The Nagoya University Festival, "Meidaisai," is known as one of the largest university festivals in central Japan. Celebrating its 66th year, the festival will be held on the Higashiyama Campus over four days beginning June 5, 2025. The driving force behind this massive event, which was attended by 60,000 people in 2024, is an executive committee made up of over 700 students. With the festival quickly approaching, we took a closer look at the committee's daily activities from initial planning through event-day logistics.
The Structure of the Executive Committee
The executive committee is divided into four departments: General Affairs, Administration, Public Relations, and Planning. A group of 20 third-years students, known as "elders," is responsible for leading the departments. Event planning and operations are handled by around 100 second-year students, known as "chiefs," who are supported by roughly 600 first-year students, known as "part-timers." Together, they form the largest student organization at Nagoya University.
To become an elder, candidates must give a presentation on their vision for the festival in front of a mix of both senior and junior members, after which the elders are selected through a vote. Nozomi Aida (Third-year, School of Humanities), this year's Executive Committee Chair, says that he was motivated to volunteer after seeing everyone enjoying themselves at the "Bon Odori" folk dance at the festival in 2024. "I want the festival to be an event where not only the visitors, but all the committee members are smiling," he said, expressing his commitment to the event.
Department responsibilities:
- General Affairs: Manages equipment such as tents, desks, and PA systems; handles classroom use applications, accounting, and trash stations.
- Administration: Supports external participants such as student clubs, food stalls, academic showcases, and the flea market.
- Public Relations: Designs signage, decorations, and pamphlets; manages the official website and handles advertising and promotion.
- Planning: Plans and runs events directly organized by the executive committee.
Opening the University to the Local Community
True to Nagoya University's identity as a research university, the festival includes a strong lineup of events related to academics, including public lectures and tours of laboratories. One of the most popular attractions is the science workshop, where children can learn science through fun, hands-on experiments. Other highlights include traditional festival games and the "Bon Odori" folk dance, providing entertainment for all ages. "The festival is unique because so many families attend," said Nozomi. "It is the our goal to create a festival loved by the local community."
Students demonstrating experiments at the science workshop at a previous festival
Working With Internal and External Stakeholders
On a day less than a month before the festival, we visited the executive committee's office in the Student Hall. One member was busy proofreading the final draft of the festival pamphlet, another was responding to emails from participants, and yet another was updating the website. Watching the team in action felt like observing a well-oiled company at work.
The festival pamphlet, in addition to introducing the various activities and events, serves as a crucial source of revenue through advertising, a task handled by the Public Relations Department. "Most of our clients have supported us for years," explained Masashi Ichigi (Third-year, School of Engineering), the Department Head. "A single publication mistake could damage the trust that has been built. Although it is a lot of pressure, the sense of accomplishment is even greater than that."
Sitting next to Masashi, Reo Mitsui, the head of the Administration Department, was busy replying to a flood of emails. This year, over 100 student groups are participating in events, and more than 30 vendors will be setting up shops or joining the weekend flea market. "It gets hectic with all the inquiries," Reo said, "but I try my best to handle each one carefully. Working with so many people makes me realize how much collaboration it takes to make the festival happen."
Arisa Suzuki (Third-year, School of Informatics), who enjoys programming and manages the festival's website, talked about how there are so many different roles on the committee that "everyone can find something that suits their skills and interests."
The executive committee's frequent contact with outside companies helps students develop their business etiquette. "I had to learn how to exchange business cards by watching videos on YouTube," laughed Nozomi. "My experience on the committee will make for great talking points during job interviews."
"Though we may clash at times, we are united by our goal. As long as we communicate, we will work things out." (Executive Committee Chair Nozomi Aida)
A Critical Challenge for the Festival's Survival
The largest source of funding for the Nagoya University Festival is a one-time payment collected from first-year students upon enrollment. However, the collection rate has declined each year since the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined with rising costs for materials and labor, the festival is now facing serious financial challenges. The event has been running an annual deficit of over 1.5 million yen for several years. Until now, this deficit has been covered by carryover funds, but that safety net will be nearly depleted by next year's festival.
In response, the executive committee launched a crowdfunding campaign in late April to help keep the festival going. The initial goal was to cover this year's shortfall, but thanks to the support of alumni and local community members, the campaign reached its target of 1.5 million yen within about two weeks. Given the expectation of an even larger deficit this year, the committee has now set a second-stage goal of 5 million yen. "I am determined to find ways to ensure the festival can continue," said Executive Committee Chair Nozomi, "not just for us, but for future students too."
Third-year students on this year's executive committee
Related Links in Japanese:
Meidaisai Crowdfunding Page (Open until June 14, 11:00 p.m.)
This article was originally written in Japanese by Tatsuhiko Maruyama for the "Public Relations Meidai" web magazine and published on June 3, 2025. The Nagoya University International Communications Office has translated and edited it for clarity while preserving the original content's intent. Certain information might be outdated. For the original Japanese version, please see here.