions that joined this year. These are based off when the blogs are created so please forgive me if I made a mistake.

Note for future creators, if you’re planning on making a division, the ones labeled “Inactive” are basically free for you to adopt for your own.

Part 2

Generation Zero (October 2017 — August 2020)

Ikebukuro Division: Buster Bros!!! (Created October 24th, 2017)

Yokohama Division: MAD TRIGGER CREW (Created November 13th, 2017)

Shinjuku Division: Matenrou (Created December 4th, 2017)

Shibuya Division: Fling Posse (Created December 25th, 2017)

Osaka Division: Dotsuitare Hompo (Created October 28th, 2019)

Nagoya Division: Bad Ass Temple (Created November 25th, 2019)

Chuohku Ward: Party of Words (Created August 15th, 2020)

1st Generation (December 2020 — April 2021)

Harajuku Division: Alley Catz (Created December 7th, 2020) @harajukudivision (INACTIVE)

Kawasaki Division (formerly Akihabara): DayBreakers (Created January 16th, 2021) @kawasaki-division (INACTIVE)

Saitama Division: Femme Fatale (Created April 1st, 2021) @saitama-division

Shinagawa Division: CodeX (Created April 1st, 2021) @shinagawa-division

Ueno Division: Sakurai Clan (Created April 30th, 2021) @uenodivision

2nd Generation (May 2021 — September 2021)

Aoyama Division: Jet Set Trio (Created May 7th, 2021) @aoyama-division

Taitō Division: Blade Maiden (Created August 31st, 2021) @taito-division

Urayasu Division: Cherry Go Round (September 1st, 2021) @urayasu-division (INACTIVE)

Naha Division: Wild Shīnu (Created September 5th, 2021) @naha-division

Sapporo Division: Polar Knights (Created September 5th, 2021) @sapporo-division

Okinawa Division: Liberty Guild (September 27th, 2021) @okinawa-division

3rd Generation (October 2021 — December 2021)

Minato Division: Oculus (Created October 26th, 2021) @minatodivision

Chiyoda Division: Crimson Glow (Created October 28th, 2021) @chiyoda-divison (INACTIVE)

Sumida Division: Gilded Revolution (Created November 24th, 2021) @sumida-division (INACTIVE)

Akihabara Division: Otaku Corps (Created December 15th, 2021) @akihabaradivision

4th Generation (January 2022 — April 2022)

Fukuoka Division: MIHANASA (Created January 18th, 2022) @fukuokadivision1

Toyama Division: ECO BooN (Created February 12th, 2022) @toyama-division

Sendai Division: Kiya Kara (Created April 9th, 2022) @sendaidivision

Nagasaki Division: Thirteen (Created April 27th, 2022) @nagasakidivision (INACTIVE)

5th Generation (May 2022 — June 2022)

Edogawa Division: Wicked Requiem (Created May 3rd, 2022) @edogawa-division

Suginami Division: Sazanka Zombeez (Created May 17th, 2022) @suginami-division

Minato Division (2nd Team): R.I.P. Märchen (Created May 22nd, 2022) @minato-division03

Akihabara Division (2nd Team): Pixel Syndicate (Created May 22nd, 2022) @akihabara-division03

Meguro Division: DOG STREET CLUB (Created June 10th, 2022) @megurodivision (INACTIVE)

Toshima Division: Inner Circle (Created June 10th, 2022) @toshima-division (INACTIVE)

Shizuoka Division: Silent Tragedy (Created June 23rd, 2022) @shizuokadivision

6th Generation (July 2022 — August 2022)

Chiba Division: MAD LYNX (Created July 26th, 2022) @chiba-division (INACTIVE)

Nerima Division: Vivid Angels (Created July 27th, 2022) @nerima-division (INACTIVE)

Koto Division: Toxic Love (Created July 27th, 2022) @koto-division (INACTIVE)

Miyazaki Division: Beautiful Nightmare (Created August 4th, 2022) @miyazaki-division (INACTIVE)

Nagano Division: Han’nya no Tsumi (Created August 6th, 2022) @nagano-division (INACTIVE)

Kobe Division: Lovesick (Created August 7th, 2022) @kobedivision

Kanazawa Division: Justice Shield (Created August 7th, 2022) @kanazawa-division

7th Generation (September 2022 — December 2022)

Gion Division: Hana No Joō (Created September 6th, 2022) @gion-division

Enoshima Division: Solar Siren (Created September 6th, 2022) @enoshima-division

Odaiba Division: Artificial Heaven (Created September 26th, 2022) @odaibadivision (INACTIVE)

Ōta Division: Birds of Prey (Created October 22nd, 2022) @ota-division

Nakano Division: BittASweetZ (Created November 3rd, 2022) @nakanodivision

Ginza Division: Last Judgment (Created December 22nd, 2022) @ginza-division

Saga Division: Bloody Divas (Created December 31st, 2022) @sagadivision (INACTIVE)

8th Generation (January 2023 — May 2023)

Nara Division: Miraitabi (Created January 19th, 2023) @naradivision

Katsushika Division: Death Row Block (Created February 1st, 2023) @katsushika-division

Hakodate Division: Kuma no ie (Created May 3rd, 2023) @hakodate-division

Setagaya Division: ENIGMA (Created May 12th, 2023) @setagaya-division

Chuohku Ward: Party of Words Tertiary Team (Created May 23rd, 2023) @nug-chuohku

Kumamoto Division: Strange Magic (Created May 28th, 2023) @kumamoto-division

9th Generation (Part 1) (June 2023 — December 2023)

Echizen Division: Clockwork Lament (Created August 25th, 2023) @echizen-division (INACTIVE)

Chiyoda Division (2nd Team): KURUNE INC. (Created August 29th, 2023) @chiyoda-division2 (INACTIVE)

[sonicasura]

Side Story- Malroth's Journey

* Quick Note, after bit more research Fuku would be closer to luck and happiness then Kei, so ya quick little change*

Year 1

When Ramia came to Malroth and told him about the Heavenly Council's plan to help young Psaro, Malroth was immediately on board with it, gotta help his fellow demons out ya know. All deities got everything set up for Malroth, documentation of his exsistence, a alias to go under, a home, tons of money and a roadmap of where to go and what too do when he got there.

1. Get acquainted with the world around him

2. Register for the Defense Force exams and pass

3. Gain a high enough rank where he could get information on Psaro when the time came

4. Make sure that when Psaro's exsistence got brought forth ( and it would happen, no way a behemoth sized monster with that kind of power would stay hidden forever) to the people and especially the Defense Force, that Malroth could convince the big-wigs that Psaro was not a threat to humanity and was on there side.

5. Celebrate a job well done, by yours truly Malroth.

It all seemed simple when layed out like that to Malroth, but he was now learning that this was easier said than done.

Malroth knew that Psaro was born just a couple weeks ago by the time he got transfered to this world, and Grinin' Cheeky Tiki this world did not dissapoint. The technology was a lot more advance in some areas compared to his world, gigantic beasts that Malroth couldn't wait to lay the smack down on and pretty good food. Though first and for most for Malroth was getting to know and get used to this world, and that started with remembering his new last name, " Fu-ku-a-ku-ma" the name was wholey unfamiliar to him, wondered what it meant?

Year 2

Alright moment of truth after a year of learning about Japan and the world, he was now ready to take the Defense Force exams. The preliminary was just a witten portion, which Malroth had no problem with. Malroth was then told by the letter to come too Chiba Costal Base where the real first part of his exams would take place. Malroth was estatic he couldn't wait to see what cool stuff they would have him- annnnd it's just a fitness test. Now Malroth didn't want to seem whiny but where was the A.C.T.I.O.N. Well hopefully the action was next, so Malroth did the fitness portion and ended up with the top spot of the 215 applicants. Ignoring the gaze of his fellow applicants, he moved on too the second part the fighting, after putting on the suit they gave him ( seriously why was 30% such a big deal) it was time too lay the smackdown. The test went by quick the Youju and the one Honju were easy for Malroth, especially after he ditched that wierd gun, he just wasn't feeling that weapon. So he switched up to something better, a piece of rebar he impaled through a big chunk of metal, too make a mace. Of course he helped out a few other contestants if they needed it and let them kill the Youju they were battling with. Afterwards a few days after the test he got his welcome letter to the Defense Force, though he was surprised about one thing.

Malroth: The Captain of the 4 Divison asked me to come too Matsumoto Base?

Year 3

Well it was certainly a new experience being part of a entire Division. Thankfully it wasn't difficult, they gave him a home at the Base, money, food, and most importantly a near infinite well of enemies to beat up. It was cool and getting compliments from his commrades felt pretty nice. Appearently his performance on and off the battle field had caputered Captain Ogata's attention, though Malroth was not aware of this fact, even when the Scientist gave Malroth his own personalized weapon, a club similar to what an Oni would wield.

Now this was what Malroth was talkin' about.

Year 4

Malroth honestly expected it would take longer, but his likability and strength had convinced Captain Ogata to give him a trial run at the Vice-Captain position. Well this is what Malroth wanted a chance at a high-position and he wasn't one too disappoint expectations. It only took a month for Malroth's work and personality to win Captain Ogata over, and give him the Title of Malroth Fukuakuma of the 4 Division

Alright now to wait, for everything to go to Hell great....

Year 5

The year went quite nicely for Malroth, not sigj of the things going to Hell yet so, it was just buisness as usual. Killing Kaiju, training, doing reports and going to meetings, all that stuff

OH

There was something new, well 2 things. The first thing was a title he learned he had gained throughout the Defense Force

" Malroth The Breaker"

Appearently Malroth's ability to break through Kaiju Hides like Balsa Wood, had gained him quite the reputation.

The second thing was his rivalry with the First Division Commander Gen Narumi

That Malroth had no idea was even a thing.

Appearently Malroth beat Narumi in a offical popularity poll or something and Narumi got pissed about and I quote " A wierd upstart that has goofy hair and a stupid weapon" Malroth realky didn't care but he did take offense to the Hair and Weapon thing

Year 6

Well this was it, the news of the incident that happened in Tachikawa spread quickly and Malroth knew that the hard part of his quest started now

WELP, no time like the present

Malroth was definitely thankful it took quite some time before Psaro would become known to the rest of the Defense Force. Also the rivalry with Narumi is a definite, lol. He's in the group of people that wouldn't give a shit about Malroth's true identity either. (Narumi definitely challenge him to a spar involving his more monstrous form.)

Also Malroth would be the third person to drop another info bomb on Kafka's group. The Monsters hadn't exactly figured it was the gods who gave Psaro his second chance. Malroth does inform the rest of the Third Division first for two reasons.

One is that everyone is very close to Psaro and Kafka. Two is they are about to get dragged into antics involving monsters anyway due to the Lower Echelon refugees alongside their older comrade potentially becoming Master of Monsterkind. It's going to take a larger group effort to manage everything than build a case for the inevitable butting heads with the Higher Ups.

The 3rd Division is about to slip into a brand new role: 'Monster Rangers'.

[spacefinch]

Star Trek x Sailor Moon AU

Name of starship: USS Copernicus. Named after the Copernicus Crater on Earth's moon, which was in turn named after astronomer Nicholas Copernicus.

Crew:

Captain Usagi Tsukino

Species: Human (or so it seems).

Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan, Earth

Notes: Usagi was just given command of a starship, and is still getting used to being a captain. Good thing she has her crew to help her!

Commander Hino Rei

Species: Bajoran

Homeworld: Bajor

Position: First Officer

Notes: Rei is very spiritually-minded and at the same time, hot-headed. She and Usagi argue quite often, but are close friends.

Lt. Commander Ami Mizuno

Species: Human

Homeworld: Earth

Position: Ship's second officer (science division)

Notes: Graduated at the top of her class in Starfleet Academy, and devotes almost all her time to research. When the crew can convince her to take some time off, she enjoys a good game of chess.

Dr. Mamoru Chiba

Species: Betazoid

Homeworld: Betazed (raised on Earth)

Position: Chief Medical Officer

Notes: TRIES to be level-headed. More often than not, ends up bickering with the captain.

Lt. Makoto Kino

Species: Trill

Homeworld: Trill

Position: Chief of Security

Notes: Fourth host of the Kino symbiont. Excellent cook.

Lt. Minako Aino

Species: Betazoid

Homeworld: Betazed

Position: Tactical officer.

Notes: When off-duty, wears the most fashionable outfits on the ship. Cannot be trusted around Engineering.

Lt. Haruka Tenoh

Species: Human

Homeworld: Earth

Position: Helmswoman

Lt. Michiru Kaioh

Species: Trill

Homeworld: Trill

Position: Science officer

Additional notes:

Still haven't decided who should be Chief Engineer.

Luna and Artemis live aboard the Copernicus. Luna lives with Captain Tsukino, and Artemis lives with Lt. Aino.

This AU takes place in the 24th century, during the Star Trek DS9 era.

[bpod-bpod]

Competing Interests

Greater understanding of the molecular signals involved in elimination of cells that might become cancer, by the normal epithelial cells – a process known as cell competition – and how this process is overridden to promote tumour progression

Read the published research paper here

Image from work by Kazuki Nakai and colleagues

Division of Cancer Biology, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Nature Communications, November 2023

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

[despair-to-future-arcs]

//A question: In which divisions of the Kisaragi Foundation are the Chapter 6.5 cast (And Hitaru and Jiro)?

//Oh sure thing, I'll write that down along with those still connected to the Kisaragi Foundation;

Tsurugi's Division;

Keisuke Iranami

Ryutaro Maki

Naoto Kobashikawa

Nobuyoshi 'Noah' Higa

Other members

Rei's Division;

Midori Yamaguichi

Rika Takahashi

Fukumi Iranami

Jiro Nijiue

Other members

Teruya's Division;

Katsuteru 'Terry' Higa

Yuzuki Ashida

Other members

Other;

Hikaru Ando (Med bay)

Minako Tomori (Intern)

Not working there but associated;

Hitaru Nijiue

Hamato Ando

Benitsuru Ando

Toshiro Tomori

Tadeo (Ayame's dog)

Juro Chiba

Sachi Kisaragi

Other family members due to various reasons.

//There might be others not listed but these are the ones that we have so far. ^^

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 9.4 (after 1930)

1936 – Spanish Civil War: Largo Caballero forms a war cabinet to direct the republican war effort. 1939 – World War II: William J. Murphy commands the first Royal Air Force attack on Germany. 1941 – World War II: A German submarine makes the first attack of the war against a United States warship, the USS Greer. 1944 – World War II: The British 11th Armoured Division liberates the Belgian city of Antwerp. 1944 – World War II: Finland exits from the war with Soviet Union. 1948 – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands abdicates for health reasons. 1949 – Paul Robeson performs a second concert concert in Peekskill, New York eight days after the Peekskill riots. 1950 – Darlington Raceway is the site of the inaugural Southern 500, the first 500-mile NASCAR race. 1951 – The first live transcontinental television broadcast takes place in San Francisco, United States, from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference. 1957 – American Civil Rights Movement: Little Rock Crisis: The governor of Arkansas calls out the National Guard to prevent African American students from enrolling in Little Rock Central High School, resulting in the lawsuit Cooper v. Aaron the following year. 1963 – Swissair Flight 306 crashes near Dürrenäsch, Switzerland, killing all 80 people on board. 1964 – Scotland's Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh officially opens. 1967 – Vietnam War: Operation Swift begins when U.S. Marines engage the North Vietnamese in battle in the Que Son Valley. 1970 – Salvador Allende is elected President of Chile. 1971 – Alaska Airlines Flight 1866 crashes near Juneau, Alaska, killing all 111 people on board. 1972 – Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games. 1972 – The Price Is Right premieres on CBS. It currently is the longest running game show on American television. 1975 – The Sinai Interim Agreement relating to the Arab–Israeli conflict is signed. 1977 – The Golden Dragon massacre takes place in San Francisco. 1985 – The discovery of Buckminsterfullerene, the first fullerene molecule of carbon. 1989 – In Leipzig, East Germany, the first of weekly demonstration for the legalisation of opposition groups and democratic reforms takes place. 1998 – Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University. 2001 – Tokyo DisneySea opens to the public as part of the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. 2002 – The Oakland Athletics win their 20th consecutive game, an American League record, until the Cleveland Indians surpassed it in 2017. 2007 – Three terrorists suspected to be a part of Al-Qaeda are arrested in Germany after allegedly planning attacks on both the Frankfurt International airport and US military installations. 2020 – Pope Benedict XVI becomes the longest-lived pope, 93 years, four months, 16 days, surpassing Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903. 2022 – Ten people are killed and 15 are injured in a stabbing spree in 13 locations on the James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon, Saskatchewan.

[exp-pack]

A quick history of video game sponsorships on football kits:

1. Arsenal FC x SEGA/Dreamcast (1999-2002) - The Home and Away kits, as well as practice/sideline gear, featured alternate branding as shown here by Gunner legends Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieria.

2. Sevilla FC x Nintendo (1992) - A rare shirt from a single game sponsorship during Maradona’s one-year stint with the Spanish side. RIP Legend.

3. Cerezo Osaka x Capcom (1997-98) - The Japanese dev/publisher renewed their deal with the local side last year, hopefully paving the way for new game-inspired designs.

4. JEF United Chiba x SEGA/Sonic (1994-95) - Although the wide array of SEGA-sponsored kits deserve its own post, the Japanese club's shirt featuring everyone’s favorite hedgehog had to make the list.

5. ACF Fiorentina x Nintendo (1997-99) - An absolute heater of a jersey in the traditional purple worn here by legend Gabriel Batistuta.

6. AJ Auxerre x PlayStation 2 (2001-05) - Not Sony’s first sponsorship with a European club but the first console-specific branding as worn by Djibril Cissé.

7. Manchester City x EIDOS (2000-02) - The deal came just one year after the clubs promotion out of the second division to the Premier League. Rival fans were quick to call out that EIDOS actually stood for “Eleven Idiots Dreaming of Success.”

8. Bayern Munich x Commodore (1984-89) - The American home computer manufacturer behind the C64 and Amiga series played a major role in the acceleration of personal computer adoption. Their partnership with the Bundesliga titan marks the oldest artifact in this list.

9. Olympique Lyon x Atari (2000-01) - At the turn of the century, Atari (fka Infogrames Entertainment) got into the mix by sponsoring their hometown club from Lyon. Shown here is Brazilian free kick specialist Juninho who played for the French club from 2001-09.

10. Tokyo Verdy x Konami (2002-04) - Despite the humble design, this one deserves a mention simply as a salute to Konami for releasing Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven (now eFootball) and thereby starting one of the greatest rivalries in video game history.

[thxnews]

School of Roses Forms Alliance for Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration

  The Partnership for Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration

The School of Roses, known as Nakai Rose Farm, has established a business alliance with the Rehabilitation Support Center, marking the third collaboration between agriculture and welfare at Bara no Gakko. This partnership aligns with Bara no Gakko's key policy of promoting agriculture-welfare collaboration and aims to create opportunities that match the interests and abilities of individuals.   Edible Rose Cultivation and the Tsunagaru Academy During the edible rose season, which extends until October, a dedicated team of 3 to 5 individuals, including staff from the Tsunagaru Academy, engage in daily cultivation activities at the edible rose field located in Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture. The Yamagata Prefectural Agriculture and Welfare Collaboration Promotion Center, operating under the Welfare Division for Persons with Disabilities, Health and Welfare Department, provided support for this collaboration.  

The Role of the School of Roses

Rose School Co., Ltd., based in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture, has formed a business partnership with the Rehabilitation Support Center in Higashine City, Yamagata Prefecture. The School of Roses plays a vital role in connecting the Rehabilitation Support Center to the cultivation of edible roses in Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture. This collaboration focuses on promoting the inclusive participation of individuals in agricultural activities.   Empowering Through Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration The Tsunagaru Academy, a part of the Tsunagaru Rehabilitation Support Center, is responsible for the actual work involved in cultivating edible roses. On weekdays, approximately 3 to 5 users, accompanied by staff members from the Tsunagaru Academy, engage in rose cultivation activities at the field in Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture. Additionally, future indoor tasks related to the sixth stage, such as sorting and drying petals, will be explored.  

Spreading the Message of Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration

The School of Roses serves as a supporting member of the Consortium for Supporting Agriculture and Welfare Collaboration. In addition to the "working side" of agriculture-welfare collaboration, the School of Roses actively promotes the "spreading side" by appointing diverse human resources to address social issues, including income generation and improving overall well-being.   The Significance of Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration Agriculture-welfare collaboration is an initiative that empowers individuals with disabilities to participate in society with self-confidence and a sense of purpose through active engagement in the agricultural field. This collaboration not only creates employment opportunities and purpose for individuals with disabilities but also addresses the shortage of workers and the aging population in the agricultural sector.  

Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration in Yamagata Prefecture

Supported by the Yamagata Agricultural and Welfare Collaboration Promotion Center, the School of Bara Co., Ltd., comprising non-farmers, is dedicated to solving social issues by utilizing the added value of agriculture that only non-farmers can recognize. The company actively engages in agricultural-welfare cooperation and smart agriculture, aiming to improve the income of farmers and extend healthy life expectancy through sustainable edible rose production, processing, and sales.   Sources: THX News & School of Roses. Read the full article

[myfeeds]

Eat right live longer: Could a moderate protein diet be the coveted elixir of youth?

As the proverb “You are what you eat” goes, the type of food we consume influences our health and longevity all through our lives. In fact, there is a direct association between age-related nutritional requirements and metabolic health. Optimal nutrition according to age can help maintain metabolic health, thereby improving the health span (period of life without diseases) and lifespan of an individual. Different nutritional interventions involving varied calorie and protein intake have been known to improve the health and lifespan of rodents and primates. Furthermore, recent studies have also reported the association of dietary macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) with cardio-metabolic health and aging in mice. However, the amount of protein that must be consumed to maintain metabolic health is not known. In a new study published in GeroScience on April 28, 2023, a team of researchers led by Assistant Professor Yoshitaka Kondo from Waseda University, Japan, investigated the amount of dietary protein needed to improve metabolic health in mice approaching old age. The team, which also included Dr. Takuya Chiba, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Dr. Akihito Ishigami, Molecular Regulation of Aging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Dr. Hitoshi Aoki, Research and Development Division, Nichirei Foods Inc, and Dr. Shin-Ichiro Takahashi, Department of Animal Sciences and Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo. They recruited young (6 months old) and middle-aged (16 months old) male C57BL/6NCr mice who were fed isocaloric diets with varying protein content (5 to 45 %) for two months. After two months, the effect of varying protein diets was assessed based on measurements of skeletal muscle weight, liver and plasma lipid profiles, and self-organizing map (SOM) cluster analysis of plasma amino acid profiles. When asked about the motivation behind their study, Kondo explains, “The optimal balance of macronutrients for ideal health outcomes may vary across different life stages. Previous studies show the possibility of minimizing age-specific mortality throughout life by changing the ratio of dietary protein to carbohydrates during approach to old age in mice. However, the amount of protein that should be consumed to maintain metabolic health while approaching old age is still unclear.” The team observed that the consumption of a low-protein diet led to the development of mild fatty liver, with increased levels of hepatic lipids in middle-aged mice as compared to young mice. In contrast, a moderate-protein diet led to reduced blood glucose concentrations and lipid levels in both liver and plasma. These findings indicate that a moderate-protein diet (25% and 35%) kept both young and middle-aged mice metabolically healthier. On examining the effect of varying protein diets on plasma amino acid concentrations in mice of both age groups, the researchers observed that the plasma concentration of individual amino acids varied with age and varying dietary protein content. This was further validated using SOM analysis of the plasma amino acids. Furthermore, the plasma amino acid profiles revealed using SOM analysis showed the correlation between different protein intake and the varying amounts of hepatic triglycerides and cholesterol levels. Discussing the impact of their study on public health, Kondo remarks, “Protein requirements change through the course of life, being higher in younger reproductive mice, reducing through middle age, and rising again in older mice as protein efficiency declines. The same pattern is likely to be observed in humans. Therefore, it could be assumed that increasing daily protein intake in meals could promote metabolic health of people. Moreover, ideal dietary macronutrient balance at each life stage could also extend health span.” In conclusion, a balanced diet with moderate amounts of protein could be the key to a long and healthy life.

[decaffeinatedfirelover]

The top ten retail companies by market share in 2018

2018's top ten retail businesses by market share: Ten of the largest businesses are ranked 10. 9. AECON Co. Ltd. Target Corporation 7. CVS Health Corp SA Carrefour 6. The Hardware Depot, Inc. The Kroger Group Boots Alliance Inc. Walgreens Wholesale Costco Corporation 1. Amazon.com, Inc. 10. Walmart Inc. AEON Co Ltd AEON-450-340.jpg" alt="Aeon" width="450" height="340"/> AEON is the largest retailer in Japan, with its headquarters in Chiba. The strong growth in the general merchandise store (GMS) and supermarket business divisions of AEON Co Ltd was primarily responsible for the company's $75.16bn in revenue for the four trailing quarters that ended in November 2018.

Around 70% of the company's revenue comes from the GMS and supermarket business segments. Its drugstore and pharmacy, shopping mall development, services and specialty store, international business, and financial services divisions contributed the remaining 30%.

Through its group companies, AEON Co. operates supermarkets and shopping centers with its headquarters in Chiba, Japan.

Target Corp. Target-450-340.jpg" alt="Target" width="450" height="340"/> The Target Corporation owns and operates more than 1,800 retail establishments in the United States. Credit: Skinner. In 2018, Target Corp. reported revenues of $75.35 billion, an increase of 3.6% from 2017.

The greater part deals were driven by broad product, including clothing and extras, magnificence and family basics, and food and refreshment items.

Target Corp. operates more than 1,800 stores in 49 states and 37 distribution centers in 22 states.

The company has approximately 345,000 employees and has its headquarters in Minneapolis, United States.

In the United States and Brazil, CVS Health Corp., CVS Pharmacy, and CVS Health have more than 9,900 retail locations. Credit: hattiesburgmemory. In comparison to the previous year, CVS Health Corp.'s Retail/LTC segment reported revenue of $83.98 billion in 2018.

The company's revenue increased primarily as a result of rising prescription volumes and rising prices for branded drugs.

Settled in Woonsocket, US, CVS Wellbeing works in excess of 9,900 brick and mortar stores, 68,000 retail network drug stores and 1,100 stroll in clinical centers.

Carrefour SA Carrefour-450-340.jpg" alt="Carrefour" width="450" height="340"/> Carrefour owns and operates more than 12,300 retail establishments in more than 30 nations all over the world. Credit: ProjectManhattan. In 2018, Carrefour SA saw a 1.4% increase in year-over-year sales, bringing in $97 billion in total revenue. Growth in Brazil, stable sales in France, and sales on food e-commerce all contributed to the increase in revenue.

One of the largest hypermarket chains in the world, Carrefour has its headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. It has over 12,300 retail locations and e-commerce websites in over 30 nations.

Through its French, European, Latin American, and Asian business divisions, the retail giant serves 104 million customer households worldwide.

The largest home improvement retailer in the United States is The Home Depot, which is owned by The Home Depot Inc. Credit: Sagdejev Ildar The Home Depot Inc. was able to achieve a year-over-year revenue growth of 7.2% in 2018 thanks to an increase in US sales. The organization procured all out income of $108bn in the year.

Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the world, with more than 2,200 locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States.

Outdoor and power tools, household cleaners, lawn and garden products, and décor products are among the more than one million items it sells online and offline.

The Kroger Co. The Kroger Co. provides services to more than nine million customers each day. Credit: Retail in Virginia. The Kroger Co.'s 2018 revenue reached $124 billion for the four quarters that ended in November, thanks to an increase in digital sales, cost controls, and alternative profit streams with higher margins.

The company owns and operates 2,765 grocery stores in a variety of formats, including warehouse stores, supermarkets, digital shopping options, multi-department stores, and more.

The company's jewelry stores and manufacturing facilities make up the rest, with sales from food stores accounting for as much as 94% of total sales.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. Walgreens The pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution network managed by Walgreens Boots Alliance spans more than 201 nations. Credit: Anthony. In 2018, Walgreens Boots Alliance's revenue increased 11.3% year-over-year. With $98.4 billion in sales, the Retail Pharmacy USA division contributed more than 74% of the $131.5 billion in total revenue.

In the United States and Europe, Walgreens Boots Alliance is the largest retail pharmacy, health, and everyday living destination. It manages wholesale and distribution networks for pharmaceuticals in more than 201 nations.

Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots, and Alliance Healthcare are among its retail and commercial brands. While its portfolio of health and beauty brands includes No7, Soap & Glory, Sleek Makeup, and Botanics.

Costco Wholesale Corporation is a global retailer with warehouse clubs in eight nations. Costco Costco Wholesale Credit: Pendousmat, Stu. Costco Discount Enterprise acquired $141bn in income in 2018, moved by deals at new distribution centers opened in 2017 and 2018.

Over 94 million members are served by the company's 768 membership warehouses in 11 nations. In 2017 and 2018, it opened 28 and 25 brand-new warehouses, respectively.

Costco sells dry foods, packaged foods, groceries, beverages, appliances, electronics, health and beauty products, fresh foods, clothing, and small appliances from its headquarters in San Diego, United States.

Amazon.com Inc. is a multinational technology company that focuses on e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. Credit: Wonderlane. Strong sales growth in all of Amazon.com's segments, including International, North America, and AWS, contributed to the company's 31% increase in revenue to $232 billion in 2018. With $141.36 billion, the North America segment led the company in revenue, followed by the International segment with $65.86 billion.

In addition to selling electronic devices under its own brands like the Kindle, Fire, and Echo through its online stores, Amazon offers millions of diverse products from third-party sellers.

By market share, Walmart Inc. is the largest retail company in the world. Credit: Jacob Arthur Walmart's 2018 revenue, which reached $514 billion, increased by 2.8% year-over-year, primarily due to sales from US e-commerce.

Walmart US, Walmart International, and Sam's Club are the retail company's three main divisions. Walmart US has retail locations in each of the United States' 50 states. In 2018, it contributed 64% of the company's revenue. Outside of the United States, Walmart International operates in 26 countries.

In 27 countries, Walmart oversees over 11,300 stores under 58 brands and ten e-commerce websites. The organization utilizes roughly 2.2 million partners universally.