This system is conducive to the heavy drinking prevalent among Japanese university students, which is viewed as a way of relaxing to permit more uninhibited conversation between attendees. ![]() A beer-only "all you can drink" period is usually cheaper than an all-inclusive period including heavier liquors. This often comes along with a certain number of snacks, and extra items can generally be ordered for an additional price. It is typical to have a time-restricted "all you can drink" period termed nomihōdai (or nomihō for short) that is paid for by a set fee. Drinks are brought in by a wait staff along with various types of snacks thought to go along with alcohol (termed tsumami in Japanese). As typical of Japanese drinking gatherings (see: nomikai), konpa often begin with an opening speech from a senior member or organizer and a toast. In some cases attendees will be seated at one or several Western-style tables. Attendees typically sit on the floor on a sitting cushion (see: zabuton) around a long table in a secluded area of the predetermined venue. The participants in the parties are pre-determined, and it is not typically accepted to attend or join in a konpa if one is not invited by the kanji. Konpa are heavily planned, and an appointed organizer (termed kanji in Japanese) often seeks out the location, determines a time, and sets the price for each attendee. In recent years, young professionals continue to hold konpa even after graduation from a university, often to find a potential spouse, but the definition of konpa (as opposed to the all encompassing nomikai) restricts it to young people and is very rarely participated in after marriage. ![]() The modern manifestation of this drinking custom is the konpa of today. These gatherings were largely restricted to members of the same sex until after World War II when mixing between the sexes became increasingly more common. ![]() When Japanese university culture was first established during the Meiji period (1868–1912), the custom of members of the same class or dormitory drinking together to deepen their bond of friendship began.
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