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The story
A Shueisha Online article detailing how university festivals are increasingly banning drinking, pickup attempts (nanpa), and unauthorized photography went viral on 5ch. Since the 2010s, universities have tightened such regulations in the wake of acute alcohol poisoning cases and drinking-related accidents, and some students reportedly say, “If I’m going to bother going, I’d rather just work a shift.” The thread reacted to students’ candid admission, quoted in the article, that “the middle-aged men who show up for some reason are creepy” — some defended the men (“there are alumni, parents, and adult students too”), while others agreed that “uncle pickup attempts [oji-attack] are a nuisance.”
〈Reiwa-Era University Festivals〉Drinking Banned, Pickup Attempts Forbidden, No Unauthorized Photos… Strict Compliance Has Students Saying “If I’m Bothering to Go, I’d Rather Just Work a Shift” — Current Students’ Honest Feelings, and Why the Middle-Aged Men Who Show Up Are “Creepy”
Shueisha Online / November 7, 2026, 8:00 AM
Emergency hospitalizations for acute alcohol poisoning. Deaths from drinking-related accidents. Not long ago, plenty of university festivals allowed alcohol sales, outside drinks, and on-campus drinking — but a string of incidents involving severely intoxicated attendees has pushed universities nationwide to tighten drinking rules since the 2010s.
Source: news.infoseek.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
You told us you weren't coming!
Personally, I can't be bothered to go to my own alma mater's festival.
KISHAAA!!
My old university also had an evening program, so a lot of people would show up after 5pm, eat at the cafeteria, and head to class.
People are probably mistaking university for high school.
It's a place meant to accept anyone who wants to study, regardless of age.
is that not allowed?
Why would you even think that's okay in the first place?
Go ahead and bring a camera with you.
They could just be alumni.
Though I'm sure some old guys do come just to photograph the cheer squad or ogle young women.
They put up posters at train stations and all over town specifically to draw in visitors, so the organizing committee should be glad it worked (lol).
If a celebrity guest came I'd want to meet them, but in reality I don't even check who's showing up.
I've never heard anyone around me say they're looking forward to the festival.
Club activities keep me busy, and I don't feel like spending my day off on it."
Holding it on a day off just makes it a burden for students.
there'd be a guy running around stark naked swinging a stick or something (lol).
So even a fun, easygoing middle-aged guy isn't allowed, huh (lol)
A hostess wouldn't give away that much personal info (lol).
She'd just say she's from a different university, or claim to work as a shop clerk (lol).
Never married, never raised kids, so their mental age is stuck at student level — that's probably why they end up at the festival.
Could a single guy like that even handle going somewhere as bright and social as a university festival?
The ones who actually go are probably just ordinary married, outgoing middle-aged guys.
Middle-aged guys have more guts than anyone, so they'll push forward no matter what.
If it's an outgoing, confident middle-aged guy hitting on someone, nobody's going to find that creepy.
Take the hint (lol).
No matter how much a lone middle-aged man protests, the fact remains that some female students genuinely feel that way.
Is that really something you need to make an actual rule about?
Guess it means a lot of people are struggling with getting hit on by middle-aged men the moment they let their guard down (lol). Scary.
It was packed and lively — even the old guys were drinking and having a blast.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
University drinking restrictions are said to have spread across campuses from the 2010s onward, driven by a string of acute alcohol poisoning cases and drinking-related deaths. In recent years, rules banning unauthorized photography (to stop unsanctioned sharing on social media) and banning pickup attempts (to protect female students from being approached) have also become standard. Where opinions in the thread diverged was over whether it’s fair to brand all middle-aged male attendees as “creepy.” Some pointed out that many have legitimate reasons to attend — alumni, parents, or adult students returning to school — while many others agreed that wariness is warranted toward those who show up just to photograph the cheer squad or slip in alone. A point readers might easily misread is that these regulations aren’t a direct symptom of university festivals declining — they’ve been strengthened for a separate set of reasons: safety management and the particular risks of the social media era.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[University Festival] Drinking Banned, Pickup Attempts Forbidden, No Photography… Strict Compliance Has Students Saying “If I’m Bothering to Go, I’d Rather Just Work a Shift” — Why Are the Middle-Aged Men Who Show Up “Creepy”.”
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