Emissary Blog

I want this to be a deeper look at the implications of the senpai / kohai relationship and how it both helps and hinders in business.

The Senpai / Kohai Relationship and how it fits in business  

Another part of sharing and learning can be found everywhere in Japanese society. The relationship between a Senpai and Kohai is an important part of Japanese business, schooling and martial arts. A senpai is basically one who has come before and therefore has gained knowledge, wisdom and experience while the kohai is the less experienced (and presumably younger) individual who is learning from their more experienced colleagues. In the dojo, this meant that everyone who was more experienced than me was my senpai. And as I gained experience and new people entered the dojo, they became my kohai.

At first glance, this seems to be the relationship between a mentor and a student and, indeed, that is an important element. One important aspect that the senpai/hohai relationship has that is not found in a traditional mentor/student relationship is that you can have many kohai and many senpais. In fact, it is common to address anyone who came before you in school, or in a company or in the dojo by calling them "Senpai" instead of by their name. It should be noted that you should not call your kohai, "Kohai" but should instead call them by their name.  

The idea of having many senpai is what I wanted to