Investigating Latecomers’ First Experiences at Bars and Adult Venues during Undergraduate Season

It has been about two weeks since the new school year began. The downtown area is full of young people in suits, drinking and partying.

Even in Kabukicho, young people who don’t usually visit are seen stumbling around. Despite having graduated from high school or university, there’s actually a hidden graduation season from March to May for those who failed to graduate from something else.

“At the new employee training camp, most guys were talking about which girl is cute and who they want to date. It made me feel once again that guys really only think about sex.”

Micah (22), who left his night job in March and started working at a major company as a new graduate, says with a look of dismay, “I think I’m going to get into the most trouble in the company.”

“Yeah, I thought it was really aggressive,  since I usually avoid casual relationships, especially ones that might cause trouble at work or aren’t leading to marriage. Even if someone tries to flirt with me, I can’t just sleep with any guy unless there’s money involved.

I do talk about relationships sometimes, but I keep it light. It’s too much hassle to be seen as promiscuous or teased for being inexperienced. I just want to do decent work at the company, earn a decent income, and live without causing any trouble. It’s really sad how guys get teased for being virgins.”

Among colleagues, it seems that such conversations often arise during drinking sessions, and the presence or absence of romantic experience can easily lead to feelings of insecurity. On the other hand, in a certain prestigious high school affiliated with a famous university, there was a tradition like this in March before graduation.

“After graduating from high school, if someone is still a virgin, all the club members chip in money to treat them to a soapland. Then, everyone celebrates their virginity graduation and high school graduation. We can’t guarantee the quality of girls since we can’t afford a high-end soapland. It’s just boys being boys at an all-boys school. I was on the supporting side, but I hoped it would boost their confidence and they’d enjoy life as adults.” (Satoshi, 21)

It seems that there is a trend for guys to plan to lose their virginity together, like Satoshi and his friends, and go to a brothel. Satomi, who serves such customers every year, reflects on this. 

“I hear stories about everyone calling escort girls separately and then meeting them up later to talk about their experiences. I don’t want to hear bad things said about me, so I try to engage with them moderately and advise them to be careful with their girlfriends and not to do things that could hurt. 

I also hear stories about broke guys going to cheap escort services, where older women than their mothers show up, and it ends up being a disappointment. I honestly don’t feel good about it, but everyone is just a regular customer.”

It seems that men have a lot to say to each other about their inexperience, but it seems that girls are also in a rush to get to know each other. Akira (29), a regular at a happening bar, met a virgin at a hap-bar in Shinjuku in May.

“There were two remarkably young individuals, both virgins. One of them had already experienced intimacy with someone, which surprised me. It was quite unexpected for them to lose their virginity at a hookup bar.

When I heard their story, they were living in a university dormitory, and they seemed to be anxious because everyone else except them had already had experiences. So, during the Golden Week holiday, they apparently attempted to graduate from their virgin status at a hookup bar.

I accidentally kissed one of the girls, thinking it was just a greeting, and she told me, ‘That was my first kiss’ which made me flustered. But she was just normal and cute, and seemed like she would be popular in college. Of course, we ended up being intimate, but I wonder if that was the right decision.”

As the new school year begins, there’s a strong desire to progress beyond different aspects, but it’s also important to take a moment to pause and think.

From the April 26, 2024 issue of FRIDAY