When I had my first part-time job in Japan, I made a terrible mistake on my second day.
My boss, the store manager, was out.
So when a problem came up, I asked for help from the person standing next to me, Tanaka-san.
He was kind and helped me immediately.
A few minutes later, another colleague, Suzuki-san, pulled me aside.
“Taka,” he whispered, his face serious, “You should have asked me first.
I have been here longer than Tanaka.”
I was confused.
They were both part-time high school students like me.
Suzuki-san was just one year older.
Welcome to the world of Senpai (senior) and Kohai (junior).
It’s an invisible hierarchy that governs everything in Japan, and for foreigners, it’s one of the hardest rules to understand.
“Respect Your Elders” on Steroids: The Senpai-Kohai System
More Than a Senior, Less Than a Boss: A System of Order
The Senpai-Kohai relationship is not simply about age or experience.
It’s a fundamental social contract based on the order you enter a group—be it a company, a school club, or even a part-time job.
The one who enters first is the Senpai.
The one who enters after is the Kohai.
This relationship comes with a strict set of unspoken obligations.
The Kohai owes the Senpai absolute respect.
You use polite language (keigo), you pour their drinks at parties, you listen to their advice without question.
In return, the Senpai has a duty to teach, guide, and protect the Kohai.
They are expected to offer advice, pay for meals sometimes, and stand up for their Kohai in front of the real boss.
It’s a system of mentorship and loyalty, designed to maintain order and ensure that knowledge is passed down smoothly within the group.
The Good, The Bad, and The Frustrating
When this system works, it’s actually quite beautiful.
As a Kohai, you have a designated person to ask for help without feeling like you’re bothering the manager.
It creates a strong sense of belonging and camaraderie.
But it has a dark side.
The Senpai is always right, even when they are clearly wrong.
You are expected to laugh at their bad jokes and endure their long, rambling stories.
In my university sports club, the first-year students (Kohai) had to arrive an hour early to clean the entire clubhouse and prepare everything perfectly for the Senpai.
Was it logical?
No.
Was it necessary?
Absolutely not.
But it was the rule.
It was about discipline and showing respect for the hierarchy.
The most frustrating part is that this logic follows you everywhere, long after you leave school.
Navigating the Invisible Power Structure
For anyone working or living in Japan, understanding this dynamic is not optional.
It is the key to your survival.
Always be aware of who entered the group before you.
Even if you have more skill or experience from a previous job, in this new context, you are the Kohai.
Showing deference to your Senpai, even in small ways, will make your life infinitely easier.
It’s a complex and deeply ingrained part of the Japanese psyche, and reading about it can give you a huge advantage in understanding the subtle power plays happening around you.
Living abroad has shown me that there are other, often more efficient, ways to structure a team.
But it has also taught me to appreciate the sense of stability and mutual support that the Senpai-Kohai system, at its best, can provide.
It’s a paradox—both supportive and suffocating.
And that is very, very Japanese.
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This system of unspoken obligation and group harmony is everywhere in Japan.
You can see the exact same principle at play in the culture of souvenir-giving, or “omiyage.”
