Seniority

More of a short blurb of the day. Some old-fashioned managers in Japanese companies might be insistent on the order of seating at an outing. For example, if you were in a restaurant with sliding paper screens, the most junior employee would traditionally sit nearest to the door, while the company head or closet equivalent would be in the corner.

The reason for this dates back to the days of samurai and bushido – whoever was seated nearest to the door would be first to be killed in a surprise attack. Nowadays it’s more of a standing joke, but you can still demonstrate your knowledge and modesty by insisting on the “dangerous” seat.