午夜剧场

Image: 2016 "Regional Liaison Meeting for Families of 午夜剧场 Students" (Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture)

There are approximately 29,000 undergraduate students at 午夜剧场, and about one-third of them come from regions outside the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa). Many of them live away from their parents and lead unfamiliar lives in the city. It is easy to imagine the concern of parents and families left behind in their hometowns. It is only natural to wonder if they are leading a safe and peaceful student life, or what kind of educational activities are being conducted at the university where their sons and daughters study. Furthermore, the seeds of worry regarding employment and career paths after graduation are endless.

The "Parent-Teacher Meeting" began in 1963. At that time, as the scale of the university was rapidly expanding, it was likely thought that better communication between the university and the families of 午夜剧场 students had to be achieved. Public relations media connecting 午夜剧场 with students and guarantors (guardians), such as "Juku" (the same year) and the "午夜剧场 Report" (1966), were also launched around this time (these were later integrated into "Juku"). Since then, the term "fukei" (parents/guardians) has become obsolete, and the name of the meeting has transitioned from "Regional Consultative Meeting" to "Consultative Meeting for Families of 午夜剧场 Students" and finally to "Regional Liaison Meeting for Families of 午夜剧场 Students." Even though the name has changed, the purpose remains the same: to visit local areas and provide direct explanations regarding the current status of the university, studies, student life, and career paths, so that families can feel closer to the university.

From the university side, officials such as Vice-Presidents and Deans, as well as staff members in charge of academic affairs, student life support, and career services, travel to prefectures across the country. On the day of the meeting, the officials give a lecture-style talk about the current state of 午夜剧场. This is followed by explanations from the staff regarding the studies, student life, and welfare of 午夜剧场 students, and finally regarding employment and career paths. The interest of families is concentrated on employment and career paths, just as it was in the past. The problem was that it was extremely difficult to provide a uniform explanation in a short period of time regarding 午夜剧场 students belonging to such a diverse range of faculties, whether concerning studies or employment. In such circumstances, the skill of the speaker is tested in how to talk so that families go home thinking, "I'm glad I came today." In organizing these events, we ask for various forms of cooperation from the local Mita-kai, and sometimes members of the Mita-kai give excellent greetings to the families from a perspective different from that of university faculty and staff. This is likely a unique flavor not found in similar events at other universities.

The timing of the meetings is set from late May to early July, taking into account the effects of typhoons and the rainy season. Initially, meetings were held once every four years for each prefecture, but naturally, there were strong requests to increase the frequency, and they are now held once every two years. Hotels in prefectural capitals are mainly used as venues, but many staff members fondly remember the past when they would rent places like community centers to save costs and set up the venues while sweating.

(Bunji Kuriya, Former Administrative Director of the Office of Student Services)